Food safety and disease investigation staff from the state Department of Health are still working to investigate the cause of an outbreak of illnesses linked to 27 cases of E. coli illnesses in Washington, according to a state Department of Health media release.
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The company said it has replaced all ingredients in the 43 restaurants in its Portland, Ore., and Seattle markets.
Lindquist said the Chipotle restaurants in Washington and OR will be allowed to reopen after they have met a few conditions.
There are things people can do to ward off foodborne illnesses: Wash your hands before making or eating food, avoid undercooked hamburger or raw shellfish, be careful about cross-contamination of raw meat, wash produce thoroughly, and steer clear of unpasteurized milk or juice.
Chipotle officials confirmed Tuesday the Spokane locations will reopen Wednesday following an E. coli outbreak. The agency said it would also require all fresh produce to be carefully cleaned and sanitized.
Tests failed to detect the genetic fingerprint of the bacteria, which is not uncommon in outbreaks that may center on perishable produce, Lindquist said. Since the start of October when locations started to shut down because of the E coli outbreak, Chipotle stock has lost 13.22% in price against S&P 500 Index’s gain of 8.25% over the same period.
In Washington, cases include 11 in residents of Clark County, six in King County, six in Skagit County, two each in Cowlitz and Island counties and one in Whatcom County, health officials said.
“In this July outbreak, we had a hard time contacting the people who became ill, so it delayed when we were able to make the connection to Chipotle”, spokesman James Apa wrote in an email to Q13.
Pedestrians walk past a still-closed Chipotle restaurant Monday, …
“To determine the strain that may have caused the outbreak, E. coli isolated from victims of the outbreak and from the food consumed have to match genetically”.
So far, no specific food, beverage or flaw in food safety has been identified, officials said, though more test results are expected next week.
Marler said it’s obvious that Chipotle has issues with food safety.
Jessica Ellis of Mount Vernon, Washington and Chris Collins of Lake Oswego, Oregon, filed federal lawsuits on Friday.
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“If there are opportunities to do better, we will push ourselves to find them and enhance our already high standards for food safety“.
