A woman (and she is not the first) has sued McDonald’s after ending up in hospital with an Escherichia coli infection caused by a sandwich eaten at the well-known fast food restaurant
An outbreak of Escherichia coli O157a particularly dangerous strain that can cause serious intestinal infections, developed from McDonald’s Quarter Pounders sandwiches in the USA, leading to the hospitalization of several people and even the death of an elderly person.
But which ingredient caused the outbreak? After extensive investigations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it appears likely that the primary cause of the infection was contamination of fresh flaked onions used in sandwiches.
Upon discovering the outbreak, McDonald’s, as well as other companies including Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut, removed the offending onions from restaurants as authorities continue to investigate.
In the meantime, however, consumers who have lived this bad experience are starting to react. What has caused a sensation in recent days is the complaint from Clarissa DeBock, a customer who, after eating one of the fast food sandwiches, ended up in hospital with a severe E. coli infection.
The woman, resident in Nebraska, decided to undertake legal action against the fast food giant, seeking compensation for medical expenses, loss of earnings, and physical and emotional harm.
The incident dates back to last month, when, during a dinner at a McDonald’s outlet, Clarissa did not notice anything unusual in her meal. Five days later, however, the abdominal cramps, followed by diarrhea and nausea, began to make themselves felt, so much so that emergency hospitalization was required. Tests confirmed that the cause of the symptoms was an Escherichia coli O157 infection.
What happened is serious: according to the CDC update of October 25, 2024, they were 75 cases of E. coli linked to the epidemic were recorded, which involved 13 states. Of the 75 cases, 22 required hospitalization and one, as already mentioned, had a fatal outcome.
The lawsuit follows a similar one filed by a Colorado man. Food safety lawyer Ron Simon is handling both cases and said he represents a total of 15 people who developed illnesses related to the outbreak, although only two cases have been filed so far.
Simon said that for customers, the incident represents a betrayal of the trust placed in a restaurant chain that is supposed to guarantee food safety.
Despite the chaos, McDonald’s has made it known that food safety remains its priority. McDonald’s USA President Joe Erlinger said:
Food safety is our top priority at McDonald’s. What matters today is that we have taken action to protect the American public and promote public health.
Inevitably, however, what happened undermined the trust (to date unshakable despite all the criticism) in McDonald’s.
