Chipotle Updates on E. coli Investigation
November 20 2015 - 3:30PM
Business Wire
Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) continues to work closely
with state and federal health officials, as the investigation
continues into an E. coli incident initially linked to 11 Chipotle
restaurants in Washington and Oregon.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reduced the
number of cases connected to Chipotle from 50 to 37 cases on
November 18 (with 24 in Washington and 13 in Oregon). This
reduction of nearly 25% was based upon more sensitive testing which
revealed the cases were not related to Chipotle. The CDC has
informed Chipotle that it identified six additional cases in which
initial testing matches the E. coli strain involved in the
Washington and Oregon incident. Although one of the individuals has
no known link to Chipotle, five individuals did report eating at
Chipotle, including two in Turlock, Calif., one in Akron, Ohio, one
in Amherst, NY, and one in Burnsville, Minn.
Investigators have suggested that in incidents like this, it is
not unusual to see additional cases after the initial incident as
the investigation moves forward. The source of the problem appears
to have been contained during a period in late October. Forty-two
of the 43 cases linked to Chipotle, reported visiting one of the
restaurants in question between October 13 and October 30. One
person reported having eaten November 6.
In response to this incident, Chipotle has taken aggressive
steps to make sure its restaurants are as safe as possible. There
have been no reported new cases in Washington or Oregon since
Chipotle put its remediation plan into effect.
Specifically, the company conducted deep cleaning at the
restaurants that have been linked to this incident, replacing
ingredients in those restaurants, changing food preparation
procedures, providing all necessary supply chain data to
investigators, and surveying employees to be sure none have had any
symptoms of illness (note: no Chipotle employees in any states have
been ill related to this incident). Similar actions are immediately
being taken in response to these newly reported cases.
Chipotle is also taking significant steps to be sure all of its
food is as safe as possible. Specifically, the company is expanding
testing of key ingredients, examining all of its food-safety
procedures to find any opportunity for improvement, and is working
with two renowned food safety scientists to assess all of its food
safety programs, from the farms that provide its food to its
restaurants.
“We take this incident very seriously because the safety of our
food and wellbeing of our customers is always our highest
priority,” said Steve Ells, chairman and co-CEO of Chipotle. “We
are committed to taking any and all necessary actions to make sure
our food is as safe as possible, and we are working diligently with
the health agencies.”
“We offer our sincerest apologies to those who have been
affected,” said Ells. “We will leave no stone unturned to ensure
the safety of our food – from enhancing the safety and quality
assurance program for all of our fresh produce suppliers, to
examining all of our food safety procedures from farm to
restaurant, and expanding testing programs for produce, meat and
dairy items before they are sent to our restaurants.”
According to the CDC, there are about 48 million cases of
food-related illness in the U.S. annually, including 265,000 cases
of E. coli.
Additional information about this incident is available online
at Chipotle.com/update.
About Chipotle
Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO, started Chipotle with
the idea that food served fast did not have to be a typical fast
food experience. Today, Chipotle continues to offer a focused menu
of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls (a burrito without the tortilla)
and salads made from fresh, high-quality raw ingredients, prepared
using classic cooking methods and served in a distinctive
atmosphere. Through our vision of Food With Integrity, Chipotle is
seeking better food from using ingredients that are not only fresh,
but that—where possible—are sustainably grown and raised
responsibly with respect for the animals, the land, and the farmers
who produce the food. In order to achieve this vision, we focus on
building a special people culture that is centered on creating
teams of top performers empowered to achieve high standards. This
people culture not only leads to a better dining experience for our
customers, it also allows us to develop future leaders from within.
Chipotle opened with a single restaurant in 1993 and operates more
than 1,900 restaurants, including 17 Chipotle restaurants outside
the US, 11 ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen restaurants, and is an
investor in an entity that owns and operates three Pizzeria Locale
restaurants. For more information, visit Chipotle.com.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151120005928/en/
ChipotleChris Arnold,
303-222-5912chris.arnold@chipotle.com
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