Chipotle tweeted and broadcasted live on the streaming app Periscope to give customers an inside look at the employee training.
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Ells said the food safety changes would not compromise taste or its commitment to “food with integrity”, a policy that focuses on using organic produce and antibiotic-free meats when those ingredients are available.
The restaurant known for its fresh, farm-to-fork approach to preparing food has been under the microscope after norovirus and E. coli outbreaks sickened hundreds across the country.
The Denver based company noted a 36-percent drop in sales last month at established locations. YouGov Brand Index said customer perceptions about Chipotle sank to their lowest level since it began tracking the company in 2007.
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“If we messed up your lunch plans today, follow the steps and we’ll hook you up”, the company said on its website.
The troubled Chipotle chain has made a decision to shut down its stores on February 8 for a few hours to ensure the food they serve is safe to eat. They are scheduled to reopen at 3 p.m. local time.
No, it doesn’t matter what you were actually going to do for lunch today.
The E. coli outbreak left about 500 people sick last year – including the entire Boston College basketball team – and severely impacted the company’s fourth quarter profits, which were down 44 percent compared to the previous year. The company said all ingredients will go under more frequent testing.
Chipotle, which has longed promised to source local food, had previously said some of its smaller suppliers wouldn’t be able to meet the new safety standards. Those protocols includes the end of dicing tomatoes in individual restaurants, as the chain believes that was the likely cause of a salmonella outbreak in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
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Executives believe the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will soon declare the E. coli outbreak to be over.
