Chipotle faces grilling after more burrito-eaters get sick

Over the weekend, Chipotle Mexican Grill garnered fresh criticism when 80 Boston College students fell sick after eating at the burrito chain. All students who reported symptoms have been tested for both E.coli and norovirus—the most common strain of stomach virus—but results will not be available until late this week.

The Boston College incident turns up the heat for Chipotle, already linked to a nationwide E. coli outbreak first identified in late October that now spans nine states: Washington, Oregon, Illinois, Maryland, Pennsylvania, California, Minnesota, New York, and Ohio. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has not yet pinpointed the ingredient at the epicenter of the outbreak, but 47 of the 52 E.coli-infected persons reported eating at a Chipotle before falling sick.

“The epidemiologic evidence available at this time suggests that a common meal item or ingredient served at Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants in several states is a likely source of this outbreak,” the CDC said. “The investigation is still ongoing to determine what specific food is linked to illness.”

Though the CDC’s sleuthing is inconclusive, the Mexican food chain is still in trouble, said Seattle attorney Bill Marler, who is working on at least two lawsuits for clients sickened by the E.coli outbreak.

“Clearly this is a Chipotle problem,” Marler said, citing the tomato-based salmonella scandal in August and the recent Boston incident.

The restaurant known for its healthier re-imagination of Mexican fast food is scrambling to improve sanitation and safety requirements in the face of its now-serial connection with food-borne illness. In recent days, Chipotle executives have cracked down on cleanliness, purging kitchen ingredients and handing over supplier data to investigators. But the company’s investment in sanitation investigation likely will result in a spike in menu pricing. The new safety guidelines also will exclude many local produce suppliers, which make up a “relatively small percentage” of the chain’s vegetable supply, said Chris Arnold, a Chipotle spokesman.

In its annual report, Chipotle noted it may be at a higher risk for food-borne illness outbreaks because of its “fresh produce and meats rather than frozen, and our reliance on employees cooking with traditional methods rather than automation.”

While investigators struggle to find the source of contamination, Chipotle’s sales are waning and stocks are plummeting. Shares have dropped about 28 percent since the chain’s all-time high in August. In a Friday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Chipotle noted sales have been “extremely volatile” as a result of the outbreak.

The Denver-based chain has 19,000 restaurants, primarily in the United States, and has performed remarkably well in its 12 years of existence. Chain eateries have risen from the ashes of food-borne disease disgraces before, noted Barclays analyst Jeffrey Bernstein. But for Chipotle, the E. coli cases are “all the more damaging” because of its bold slogan: “Food with Integrity.”

E. coli is an often-harmless bacterium that lives in the gut of humans and animals. A person can get it by coming into contact with food contaminated by fecal matter, with common culprits being raw or undercooked meat and fresh produce. Norovirus, the common stomach virus Boston College students are suspected of having, often mimics symptoms of E.coli, and causes between 19 and 21 million illnesses each year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.