Chipotle Mexican Grill rides out another food-related illness scare
By Jenny Gregorcyk • August 2, 2018
National Avocado Day did not go as planned this week at Chipotle Mexican Grill. As the fast-casual restaurant chain promoted free guacamole with any entree on Tuesday, health officials began investigating hundreds of illness claims by people who ate at one of the chain’s restaurants in Powell, Ohio.
As of Wednesday evening, county health officials said they had received a total of 518 inquiries — 95 emails and 423 calls — related to a possible foodborne illness outbreak among patrons of the reopened restaurant. Staff has interviewed 200 people, and food and samples from people have been sent to a state laboratory to test for salmonella, shigella, e.coli and norovirus, stated the Delaware General Health District, in Delaware, Ohio.
While it’s too soon to say exactly what sickened so many people, Chipotle’s history raises the question as to whether the latest incident is an isolated one, or part of an ongoing food safety issue at the company.