More E.Coli Linked to Chipotle

The FDA conducted a traceback investigation of the FDA-regulated ingredients used in the chicken salad to try to determine which ingredient was linked to illness, but the traceback did not identify a common source of contamination, according to the CDC.

“We don’t know if it’s the same food item or related food item or completely different in each [outbreak, ]” Schaffner told ABC News today.

“It’s concerning”, she said.

The CDC said on Monday it was investigating five new cases of E.coli infections, one each Kansas and North Dakota and three in Oklahoma.

The Costco incident is the latest E. coli outbreak where the source is unknown.

“Chipotle’s food safety issues seem to have exposed deficiencies in the chain’s supply testing protocol, particularly as it – like Yum China – manages hundreds of small suppliers”, David Palmer of RBC Capital Markets said in a December 7 report. The CDC said that all the five of them said that they had eaten at Chipotle, the week before they got sick. Health officials say that they still have not found the origin of the E. coli outbreaks in any of the Chipotle restaurants. Twenty people were hospitalized in that outbreak, according to previous accounts.

When looking at the daily charts for Chipotle Mexican Grill, the stock has been in a strong downtrend over the last couple of weeks. The company has estimated that sales will fall as much as 11 percent in the fourth quarter as the illnesses bring attention to the company’s food-safety struggles.

“We have indicated before that we expected that we may see additional cases stemming fro this, and CDC is now reporting some additional cases”, the spokesman said.

WHAT’S NOTABLE: Maxim analyst Stephen Anderson released research notes on two companies he believes could benefit from the E. coli and norovirus outbreaks at Chipotle – Panera Bread (PNRA – Get Report) and Zoe’s Kitchen (ZOES – Get Report).

Bill Marler, a food poisoning attorney who is representing customers who were sickened after eating at Chipotle, noted the chain had also been linked to other outbreaks of foodborne illnesses in California and Minnesota this summer.

Shares of Chipotle dropped 3.5 percent, or $19.07, to close at $522.01. It is important to point towards the fact that the stock hit a fresh 52 week low during yesterday’s trading session.