Chipotle apologizes for outbreaks

Shares of Chipotle bounced back on Thursday after its founder, co-CEO Steve Ells, apologized to all customers who fell ill after eating in its restaurants and promised to enforce strict new food-safety practices. “We’ve had a team of epidemiologists and food safety experts to raise our standards”, Ells said. “When we reopen, that restaurant will be completely sanitized and every single employee will be tested to assure they do not have the norovirus”.

A sign showing that the Chipotle Mexican Grill Boston location is closed on December 8, 2015.

Ells said the E. coli outbreak has pushed the company into reviewing how the 64 ingredients used in its restaurants are handled, and to look into new ways of assuring food is safe.

On Wednesday, health officials confirmed that a Chipotle restaurant in the Boston area had been linked to an outbreak of norovirus, a highly infectious though not fatal illness that causes stomach problems.

Eight Boston College basketball players missed a game Sunday due to food poisoning, leading many to suspect E.coli, including BC Coaches. The most recent case happened November 13.

Asked on NBC’s “Today” program whether Chipotle could recover financially, Ells said “certainly”, a sentiment some analysts shared. For instance, on a small number of occasions a Chipotle restaurant has been associated with customer illness, and on those occasions our sales have been adversely impacted, at times even in markets beyond those impacted by the illness. The firm now has a $600.00 price target on the stock, down from their prior price target of $675.00. The virus causes nausea, vomiting and diarrhea lasting 24 to 48 hours or more.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has told the college there have been no other pathogens found in lab tests; however, some specimens still need to be tested, according to school officials.

In its annual report, Chipotle has noted it may be at a higher risk for outbreaks of food-borne illnesses because of its “fresh produce and meats rather than frozen, and our reliance on employees cooking with traditional methods rather than automation”.

Company shares, which have been pummeled since the outbreak, rebounded sharply after Ells’ interview, jumping nearly 7 per cent.