Chipotle Is Being Taken To Court For Getting Customers Sick

You probably remember when Chipotle came under fire for getting everyone sick — and then when they promised that they were taking food safety very, very seriously as a result of the drama. Well, if you’re still eating the chain’s burritos and bowls, then you’ll probably want to know that they’re involved in a court case because of the time they got everyone sick.

In Powell, Ohio, a 2018 outbreak led to 700 sick customers and some sick employees. SEVEN HUNDRED. The symptoms? Nausea and diarrhea, of course. According to Consumer Reports, the issue had to do with “violations related to food not being held at proper temperatures.” Ew.

The chain is now bring subpoenaed for the fourth time, as federal prosecutors try to get to the bottom of the incident. They’re also looking into other chain location issues throughout the United States.

This incident was caused by a type of bacteria found in huge quantities of meat and pre-cooked foods that are kept warm while waiting to be served. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the bacteria is called Clostridium perfringens (which they know because of tested stool samples).

C. perfringens is one of the most common causes of food poisoning, and it’s accompanied by all those lovely symptoms you’ve probably experienced at some point: cramping, fever, and excessive — er — bathroom usage.

Chipotle is reportedly cooperating with authorities in these legal matters. However, they’re still reporting a good first quarter.

Highlight: “The Chipotle brand is alive and well,” says Chipotle CFO Jack Hartung. “Digital’s our fastest growing part of our business right now, and within digital, delivery’s the fastest growing part.” Also talks about their commitment to food safety and avocado prices. pic.twitter.com/IvIoR9JtSm

— Yahoo Finance (@YahooFinance) April 25, 2019

Of course, because GROSSNESS, the chain’s shares are down five percent. Not surprising at all.

Chipotle shares fall on new subpoena over food safety https://t.co/9it5bAp0U3

— Financial Times (@FT) April 25, 2019

Because maybe you never want to eat there again — or perhaps because we’re just morbidly curious — we turned to the people  saying what everyone’s thinking about the chain’s food safety issues:

Way back when food safety incidents were occurring left, right, and center, Chipotle actually closed all of their locations to chat with employees. Maybe this just didn’t help?

In response to numerous outbreaks at the time, Chipotle closed all 2,000 of its stores for several hours on Feb. 8, 2016, for food safety meetings with its employees. https://t.co/QXrA3r8jzs

— WKYT (@WKYT) April 26, 2019

Apparently, people think the chain is pretty gross. Is it their food safety problems, or the way the lumpy guac looks just sitting out like that under lights and bodies?

Maybe it’s not the guac. Maybe it’s the INSECTS?

Or the excessive amounts of fat. To be fair, this is pretty gnarly!

Some folks over at Reddit claimed to have gotten food poisoning from Chipotle (and I myself have as well). What about you?

It’s not just Chipotle, though! It’s pretty common across the board. According to the CDC, people under 5, over 65, and immunocompromised and pregnant people are most susceptible.

And this Reddit comment does make a lot of sense: There are many more people who didn’t get sick than people who did.

In the end, the most important thing you can do to take care of yourself or to prevent food poisoning is to know the symptoms. The CDC says you should look out for:

— Fever over 102

— Bloody diarrhea

— Vomiting

— Diarrhea for more than three days

— Dehydration and dry mouth

Oh, and wash your hands. This goes for employees and customers!

Oh, and if you contract norovirus, like many Chipotle customers did, here’s what you should know:

Will you still eat at Chipotle? This does look pretty good…

But is it worth the risk? You tell us. Where does Chipotle land on your go-to list?