Key facts
- Chipotle Mexican Grill removed jalapeños from some restaurants due to a potential link to a salmonella outbreak.
- The Minnesota Department of Health is investigating a salmonella outbreak, identifying 110 cases.
- Chipotle is cooperating with health officials and has replaced jalapeños with supplies from different growers.
- The FDA has initiated a traceback investigation into multiple ingredients.
- Chipotle stated its annual targets do not include the financial impact from the salmonella outbreak.
- Chipotle shares closed down nearly 10% on Tuesday.
Chipotle Mexican Grill has removed jalapeños from some of its restaurants after determining the peppers could potentially be tied to a salmonella outbreak that public health officials are investigating. The company stated that the health and safety of its guests and employees is its highest priority and that it pulled the jalapeños out of an abundance of caution, replacing them with product from different growers in all locations where a previous common lot had been distributed.
The Minnesota Department of Health confirmed it is investigating a salmonella outbreak tied to several Mexican-style, quick-service restaurants, with jalapeños as the suspected source, identifying 110 cases in the state. Chipotle accounted for the majority of cases where impacted consumers were interviewed, having eaten at the chain between mid-June and mid-July.
Carlota Medus, senior epidemiologist supervisor in the Minnesota Department of Health’s Foodborne Diseases Unit, noted that the food making people sick was served at other restaurants as well and that Chipotle has been cooperative. She added that it was too soon to know if the outbreak is ongoing.
The Food and Drug Administration confirmed it initiated its traceback investigation of multiple ingredients on July 22, in response to a cluster of salmonella illnesses identified by state officials and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The FDA appreciated Chipotle’s cooperation and stated it would provide additional information if there is an actionable public health update.
Chipotle stated on Wednesday that its annual targets shared the previous week did not include the financial impact from the salmonella outbreak. Executives had previously warned that the current quarter was likely to be its toughest of the year, even as it raised its annual sales forecast, due to consumer wariness from a separate, multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak. The company identified jalapeños from a common lot as a possible source of the salmonella outbreak, though definitive cause is yet to be determined by health authorities. Chipotle shares closed down nearly 10% on Tuesday but were up about 3% in early trading on Wednesday.