Chipotle is having a disastrous end to 2015.
The chain restaurant has been forced to close all 43 stores locations in Oregon and Washington after an outbreak of customers getting sick with the suspected culprit being E. coli. According to The Daily Caller, so far 22 people have become sick, with 8 people being hospitalized. The problem started in August when nearly 80 people, including almost 20 staff members, came down with norovirus after eating at the restaurant in California. In September, about 60 people were sickened by salmonella in Minnesota restaurant locations.
But this isn’t even the first time that Chipotle has dealt with very serious food safety problems – in 2008 and 2009 hundreds of people were also sickened by eating at the restaurants in California.
First, let me just say that I do not use this story to brow beat Chipotle at the expense of those that fell ill. Food borne illnesses are a serious issue and no laughing matter, especially for those struck with it. I sincerely hope that all of those that have taken ill are quickly on the mend and regain full health.
But I can’t help but find all of this incredibly ironic.
Over the recent years, Chipotle, which is really nothing more than a self-obsessed fast food restaurant, has made it a point to herald itself as a place with better food. The company has led this charge with it’s campaign “Food with Integrity.” It started with Chipotle’s advertisement, “The Scarecrow,” which tried to impress upon viewers that today’s farmers are nothing more than big corporate entities attempting to make a buck by pumping our food full of chemicals, antibiotics, and hormones. Then, the chain launched its online mini-series aimed at mocking and slandering farmers.
Chipotle has derided GMOs, slandered conventional family farmers, criticized the way we care for our animals, accused of mistreating the environment, and a whole host of other vile and baseless accusations.
Here’s an idea Chipotle: try cleaning up your own house first.
You’ve engaged in a smear campaign against family farmers for years now. The truth is, the things you’ve rallied against to build your brand are things that no one needs to be worried about. Scientific consensus and loads of research have demonstrated that GMOs are just as safe as their non-GMO counterparts. Conventionally produced food is just as nutritious as organically produced food, and just as safe for your family to consume. And all of the meat sold in our country is free from antibiotics.
But you’ve used these popular narratives to confuse consumers, create misleading headlines, and boost your own stock.
Perhaps all of that time and money spent on your nasty public relations campaign would have been better spent on the things that really matter – like improving your food safety protocols to make sure that people aren’t regularly getting sick at your restaurant. Instead of utilizing fear related to fake problems and concerns, you could be dealing with problems that really exist and really harm people, such as the ones making your customers sick right now.
US farmers should be proud of the product they create, the same can’t be said of Chipotle.
These were my thoughts exactly. Like my dad used to say, “Keep your own nose clean.” First of all, I have to wonder how many farmers and ranchers the corporate team actually knows? Secondly, why not work WITH people to improve things you feel need improved. Instead of just bashing people you don’t actually know anything about. I guess, what goes around comes around.
Just an FYI, your link when clicking on “loads of research” is broken.
Fixed. Thanks. 🙂
As much as I hate chipotle is my understanding that volunterily closed 43 locations. They were not forced but did it in response to figure out what caused the outbreak. That’s from the releases I’ve read.
True. No government entity forced them to shut down. I suppose I meant it just in the sense that the outbreak caused (“forced”) them to shut down, which I highly doubt is something they would gladly just choose to do. 🙂
They didn’t choose to close, the state shut them down and FDA will be investigating the cause. If the state health department didn’t shut them down, laws there need to change. Food producing facilities have to follow food safety and quality policies as well as resturants.
I have mixed feeling knowing how they have also been brow beat by other GMO fast food chains. I don’t know that this was not planted on purpose the evil of money would do such!
Wow. You’re actually suggesting that someone planted E. coli in Chipotle’s food on purpose?! Unbelievable.
Sanctimoniousness set aside, why isn’t there an answer by now?
This “reporting” sounds more like a victory article from a corporate farming organization or a group of organizations who are angry for losing the business when the restaurant made the change. Often times, the food industry is highly competitive. Who knows how far some corporations will go and what they will do in retaliation?
It’s not a report, and this is not a news site. This is an opinion piece, albeit one that is rooted in logic and reason.
I think you are correct, I wouldn’t put it past a big company to do something like this…
MILLIONS AT STAKE …
Dear Chipotle: ServSafe. It’s just general suggestions for when service isn’t too busy…
First of all conventional food being produced by local farmers is good!
I have a BIG ISSUE with corporate owned farms.. MONSANTO…..GO ANYWHERE IN THE USA LOCAL FARMERS BOUGHT OUT BY CORPORATIONS….SAD!!!!
Buy local grown food, its your best choice .
This is a HUGE misconception in agriculture – family farmers SHOULD incorporate or form some type of business entity to protect themselves. Also, just because something is “local” doesn’t mean it ins’t corporate (which isn’t bad) or anything else. https://www.thefarmersdaughterusa.com/2014/02/our-family-farm-just-became-corporation.html
Chipotle does use GMO.
I was a former Chipotle manager, and was fired for reporting health concerns, Mold in their store. They fired me and never fixed the problem. I have OSHA reports stating they found mold near food surfaces. I would like a way to contact you to send more info about this and if you have anyone you can pass it onto. Due to their “local sourcing” their restaurants so spread out should not be receiving the same product. This shows the problem is their cleanliness and food safety handling, not where it came from. Let me know if you know anyone who could use a very factual claim tying everything to Chipotles subpar standards of safety and health.
Hi Matt, I’d like to hear more about this. Would you want to contact me via email? [email protected] Thank you in advance for any help. -Venessa Wong
Imperial Girl – Not sure how they get away with it, because I’ve managed at other restaurants. But their managers do not have servsafe training and they don’t even ask for it, which means these stores do not have anyone, on any level, including the GM being servsafe trained. They are very cheap in terms of safety and health.