Chipotle said Tuesday that it has pulled jalapeños from some of its restaurants after tracing the peppers as a possible ingredient connected to a salmonella outbreak. The fast-casual chain said it has replaced the affected jalapeños with supplies sourced from different growers.
The company said it began reviewing ingredients across its supply chain after being alerted to a potential outbreak. During that process, Chipotle identified jalapeños from a shared lot as a possible source of concern.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we proactively removed the jalapeños from our restaurants and replaced them with product from different growers,” Chipotle said. The company added that it is working with public health officials as they investigate the salmonella outbreak.
Chipotle shares dropped 7% in Tuesday afternoon trading following the news.
Earlier Tuesday, Bloomberg News reported that Chipotle had removed jalapeños from several locations in Minnesota after learning the peppers could be tied to a salmonella outbreak in the state. The outbreak has sickened 110 people, according to the report.
The Minnesota salmonella outbreak is separate from another outbreak involving cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness that has spread across nine states. That cyclosporiasis outbreak has sickened more than 6,700 people nationwide, including two people in Michigan who died.
A Food and Drug Administration investigation has linked the cyclosporiasis outbreak to iceberg lettuce supplied by privately held Taylor Farms operations in central Mexico. Federal authorities, however, are continuing to examine whether other sources may also be involved.
