US fast-casual restaurant chain operator Chipotle Mexican Grill has reportedly agreed to pay a record fine to settle ongoing criminal charges against it over its alleged food-safety violations. The Justice Department announced this week that the restaurant operator will be paying $25 million to settle the case.
According to a statement released by the department, the charges against the company stems from its serving of contaminated food items that had resulted in more than 1,100 customers getting sick across the United States from 2015 to 2018. The department added that the fine imposed on Chipotle is the largest ever imposed in a food safety-related case in the country.
Justice Department Attorney Nick Hanna pointed out that Chipotle had failed to ensure that its employees adhere to proper food safety protocols. Its failure resulted in the serving of contaminated food that sickened hundreds of customers across the nation. Despite receiving reports of its food getting people sick, the company's efforts to resolve the issue was found to be insufficient.
The majority of the cases in the reports received by the Justice Department from sickened customers involved the contraction of the norovirus. The viral strain is a highly contagious pathogen that is typically transmitted by food workers handling ready-to-eat ingredients.
In five particular food safety incidents, the Justice Department revealed that sick employees were being allowed to continue working at various locations. This resulted in contaminated food being served to customers, who eventually got sick.
The department added that the record penalty and the millions of dollars Chipotle had already spent in upgrading its food safety program should be lesson enough for the company and other restaurant operators. The agency hopes that the settlement will encourage others in the industry to review and improve their own food handling practices.
As part of the settlement, Chipotle reportedly agreed to several conditions that included the implementation of a comprehensive food safety compliance program. Chipotle mentioned in its statement that it will be introducing new food safety policies and procedures on top of its existing practices to ensure the safety of its customers.
Chipotle chairman and chief executives officer, Brian Niccol, stated the company's willingness to settle the case is an acknowledgment of how serious it is taking food safety. He added that the settlement is also an opportunity for the company to move forward and focus more on serving its customers quality products made with real and clean ingredients.
