So far there have been no illnesses associated with Chipotle restaurants in MI. Suppliers also would not be paying for all the new testing requirements started, he said.
Advertisement
The newly reported cases involve a different strain of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O26, the agency said on Monday.
“Since this issue began, we have completed a comprehensive reassessment of our food safety programs with an eye to finding best practices for each of the ingredients we use”, Chris Arnold, a Chipotle spokesman, said today in an e-mailed statement.
In addition to more testing along the supply chain, Chipotle is instituting more high-tech food tracking inside its restaurants and some new procedures, including cutting, washing and testing tomatoes at central commissaries to ensure they are as clean as possible.
Advertisement
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it is investigating another, more recent outbreak of E. coli last month linked to Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. involving three states not included in a prior outbreak that sickened people starting in October. The company now expects sales to fall as much as 11% in the fourth quarter as the illnesses bring attention to the company’s food-safety struggles. It said Monday those illnesses started between November 18 and November 26, and that all five people said they ate at a Chipotle the week before they got sick. “It’s the worst thing that can happen”, Ells said.
