An FDA inspection of a Taylor Farms facility in Colorado, a supplier of onions for McDonald’s, uncovered numerous violations following a deadly E. coli outbreak linked to the fast-food chain.

Taylor Farms, known for providing ‘prep-less kitchen solutions’ to restaurants, supplied ‘slivered onions’ to McDonald’s across several states and also produces ready-to-eat salads for grocery stores.

The inspection report, obtained by CBS News through a Freedom of Information Act request, highlighted findings that led to the issuance of a Form 483, a list of citations concerning potential health hazards.  

FDA inspectors found multiple instances of poor sanitation at the Taylor Farms facility in Colorado Springs. Despite claims that cleaning procedures had been followed, inspectors discovered equipment with significant biofilm and food debris buildup.

The inspection report showed that Taylor Farms’ quality control team approved cleaning procedures even when inspectors identified visibly unclean food contact surfaces.

This failure presented a significant risk of cross-contamination, as highlighted by a complaint from another company that found onion pieces in their green pepper product.

The FDA report also suggested that workers were not following proper sanitation protocols, raising concerns about potential hygiene issues.

Staff at the McDonald’s supplier ‘occasionally’ used hand sanitizer when handling ready-to-eat (RTE) food, the FDA claimed. The sanitizer was applied to their gloved hands, but there were apparent lapses in consistency.

An FDA inspection of Taylor Farms’ Colorado facility uncovered violations after an E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s.

Taylor Farms supplies slivered onions to McDonald’s and ready-to-eat salads to grocery stores

FDA inspectors also observed that production employees handling produce and food contact surfaces did not use any of the handwashing sinks in the facility.

Inspectors also said that Taylor Farms regularly skipped the drying step after submerging tools in a sanitizing chemical solution. 

This raised concerns that the solution was being ‘directly applied’ to ready-to-eat produce. ‘Equipment is constantly wet due to the wet processing environment and cold temperatures,’ the FDA reported.

Additionally, FDA officials expressed concern over how staff were preparing the cleaning chemical mixtures.

Some solutions exceeded the allowed maximum chemical concentration, while the company was unclear on the formulation for another cleaning mixture flagged by FDA inspectors.

‘Management could not provide a manufacturer label and/or manufacturer’s or chemical representatives claiming that mixing these chemicals was designed for this use,’ inspectors said.

‘We hold our suppliers to the highest expectations and standards of food safety. Prior to this inspection, and unrelated to its findings, McDonald’s stopped sourcing from Taylor Farms’ Colorado Springs facility,’ McDonald’s said in a statement.

The supplier change affected about 900 restaurants relying on the plant, CBS News reported. 

The outbreak sickened over 100 people, leading to a recall of onions used in McDonald’s products, including the Quarter Pounder

The CDC traced at least 104 infections, resulting in 34 hospitalizations and one death

McDonald’s emphasized that the decision to stop sourcing from Taylor Farms’ Colorado Springs facility, announced in October following the E. coli outbreak, was independent of the recent FDA inspection.

‘Taylor Farms is confident in our best-in-class food safety processes and the quality and safety of our products. As is common following an inspection, the FDA issued observations of conditions that could be improved at one of our facilities,’ Taylor Farms said in a statement.

‘This is consistent with the fact that no illnesses or public health threat has been linked to these observations.’ 

The company confirmed it promptly addressed the concerns raised and emphasized that the FDA did not take any administrative or regulatory action against them.

The E. coli outbreak, which spanned across 14 states, triggered a widespread recall of onions used in McDonald’s products, including the iconic.

The CDC traced at least 104 infections to the outbreak, which resulted in 34 hospitalizations and one death. 

In response to the E. coli outbreak, Taylor Farms initiated a recall of thousands of cases of ready-to-eat onions.

This isn’t the first time McDonald’s has had to cover their tracks from the e-coli outbreak.

McDonald’s halted sourcing from Taylor Farms’ Colorado Springs facility prior to the FDA inspection, citing their high food safety standards

This past November, McDonald’s announced they planned to shell out $100 million to lure back its customers after its multi-state E. coli outbreak.

The fast-food giant said they were investing the large sum to ‘accelerate recovery and support the most heavily impacted franchisees’, the company told CBS News.

‘A total of $65 million will be invested into supporting franchisees who have lost business, targeting those in the states that were most affected,’ they added.

The burgers were initially taken off the menu from roughly 20 percent of McDonald’s restaurants, but have returned this past week.

However, in hundreds of locations, the menu item is being served without the onions.

Taylor Farms did not immediately respond to the DailyMail.com’s request for comment.