Chipotle is sidelining jalapenos in Minnesota after state health officials flagged the peppers as a possible link in a salmonella outbreak. The chain—named after smoke-dried jalapenos—said it pulled the peppers from all its Minnesota locations and any other restaurants that received the same lot, swapping in jalapenos from other growers while investigators work to pinpoint the exact source, Reuters reports. Minnesota has logged 110 salmonella cases; of 84 patients interviewed, 75 reported eating at Chipotle between mid-June and mid-July. Officials say the tainted ingredient likely turned up at other Mexican-style restaurants as well, and the FDA is leading a broader traceback probe.
Minnesota health authorities say Chipotle has turned over supply records and moved quickly to remove suspected ingredients, and they don't see an ongoing exposure risk specific to the chain. Still, they expect the case count to rise as older infections are confirmed. News of the investigation hit Chipotle's stock, which slid 9.7% Tuesday, reviving memories of the company's past E. coli, salmonella, and norovirus outbreaks.
The company was implicated in at least five outbreaks of foodborne illness between 2015 and 2018, but after multiple improvements, including extra training for employees, it is now seen as an industry leader in food safety, CNBC reports. Analysts warn, however, that the latest scare could slow same-store sales in what Chipotle has already called its toughest quarter of the year.
- "We have a robust ingredient traceability system and, upon learning of a potential salmonella outbreak in the supply chain impacting several food service retailers, we proactively identified jalapenos as a potential common ingredient from a common lot, removed them from the restaurants where they had been distributed, and replaced them with product from different growers," Chipotle spokesperson Laurie Schalow said in a statement. The company has declined to name the supplier.
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