2024 didn’t end so well under the golden arches.
An E. Coli outbreak at several McDonald’s locations in many eastern states was to blame. People reported getting sick around late Sept. 2024 and continued through Oct. 10, 2024.
The CDC started investigating on Oct. 22, 2024, and found the main cause of the E. Coli outbreak was the slivered onions in many menu items at McDonald’s.
Due to this, McDonald’s temporarily stopped serving their Quarter Pounder Hamburger—one of the many causes of the outbreak—and stopped using onions in other menu items across the mid-eastern states.
Foodborne diseases, such as E.coli, can pose serious health risks, especially for teenagers who tend to depend on fast food for convenience. Teens are highly vulnerable to these infections since their reliance on fast food involves consuming high-risk foods such as undercooked meat or raw vegetables, which may host harmful bacteria if not handled properly.
Furthermore, many adolescents are not well-versed regarding the practices of food safety today. For these reasons, they may be in a position where teens may overlook early symptoms or risk factors of food-borne illness, delaying treatment and worsening outcomes.
Illness caused by E.coli can lead to severe stomach cramps, dehydration, and even kidney failure. Many people are admitted to hospitals for e. coli-related issues every year, and a few of them die.
The tracing of such outbreaks to fast food is not something new; several chains have been in the news for similar incidents in the recent past, which would hopefully indicate that much more is being expected from this sector regarding the implementation of safety measures.
In that light, most fast food companies have embarked on safe ingredient sourcing, strict sanitation, and good practice in handling food to avoid contamination. However, many of these good practices can be inconsistent, which is putting customers, especially teens, at risk.
Based on the Bird Feed’s anonymous survey, we found out that only 44% of high school students knew about the recent E.coli bacteria outbreak, and only 40% of the students watch the news in general.
It’s imperative teens understand health and safety issues when they are concerned about their well-being, such as with the recent E.coli outbreak. With fast food being such a major part of our routines, awareness of these types of risks can help us make smarter choices.
With news being merely a tap away, taking just that one second to update yourself could make a huge difference–not just in protecting yourself, but also by spreading awareness that will help keep others safe, too.
