Chipotle Mexican Grill removes jalapeños from restaurants following potential salmonella outbreak
Chipotle Mexican Grill removed jalapeños from several restaurants across multiple states after identifying the peppers as a potential source of a salmonella outbreak. Laurie Schalow, the company's chief corporate affairs and food safety officer, stated that the company used its traceability system to proactively identify a common lot of jalapeños that may be linked to the illness. Health officials in Minnesota are currently investigating at least 110 salmonella cases in the state. Of the 84 people interviewed so far, 75 reported eating at Chipotle between June 14 and July 14. The company is cooperating fully with public health authorities and has replaced the peppers with supplies from different growers. Following the news, shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill fell between 7% and 10% during Tuesday's trading. While the Chipotle chain is not affected by a separate cyclospora outbreak, the company noted that concerns regarding that illness have impacted its sales in the second half of July.