KANSAS CITY — Yum! Brands Inc. said Oct. 24 that it was removing onions from some Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC restaurants after slivered onions were linked to an E. coli outbreak associated with McDonald’s Corp.

In an Oct. 25 update, the Food and Drug Administration said it has yet to confirm onions are the source of the outbreak but is collecting samples for analysis. Taylor Farms, Salinas, Calif., the supplier of slivered onions for the affected McDonald’s locations, has initiated a recall of yellow onions. The agency emphasized the recalled onions were distributed to other foodservice operators besides 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,” Yum Brands said. “We will continue following supplier and regulatory guidance to ensure the ongoing safety and quality of our food.”

Other restaurant chains also have made decisions regarding onions. Restaurant Brands International, which owns Burger King, said it was removing onions from certain menu items.

“There is no crossover with McDonald’s for the vast majority of our onion facilities,” a Burger King spokesperson said. “About 5% of our restaurants do receive onions distributed from the Taylor Farms Colorado facility. Burger King only uses whole, fresh onions and our team members then cut them, peel them, wash them and slice them fresh in our restaurants every day.

“Despite no contact from health authorities and no indications of illness, we proactively asked our 5% of restaurants who received whole onions distributed by this facility to dispose of them immediately two days ago and we are in the process of restocking them from other facilities.”

Foodservice distributor US Foods Holding Corp. received a notification that Taylor Farms was conducting a recall of four yellow onion products due to potential E. coli contamination.

An update from a company spokesperson said it is not a distributor for McDonald’s restaurants.

“First and foremost, US Foods takes food safety very seriously,” the company said. “Out of an abundance of caution, Taylor Farms, one of our third-party suppliers, issued a voluntary recall on Oct. 22, 2024, for specific onion products produced out of their Colorado facility.

“The Taylor Farms recall impacts six US Foods distribution centers located in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and New Mexico. As aligned with our rigorous recall process, we have contacted all impacted US Foods customers to provide appropriate recall instructions.”

Taylor Farms released a statement to some television stations regarding the E. coli outbreak.

“We test both raw and finished products for pathogens and have found no traces of E. coli,” a spokesperson said. “We have never seen E. coli O157:H7 associated with onions in the past. We continue to work closely with FDA and CDC during this ongoing investigation. Our priority is the health and wellness of our customers and consumers and the safety and quality of our products.”

“The CDC and other agencies continue to investigate the source of the McDonald’s recall, specifically trying to confirm which ingredients in the hamburgers is made people sick.”

In its Oct. 25 update, the FDA said as of Oct. 24, there had been 75 people from 13 states infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7. Twenty-two have been hospitalized and one person has died.