Chipotle has had a rough stretch in recent weeks dating back to November, and the misery continues. The public are in a uproar about Chipotle and how they have been handling their sanitation practices. The outbreak of E.coli began in Oregon and Washington where at least 22 people were hospitalized after eating in one of the 43 locations in those two states. Concerns among
Americans created a environment of nervousness and push back, they wondered if their food was safe to consume anymore. As Americans we expect answers quickly, we like to think we should be able to track down and contain any bacteria that may be harmful. Even with all the cool new technology in the world, lasers, 3d printers, additive manufacturing and more, why can’t we have all the answers? Dollars may matter here more than you know.
Some people are uneducated and that is OK, I mean who really cares about E. Coli anyway? Educating folks may be one way to reduce fear and anxiety. When exposed to E. Coli your intestines began to break down and go into stress mode. There are many forms of E.coli that are harmless, but the only way a person can contract it is by eating any kind of raw food such as, raw beef that has been contaminated with animal feces. Another way a person may contract E. Coli is if their food preparation is handled improperly. With the intestines in distress you may experience abdominal pain, diarrhea, and a fever. Most severe cases result in bloody stool, dehydration, and kidney failure.
It is important to educate yourself and your family that way you have a better chance of noticing the symptoms. Even though Chipotle has addressed the issue and just hired two food safety consulting firms, the public is still unsure about the popular franchise. How safe will the customers be when they reopen the 43 locations? An E. coli scare is never easy to bounce back from. Others have asked the question, why did other locations remain open while all these reports were out? The public did not see any proof of inspections for additional locations.
These are some of the questions that many folks are asking. It also makes you wonder if any other Chipotle chains are up to code and are safe for the public? Well we do have another story of an outbreak this time it is a Chipotle in Boston, Massachusetts.
It was reported that several athletes from Boston College had gotten sick after eating from a Chipotle located in Cleveland Circle in Boston, Ma. This Chipotle is very popular among the college students and locals around the area. To their credit, The Health Commission has been investigating this outbreak and is taking it “very serious”. When the report was released we did not have an exact number of sick individuals. Just recently the Health Commission did release an exact number of how many students are sick. It was reported that 80 people some who are students of Boston College and Non-Boston College students have gotten sick after eating from this Chipotle in Cleveland Circle. The cause of this random outbreak or sickness was due to the presence of the norovirus. According to the Health Commission, the norovirus is a very contagious virus anyone can get from contaminated food or water or any form of contaminated surfaces.
The Boston Public Health Commison has shut down the Chipotle for further investigation as more information about this issue is developing. We can never be sure where our food has been or how it is being handled. This is an ongoing issue throughout the U.S. We must take precautions and be mindful of where we eat out at, it might just save your life.