• Chipotle restaurants witnessed minimum five food-safety incidents around the U.S. from 2015 to 2018.
  • Chipotle has undertaken food safety and offers an opportunity to make a fresh start and emphasize serving real food made with real ingredients.
Fast casual restaurant Chipotle Mexican Grill has been slapped $25 million fine emanating from “norovirus outbreaks” which sickened customers from 2015 to 2018. The tainted food is said to have had toll on over 1,100 people across the U.S. The penalty is reported to be the largest ever slapped in a food-safety case. Nick Hanna, United States Attorney said that Chipotle failed to assure that its employees complied with its food safety protocols. Taking stock of the events, the restaurant chain has come in the same page with the authority to place a thorough food safety and compliance program. Chipotle has confirmed the deal with the prosecutors and stressed that the company is committed to boost its dynamic food safety policies, procedures and practices. Chairman and CEO of Chipotle Brian Niccol stated that the deal gauges at the acknowledgement of the way Chipotle has taken food safety and offers an opportunity to make a fresh start and emphasize serving real food made with real ingredients. The Justice Department is purported to have claimed that the fine resulted from norovirus cases, which is a highly contagious pathogen which can be transmitted from infected food workers who handle ready-to-eat foods and ingredients. Reports allude that Chipotle restaurants witnessed minimum five food-safety incidents around the U.S. from 2015 to 2018. Hanon went on to say that the penalty and investment in upgradation of food safety program done by Chipotle since 2015 may augur well for the protection for Chipotle customers. This is perceived to be an omen for other restaurant chains to assess and enhance their own safety and health practices. Source credit: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/21/us/chipotle-fine-food-safety/index.html