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[entremet]

http://www.eater.com/2015/12/23/10657568/chipotle-pre-chopped-produce-e-coli-outbreak

Following Chipotle's numerous foodborne illness outbreaks, the burrito giant is making significant changes to the way it prepares food. The chain that has long tooted its own horn about "freshness" and "integrity" will now be doing less prep in-house to minimize risks for its customers.

According to the Associated Press, Chipotle stores will now be bringing in pre-shredded cheese rather than grating it on-site. "Tomatoes, cilantro and other ingredients" will be pre-chopped so they can be tested for bacteria. Onions, jalapenos, lemons, and limes will still be cut fresh, though they'll be "blanched to kill germs." As the Associated Press points out, "Chipotle has said in the past that tomatoes taste better when freshly diced in restaurants." But even better than freshly chopped tomatoes are healthy customers that aren't filing lawsuits.

Of course, it's worth noting that even before the E. coli disaster, Chipotle wasn't as fresh as some customers might have believed: The restaurant's carnitas, barbacoa, and beans have all been delivered to stores pre-cooked for years.

I really like their pico de gallo. Oh well. If they can't handle basic food safety, I guess something needs to be sacrificed.

 

[ItIsOkBro]

Was it the grating and the chopping that was causing the e-coli?

 

[Angry Grimace]

Why do I not see this PR disaster and corresponding lowering of quality leading to lower prices

 

[Brawly Likes to Brawl]

Too late, found a new joint that's better and cheaper.

 

[Gigglepoo]

No one wants lower-quality products, Chipotle. We just don't want to ford the brown river when we're done eating there.

 

[Dash_Riprock]

So begins the slow descend of Chipotle. It was good while it lasted.

 

[Afro Samurai]

Too late, found a new joint that's better and cheaper.

What's this place called?

 

[ReAxion]

Was it the grating and the chopping that was causing the e-coli?

I don't think they found a cause, they're just eliminating vectors.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/blanched-onions-chipotle-tweaks-cooking-coli-scare-35919566

Onions will be dipped in boiling water to kill germs before they're chopped. Raw chicken will be marinated in re-sealable plastic bags, rather than in bowls. Cilantro will be added to freshly cooked rice so the heat gets rid of microbes in the garnish.

The chicken thing is big.

 

[rootbeerafloat]

Qdoba is better anyway

 

[ColdPizza]

I hope the wood pulp that helps keep the pre-shredded cheese from clumping is non-gmo!

http://www.foodrenegade.com/would-like-some-wood-pulp-your-shredded-cheese/

 

[mkenyon]

What's this place called?

Literally any burrito truck that exists.

 

[RedRum]

What's this place called?

I'm betting Qdoba.

 

[K.Jack]

Or hire professionals who know what cross contamination is, and how to prevent it.

 

[Brawly Likes to Brawl]

What's this place called?

Just a local place I ordered from through Seamless, it's not a franchise.

 

[criesofthepast]

Blanching onions, jalapenos, lemons, and limes?

Never seen that in a kitchen before.

 

[Your Entertainer]

Qdoba is way way better anyways

 

[joe2187]

Was it the grating and the chopping that was causing the e-coli?

No, but if they dont follow proper food handling procedures (which is basically just common sense) then a single tainted source can spread like wildfire.

One usanitized cutting board/knife will destroy an entire kitchen.

 

[rokkerkory]

sell stocks now

 

[A Fish Aficionado]

I hope the wood pulp that helps keep the pre-shredded cheese from clumping is non-gmo!

http://www.foodrenegade.com/would-like-some-wood-pulp-your-shredded-cheese/

Oh god that site is terrible.
Fuck food fear mongering.
And fuck Chipotle for not just being hypocrites about their commitment to freshness, you don't see In n Out doing this.

 

[- J - D -]

The dream is over. Now just e-coli nightmares.

 

[univariate]

This company is going downhill fast. They should at least fire their PR Director.

 

[Koppai]

I always wondered what was so great about Chipotle. I have eaten it twice and I just don't care for it anyways. Really overrated.

 

[ZealousD]

Pre-sliced tomatoes seems pretty odd. I thought pretty much everybody in the restaurant industry sliced their own tomatoes?

Qdoba is way way better anyways

Qdoba has queso. Chipotle is better at basically everything else.

 

[ColdPizza]

Oh god that site is terrible.
Fuck food fear mongering.
And fuck Chipotle for not just being hypocrites about their commitment to freshness, you don't see In n Out doing this.

Fine, is NPR to your standards? I grabbed the top link. This isn't fear mongering. It's fact.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt...rganic-valley-youre-probably-eating-wood-pulp

 

[Christopher]

Qdoba is way way better anyways

In theory, yes. However, their meat doesn't taste the same neither does their guac

 

[BoboBrazil]

Probably people in the kitchen not cleaning their hands properly before touching the food. Not washing hands properly in bathroom(or washing them and then being forced to touch faucet handles or doors without paper towels before going back to work) or using cell phone while working with food after using it in the bathroom, wherever else.

 

[A Fish Aficionado]

Fine, is NPR to your standards? I grabbed the top link. This isn't fear mongering. It's fact.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt...rganic-valley-youre-probably-eating-wood-pulp

Cellulose is fine as an additive.

Food scientist John Coupland of Penn State says it doesn't matter much where the cellulose comes from. In theory, you could extract it from any plant, from asparagus to onions, but he says that would be a waste of good food.

"A good way to think about it is to ask: Would our food be any better or worse if the cellulose used was sourced from another plant?" And Coupland says the answer is no. "Cellulose is just a molecule, and probably one we want more of in our diets."

I remember the Gaf thread on that story. I pretty much said the same thing.

 

[ColdPizza]

Probably people in the kitchen not cleaning their hands properly before touching the food. Not washing hands properly in bathroom(or washing them and then being forced to touch faucet handles or doors without paper towels before going back to work) or using cell phone while working with food after using it in the bathroom, wherever else.

That's probably the cause of the norovirus outbreak, but the e.coli outbreak is probably from a breakdown in quality control from where they source their ingredients as well as some worker probably cutting corners and cross contaminating things in the prep area.

 

[ColdPizza]

Cellulose is fine as an additive.




I remember the Gaf thread on that story. I pretty much said the same thing.

I don't care for the texture on it. It gives shredded cheese a dried out sensation. If I suspect this is happening to the cheese at chipotle then I'm done there. At some point they'll be reduced to everything being precooked and frozen like Subway or something.

 

[Yaphett Kotto]

I've swapped to Costa Vida a while back anyways. Chipotle lost me so long ago.

 

[BIG_V-G-V]

Educate the employees better on cross contamination. Another crash course from ServSafe should be pushed...

 

[oneils]

Sounds like the minimal processing they want to do will enable them to do some testing of the product before it hits th restaurant. The blanching of some of the ingredients will help too.

 

[Hale-XF11]

Qdoba is better anyway

.

 

[A Fish Aficionado]

Both e.coli and norovirus are spread through the fecal-oral route of transmission.

Enjoy your buritto.

 

[joe2187]

Fine, is NPR to your standards? I grabbed the top link. This isn't fear mongering. It's fact.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt...rganic-valley-youre-probably-eating-wood-pulp

No, it's still fear mongering.

That wood pulp is literally nothing, it's a plant based compound and used in tons of foods as a binder and thickener.

It's like people dont even read the back of the box of the foods they eat, it's in many many many many food products and it's not going to kill anyone unless you're allergic to fruit/vegetables.

We use it to make Veggie burgers.

 

[outsidah]

Qdoba is way way better anyways

No way. Qdoba tastes like nothing. Then again the ones in my area all got shutdown so maybe the ones here sucked. Then again opinions.

I always wondered what was so great about Chipotle. I have eaten it twice and I just don't care for it anyways. Really overrated.

Opinions.

 

[...Scatter...]

I"m happy with MOES except for the fact that I wish they had Cilantro rice instead of giving you a bunch of chips. I don't want to eat a bunch of chips with every meal.

 

[entremet]

Was it the grating and the chopping that was causing the e-coli?

It's to prevent cross contamination.

Usually, in all the big e.coli cases, it's usually non cooked items, like salad greens, or in the case of Chipotle, stuff like tomatoes. But we really don't know in Chipotle's case. A good bet is uncooked stuff.

Meats are usually safe because they're cooked. It's the uncooked items that are problematic.

 

[Ovid]

So begins the slow descend of Chipotle. It was good while it lasted.

Slowing descending into Subway territory.

Spoiler

/s

 

[ColdPizza]

No, it's still fear mongering.

That wood pulp is literally nothing, it's a plant based compound and used in tons of foods as a binder and thickener.

It's like people dont even read the back of the box of the foods they eat, it's in many many many many food products and it's not going to kill anyone unless you're allergic to fruit/vegetables.

We use it to make Veggie burgers.

First off, I was making light of their non-GMO stance. Second, nothing in the articles I posted suggest in any way this is bad for you. So who is fear mongering?

 

[7DollarHagane]

First off, I was making light of their non-GMO stance. Second, nothing in the articles I posted suggest in any way this is bad for you. So who is fear mongering?

Your point seems exaggerated and made to make people think wood shavings are added to cheese. It's inflammatory at best and a lie at worst.

 

[gcubed]

Your point seems exaggerated and made to make people think wood shavings are added to cheese. It's inflammatory at best and a lie at worst.

I got the point in his post right away...

 

[RumblingRosco]

First off, I was making light of their non-GMO stance. Second, nothing in the articles I posted suggest in any way this is bad for you. So who is fear mongering?

Your post was clearly instigating the "OMG IT IS WOOD PULP" dialogue. joe read it the exact same way I did.

 

[ColdPizza]

Your point seems exaggerated and made to make people think wood shavings are added to cheese. It's inflammatory at best and a lie at worst.

I didn't say anything to indicate that...lol

 

[Dali]

So how is just saying "fuck it" and giving up supposed to restore confidence? They're saying either their practices are so terrible or their restaurants so rancid they can't do basic food prep that a million other places are able to perform just fine. Why would I want to eat at a place like that?

 

[7DollarHagane]

I hope the wood pulp that helps keep the pre-shredded cheese from clumping is non-gmo!

http://www.foodrenegade.com/would-like-some-wood-pulp-your-shredded-cheese/

I didn't say anything to indicate that...lol

Nope nothing at all

 

[ColdPizza]

Your post was clearly instigating the "OMG IT IS WOOD PULP" dialogue. joe read it the exact same way I did.

But it is wood pulp...just not in the form your brain is imagining it.

 

[joe2187]

First off, I was making light of their non-GMO stance. Second, nothing in the articles I posted suggest in any way this is bad for you. So who is fear mongering?

Not trying to attack you, but the fact that they are calling it "Wood Pulp" and literally a quote from the article stating this rather boldly

Here’s my question. Who cares if it’s safe? It’s disturbingly unnatural to have wood pulp in your cheese or cotton in your salad dressing.

Yes, I said “cotton in your salad dressing.” Thank you, Kraft Foods, for making such statements actually truthful and not merely the figment of a childish, over-active imagination.

 

[ColdPizza]

Nope nothing at all

I didn't say wood shavings...I said wood pulp. It's literally powdered wood pulp.

 

[entremet]

Educate the employees better on cross contamination. Another crash course from ServSafe should be pushed...

Any Chipotle employees here?

They have a lot of turnover, typical for fast food, but you can tell when one of them is pretty green.

Unlike the other fast food joints, Chipotle workers handle fresher foods, which have a greater risk for cross contamination if you're not careful.