Aug 4 (Reuters) – Chipotle Mexican Grill said on Tuesday it had removed jalapenos from some restaurants after identifying the peppers as a potential ingredient tied to a salmonella outbreak, replacing them with supplies from different growers.
Shares of the company fell 7% in afternoon trading.
The company said it began tracing ingredients through its supply chain after learning of a potential outbreak and identified jalapenos from a common lot as a possible source.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we proactively removed the jalapenos from our restaurants and replaced them with product from different growers,” Chipotle said, adding that it was cooperating with public health authorities investigating the outbreak.
Earlier on Tuesday, Bloomberg News reported the company had removed jalapenos from multiple stores in Minnesota after learning the peppers may be linked to a salmonella outbreak in the state that has sickened 110 people.
(Reporting by Anuja Bharat Mistry in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore and Diti Pujara)
