Navigating Crisis: The Impact of Foodborne Outbreaks on Brand Reputation and Recovery Strategies

By Tosin 'Badeniyi, PhD
- October 23, 2024

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This morning, McDonald’s shares experienced a significant decline, dropping 6% in pre-market trading due to concerns surrounding their Quarter Pounder, which has been linked to an E. coli outbreak. Such incidents pose serious reputational risks for food businesses, and this crisis serves as a stark reminder of a similar situation involving South Africa’s food giant, Tiger Brands, approximately six years ago. That incident severely impacted their profits and stock performance, though Tiger Brands has since made strides toward recovery.

While McDonald’s is likely to bounce back in the long run, this situation underscores the urgent need for collaboration among all stakeholders in the food industry. It is essential to leverage technology and innovative solutions to combat pathogens that can persist within our food systems.

For those interested in exploring the economic costs associated with foodborne outbreaks, we invite you to read our article published in the Journal of Food Control, which delves deeper into the implications of such crises on businesses and public health.

Cost estimation of listeriosis (Listeria monocytogenes) occurrence in South Africa in 2017-2018 and its food safety implications

https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=356372

Declaration: I own Tiger Brands and McDonald’s shares

Tosin 'Badeniyi, PhD

Tosin ‘Badeniyi, a Professor at the Department of Biotechnology and Food Science at Durban University of Technology, South Africa, holds a doctoral degree in Food Science from University of Pretoria South Africa. Since 2001, he has conducted research and lectured internationally in the area of food quality and safety. He is the editor of Food Science and Technology: Trends and Future Prospects and has published numerous scientific publications as well as four inspirational books.