Coli investigation at Chipotle; so is it safe?

More than 50 people in nine states were sickened by the outbreak, but Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigators haven’t been able to figure out what food caused it, according to the Journal, citing “people familiar with the government’s investigation”.

The CDC shut down the investigation early this afternoon, saying that it had been two months since the last confirmed case of E. Coli linked to Chipotle and the outbreak appeared to be over. Washington state health officials say they have found no source for the E. coli outbreak related to Chipotle and the chain’s Pacific Northwest restaurants could reopen later this week.

In a statement, Chipotle said it was pleased that the investigation is over.

Multiple financial and investment publications speculated during the last weekend of January that the public and mainstream media had already forgotten about the E. coli outbreaks, which were the fifth and sixth foodborne illness outbreaks for the restaurant chain in the second half of 2015. More than two months have passed since a new illness was linked to E. coli at Chipotle.

In the smaller outbreak, all five people reported eating at Chipotle and three ill people ate at the same Oklahoma location. But no additional illnesses have been reported since December 1.

Chipotle said last month it was confident that the steps it had undertaken to tighten food safety would stop future food poisoning outbreaks. The company has said same-store sales declined by 30% in December. For the year in 2015, teens and young adults aged 13 to 24 increased visits by 11 percent compared with the prior year, according to NPD’s research.

Next week, the chain plans to close down restaurants for a few hours February 8 to conduct food safety training with employees. They can help stop outbreaks and lessen their impact by keeping detailed records to allow faster tracing of individual shipments of foods from source to destination.

“Their willingness to overlook any food-safety concerns to eat at Chipotle could be a result of unabashed loyalty or lack of awareness”, the firm said. (Chipotle) develops and operates Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants, which serve a focused menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls (a burrito without the tortilla) and salads.