(repost) Every Chipotle Will Close on Feb. 8 for Food Safety Meeting

By Jonathan Zhou, Epoch Times | January 15, 2016

In the wake of multiple food poisoning incidents in its restaurants, Chipotle will be closing all of its stores for a part of the day on Feb. 8 for an all-staff meeting to discuss food safety.

“We are hosting a national team meeting to thank our employees for their hard work through this difficult time, discuss some of the food safety changes we are implementing, and answer questions from employees,” Chipotle PR representative Danielle Moore said in a statement, according to NBC.

Between Oct. 19 and Nov. 15, E. coli poisoning struck 53 people who ate at Chipotle across nine states, according to the CDC. The news put the Mexican Food chain in the national spotlight, and a Reuters poll in December found that 25 percent of Americans who heard news of the E. coli outbreak are eating at Chipotle less frequently.

The move is a part of a campaign to gain back the trust of the public, and investors, in Chipotle. At an investor conference on Jan. 13, NBC reports, Chipotle founder Steve Ells said that the company needs to “reassure our customers that this can’t happen again, and that we are going to reduce the risk of this kind of an outbreak from occurring again to near zero.”

Health officials still haven’t been able to pinpoint the precise source of the outbreak, but the company has already rolled out a few initiatives, including deep cleaning its restaurants and cutting back on the use of fresh ingredients from local farms, Bloomberg reports.

Dealing with a few big suppliers is in theory easier with monitoring the safety standards of many local ones, although it’s not clear if the source of the food poisoning originated from a local farm.

Source: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1942611-every-chipotle-will-close-on-feb-8-for-food-safety-meeting/

(repost) Chipotle Restaurants to Temporarily Close for Safety Meeting

After a dismal 2015 marked by multiple food-borne outbreaks, the Chipotle restaurant chain has announced it plans to temporarily shutter all restaurants to discuss food safety changes with employees.

The restaurants are scheduled to be closed for part of Feb. 8 for a "national team meeting," according to Chipotle Mexican Grill spokesman Chris Arnold.

"We are hosting a national team meeting to thank our employees for their hard work through this difficult time, discuss some of the food safety changes we are implementing, and answer questions from employees," Arnold told ABC News in an email.

CDC Investigating Another Multi-State Outbreak Linked to Chipotle

Chipotle will "Cooperate Fully" With Investigation

How CDC Using DNA Technology in Suspected Chipotle E. Coli Outbreak Probe

Chipotle is working to rebound after multiple E.coli and norovirus outbreaks were connected to the chain last year. One of the norovirus outbreaks is being investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, in conjunction with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations. Company officials told ABC News earlier this month they will "cooperate fully" with the investigation.

Company officials announced they started to implement new safety measures last year to ensure food safety and handling. These steps include testing fresh produce with DNA-based tests, end-of-shelf-life testing to ensure ingredients are safe throughout their shelf life, while also looking to improve the supply chain by measuring performance data of vendors and suppliers, and enhancing employee training in food safety and handling.

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/chipotle-restaurants-temporarily-close-safety-meeting/story?id=36311235

Food Safety Update and FAQ

https://www.chipotle.com/update