Chipotle food scare highlights issue that impacts thousands annually

Chipotle is grappling with more cases of foodborne illness, an issue that causes one in six Americans to get sick annually after consuming contaminated foods or beverages.

The company’s stock has taken a hit this week following foodborne illness issues at a restaurant in Virginia and a report of rodents scurrying around at one of their restaurants in Texas. Chipotle executives told Business Insider that the chain temporarily closed the restaurant in Sterling, Va., after a small number of customers reported symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, dehydration and nausea.

Chipotle officials said the reported symptoms were consistent with norovirus, a common cause of viral gastroenteritis.

This isn’t the first time Chipotle has had issues with food-related illnesses. The company was hit by multiple outbreaks of E. coli in 2015, causing dozens of customers to get sick. No deaths were reported related to the outbreaks.

“As a member of the Food Safety Advisory Council at Chipotle, I’ve observed the systems the company has put in place to control norovirus,” said Elisabeth Hagen, former Chief Medical Officer and Undersecretary for Food Safety at the USDA. “They are among the best in the food industry. Despite, these efforts, no company is immune from norovirus risks.”

Every year, 48 million Americans gets sick by consuming contaminated foods or beverages, according to the Centers for Dis-