This morning, Chipotle founder and co-CEO Steve Ells issued the first apology on the “TODAY” show on behalf of the restaurants.
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“There is more of a chance that I would get sick eating a cheeseburger from a fast-food joint, because they have sick workers coming in and potentially touching the food”, said Tim Tagaris, a partner at Revolution Messaging, a digital agency that does work for the Bernie Sanders campaign, as he had a burrito for lunch.
“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.
He said there’s a silver lining to the outbreak, however, because it has forced Chipotle to reassess and improve its food safety regulations.
Arnold then went on to say that following the incident, Chipotle has implemented new guidelines and procedures in ensuring the quality of its products and ingredients. “That lawsuit would be clutch to pay off my student loans”, said one Instagram user. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a 12 month low of $515.00 and a 12 month high of $758.61.
An E. coli outbreak linked to Chipotle has sickened more than 50 people in at least nine states since late October. About a decade ago, Taco Bell’s business shrank for more than a year after an E. coli outbreak, even though it rapidly fixed the problem.
Asked whether the company could recover financially, Ells said “certainly”.
The CDC has yet to identify the source of E. coli at Chipotle, but said evidence suggests “it’s a common meal item or ingredient”, which has led many patrons to shy away from the stores.
Even Chipotle restaurants that weren’t implicated in the outbreak seemed to be facing a fallout Wednesday.
The outbreaks have smeared the company’s reputation for offering a high-quality, ethically sourced menu meant to elevate it above its fast food competitors, and the fallout from customers has been swift.
Preliminary tests indicate the culprit is norovirus – not E. coli – the Boston Public Health Commission said.
Local authorities said this could have been caused by a norovirus, which came from improper handling of poultry and/or a sick employee’s presence.
According to a report from the Boston Inspectional Services department, which is responsible for inspecting the city’s restaurants, three violations were found at the restaurant.
“When we reopen, the restaurant will be completely sanitized and every single employee will have been tested and assured that they do no have norovirus”.
We may be at a higher risk for food-borne illness outbreaks than some competitors due to our use of fresh produce and meats rather than frozen, and our reliance on employees cooking with traditional methods rather than automation.
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Company shares, which have been pummeled since the outbreak, rebounded sharply after Ells’ interview, jumping nearly 7 per cent.
