On Tuesday, Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. has agreed to pay a fine amounting to $25 million. This is to resolve criminal charges that came as the restaurant was reported to have served contaminated food that caused more than 1,100 people in the U.S. to get sick from 2015 to 2018, which resulted in plunging sales, says an article.

The Mexican fast-food company was charged in Los Angeles federal court. The charges include two counts of violations to the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Their negligence had caused four norovirus outbreaks, which caused abdominal cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea.


Poor Safety Practices

The company confirmed its poor safety practices. They admitted that they are not keeping food at the right temperature to prevent the growth of the pathogen. This negligence had resulted in people from Los Angeles, Simi Valley, Boston, Ohio, Sterling, Powell, and Virginia to get ill from the food served to them.

The network of outbreaks started in August 2015 in Simi Valley. It came after two months before the E.coli outbreak in Chipotle had spread to many states, leading to the temporary closure of many restaurants. This had negatively affected sales as other fear of food emerged. The criminal case has no relation to E. coli.


Promise to Improve 

The California-based company agreed to enter into a deferred prosecution contract. In the agreement, the business will not be convicted by continuously improving its program for food safety. Chipotle is also expected to obey other rules and pay a fine for the food safety case.

According to Nich Hanna, a U.S. attorney, the Mexican Grill was not able to ensure that all of its employees understood and followed the safety protocols of the company. This negligence had caused hundreds of its customers to fall ill, he added.


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Setting an Example to the Food Industry 

According to Hanna, the penalty, including the millions of dollars that the business had used up to improve its food safety program since 2015, is expected to provide more protection to the customers of the restaurant. It also served as a reminder to those in the food industry to review and upgrade their health and safety practices.

According to the statement of the company, it will continue to upgrade its food safety practices by reducing the number of staff who touches the food, analyzing the quality of ingredients used, and outlining the movement of the company's food supplies to determine the occurrence of a possible problem.

According to the company's CEO and chairman Brian Niccol, the settlement shows how serious Chipotle is when it comes to food safety. Also, it reveals the company's dedication to turning the pages on previous unpleasant events.


The Norovirus Outbreak 

The norovirus can be spread by improperly handling food. The multiple outbreaks of norovirus started in Simi Valley when 234 customers and staff of Chipotle got sick. Personnel who vomited was immediately sent home. However, the illness was reported internally. It only took two days after many customers got sick before they had implemented food safety procedures.