Company News

3,000 McDonald's Stores Stop Selling Salads Amid Parasite Outbreak

There are around 100 cases of people becoming sick in Iowa and Illinois and a handful of cases in surrounding states.

3,000 McDonald's Stores Stop Selling Salads Amid Parasite Outbreak
Getty Images
SMS

McDonald's has temporarily stopped selling salads in 14 states after an outbreak of a parasite that causes intestinal illness.

The parasite, known as cyclospora, is non-fatal but can cause people to be sick for a week up to a few months. 

There are around 100 cases of people becoming sick in Iowa and Illinois and a handful of cases in surrounding states. Health professionals said about one-quarter of the people who got sick ate a McDonald's salad.

The fast food chain said it would switch lettuce providers. In the meantime, it's stopped selling salads at around 3,000 locations, mainly in the Midwest.