The announcement comes after health officials said an outbreak last month that sickened nearly 650 customers in Ohio was caused by a bacteria that thrives in food kept warm for long periods.
Chipotle temporarily closed a Sterling, Va., restaurant to sanitize it. A company representative told NPR that the reported symptoms were consistent with norovirus.
Chipotle has scorned some mainstream farming practices, like GMOs and antibiotics. Now the fast-casual chain is taking hits over food safety, and past targets of its attacks are taking revenge.
Two E. coli outbreaks infected at least 60 people in 14 states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hasn't been able to determine the source of the infections.
More than 200 employees and customers were sickened last August at a restaurant in California. A grand jury subpoena requires Chipotle to produce a range of documents in connection with the outbreak.
Chipotle's rise was fueled in part by its image as a healthy, ethical choice. After foodborne illnesses sickened hundreds, analysts say it won't be easy for the chain to win back customers' trust.
Outbreaks of foodborne illness are ruining the holiday spirit for Chipotle. The latest cases erupted over the past few days among students at Boston College.
Thirty-nine people have been sickened with the same strain of E. coli in Washington and Oregon. Fourteen have been hospitalized. Most reported eating at several Chipotle locations before falling ill.
At least 22 people have been infected with E. coli, some of whom reported eating at Chipotle restaurants in the two states. This is the chain's third food-contamination outbreak since August.
The campaign claims the chain has removed all ingredients made with genetically modified organisms from its menu, with few notable exceptions. A lawsuit says the campaign amounts to false advertising.
Researchers say GMO-free has become a proxy for what consumers really want: less processed, natural food. And advocates says there's already a name for food that's GMO-free: "organic."
Chipotle says providing "food with integrity" means dropping genetically modified ingredients. But critics say the company's new policy is inconsistent and even dishonest.
Chipotle's move is the latest example of the food industry ditching ingredients, as consumers demand a say in what's in their dinner. Some of these ingredients are more questionable than others.
Wondering why your local Chipotle is no longer serving pork? It's because a big supplier was housing pigs in confined quarters. But there's debate about whether that's really worse for the animals.
