Peoria Standard

Organic carrots, ground beef, and slivered onions used in McDonald's Quarter Pounders have been associated with E. coli outbreaks this fall. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that over 100 individuals fell ill, with nearly three dozen requiring hospitalization after consuming Quarter Pounders in October. Tragically, one person died, and four others developed life-threatening kidney disease.

In November, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CDC issued a voluntary recall of various sizes and brands of organic carrots. Concurrently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) warned the public about an E. coli outbreak linked to ground beef products from a Detroit-based company.

E. coli is a bacterium with multiple strains, some of which reside harmlessly in the human gut microbiome. However, certain strains can cause food-borne illnesses.

Doug Kasper, MD, an infectious disease specialist with OSF HealthCare, shared advice on maintaining food safety during the holiday season: “For the person at home, as we head into holiday season, you want to remember safe food practices,” Dr. Kasper says. "Whether it's with raw meat or raw eggs, you want to wash all those surfaces after you've cooked with them. Wash with soap and water and scrub the surfaces. You want to cook all necessary products to their recommended temperatures.”

Dr. Kasper noted that using disinfectants like bleach is unnecessary; cleaning surfaces with soap and water should be adequate. He also advised washing any raw vegetables or fruits before consumption.