436 sickened by parasite the CDC has linked to McDonald’s salads
By Matt Collins Article may include affiliate links
The CDC is reporting that 436 people have been sickened with an intestinal illness likely linked to salads sold at McDonald’s.
People began coming down with cyclospora infections in May and illnesses have been reported in 15 states.
McDonald’s supplier, Fresh Express, issued a recall of the premixed salad blend it sent to institutional customers that included Romaine lettuce and carrots.
A bag of the product distributed to McDonald’s did test positive for cyclospora, but the test wasn’t done until after the product’s printed expiration date.
That bag was from the same lot that was also sold to distributor Caito Foods.
McDonald’s says it has since switched suppliers and discarded all of the unused Fresh Express blend.
However, no Fresh Express products sold directly to consumers appear to be affected at this time.
Cyclospora symptoms can take a week or more to appear — and the illness can last several months in some cases.
It is treatable using antibiotics.
Though cases reportedly linked to McDonald’s salads have resulted in at least 20 hospitalizations, no deaths have been reported.