Overview
- Public health investigators in Minnesota say 110 people have been sickened in a Salmonella Javiana cluster linked to Mexican-style quick-service restaurants and many patients reported eating at Chipotle.
- Chipotle said Tuesday it used its lot-level traceability system to identify jalapeños from a common lot, removed those peppers from restaurants that received them, and replaced them with product from other growers.
- The Minnesota Department of Health reported that 75 of 84 interviewed patients had eaten at Chipotle between mid-June and July 14, but investigators also say the contaminated food was likely served at other restaurants.
- The FDA opened a traceback on July 22 covering multiple ingredients and federal records show a broader Salmonella Javiana cluster that officials have not yet tied definitively to Minnesota’s cases.
- Chipotle’s quick removal has reassured state investigators but the chain’s stock fell sharply and officials warn case counts may rise as interviews, lab confirmations and multistate tracing continue.