In the wake of two high-profile food poisoning outbreaks, Chipotle has announced its intention to become a leader in food safety. The fat casual restaurant chain is currently linked to nine-state E. coli outbreak that has sickened 52 people and was linked to a Salmonella outbreak in Minnesota that sickened 64 people in September. The outbreaks have prompted the company to revamp the food safety and food handling practices at all of its restaurants and throughout its supply chain, the company said in a press release today. Chipotle hopes these changes will position it as a food safety leader in the industry. Chipotle retained Seattle-based IEH Laboratories to help it identify opportunities to enhance food safety practices throughout its operations. Some of the features of the new … [Read more...]
Chipotle E. coli Outbreak Expands to 9 States, 52 Sick, 20 Hospitalized
The Chipotle E. coli outbreak has sickened 52 people in nine states, 20 of them have been hospitalized, according to the latest update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A food source has still not been determined. Since the last update, on November 20, the outbreak has expanded to include three more states: Illinois, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. And seven new illnesses from six states have been reported. Two of them started in October, five began in November. The most recent illnesses were reported from the following states: California (1), Illinois (1), Maryland (1), Ohio (2), Pennsylvania (1), and Washington (1). That brings the total reported from each state to: California (3), Illinois (1), Maryland (1), Minnesota (2), New York (1), Ohio (3), Oregon … [Read more...]
A Confusing Week in the Chipotle E. coli Outbreak Investigation
It was a confusing week in the Chipotle E. coli outbreak investigation. On Tuesday, November 17, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reduced the number of those sickened in Oregon and Washington from 50 to 37 and said no new cases had been reported since October 30. Three days later, November 20, the agency announced that the outbreak had expanded to include cases in four other states including Minnesota where a case had previously been identified but ruled out as part of the outbreak. That state now has two cases. What's more, the total number of those ill, now 45, includes two more cases in Washington and three cases that occurred after October 30. What does it all mean? The contaminated food has not been eliminated from the restaurant's supply chain as previously … [Read more...]
Chipotle E. coli Outbreak Sickens 50
The Chipotle E. coli outbreak has now sickened 50 people in Washington and Oregon. Fourteen people have been hospitalized. Results of DNA testing performed on samples from 33 of those sickened show they were all sickened by the same strain of shiga-toxin producing E. coli O26. There is also one person in Minnesota who has been sickened by that strain. However, at this time, health officials do not believe this case is related to the outbreak as that person did not eat at a Chipotle before becoming ill. Health officials have not yet determined the contaminated food source. Tests have been performed on a number of food items. The initial round of tests did not produce any positives for E. coli. According to a lawsuit filed on behalf of Washington woman, one of the ingredients in a … [Read more...]
Minnesota Case Matches Chipotle E. coli Outbreak Strain in Washington, Oregon
An E. coli illness in Minnesota was caused by the same strain as the one identified in the E. coli outbreak linked to Chipotle restaurants in Washington and Oregon. At least 42 people in those two states were sickened with E. coli O26 infections after eating a Chipotle meal. Fourteen of the patients were hospitalized. DNA tests have been completed on samples from 23 patients and all of them match. When the samples were loaded into PulseNet, the national subtyping database for public health agencies, another match was discovered: the case in Minnesota. That person did not eat at a Chipotle before becoming ill. At this time, health officials don’t think the case is related to the outbreak in Oregon and Washington, but the investigation in Minnesota is ongoing. Health officials have not … [Read more...]
After Sickening 42 with E. coli, Chipotle to Reopen in WA and OR
An E. coli outbreak linked to Chipotle stores in Washington and Oregon has grown to include 42 people, 14 of whom have been hospitalized. Now, the chain says it's ready to reopen the 43 stores in those states that it temporarily closed after the outbreak. State health officials linked 11 Chipotle restaurants, including six restaurants in Oregon and five in Washington to the outbreak. But the company voluntarily closed all of them on a temporary basis. As of November 9, 27 people in Washington and 15 in Oregon have been diagnosed with infections from shiga-toxin producing E. coli O26 in food that came from a handful of Chipotle stores. All of them ate at a Chipotle in Washington or Oregon in the week before becoming ill. The case patients, who range in age from 1 to 67, ate at a … [Read more...]
E. coli in Chipotle Meal Puts Oregon Teen in Hospital for 7 Days
After a week-long stay battling an E. coli infection from a contaminated Chipotle meal, a 14-year-old girl from Lake Oswego, Oregon has been released from Doernbecher Children's Hospital. Josie Everett, 14, is still taking strong pain medication after suffering excruciating abdominal pains from the infection, her mother told Fox 12 News. Josie ordered a chicken bowl from the Chipotle off Kruse Way in Lake Oswego. Five days later she developed symptoms of an E. coli infection including sharp stabbing pains in her abdomen, fever and bloody diarrhea. She is one of 12 people in Oregon who are part of a two-state outbreak linked to Chipotle food contaminated with shiga-toxin producing E.coli O26. Twenty nine people in Washington have also been sickened. The case patients, who range in … [Read more...]
CDC: Chipotle STEC E. Coli O26 Outbreak Sickens 41, Hospitalizes 14
The source of the Chipotle outbreak that has sickened 39 people in Washington and Oregon is shiga toxin-producing E. coli, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed in its initial report on the outbreak. Fourteen people have been hospitalized. Shiga toxins cause serious illness by damaging red blood cells and can trigger complications such as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) which leads to kidney failure. HUS can also cause seizure, stroke, coma and death. Lab tests to determine the genetic fingerprint of the E. coli for all case patients are ongoing. Isolates from five people- two in Washington and three in Oregon had the same DNA fingerprint of shiga toxin-producing E. coli. At this time, the CDC does not believe Chipotle locations in other states are … [Read more...]
