Chipotle Cooks Up New, Stricter Food Safety Rules Amid E. Coli Fiasco A dash of DNA testing here and a sprinkle of scalded onions there, and Chipotle just might save face yet.

By Kim Lachance Shandrow

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Chipotle | Facebook

Chipotle Mexican Grill says it's cleaning up its act in the aftermath of several recent foodborne illness-related outbreaks linked to its food.

Scrambling to restore consumer confidence, the fast-casual chain announced today that it is taking "aggressive actions" to roll out stricter food safety practices that it claims go above and beyond current industry norms.

"We have carefully examined our operations -- from the farms that produce our ingredients, to the partners that deliver them to our restaurants, to the cooking techniques used by our restaurant crews -- and determined the steps necessary to make the food served at Chipotle as safe as possible," the company said in a statement.

Related: After Numerous Health Incidents, Chipotle Has a Big Perception Problem

Specifically, some of those steps include: marinating raw chicken in re-sealable plastic bags instead of in bowls; testing chicken and steak more often; scalding several fresh produce items (including onions) in boiling water to sanitize them before being chopped; and blending cilantro into steaming hot rice to kill microbes in the herb, according to the Associated Press. Additionally, some ingredients, including cheese, will be prepped at centralized locations, then delivered to nearby restaurants. All 64 ingredients that Chipotle uses will be closely scrutinized, the company claims.


To help implement and uphold its new, more stringent food prep guidelines -- and to hopefully overcome the daunting challenge of not being "the food chain most associated with vomiting and diarrhea," as our own Raymond Hennessey so eloquently put it -- Chipotle has partnered with IEH Laboratories and Consulting Group. The Lake Forest Park, Wash.-based food safety testing consultancy is tasked with improving Chipotle's employee food safety training processes.

While Chipotle publicized its sweeping protocol changes today, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also heralded some big news of its own -- the federal agency is officially joining the growing E. coli investigation surrounding the restaurant. The FDA will assist the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with its ongoing probe.

Related: FDA Bans Some Cilantro Imports After Finding Feces and Toilet Paper in Fields

Earlier this week, the CDC said it was looking into the latest E. coli episode connected to the 1,900-location burrito chain. This time, five people who recently ate at the restaurant, identified in Kansas, North Dakota and Oklahoma, have been infected with a rare strain of the bacteria. The incident is the latest in a string foodborne illness outbreaks traced to Chipotle in several states scattered throughout the U.S., some dating back to last summer.

In a sweaty appearance on NBC's Today Show last week, Chipotle founder and co-CEO Steve Ells said the new rules would make Chipotle a leader in food safety. "We're putting in place practices that will not enable this to happen again," he said, "practices that are so far above industry norms today [that] we will be the safest place to eat."

Related: At Least 80 Boston College Students Sick After Eating at Chipotle
Kim Lachance Shandrow

Former West Coast Editor

Kim Lachance Shandrow is the former West Coast editor at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was a commerce columnist at Los Angeles CityBeat, a news producer at MSNBC and KNBC in Los Angeles and a frequent contributor to the Los Angeles Times. She has also written for Government Technology magazine, LA Yoga magazine, the Lowell Sun newspaper, HealthCentral.com, PsychCentral.com and the former U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. C. Everett Coop. Follow her on Twitter at @Lashandrow. You can also follow her on Facebook here

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Innovation

4 Ways Market Leaders Use Innovation to Foster Business Growth

Forward-thinkers constantly strive to diversify and streamline their products and services, turning novelties into commodities desired by many.

Business News

JPMorgan Shuts Down Internal Message Board Comments After Employees React to Return-to-Office Mandate

Employees were given the option to leave comments about the RTO mandate with their first and last names on display — and they did not hold back.

Side Hustle

'Hustling Since Middle School': She Started a Side Hustle on Facebook Marketplace — Then a 'Game-Changer' Grew It to $25,000 a Month

Leena Pettigrew's "entrepreneurial spirit" inspired her to build a business with earnings that outpaced her full-time income.

Business News

'I Want the Best People on Our Teams': Meta Is Laying Off More Than 3,000, CEO Mark Zuckerberg Calls for 'Extensive Performance-Based Cuts' — Read the Memo

In an internal memo shared on Tuesday, Zuckerberg said it's "going to be an intense year" at the company.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Leadership

From Elite Athletes to Tech Titans — Discover the Surprising $100-Million Habit That Leads to Extraordinary Success

Success comes from mastering focus, eliminating distractions and prioritizing what truly matters.