By: Ann Wang
As of November 6, at least forty people have been reported to be sickened with a Shiga-toxin producing strain of E. Coli in Washington and Oregon. The state health officials in those states have reported that the majority of them ate at Chipotle Mexican Grill locations before getting sick. Although investigators have not pinpointed the culprit, they suspect contaminated produce is the source- possibly lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, or cilantro. Eight restaurants of the chain have been linked to the outbreak, and out of safety concerns, forty-three locations in the Pacific Northwest region have been closed.
Most people infected with Shiga-toxin E. Coli develop bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps, and recover within a week. Some cases of the illness last longer and may be more severe, resulting in a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome
Three individuals sickened in this outbreak have filed lawsuits. From Kelso, Washington, Charmaine Mode filed the lawsuit November 3 through the Minneapolis law firm PritzkerOlsen in U.S. District Court in Western Washington. She is seeking an unspecified amount in damages- the court document states that it is more than $75,000. Her lawsuit accuses Chipotle of negligence and failing to follow proper food safety procedures. The Seattle attorney representing Chris Collins of Lake Oswego, Oregon and Jessica Ellis of Mount Vernon, Washington is asking the federal court in Portland to hold Chipotle liable for their illnesses, according to a report by The Associated Press.
Despite Chipotle’s marketing of itself being a healthier option than fast food, having removed genetically-modified ingredients from most of its menu, this is not the first time that the popular Mexican food chain has dealt with an outbreak of foodborne illness. Other cases involved Salmonella in Minnesota, Norovirus in California, and in 2009, Chipotle was linked to an E. Coli outbreak in Colorado, Utah, and New York in addition to an outbreak of Campylobacter in Minnesota.
In a statement, Steve Ells, chairman and co-CEO of Chipotle stated, “The safety of our customers and integrity of our food supply has always been our highest priority. We work with a number of very fresh ingredients in order to serve our customers the highest-quality, best-tasting food we can. If there are opportunities to do better, we will push ourselves to find them and enhance our already high standards for food safety.”
