Chipotle Drops 9% After Pulling Jalapeños Possibly Linked To Salmonella Outbreak In Minnesota

Chipotle's stock plummeted by 9% after the company announced a potential link between its jalapeños and a salmonella outbreak in Minnesota. The Minnesota Department of Health reported 110 cases of salmonella javiana, with many of the victims citing recent Chipotle visits. According to Carlota Medus, a senior epidemiologist supervisor at the department, 84 of these patients interviewed all ate at Chipotle between mid-June and July.

In response, Chipotle used its ingredient traceability system to identify the jalapeños as a potential contamination source and removed them from its restaurants, replacing them with new batches from different growers. The company's statement noted that the outbreak was impacting several food service retailers, though it is unclear if other restaurants were affected.

Chipotle's stock has declined 6.7% since the beginning of the year. Meanwhile, U.S. consumers, particularly in the Midwest, have been on high alert for foodborne illnesses due to a cyclosporiasis outbreak in the region, with Michigan reporting two deaths as cases surpassed 11,000. The cyclosporiasis outbreak in nine states has been tied to iceberg lettuce, initially linked to Taco Bell's supply from Taylor Farms.

The FDA later clarified that the Taylor Farms connection was based on a false positive test, but maintained that there was "overwhelming epidemiological data" supporting the link between Taylor Farms and the outbreak.