SEATTLE, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Chipotle is preparing to reopen several restaurants in Washington and Oregon after laboratory tests were unable to identify the source of E. coli food poisoning that sickened 43 people.
Scientist have been unable to link thousands of produce samples from the restaurant chain to the culprit bacteria E. coli O26. Health officials said the suspected E. coli strain was likely in raw vegetables including lettuce, tomato or salsa. Chipotle voluntarily closed 43 restaurants following the outbreak that sickened 28 people in Washington and 15 in Oregon. The stores could open by Wednesday.
"Do I think the food is safe? I can't answer whether the food is safe, but I can tell you I agree with all of the steps they are taking," Dr. Scott Lindquist, Washington's epidemiologist for communicable disease, said. "We have found no food with E. coli and there doesn't appear to be an ongoing risk at this point."
Health officials have ordered the company to make the following changes before reopening: remove and restock all food, deep clean the 43 restaurants, allow county food inspectors to examine locations, and put produce through an extra rinse cycle.
The burrito eatery also agreed to a new policy of testing high-risk food items to curb E.coli outbreaks. The latest was the third this year at Chipotle.
"The fact they are undertaking these extraordinary steps means that their risk is going to be below what it was previously," Dr. Paul Cieslak, medical director of communicable disease at the Oregon Public Health Division, said "We have no reason to believe that Chipootle food is less safe than any other restaurant serving similar items."
