Featured In Food Logistics: Chipotle Strikes Back

Unexpected foodborne illnesses have pushed Chipotle Mexican Grill to tight controls as food safety technology advances, according to a feature story in the April Food Logistics.

From its beginnings 22 years ago, Chipotle Mexican Grill set out to raise the bar in delivering fresh, sustainable, locally sourced food to U.S. customers. In the course of establishing close to 2,000 restaurants, the company gained customer trust with its commitment to transparent product sourcing, becoming a market leader in the rapidly growing fast casual segment.

Little did Steve Ells, chairman and co-CEO, know that he would also be tasked with raising the bar for food safety to ensure the company’s survival in the wake of E. coli and norovirus outbreaks that took the company by surprise. Ells told investors in February that, while Chipotle prided itself on its safety, the customer illnesses that began in October showed it needed to improve. In December, the company announced what it described as a pioneering safety program designed by Mansour Samadpour, Ph.D., CEO of Lake Forest Park, Wash.-based IEH Laboratories and Consulting Group.

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