Another Fast Food Chain Was Just Linked To A Food Illness Outbreak: Here’s What You Need to Know

Taco Bell has been in the hot seat thanks to a Cyclospora outbreak connected to its shredded lettuce—but now, there’s another fast food chain that’s in the spotlight for a very similar (though less diarrhea-driven) reason. 

Videos by Sporked

Yes, that’s right, there’s another foodborne illness sweeping the U.S., and the culprit this time? It’s none other than Chipotle. So, before you order an overstuffed burrito, here’s what you need to know about the latest fast food illness outbreak.

Chipotle Is Linked To A Salmonella Outbreak

Forget about lettuce: right now, the focus is on salmonella. And that’s because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) are both investigating an outbreak of Salmonella that’s been connected to Chipotle.

This current Salmonella outbreak has already sickened 345 people and popped up in 21 states. 36 of those who’ve been sickened have wound up in the hospital as a result of Salmonella.

The cause of the outbreak is everyone’s favorite spicy pepper, the jalapeño. According to the FDA, fresh jalapeños from Sinaloa, Mexico that were distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors to wholesalers and restaurants have been identified as the source of the Salmonella.

And unfortunately for Chipotle fans, Coast Citrus Distributors is among the restaurant chain’s suppliers. Both Chipotle and Qdoba (yep, another Mexican fast food joint that serves up plenty of jalapeños) received deliveries of Salmonella peppers. At Chipotle specifically, those peppers could have been used to make guacamole, fresh tomato salsa, roasted chili-corn salsa, and tomatillo-green chili salsa.

Don’t Worry, It’s Still Safe To Eat At Chipotle

Before you start swearing off every Mexican fast food restaurant you can name, it’s important to know that you can still safely grab your go-to dishes from your local Chipotle restaurants. Chipotle is already participating in the investigation led by the CDC and FDA.

Most importantly, Chipotle has already announced that it has stopped selling jalapeños that may be linked to the Salmonella outbreak. As of August 5th, the potentially contaminated peppers delivered by Coast Citrus Distributors have been replaced by jalapeños from other suppliers. And, as the FDA says on its website regarding both Chipotle and Qdoba, “Given their actions to remove product from their stores, FDA does not consider there to be a current ongoing risk from these establishments to consumers in this outbreak.”

Now, if you happened to eat at Chipotle prior to August 5th, you may want to keep an eye out for any symptoms of Salmonella. But otherwise, you should be in the clear—and there’s zero reason to worry about picking up a meal here today.