|
 The announcement assuaged some investors' concerns, sending the
popular burrito chain's shares up 4 percent.
The regulator, however, was not able to identify the ingredient that
was responsible for the contamination after a three-month probe.
(http://1.usa.gov/1WXAYhb)
The CDC said 55 people were affected in the initial E.coli outbreak
that spread across 11 states, adding that a smaller outbreak
involving a rare and different E.coli strain affected five people in
three states.
Chipotle has been grappling to overcome a series of food-borne
illnesses linked to its chain since October that have driven away
diners, hammered its high-flying stock and spawned both a federal
criminal probe and a shareholder lawsuit.
The company was served with a subpoena last month in a federal
criminal probe linked to a norovirus outbreak in California in
August.
Adding to investors' worries, Chipotle also forecast in January its
first-ever drop in quarterly same-store sales. The company is
scheduled to report fourth-quarter results on Tuesday.
The most recent E.coli illness reported to the CDC was on Dec. 1,
the regulator said on Monday.
Testing of multiple food items collected from Chipotle restaurant
locations did not show the presence of the bacteria, the CDC said.
[to top of second column] |
Chipotle said last month it was confident that the steps it had
undertaken to tighten food safety would stop future food poisoning
outbreaks.
The Wall Street Journal first reported the CDC's findings on Sunday.
Chipotle's stock has fallen nearly 30 percent since the end of
October when the first case of E.coli was reported.
(Reporting by Yashaswini Swamynathan in Bengaluru; Editing by
Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Maju Samuel)
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