Which fast-food chain recalled beef patties after the 1993 Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak?

Jack in the Box recalled beef patties after the 1993 E. coli outbreak linked to its restaurants.

The outbreak was caused by Escherichia coli O157:H7 in undercooked hamburger meat. It began in the western United States and was especially associated with children, with illnesses reported in Washington, Idaho, Nevada and California. The contaminated beef was distributed to Jack in the Box restaurants.

The company recalled remaining hamburger meat and temporarily closed restaurants while investigators traced the outbreak. The incident prompted major changes in food-safety practices, including stronger attention to cooking temperatures and the dangers of undercooked ground beef.

The recall is sometimes remembered simply as a “hamburger outbreak,” but the important distinction is that ground beef can distribute bacteria throughout a patty. Surface searing alone is therefore not enough when meat is ground.