McDonald’s Corporation has allocated $100 million to regain customer confidence after an E. coli outbreak linked to onions in its burgers affected over 100 individuals.
Of this investment, $65 million will be directed to the franchises most impacted by the outbreak, which occurred between September 12 and October 21. The remaining $35 million will be used for marketing efforts aimed at rebuilding the brand’s image.
The outbreak resulted in at least 104 reported illnesses, with 34 people hospitalized. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicated that the source of the outbreak was likely slivered onions used in McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burgers.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has since confirmed that there is no ongoing safety concern related to this incident. As a precaution, many McDonald’s locations temporarily removed Quarter Pounders from their menus and sourced onions from a different supplier for approximately 900 restaurants that had stopped serving the burgers with onions.
In a memo, Operating Partner Argelia Gonzalez emphasized the importance of McDonald’s long-standing reputation, stating, “The relevance, trust, and love for the Golden Arches has been hard-earned over nearly 70 years by our unwavering commitment to do the right thing. The past three weeks have only further exemplified that.”
The new measures come as McDonald’s works to reassure customers about food safety and restore its standing in the fast-food market.
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