Local officials raised similar concerns about a Chipotle in Boston, where more than 140 college students were sickened with norovirus.
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Popular casual burrito dining establishment Chipotle has been linked to an outbreak of E.Coli that has made over fifty people in nine different states ill with norovirus.
The latest news is that a Chipotle located in Seattle was shut down Thursday by health officials for repeated food safety violations.
The CDC identified seven more people infected with an Escherichia coli O26 outbreak strain that was linked to food served at Chipotle restaurants. Same-store sales dived as much as 20 percent after the initial cases emerged, and the chain expects sales to slup another 8 to 11 percent in the fourth quarter.
As of Friday afternoon, the Boston Public Health Commission confirmed 136 who ate the Cleveland Circle Chipotle have norovirus. According to the company, the instance of sick individuals of Norovirus in Boston College is an isolated scenario and has nothing to do with the E. Coli cases.
“This was a very unfortunate incident and I’m deeply sorry that this happened, but the procedures we’re putting in place today are so above industry norms that we are going to be the safest place to eat“, Ells said. The spokesperson also added that there are no evident links to any of the Chipotle restaurants and E. Coli. He said the restaurant’s permit to operate has been suspended by the city and that a disinfection process has begun.
Chipotle spokesman Chris Arnold told The Associated Press in an email they are looking into the cause of the violation and will address it. As reported by The Food Chain, typical norovirus outbreaks do not include a large number of people.
According to an InvestorPlace report, Chipotle Mexican Grill’s stocks have been significantly hammered since the last two months when the outbreak of E. Coli started. From August to December, the shares of the company dropped by 30%, which later on gained after Steve’s announcement to make Chipotle restaurants, “the safest place to eat”.
Will I get sick from eating at my neighborhood Chipotle?
William Marler, a prominent Seattle lawyer who specializes in food safety, is representing 74 victims in Chipotle-related cases.
As the number of illnesses steadily increased over the course of the week, campus health officials discovered that the larger number of those complaining of gastrointestinal symptoms had patronized the restaurant recently.
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Branded with the tagline “food with integrity”, Chipotle has led the movement among fast-food chains in acquiring produce from local farmers, seeking meat producers who carry out humane animal practices, and reducing its environmental impact.
