McDonald’s shares tumble on E coli even as US head vows to improve safety
Al Jazeera
Previous E. coli outbreaks at big US fast-food chains have caused consumers to shun those stores for months.
McDonald’s shares were on track for their worst day since March 2020 on Wednesday, as the fast-food giant scrambled to limit the damage from an E. coli outbreak linked to the chain’s Quarter Pounder burgers in several states in the United States that killed one person and sickened nearly 50 others.
McDonald’s US President Joe Erlinger said on Wednesday that the world’s biggest fast-food chain could rebuild public trust as it works to mitigate the impact of the E. coli outbreak, which led to one death and caused 49 others to fall ill across parts of the US West and Midwest.
Previous E. coli outbreaks at major US fast-food chains have caused consumers to avoid them for months.
During an appearance on NBC’s Today show on Wednesday, Erlinger pointed to the Chicago-based company’s steps to quickly pull the Quarter Pounder from its menu in the areas where the outbreak had occurred.
“Given the recent events of the past 24 hours, our priority is to reinforce the confidence of American consumers,” he said.
