How Chipotle made hundreds of people barf

Chipotle's food safety crisis, explained.

After hearing a trickle of reports about food poisoning over recent months, millions of lunch-seeking Americans are probably wondering: Is it safe to eat at Chipotle?

The bad news is that public health investigators haven't identified the source of the E. coli that sickened almost 60 Chipotle customers in 11 states. By the time they started testing the restaurants and the employees, they couldn't find a trace of the bacteria.

But that may be a blessing in disguise because without a specific ingredient or supplier to blame, Chipotle has to inspect everything.

Spurred by repeated cases of food poisoning in the past six months — not just from E. coli, but also norovirus (caused by sick workers) and Salmonella (caused by contaminated tomatoes) —Chipotle announced an ambitious food-safety plan that, if implemented, could make Chipotle one of the safer fast food chains out there.

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[TheMatthewDMerrill]

What's that? A sick worker? Why didn't he stay home? Probably because the boss would fire him if he called in.

[introvertedentrepreneur]

I worked at Chipotle in the past. The truth is that if you’re sick and no one can pick up your shift (another employee) you HAVE to come in or you’ll get fired. Please tip the employees cause Chipotle overworks the hell out of them.

[gnomie]

"strengthen employee training" GIVE THEM SICK LEAVE

[Neitherherenorthere]

You know what??? Regarding the sick No one ever talks about how employees working for a corporation is forced to work, even when they are sick. There is always some sort of repercussion when calling out of work, including being sick. Especially working with food, there should be some sort of law or provision that assists in protecting both enployee and consumer.

[SomeBlackGuy]

We gonna just ignore jack murdering dozens of people in that boardroom?

[ravenwilson]

the worker went to work even though they were sick because they probably couldn't afford to live without it. that's the true problem in that case.

[GirtheAlienGoldfish]

I was one of the people who got food poisoning. I was undergoing a bone marrow transplant at the time and I was sent to the hospital because the bacteria could have killed me.
I'm not mad at Chipotle. Accidents happen, but I'll never eat there again.
Food poisoning is absolute misery.

[TactownGirl]

I can solve the Nora virus problem. It's a wild plan, right? So you'll have to bare with me. Okay, so here's what you do. Are you ready? You- wait for it- Give your employee's paid time off, or sick leave so that they- and this is the wild part- DO NOT COME INTO WORK SICK BECAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE NO CHOICE!

Wild. I know. But I think it can be done.

[joshuanorman]

This is exactly why fast food restaurants should pay sick staff even when they can't come to work...

[timyomama]

Heres an idea. Do what i do and make chipotle at home. It's cheaper and you can add guacamole without additional cost

[lupinearsenalALT]

Anybody else sick of Youtube forcing 30 second ads on us?

[__nog]

Diarrhea isn't the same as barf, Vox!

[mrconanedogawa]

undercooked???? sure as hell i hear ramsay yellingfrom the other side of their kitchen

[ylee]

in Korea, people wear mouth shields when handling food. Even if they are not sick, restaurant workers should be wearing something that covers their mouth.

[bigstrong]

The one time McDonald's is healthier

[TrHard]

If you look up the median housing prices in LA and Boston they both have an average rent above $2200 so its no wonder that people working on $10 per hour have to go to work even when they are really sick

[Weakest_Bulgarian]

Am I the only one who doesn't get the shits from chipotle?

[doesitmatter]

Wow..that's so many separate cases of food contamination. It sounds like they were sabotaged in my opinion.

[mindblitz]

Boycott chipotle because they didn't hire James like three years ago

[spectacularspaghetti]

"An employee was sick and came to work, infecting the food"

*COVID INTENSIFIES*