Coli Outbreaks Linked With Chipotle Seems To Be Over
Two E. coli outbreaks that sickened 60 customers of Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. and contributed to a sharp decline in traffic at its restaurants appear to be over, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday.
Since the CDC’s last update to the public on December 21, two more people were reported ill, in DE and Kentucky, raising the number of cases in the larger of the two outbreaks from 53 to 55, according to the agency.
Fifty-five customers in 11 states were affected by the first outbreak, and another 5 people in three states were sickened as a result of the second outbreak. While multiple food items were collected and tested from Chipotle, CDC officials were unable to verify the presence of any E. coli bacteria in any particular ingredient. Chipotle shares, which are down almost half from their all-time high set previous year, were up almost 5% in afternoon trading Monday to $474.23.
Chipotle spokesman Chris Arnold said the company was “pleased that the CDC has concluded its investigation, and we have offered our full cooperation throughout”.
After the outbreak was detected in October, several people complained of falling ill.
A suit filed in January on behalf of six students and a cheerleading coach, who ate at a California outlet in August, alleges Chipotle covered up a food poisoning outbreak, according to Think Progress. After the illnesses in several states, a federal criminal investigation was also launched into the case and it also faced a shareholder lawsuit, Reuters reported.
Advertising and social-media campaigns are also being planned. The company said it will share information about what it believes caused the outbreaks and what it’s doing to prevent more, and will thank workers for implementing new food safety procedures.
Still, when it comes to “not-so-loyal and former Chipotle customers”, the chain has a long road ahead, Riggs said. It has also said it plans to open stores at 3 p.m. local time on February 8 to hold meetings with employees to discuss changes concerning food-safety measures.
Chipotle is back on the menu, burrito lovers. Sales have tumbled in the months since the outbreaks were first discovered, but teens and young adults have actually increased their visits to the burrito chain, a study by research firm NPD Group found. Denver-based Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. undertook an aggressive revamping of food preparation methods at its more than 1,900 locations.