I chose Chipotle's New Mantra: Safe Food, Not Just Fresh because I love Mexican food and a lot of my friends eat there. All of the reported bacterium and disease at Chipotle was all over twitter and it made me a little nervous to eat there. I am glad that managers are enforcing the employees to wash their hands, it will definitely reduce the contamination of the food. Cutting, washing, and separating the food to avoid cross-contamination is also a great idea. I haven't heard of any problems at my local Chipotle, which relieves me. I am convinced that the company made helpful changes so I want to eat there sometime soon.
Gloves do not offer adequate protection against food contamination from hands that have not been properly washed; the surgical literature has indicated that a significant percentage of gloves of good quality will develop holes during surgery. Hand washing, then, is the key to cleanliness. This means that fingernails have to be short enough to clean, that soap and preferably warm water have to be available, and that enough time is used to wash the hands; at least thirty seconds of washing is needed. It should be possible to exit the toilet without contamination from the doorknob. Signs usually state " Employees are required to wash hands before leaving toilet" or something similar. But signs are in English. If another language is required, if employees cannot read English, but can read Spanish or another foreign language, signs must be available in those languages. Are there employees who cannot read at all? The responsibility of management goes beyond placing signs in toilets, it goes so far as to give specific instructions to each employee at the time of hire. Unfortunately, this type of "intrusion" into the personal habits of employees is a weak link in the chain; it is also time consuming for management. Hand washing is by no means a universal habit as has been shown of studies at Grand Central Station. But food handlers are in a different category from commuters where the health of the public is concerned.
1
Their problem is they have too many people handling food that's laying about in the open, not knowing whose hands been in it?
1
If the workers at the locations where norovirus sickened hundreds had paid sick time off or at least were paid a living wage of $15/hr so they could afford taking an unpaid sick day then those outbreaks wouldn't have happened.
And its not just norovirus either. At a burger chain here in Austin, a worker who was sick with Hepatitis A went to work anyway and infected customers. Not to mention other more run of the mill diseases like the seasonal flu, colds, other respiratory infections etc.
Wage suppression by business owners, lack of benefits and lack of paid sick time/paid time off and are making you sick. Most Chipotles are in predominantly white, well to do areas. It's in your best interest white people (I'm white too) to push for higher minimum wages and better treatment of low wage workers or risk someone sick contaminating your food and infecting you or your children with one of many diseases.
And its not just norovirus either. At a burger chain here in Austin, a worker who was sick with Hepatitis A went to work anyway and infected customers. Not to mention other more run of the mill diseases like the seasonal flu, colds, other respiratory infections etc.
Wage suppression by business owners, lack of benefits and lack of paid sick time/paid time off and are making you sick. Most Chipotles are in predominantly white, well to do areas. It's in your best interest white people (I'm white too) to push for higher minimum wages and better treatment of low wage workers or risk someone sick contaminating your food and infecting you or your children with one of many diseases.
9
The problem with buying local is that it's harder to quality control your supply chain. Then when problems do happen the suppliers run for cover and hide, because Chipotle is such a huge part of their business that any kind of issue could break the company.
There's no guarantee that this won't happen again, and if it does happen again it's goodbye Chipotle.
There's no guarantee that this won't happen again, and if it does happen again it's goodbye Chipotle.
In legitimate countries, workers are given paid sick time by their employers, so they aren't forced to choose between "stay home and lose money that I can't afford to lose if I want to pay rent this month" or "go to work sick and hope I don't cause an outbreak". I'm more than willing to pay $1 more per burrito if it means someone with norovirus won't feel compelled to make my dinner. How long until America joins the civilized world and stops making employment a survival of the fittest contest?
16
After they get their food situation squared away they'll need to make their facilities a little more comfortable so they you will not want to eat your food quickly so that you can leave and not have to sit on some of the most uncomfortable chairs ever devised.
1
Wow - from all the paranoid conspiracy theories that Chipotle is a victim of a Fast food establishment / Pro GMO / etc. effort to purposely target Chipotle restaurants with a special, previously unknown, genetically modified virus in order to discredit them and stop them from stealing business from the Fast food industry and from freeing the masses from the mutating dangers of GMO foods. I'd say that the re-introduction of a new X-files series is right on time!
By the way - I'm a fan of the X-files and love the show - because it's entertaining - not because I think it's true!
By the way - I'm a fan of the X-files and love the show - because it's entertaining - not because I think it's true!
4
This is a well-deserved comeuppance for a holier-than-thou company. You can't find GMOs at Chipotle. But you might find E.coli, salmonella, or norovirus. I'm from Colorado. But I'm hoping this company fails!
3
Chipoltle's problems reflect a fundamental challenge facing all fast food chains: constant employee turnover.
With "front line" (those who deal directly with customers) workers coming and going, any kind of concerted safe food training is difficult, if not impossible. Wash your hands after using the bathrooms often is the extent of training for teenagers and others who come and go with regularity.
Plus, food safety training is costly because it takes time and constant repetition to take root. Given the annual rate of turnover in the business (approaching 80 percent) not many companies want to spend the time or money on training regimens, especially when investors keep clamoring for higher and higher net profit.
Until the fast food sector devises a workable solution (robots?), food-borne illness is likely to remain an ongoing problem for fast food purveyors, and their millions of hungry customers.
With "front line" (those who deal directly with customers) workers coming and going, any kind of concerted safe food training is difficult, if not impossible. Wash your hands after using the bathrooms often is the extent of training for teenagers and others who come and go with regularity.
Plus, food safety training is costly because it takes time and constant repetition to take root. Given the annual rate of turnover in the business (approaching 80 percent) not many companies want to spend the time or money on training regimens, especially when investors keep clamoring for higher and higher net profit.
Until the fast food sector devises a workable solution (robots?), food-borne illness is likely to remain an ongoing problem for fast food purveyors, and their millions of hungry customers.
2
Workable solution? Better pay, appropriate sick leave = less turnover.
Startup platforms like Greenfence (@GreenFence_) claim that they can solve issues related to agriculture, food and beverage industry supply chains. It would be interesting to see their evidence that this is indeed the case. Chipotle might sign up.
Chipotle's problems are a combination of poor strategies, managerial incompetence and letting marketing take precedence over more important aspects of the business. See http://www.forbes.com/sites/henrymiller/2015/12/14/chipotle-the-long-def....
1
I've never eaten at a Chipotle. Probably never will since I rarely eat at fast food joints. I wrote Chipotle off years ago when they were busted for hiring mostly illegals for their stores out west.
1
Here is a novel idea. Know your farmer.
1
Don't equate Chipotle's fresh food with healthy food. The burritos are calorie laden fat bombs.
9
They don't have to be - I eat there as I eat (most of the time) at other places; at Chipotle I often choose the bowl instead of the huge tortilla, easy on the meat, moderate on the rice and beans, tons of the grilled veggies, little or no cheese, plenty of salsa (especially the kind with the chopped tomatoes), maybe some sour cream if I'm not getting the cheese. (I don't think lettuce belongs in burritos, at least not mine.) For special occasions, guacamole.
Where's Mark Bittman when they need him? What a humbling experience for an arrogant and disingenuous company.
4
I suggested to Chipotle that they cease scraping leftover food from old bins into full ones, since it may (cross-contaminate) spread bacteria from one bin to the next until they close down for the day (or past then?). They don't seem to feel that's a problem but don't say why, either qualitatively or quantitatively.
[ref:00892152:ref] : Reply from Chipotle
Peter,
I am sharing this thread with our corporate Health Inspection team so they can review it. We appreciate the seriousness of your concerns.
Best,
James.
--------------------------------------
Subject: Reply from Chipotle
Body:James:
Perhaps you could do me the favor of indicating the pluses and minuses (a.k.a. cost benefit) of your "practice of adding the last of a batch to the next".
As I see it, you increase the chances of cross-contamination dramatically, perhaps irreversibly while only saving a few pennies of the waste. I trust you can put order of magnitude for those two values (in dollars) in your reply. I'm serious.
Regards, Pete ...
Sent from my iPhone 917-xxxxxxx
> On Jan 11, 2016, at 2:35 PM, Chipotle Support wrote:
>
> Peter,
>
> I completely understand. Right now, our food-safety experts are keeping the practice of adding the last of a batch to the next, but we will certainly review this process as we continue to make our restaurants safe as possible.
[ref:00892152:ref] : Reply from Chipotle
Peter,
I am sharing this thread with our corporate Health Inspection team so they can review it. We appreciate the seriousness of your concerns.
Best,
James.
--------------------------------------
Subject: Reply from Chipotle
Body:James:
Perhaps you could do me the favor of indicating the pluses and minuses (a.k.a. cost benefit) of your "practice of adding the last of a batch to the next".
As I see it, you increase the chances of cross-contamination dramatically, perhaps irreversibly while only saving a few pennies of the waste. I trust you can put order of magnitude for those two values (in dollars) in your reply. I'm serious.
Regards, Pete ...
Sent from my iPhone 917-xxxxxxx
> On Jan 11, 2016, at 2:35 PM, Chipotle Support wrote:
>
> Peter,
>
> I completely understand. Right now, our food-safety experts are keeping the practice of adding the last of a batch to the next, but we will certainly review this process as we continue to make our restaurants safe as possible.
I like Chipotle and their objective to use fresh and locally sourced, non GMO ingredients. Unfortunately this model does not translate well to a massive fast food chain. Still, something about this seems a bit fishy and I think the NYT's should do a more in-depth review of food practices at this chain and others. Chipotle has been targeted by other fast food companies and leaned on to adopt mass production practices that will inevitably lead to poorer quality food. This is after all America, where factory food is the norm. I would like to read more about the workers here, what the hygiene practices are, is there a sink to wash hands before workers go into food handling stations, how often do they change their gloves, are they allowed paid sick leave and are they all legal? Employers in this country often look the other way, when they get cheap labor and don't enforce training practices that emphasize safety. This article leaves more questions than answers. Pity the poor stockholders.
6
3
What surprises me is that more people are not sick after eating in a fast food restaurant. I am a Nurse, and I watch how food handlers prepare my food.
Just notice how many things the person touches at Chipotle while preparing your order. Sure they wear gloves, but they also touch the tortilla warmer with that gloved hand, and prior to that they may have reached under the counter to get a new bag of tortillas. How clean were the hands that initially unloaded those tortillas from the box they were shipped in? Sometimes the people working behind the counter wipe their forehead with their gloved hand. Often they handle large stainless steel containers of ingredients when refilling the food bins that you see in front of you. All of this is done with the same gloved hand that prepares your order. Good Grief! How easy it would be to simply change these steps.
May I also suggest that if fast food workers were paid better they might have more respect for the important role they play in food safety.
Just notice how many things the person touches at Chipotle while preparing your order. Sure they wear gloves, but they also touch the tortilla warmer with that gloved hand, and prior to that they may have reached under the counter to get a new bag of tortillas. How clean were the hands that initially unloaded those tortillas from the box they were shipped in? Sometimes the people working behind the counter wipe their forehead with their gloved hand. Often they handle large stainless steel containers of ingredients when refilling the food bins that you see in front of you. All of this is done with the same gloved hand that prepares your order. Good Grief! How easy it would be to simply change these steps.
May I also suggest that if fast food workers were paid better they might have more respect for the important role they play in food safety.
14
Chipotle's cafeteria-style restaurant concept with its sloppy bins of food exposed to all sorts of air and hair-born bacteria combined with its business model of minimum wage workers measured for speed not hygiene was destined to create the current health crisis. They were even dodgy with their claim of superior-sourced ingredients by stating "we try" to get the best available. There never was anything special about the burrito meals they offered. Let them buy back all the stock they want to prop up their fortunes. People should eat elsewhere.
6
I frequently notice problems in restaurant bathrooms that are used by the public and food service workers: often there is no hot water and/or no soap in the dispenser and/or no paper towels. What good is the sign that instructs employees to wash their hands when one, two or three of these essential elements are missing? Managers, please, monitor your bathrooms.
18
The best Mexican fast food anywhere comes from El Pollo Loco. Their grilled chicken is absolutely hot and delicious, right off the fire and never undercooked. Staff is always busy keeping the condiment table clean where customers tend to overload the small cups. Restrooms are clean, too; staff must have their own, since I've ever seen workers inside. And yelp, there is always an adult manager supervising the young servers, although the chicken grillers are adults who move the pieces from grill to grill to maintain the juicy skin and flavor.
And yes, all the locations in my area have recently remodeled, changed their menus to find what sells and moves...and raised their prices. I guess there is no such thing as inexpensive quality food. As for Chipotle, the lines were too long when they opened here two years ago and now I have no interest in eating there at all. As for El Pollo Loco I have enjoyed their chicken for 15 years. Just about everyone agrees, best chicken in Reno where there are hundreds of choices on where to eat and not eat.
And yes, all the locations in my area have recently remodeled, changed their menus to find what sells and moves...and raised their prices. I guess there is no such thing as inexpensive quality food. As for Chipotle, the lines were too long when they opened here two years ago and now I have no interest in eating there at all. As for El Pollo Loco I have enjoyed their chicken for 15 years. Just about everyone agrees, best chicken in Reno where there are hundreds of choices on where to eat and not eat.
4
I want & need to eat healthy fresh food…."safe food" is not appealing in any way. They need to rethink that advertising line.
2
How about "Food That Won't Kill You"?
2
Chipotle's food is very low quality and tastes terrible. Outbreak or no, I don't understand why people even eat there.
2
Because the illnesses are so wide spread, and the source of contamination is illusive, I have wondered if Chipotle is under attack by either one of its competitors, or by the backers or GMO usage. This could be an industrial sabotage situation to ruin the company.
10
I was wondering exactly the same thing...would love to take a look at shorting volumes in Chipotle stock since Augist, and the identity of the top 25 traders
one cause that has not been discussed is the American Worker and their contribution to problems such as food safety
The average manager and worker at a fast food or fast casual restaurant make low wages, they do their bare minimum while at work, managers obviously are doing a poor job supervising the process of preparing and serving food. Or even sending sick workers home for the day. But you cannot miss a day of work when you have kids or bills waiting at home right?
Chipolte could boost pay and training for managers and assistant managers and hold them to higher expectations. They could provide more reward based incentives for being better employees. But hey in our wall street dominated society that just may be a waste of money because it's all about the shareholders not the employees, process, or product.
The average manager and worker at a fast food or fast casual restaurant make low wages, they do their bare minimum while at work, managers obviously are doing a poor job supervising the process of preparing and serving food. Or even sending sick workers home for the day. But you cannot miss a day of work when you have kids or bills waiting at home right?
Chipolte could boost pay and training for managers and assistant managers and hold them to higher expectations. They could provide more reward based incentives for being better employees. But hey in our wall street dominated society that just may be a waste of money because it's all about the shareholders not the employees, process, or product.
8
If traffic to the stores is down 14.6%, all the more reason to patronize Chipotle: shorter lines and more seating available (inadequate seating seems to be problem at many of the Chipotle locations I have visited and discourages me from visiting during the 12-1 lunch hour).
Two other thoughts:
(1) The average American household kitchen would probably receive a very poor grade were it subjected to the same health inspections that restaurants receive.
(2) If you want a nearly ironclad guarantee against food contamination, you could consume a diet of exclusively deep fried foods. But, clearly it would be ridiculous to live on french fries and chicken nuggets and fried shrimp. Fresh food inherently carries some risk of contamination. It's a tolerable risk, and in any case if you choose to go to Chipotle, the bigger danger you'll face statistically is a traffic accident en route.
Two other thoughts:
(1) The average American household kitchen would probably receive a very poor grade were it subjected to the same health inspections that restaurants receive.
(2) If you want a nearly ironclad guarantee against food contamination, you could consume a diet of exclusively deep fried foods. But, clearly it would be ridiculous to live on french fries and chicken nuggets and fried shrimp. Fresh food inherently carries some risk of contamination. It's a tolerable risk, and in any case if you choose to go to Chipotle, the bigger danger you'll face statistically is a traffic accident en route.
8
Give me the GMO food anyday......no need to eat the much safer food at Chipolte as it is more likely to make me sick!
2
You have to wonder if their focus on the imaginary (but PR friendly!) threat from GMOs drew resources away from protecting against real health threats.
2
I read a report that Chipotle is a victim of bio terrorism for being anti GMO. The virus strain was different like it was created in a lab. I will continue to go to Chipotle just as much as before. I rather take a chance on throwing up a little than eat GMO food laden with pesticides. Supposedly the FBI has open a case on this but I can't verify it.
2
Really!!? So - Chipotle is the victim here. Attacked by a secret global cabal utilizing a lab modified virus strain in order to promote GMO. Time for you to change your tin foil hat for a new one.
2
Or.. Perhaps they are not careful in sourcing their fresh ingredients. And their workers work sick, and don't follow hygene rules. Where was this "bio terrorism" report ? On the Internet?
1
It seems to me that the big issue here is lack of hygiene. Have the employees received training to wash their hands correctly?
1
I used to go to the Chipotle in Harvard Square, for their tasty burritos, and the fact that one could get extra cilantro on them. The servers were polite nad helpful. And reasonably priced.
The last time I was there, I ordered a dinner plate. I found to forks. I went to the manager to say I couldn't find a fork, and he said, "we have no forks." This was all he had to say, like it was my place to do something about it. I put my untouched meal down in front of him and walked out. Normally I would have asked for a refund. But I was so dumbstruck by this manager, I walked out. I walk by this Chipotle each morning and evening, feeling sorry for the folks who work there.
I now purchase my food at a burrito place across the street, from servers who are less polite but seem directed by more competent management.
One of the controls Chipotle might implement is in selecting competent managers.
The last time I was there, I ordered a dinner plate. I found to forks. I went to the manager to say I couldn't find a fork, and he said, "we have no forks." This was all he had to say, like it was my place to do something about it. I put my untouched meal down in front of him and walked out. Normally I would have asked for a refund. But I was so dumbstruck by this manager, I walked out. I walk by this Chipotle each morning and evening, feeling sorry for the folks who work there.
I now purchase my food at a burrito place across the street, from servers who are less polite but seem directed by more competent management.
One of the controls Chipotle might implement is in selecting competent managers.
5
There's a better reason to avoid Chipotle.
I used the company's "nutrition" calculator to tally up a burrito with chicken, black beans, brown rice, "fajita vegetables," romaine lettuce, and "tomatillo green-chile salsa." Then I added a side of chips with "fresh tomato salsa.
1,430 calories. For one meal.
That's a locally sourced abomination.
I used the company's "nutrition" calculator to tally up a burrito with chicken, black beans, brown rice, "fajita vegetables," romaine lettuce, and "tomatillo green-chile salsa." Then I added a side of chips with "fresh tomato salsa.
1,430 calories. For one meal.
That's a locally sourced abomination.
2
My husband and I split a burrito salad, and then have leftovers for the next day. I can't stand the sound level in such places so we get take out and heat it up at home. I like hot food really hot so it is essentially recooked when we actually eat it (I remove the lettuce first and add my own).
I did notice variability in items sold at Chipotle. One day the hot salsa was really hot, the next time it was medium hot. Sometimes the meat was trimmed better than others too (I don't like any fat or gristle on meat). You could say I'm picky. Perhaps I am, however, I manage to avoid most food bourn illnesses. Chipotle was best when it first opened. Various items of quality have sometimes declined over the years.
It's still the best deal around for a relatively healthy fast food item.
I did notice variability in items sold at Chipotle. One day the hot salsa was really hot, the next time it was medium hot. Sometimes the meat was trimmed better than others too (I don't like any fat or gristle on meat). You could say I'm picky. Perhaps I am, however, I manage to avoid most food bourn illnesses. Chipotle was best when it first opened. Various items of quality have sometimes declined over the years.
It's still the best deal around for a relatively healthy fast food item.
If you're going to go to all that work - and particularly if you like your hot food hot - I would suggest cooking.
Even if you get all the fixings at Whole Foods, you will still save money. Perhaps more to the point, you'll know exactly what went into the food you're eating, and you have absolute control over portion size.
Nothing wrong with being picky.
Even if you get all the fixings at Whole Foods, you will still save money. Perhaps more to the point, you'll know exactly what went into the food you're eating, and you have absolute control over portion size.
Nothing wrong with being picky.
Remember how this worked out for Chi Chi's Restaurants, not so good.
I bring my own lunch to work, but ate Chipotle once at a complimentary workplace lunch. Unremarkable stuff in a bowl. I do not understand the attraction of this or any "fast" or "fast casual" establishment.
1
BYO (Buy Your Own), CY) (Cook Your Own)! When will the American public get serious about its food consumption. Fast food is just that - fast, cheap and easy. And you know what you get with fast, cheap and easy!
6
Fast cheap and easy can be done just as well at home.
th mcdouble is a buck
what kind of quality do you expect in a hamburger that sells for a buck
what kind of quality do you expect in a hamburger that sells for a buck
1
Chipotle is fascinating to me. The company is excellent at branding itself as *healthy*. They use words like "fresh," "nutrition," "locally sourced," "healthy soil" and so on. I appreciate their efforts on this front, and their advertising has paid off - among many of my friends, chipotle is considered the *healthy* choice if they desire a quick, cheap lunch.
However, take a trip over to their nutrition calculator, and you see that a standard burrito meal someone might order (chicken, rice, beans, guac, cheese, veggies) with a side of chips and salsa is over 2000 calories. Wow. To me I can't help shake the feeling that as *good* as this company tries to market itself as (I mean, the picture accompanying the article has a sign with "food with integrity" on it), it is really part of the same old problem as McDonald's, Burger King and the rest - relying on a combination of fat, sugar, and ignorance to make its customers feel good after a meal.
However, take a trip over to their nutrition calculator, and you see that a standard burrito meal someone might order (chicken, rice, beans, guac, cheese, veggies) with a side of chips and salsa is over 2000 calories. Wow. To me I can't help shake the feeling that as *good* as this company tries to market itself as (I mean, the picture accompanying the article has a sign with "food with integrity" on it), it is really part of the same old problem as McDonald's, Burger King and the rest - relying on a combination of fat, sugar, and ignorance to make its customers feel good after a meal.
1
A lot of their problem is poor management at store locations. My observations are that cleanliness of the stores varies widely - from very clean to borderline disgusting. It is no surprise to me that this has happened and will likely continue until their is consistent, chain-wide attention to safe food and cleanliness.
3
Aren't we suppose to have Free-Market Capitalism?
Why are the Feds butting in and insisting on food safety?
Let the Markets work it out!
Why are the Feds butting in and insisting on food safety?
Let the Markets work it out!
1
Maybe if Chipotle offered some kind of benefits to sick employees, they would not have to choose between feeding their children or going to work sick that day. That said, it is not a stretch to find that people are getting sick from eating there, warmers full of days old beef and chicken scream loudly with pathogens. Combine that with bad management and low paid employees and you have your toxic brew. Their biggest shareholder is McDonalds, that should tell you something right there.
1
McDonald's sold their Chipotle stock about 10 years ago. The brands are not affiliated.
Remember when the two top guys at Chipotle wanted huge compensation increases and the board said no? I suspect that was the day they started caring a little bit less about what goes on in their stores. Just took a while to trickle down into the tacos.
You are better off staying away from all chains and eat at home grown restaurants .Economically it would make better sense.
2
I have eaten at the Chipotle near my apartment four times. And every single time after eating there, how do I put this delicately so it will be published in the New York Times, I've gotten the "trots."
I have no axe to grind with Chipotle and no reason to make this up. Just reporting my own admittedly anecdotal experience.
I have no axe to grind with Chipotle and no reason to make this up. Just reporting my own admittedly anecdotal experience.
1
The paranoid comments here are amazing, the suggestions that McDonalds, competitors, Monsanto, or the Koch brothers are somehow poisoning Chipotle. But it's not surprising. It takes that kind of anti-science mentality to fear genetically-modified food produced in the laboratory, which is produced through a change less dangerous than traditional hybridization, which mixes genes unpredictably and uncontrollably. And it takes an anti-mathematical mentality to seek locally-grown food in a world where the energy costs of transit over a few days are inherently lower than the increased input costs of growing plants and animals over a period of months in ill-suited places. Compared to these cranks, global-warming deniers are a cut above. As mistaken as they are, at least the science of global warming is genuinely complicated, with the models not always matching the data experienced.
4
It's still "fast food".
1
Not surprised at all to see Chipotle finally getting what they deserve. After getting sick last summer after eating at the Ardmore, PA store, I stopped going. One thing common to all Chipotles I have been to is that there never seems to be an adult in charge. Like many fast food chains, Chipotle relies on an army of low paid high schoolers as employees. There's nothing wrong with these young people; in fact they are usually courteous hard workers. But who is supervising them? Clearly, the only game here is profits rather food safety and quality.
4
Different organisms at different locations points to a failure in food safety process throughout their entire system. Unfortunately, using the gimmick (that's all it really is) of locally sourced, organic ingredients doesn't mix well when combining finely divided ingredients into fast food on an industrial scale. If you want local and organic go to a small restaurant whose processes work well with those ingredients and enjoy a more leisurely meal.
2
Eliminating GMO foods isn't "doing good". It's indulging a trendy superstition that flouts real science.
10
I used to like Chipotle. Then they started in with that self-righteous non-GMO silliness, which tells me they're more interested in phoney image building than serious science.
Not surprising at all that they don't know how to follow basic protocols to make a safe meal. Maybe just slap an "organic" save the earth sticker on the bag?
I don't eat there any more.
Not surprising at all that they don't know how to follow basic protocols to make a safe meal. Maybe just slap an "organic" save the earth sticker on the bag?
I don't eat there any more.
4
I like the Chipotle food but I am wary of continuing to eat it. The last time I was there (post all of the incidents discussed in the article) I used the rest room (which, based on the "employees must wash hands" sign" is also used by the staff) and the water temperature in the sink never got above lukewarm. I mentioned this to one of the managers and her response was "it's not really possible to get the water hot in there in the winter, and besides with the new rules everyone has to wash their hands once an hour." In other words, another outbreak waiting to happen.
I think the problem is, in part, that the operation has grown too quickly, resulting in a failure of upper management to maintain standards (health and otherwise) on the ground. In the past year I have been in several different Chipotles and in every case there have been delays in having enough food prepared to keep the line moving, leading to a backup of customers waiting to pay and pick up their food (not to mention partially-prepared orders going from hot to warm while sitting on the counter waiting for the missing ingredient). I also concur with those commenters who've noticed a lack of sanitation.
Hiring a food-safety consultant is not going to solve the larger, structural problem of an enterprise that seems to have become a victim of its own success. Management needs to regroup, take responsibility, and get things back on track.
I think the problem is, in part, that the operation has grown too quickly, resulting in a failure of upper management to maintain standards (health and otherwise) on the ground. In the past year I have been in several different Chipotles and in every case there have been delays in having enough food prepared to keep the line moving, leading to a backup of customers waiting to pay and pick up their food (not to mention partially-prepared orders going from hot to warm while sitting on the counter waiting for the missing ingredient). I also concur with those commenters who've noticed a lack of sanitation.
Hiring a food-safety consultant is not going to solve the larger, structural problem of an enterprise that seems to have become a victim of its own success. Management needs to regroup, take responsibility, and get things back on track.
1
On the plus side, this mess incentivizes going to smaller places that benefit their communities. For instance, instead of the Chipotle at Union Square, you can visit the Dos Toros a few blocks to the south. I've been more than pleased with the latter and, knock on wood, I'm still alive.
I stopped going to Chipotle after I twice got a stomach ache after eating there. I just do not get a good feeling the way the food is laid out with the meats sitting in their own juices at room temperature. It is a breeding ground for bacteria.
Cooking to 140 degrees destroys E. Coli and Novovirus so the problem is those food ingredients served raw. Tomatoes, peppers, onions - just the items they brag about buying from local organic farms. Buying from small organic farms is, as we have seen over and over again is very dangerous - Keep in mind that what an organic fertilizer means is they use real feces from real sheep, cows, goats. If the animals are healthy, no problem but if the animals are infected with a pathogenic E. Coli it spreads to other animals (humans included) who inadvertantly ingest contaminated food grown with organic (natural) fertilizer.
7
The author fails to note that the root cause of the Jack In The Box outbreak was because the U.S. Department of Agriculture was not inspecting meat processing plants properly.
Whenever I am in a restaurant that emphasizes fresh, locally sourced ingredients, that rejects genetically modified food, that embodies the notion of doing well by doing good and has all of its workers decked out in big purple gloves, I immediately run- not-walk to an exit; and go looking down the street
for some diner where the grill hasn't been wiped off for years, and they still play country songs on a jukebox.
for some diner where the grill hasn't been wiped off for years, and they still play country songs on a jukebox.
1
Contamination happens but the real mystery is how locally sourced ingredients could cause a multi-state contagion
22
Here the thing folks:
This doesnt happen at McDonalds and Wendys, etc because so much of their "food" is pre-cooked or semi-cooked at the factories. Which is beyond gross.
Chipotle clearly has a supply problem (and a PR problem) but you couldnt pay me to go into a standard fast food restaurant chain these days. Cardboard food at its finest. At least Chiptotle tastes more or less as it is supposed to.
17
I've eaten at Chipotle maybe 10 times.
Never got sick.
But I never have been happy with any aspect of their restaurants.
Never got sick.
But I never have been happy with any aspect of their restaurants.
This is absolutely not true.
McDonald's uses fresh eggs, baked bread and frozen beef patties.
The french fries are cut at a plant and cooked from frozen at the store.
McDonald's is continually introducing more freshness into the menu and focusses keenly on freshness, food safety and value.
McDonald's has done a much better job of transitioning from its 1950's roots to the modern era than almost any other firm.
McDonald's uses fresh eggs, baked bread and frozen beef patties.
The french fries are cut at a plant and cooked from frozen at the store.
McDonald's is continually introducing more freshness into the menu and focusses keenly on freshness, food safety and value.
McDonald's has done a much better job of transitioning from its 1950's roots to the modern era than almost any other firm.
1
“I can’t think of any chain, restaurant or food manufacturer who’s ever reported that many outbreaks in just six months. Underlying that has to be a lack of controls.”
--- uh how about maybe someone's doing it to them? we need more information on the specific kind of e coli. Anybody seen this one before?
--- uh how about maybe someone's doing it to them? we need more information on the specific kind of e coli. Anybody seen this one before?
14
GMOs are perfectly safe. So are food products that travel substantial distances when properly cared for, as they nearly always are. What's not safe is making food and health choices based on fuzzy, feel-good, lemming-like politics rather than science. That indigestion you feel is not unique to Chipotle. It's the souring of culinary correctness.
18
There are two Chipotles within three blocks of my apartment. The closest one has a B rating from the NYC health department. The one three blocks away has a C rating. Those kinds of inspection results have nothing to do with the sources of their supplies or whether or not GMOs are part of their ingredients. Those kinds of grades come from poor sanitation and lack of oversight by management. I have never eaten there, and I never will.
17
I didn't know the outbreak happened in Seattle. I once forgot my bag in a Chopotle in downtown Seattle, went back to retrieve it, and discovered a bible in the bag. I promptly went and held it up in my hand and said this was not mine. And there wasn't a bit of surprise. The guy at the cash machine said "you can just leave it there" pointing to a corner of the register. Shady.
2
I'm curious. What does a bible have to do with food-borne illness?
1
I'll bite: What was the bible infected with?
2
What in the world are you talking about?
The profession of a chef is often misunderstood. It is not to make food. It is to feed people safely.
3
Firstly it's to prepare food customers love.
Whether it's nutritious or safe are secondary.
Whether it's nutritious or safe are secondary.
You'v reminded me of a time when you could get Steak Tartar at a decent steak house now you can't even have a rare hamburger.
Outbreaks of food-borne illness at Chipotle in the last six months: six.
Proven ill effects of genetically modified food: none.
I feel bad for the people who have gotten sick after eating there, but I have no sympathy for a corporation that's willfully blind to science and exploits the fear and ignorance of its customers.
Proven ill effects of genetically modified food: none.
I feel bad for the people who have gotten sick after eating there, but I have no sympathy for a corporation that's willfully blind to science and exploits the fear and ignorance of its customers.
29
GMO-eating people 20 years from now with third arms growing out of their forehead: millions.
1
Amen to that. I refuse to eat at Chipotle due to their anti-science stance on genetically modified foods. I wonder if Chipotle would refuse to use ingredients that had been genetically modified to be resistant to salmonella and E. coli? Probably; they appear to be much more concerned with phantom dangers than with real ones.
2
People are always complaining about needing another hand to handle things...
Any time a restaurant serves shredded and chopped food which is mixed and matched with other food there is always a chance of contamination. They use products which have been the subject of recalls that have nothing to do with Chipotle and sometimes are the source of illness.
I used to like to visit them when they started in Denver. There were a few other places I could visit out of town. Now they are all over. They opened in a mall near me and I no longer like their food. I've tried them in a few other malls too without much success. I think they have branched out too much and lost some of the qualities that made them good before. Obviously no restaurant wants to make its customers sick, but they need more controls to keep the quality up to their former standard.
I used to like to visit them when they started in Denver. There were a few other places I could visit out of town. Now they are all over. They opened in a mall near me and I no longer like their food. I've tried them in a few other malls too without much success. I think they have branched out too much and lost some of the qualities that made them good before. Obviously no restaurant wants to make its customers sick, but they need more controls to keep the quality up to their former standard.
5
Had any of the affected locations received a recent inspection and satisfactory rating from the local health department? That might represent another weak link in the food safety chain.
3
The key here are the "sick employees who ignored the strict policies prohibiting them coming to work" when they were sick. What percentage of the workforce in this country works in the service industry: restaurant, hotels, etc. These are people who don't get paid unless they're working. In many cases, if not most, they're working for minimum wage and they don't get any benefits, particularly benefits that guarantee that they'll be paid if they can't come to work if they're ill. And we're surprised that this happened?
84
In several sushi bars I have observed a layout which should be the standard in restaurants everywhere. There were two passageways for the sushi chefs to get in and out of the food preparation area (there were no other entrances or exits). Both openings had stainless steel sinks each with water controls operated with elbows (like surgeons have) along with automatic soap dispensers. Every person entering the preparation area (a rectangle in full view of customers) had to stop at one of the sinks and wash hands thoroughly, no matter how many times they entered. Their procedures were detailed and involved scrubbing just the same way surgeon do.
It gave me a good feeling that great pains were being taken to insure that the chefs had clean hands. Their handling techniques with the food also utilized methods which they have perfected to avoid contamination. At least, it made me feel good to see it all.
Plus, I experienced no ill effects after eating at those places (something I can't say about many of the places where I end up eating).
It gave me a good feeling that great pains were being taken to insure that the chefs had clean hands. Their handling techniques with the food also utilized methods which they have perfected to avoid contamination. At least, it made me feel good to see it all.
Plus, I experienced no ill effects after eating at those places (something I can't say about many of the places where I end up eating).
22
Even before these outbreaks, Chipotle has just spread themselves too thin. I used to be a huge fan but in recent years the food has just gotten extremely boring, sloppily prepared, with many ingredients (notably the chicken and the tomatoes) being clearly of low quality.
11
This is one arrogant operation. In Tempe, Az, they kept getting our to-go order wrong, and when I called and complained to the manager he banned both my mother and I from that location for life. The regional manager backed up his decision.
Each location has a "we reserve the right to..." sign near the register. The aren't kidding. They symbolically hide behind it. There is bad mojo with this company.
Each location has a "we reserve the right to..." sign near the register. The aren't kidding. They symbolically hide behind it. There is bad mojo with this company.
10
Guessing you yelled at the person behind the counter right?
27
From your tone, sounds like they did the right thing, being a rude loud mouth is not a first amendment right.
6
Uh, no. I just stopped going there.
Simple answer: go to a real Mexican restaurant. This stuff rarely happens because the owners are in the kitchen and they actually care about what the do. The food is better too.
31
It's going to be awhile before I step into a Chipotle. "Safe food" shouldn't be a marketing gimmick, or a novelty. It should be the norm - every time.
24
What a shame all the way around. What I'd like to know is how Chipotle treats, not their salaried managers, but their hourly serving staff. Paid sick leave protocol? Hourly pay ranges? Vacation and personal time? Is Chipotle cutting corners and creating hostile workplaces where upset or angry or ill servers are taking their frustrations out on the products/customers? Inquiring minds and caring consumers want to know. These kinds of sanitation problems are not unique to Chipotle but it is also why I rarely dine out much anymore if at all.
25
Or maybe they just don't enforce health safety standards?
Outbreaks involving three organisms in different venues indicating both food handler and raw material sources are not bad luck but poor controls. In truth the reliance on local sources, increasing the number of suppliers without proper oversight makes this worse. Buy from whoever knows what he is doing no matter where they are and, train your people.
9
The Center for Consumer Freedom, an organzation funded by food restaurants and manufacturers, ran a high-profile ad campaign against Chipotle a few months before the illness outbreaks started. If Chipotle's competitors already felt threatened enough to dump millions of dollars into attack advertisements, then it's possible they may have resorted to sabotage when their ad campaign failed to make a dent in Chipotle's sales. They have motive, and they have the resources and ruthlessness to pull off such an operation.
62
Your observation is astute. The coincidence here is difficult to ignore.
7
my sentiments exactly, or GMO purveyors.
1
What was the ad campaign's objection to Chipotle? I'm sure readers would appreciate the information.
I honestly thought that these outbreaks were a result of McDonald's operatives planting a norovirus in Chipotle's supply chain, as a way to slow down the trend toward fast casual restaurants that use fresh ingredients. Now I'm not so sure. Perhaps the employees working the stores are just poorly trained and/or paid, opening up the possibility of negligent food handling?
7
Could be all of the above.
3
I used to frequent the Chipotle in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. The sanitation and hygiene levels were alarmingly low. When I wrote to the manager via email highlighting my observations, I was surprised to receive a very dismissive response. I shrugged it off and never went back to that particular Chipotle again. I'm not sure if such disregard to sanitation at that particular location is tied to these recent outbreaks. However, a big part of me does think there is a correlation between managerial responsibility at each location and general sanitation at a corporate level. Disappointing, to say the least, because their food was quite delicious.
26
I totally agree. I got sick looking at the low hygiene standards. Sad day when McDonald's is safer than you're restaurant. I'm lovin it - NOT.
2
Eh, I still eat there. The fact that we can't trust a business takes me back to high school government class. What a surprise. I'm not mad or afraid; it's just the way it is.
6
I know that this is just anecdotal commentary and likely not a cause of these specific events, but I do think it speaks to the company's overall culture and operation at the actual store level.... Most of the Chipotle facilities I've gone to have been dumps. Trash and crushed food on the floor, muck on the tables, overflowing trash cans. I put up with it for a while, writing it off as a busy or bad day. But I just kept seeing it, at 4 different nearby locations over a couple of years. I stopped going several months ago.
Say what you will about how horrible McDonald's food is for you, but I've never seen a dirty McDonalds. I usually see someone cleaning the restaurant area during peak hours.
Say what you will about how horrible McDonald's food is for you, but I've never seen a dirty McDonalds. I usually see someone cleaning the restaurant area during peak hours.
28
[Derek G New Haven
Say what you will about how horrible McDonald's food is for you.]]
OK, it's horrible. The worst. Bottom of the barrel. Just go by the color scheme of McDonalds food…beige, tan, brown. And those are in their promotional images.
I mean, look at this disgusting mess http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/food/product_nutrition.breakfast.3590.big...
And as for their "healthy" options, I once asked a McDonalds worker what was in the "Premium Southwest salad" and the reply came back "Ummmm, I don't really know for sure, but it costs $4.79."
Google "Chipotle food" and click on the images tabs and you'll see actual colors…green guac, black beans, tomatoes. Recognizable food.
McDonalds doesn't understand the difference between cost and value. I will pay more for real food.
Thank you.
Say what you will about how horrible McDonald's food is for you.]]
OK, it's horrible. The worst. Bottom of the barrel. Just go by the color scheme of McDonalds food…beige, tan, brown. And those are in their promotional images.
I mean, look at this disgusting mess http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/food/product_nutrition.breakfast.3590.big...
And as for their "healthy" options, I once asked a McDonalds worker what was in the "Premium Southwest salad" and the reply came back "Ummmm, I don't really know for sure, but it costs $4.79."
Google "Chipotle food" and click on the images tabs and you'll see actual colors…green guac, black beans, tomatoes. Recognizable food.
McDonalds doesn't understand the difference between cost and value. I will pay more for real food.
Thank you.
4
This is why I gave up on them a long time ago. I have yet to go to one that is not a complete mess in both the inside an outside dining areas. After stepping in some previous diner's spilled guacamole, then pointing it out to an indifferent manager, I walked out.
Wow Chipotle! How gracious of you to assure me that any food I purchase will be safe to eat. That is a base request that should be ASSUMED. This is not Myanmar.
14
Because of the important work that Chipotle has done taking a stand against GMOs, and supporting local agriculture, I believe they deserve our continued support. I ate there yesterday, and will continue to eat there. I know a number of people who feel the same. In fact, the Chipotle I went to yesterday was fairly crowded.
40
Support them by buying their stock...it's down 40% in value....$750 a share to about $450 a share in 3 months:
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc:
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/chipotle-mexican-g...
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc:
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/chipotle-mexican-g...
it's the local agriculture focus that makes their food dangerous. it means many small suppliers who can't be properly vetted and who are not highly professional.
GMO's are much safer that conventional hybridization, which involves a lot of random gene manipulation.
GMO's are much safer that conventional hybridization, which involves a lot of random gene manipulation.
1
"Important work...taking a stand against GMOs". Seems like they should have been spending more effort guarding against real, proven health risks, and less pandering to unscientific fears.
3
In Chicago, a friend brought me a sandwich this weekend; next day my stomach was upset. It was chicken, rice and some veg's. 3rd time try-never again. It's a McDonalds corporation-owned. Nuff said.
8
Actually, McDonald's used to be an investor, but it hasn't been since 2006.
9
At one point, McDonald's owned shares accounting for approximately 87% of the voting power of Chipotle's common stock. In Chipotle's earlier stages, McDonald's helped Chipotle's operations by sharing its own distribution networks.
1
For the price of 3 Chipotle burritos somebody can buy enough calories in dried beans and rice and eat for a week. Best part is that you know your food is SAFE and you don't have to wait in a long line if you plan your day/week ahead of time.
43
No! The best thing is that you get to eat dried beans and rice for a week.
How do you know your food is safe? "...the C.D.C. estimates that one in six Americans gets sick every year from food or drink, most of it consumed at home".
I'm sorry I dont understand comments like this. By this token, nobody should be eating out at all. You could probably apply this logic to any restaurant at pretty much any price point, and see how getting groceries at the store will always be cheaper.
Sorry but I'm skipping Chipotle for a while - I like their food - but.....
12
Yeah, me too !!
2
Buy low, sell high. Chipotle's is solid.
2
Give Chipotle a chance to tighten their controls - their emphasis on "fresh, locally sourced ingredients" is admirable.
37
"Chipotle has said both outbreaks were caused by sick employees who ignored strict policies prohibiting them from coming to work and, without elaborating, said that disciplinary measures were meted out to those responsible."
Do they get paid sick leave?
Do they get paid sick leave?
106
Can't drive by without thinking of spending the next several days hugging the commode. I quit Burger King over 15 years ago for the same reason. No thanks . . . too many other options to take the risk.
5
Yeah, we forgot to remind our uninsured, no paid sick time, non-union, low wage/skilled workers to wash their hands. Oops.
120
But we still feel free to throw them under the bus!
2
Chipotle workers get sick time.
1
A bigger, better, more deadly Chi-Chi's.
8
Hmm… I like Chipotle, and I’ve eaten at their Thayer Street location by Brown University several times in the last few months without hesitation. An excellent lunch each time.
The last time I had any trouble with food poisoning was about a decade ago after visiting New York City; I can’t remember the restaurant, but I was laid out for over 48 hours.
I have the feeling it’s like a plane crash; once it’s happened, and is very much in people’s awareness, your odds are pretty good. I hope they pull through without additional difficulties.
The last time I had any trouble with food poisoning was about a decade ago after visiting New York City; I can’t remember the restaurant, but I was laid out for over 48 hours.
I have the feeling it’s like a plane crash; once it’s happened, and is very much in people’s awareness, your odds are pretty good. I hope they pull through without additional difficulties.
4
Give them a break.
They will now be safer than their competitors after this.
They will now be safer than their competitors after this.
16
Probably safer to eat at Chipotle currently than any other fast food outlet.
15
Maybe they should invest in some tongs to serve their cheese and lettuce, rather than handling food with latex gloves they've been wearing for half an hour.
75
I doubt that's the problem. Just look at places like Subway or any sandwich shop. They use hands for most food dispensing yet they don't seem to suffer from the same problems with food safety.
it's not a hospital, latex gloves are not to protect the food worker and they do not belong around food as many people can't tolerate latex, both customers and workers….frequent hand washing and mindful practices are the only solutions….gloves are generally filthy…again they are not to protect the worker but to keep the food clean…and most food worker gloves are filthy.
2
I have noticed that at Subway, the workers seemed to have been trained to change gloves frequently. Even after making one sandwich, I've seen them change gloves.
E-coli is the product of mas produced meat. Chipotle was unlucky more than bad.
8
I think they still don't get it. They are taking action because the stock price has fallen. But once it is back up, I think they will have another outbreak. Tehy are more or less "outsourcing" the problem of food safety to a point person without actually getting why they should have made food safety their first priority from the beginning. I stopped going when I heard the first press conference: "we have no idea..."
4
Continuing to focus on the evidence-free and fear-based concerns about GMO's shows that this company is unable to evaluate risks.
12
Fast food is fast food. Labels such as "fresh", "organic", etc. are distracting us from the fact that we should take responsibility for preparing the food we eat.
11
'"I'm hopeful that the CDC will call this over soon," Chipotle (CMG) CEO Steve Ells said Wednesday at a conference in Orlando, Fl. "We know that Chipotle is as safe as it's ever been before."'
Stating "that Chipotle is as safe as it's ever been before" isn't especially comforting after these recent issues.
Stating "that Chipotle is as safe as it's ever been before" isn't especially comforting after these recent issues.
20
The line is still virtually out the door at lunch time at my local Chipotle. Over at Noodles & Co., rather quiet. Their product is certainly still popular in my neck of the woods.
3
Why would anyone trust Chipotle to finally get it right? The owners were clueless to have served so much bad food. Are they still clueless? Has the culture of carelessness and misplaced priorities been broken and replaced with a sober, responsible, culture? I'm skeptical — and I'm playing it safe. The sun will never rise on the day when I eat at a Chipotle.
2
Since the story did not specifically state one food source of the bacteria... I just wanted to add here to this story that the statements about Chipotle using fresh ingredients; one ingredient that Chipotle might want change in the future is their chicken. If one goes to El Polo Loco, you will instantly see the difference in their "fresh" whole piece "real" chicken / "real" as in "farm like" "actual" chicken. The chicken at Chipotle reminds me of processed chicken. (On the brighter side for Chipotle and us patrons: Processed / (pressed) chicken "might" be more resistance to bacteria / bacteria free, (if it has been processed in newer more modern facilities with the latest safety processes in practice).
Thanks for reading and bacteria free days wished to all of us.
Thanks for reading and bacteria free days wished to all of us.
3
"Chipotle has said both outbreaks were caused by sick employees who ignored strict policies prohibiting them from coming to work and, without elaborating, said that disciplinary measures were meted out to those responsible."
So do those policies include paid sick time, or did these employees come to work while sick because they could not afford to lose the days' wages? If not, do Chipotle's new safety procedures include implementing paid sick time so that sick employees do not have a reason to ignore these 'strict' policies?
So do those policies include paid sick time, or did these employees come to work while sick because they could not afford to lose the days' wages? If not, do Chipotle's new safety procedures include implementing paid sick time so that sick employees do not have a reason to ignore these 'strict' policies?
154
a good point but it regards only the 2 outbreaks of norovirus and not the E. coli outbreaks which where more numerous. There are actually 2 issues here for Chipotle. Better sick days would not have prevented the E coli issues.
1
I would love to have seen this presentation that impressed the investors so much. As a consumer I already was getting tired of their brand and only go there as a last option. I hope their plans for expansion have some inventive new food offerings to bring me back and not some phoney ad campaign to regain my trust.
Given the huge amounts of money that the biotech and processed-food industries have poured into countering consumer resistance to genetically engineered foods, none of which have ever been proven safe and most of which are saturated with Roundup, a probable carcinogen, it seems highly suspicious that a restaurant chain that has made it a point to eliminate GMOs from its menu would have this many outbreaks of food-borne disease. Coincidence? Perhaps.-- but if despite all the precautions Chipotle is now taking any further such episodes were to occur, maybe the possibility of sabotage should also be investigated.
39
Well, they can say all they do and they can do it, and Wall Street can get back on their bandwagon. But I ain't eating there again if ever and I will be that 10 or 20 million people are thinking the same and if I was playing Wall Street's crude game I would be shortin the stock.
10
Chris Arnold, Chipotle’s director of public relations, told me this week: “If there’s a silver lining in this, it is that by not knowing for sure what the cause is, it’s prompted us to look at every ingredient we use with an eye to improving our practices.
Hey Chris, does that shake come with fries?
Hey Chris, does that shake come with fries?
10
They should have spent more time from the beginning worrying about real food safety issues like E. coli instead of imaginary food safety issues like GMOs.
73