On September 27th, 2024, hospitals around the US started to notice a significant increase in reports regarding E-Coli. Initially, the virus made only 13 people sick, allowing many people to lower their guard and not pay attention to it. As time went on, the number of ill patients jumped from 13 to 47, unfortunately claiming one life. This ultimately garnered the attention of the CDC, who launched an investigation on the origins of this potentially dangerous virus. Eventually, on October 30th, the CDC traced the origins of this virus to slivered onions used in McDonald’s Quarter pounders, produced by Taylor Farms. This ordeal concluded with McDonalds releasing a public statement and removing Quarter Pounders from the menu until they could remove any instances of E-Coli from their foods. Events like these may seem quite far-fetched, considering that McDonalds is quite a big company. Unfortunately, this is not quite the case, as McDonalds and many other notable fast food companies like Jack in the Box and Chipotle have had their fair share of E-Coli, dating back to the 1990s. This ultimately begs the question: why do these outbreaks happen so frequently and how can these companies prevent them?

E-Coli, also known as Escherichia coli, is a type of bacteria known to cause infections in the gastrointestinal system, most notably the intestines. Contamination can occur when an individual eats infected produce, such as ground beef, chicken, tomatoes, and, in this case, slivered onions. The most common symptoms of E-coli include bloody diarrhea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and fever. Unfortunately, as of now, there is no cure for E-Coli. 

In 1992, a fatal outbreak of E-coli killed 4 children and infected 732 individuals across the US. This outbreak was so serious that it caught the attention of the president at the time, Bill Clinton, who interviewed the families of the children and the infected. It was later found out to be caused by contaminated beef patties used in burgers from Jack in the Box. This ultimately caused a permanent dent in Jack in the Box’s reputation, causing them to have to spend millions of dollars in an attempt to repair their image. Similarly, Chipotle also had a major E-Coli outbreak spanning from 2015-2018, causing thousands of people to be hospitalized. The reason for these outbreaks was, once again, caused by the use of contaminated foods. Even after food safety laws were enacted after the Jack in the Box outbreaks, Chipotle and McDonalds still failed to prevent infection because of a lack of care for the quality of their foods. 

So how can these companies prevent such instances from happening in the future? First and foremost, the companies can try to check with their suppliers to ensure that the workers are actively trying to maintain the quality of their products. They could also run DNA tests on the cattle being used to prevent E-coli outbreaks by identifying which cows have histories of E-coli and which cows are most prone to being infected by E-coli. In addition, by spending more time making burgers but adhering to the food safety laws, companies could further prevent any controversy and permanent damage to their reputation, fostering more business and positive feedback. In Cresskill, students were shocked after hearing about the outbreak, which led to many switching to other fast food restaurants. “I never expected it,” said a freshman at CHS, “I don’t feel comfortable eating there anymore.” This shows that these outbreaks could permanently affect the business of a company and prevent sales from coming in, causing problems for both the consumer and the seller. 

Overall, I believe that these companies are not paying enough attention to the quality of their products, prioritizing efficiency over quality and thus endangering the consumers. With just a little bit more attention and care towards these issues, I believe that these companies could prevent any more outbreaks and issues from occurring, saving their image as well as their customers.