A 1996 E. Coli outbreak at one of Burger King's largest beef providers, Hudson Foods, gave Tyson Foods one of its largest business coups. Hudson was one of the largest poultry providers in the United States and one of Tyson's largest competitors when they moved into beef processing at the behest of Burger King. Once it had secured a contract with Burger King, Hudson opened a beef processing plant in Nebraska. When the plant was identified as the source of an E. Coli breakout in 1996, Burger King abandoned the company as a supplier.