Yum Brands pulls onions from select locations after McDonald’s E. coli outbreak

Yum Brands has pulled onions from some Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut locations following an E. coli outbreak tied to McDonald’s.

“As we continue to monitor the recently reported E. coli outbreak, and out of an abundance of caution, we have proactively removed fresh onions from select Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC restaurants,” a Yum Brands spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC. “We will continue following supplier and regulatory guidance to ensure the ongoing safety and quality of our food.”

Restaurant supplier U.S. Foods on Wednesday issued a recall notification for four onion products produced by Taylor Farms. It is unclear if Yum removed the onions from select locations in response to the recall.

U.S. Foods does not distribute onions for McDonald’s restaurants, and the burger chain has not publicly named Taylor Farms as a supplier. Taylor Farms has not responded to CNBC’s request for comment.

Health authorities are currently investigating the source of the E. coli outbreak, which has led to one death and 49 confirmed cases across 10 states, including Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has interviewed 18 people, 14 of whom remember eating a Quarter Pounder burger from McDonald’s, as of Tuesday.

In response to the outbreak, McDonald’s has pulled Quarter Pounders from roughly a fifth of its U.S. restaurants. The investigation has honed in on two ingredients in the burgers: the fresh beef patties and slivered onions.

McDonald’s said the affected restaurants all source onions from a single facility, which washes and slices the onions. Its beef patties, on the other hand, come from multiple suppliers in the region. If cooked according to internal standards, the temperature would kill any E. coli in the patty.

— CNBC’s Kate Rogers contributed reporting for this story.