The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday that seven additional people in three more states reported illnesses, thus bringing the total number of people sickened to 52.
Although the majority of the outbreak has originated in Oregon and Washington, additional cases have been reported in Ohio, Minnesota, New York and California.
Of the 52 people reporting illness, the CDC reports that 47 of them ate at a Chipotle recently before getting sick.
On Friday, in response to the E. coli outbreak, Chipotle announced that it will tighten its safety standards.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Chipotle says it will do the following: implement DNA testing on its ingredients prior to shipment, test ingredients near the end of their shelf life and improve employee training to ensure that staff fully understand safety procedures.
Chipotle also stated that these new policies might restrict their ability to use some locally sourced products.
The CDC has yet to determine what specific ingredient caused the outbreak.
Do you think Chipotle’s food-safety overhaul is too little too late? Comment below or tweet me @MNetAbbey.
