Chipotle Restaurants to Temporarily Close for Safety Meeting
Restaurants will close for part of Feb. 8.
— -- After a dismal 2015 marked by multiple food-borne outbreaks, the Chipotle restaurant chain has announced it plans to temporarily shutter all restaurants to discuss food safety changes with employees.
The restaurants are scheduled to be closed for part of Feb. 8 for a "national team meeting," according to Chipotle Mexican Grill spokesman Chris Arnold.
"We are hosting a national team meeting to thank our employees for their hard work through this difficult time, discuss some of the food safety changes we are implementing, and answer questions from employees," Arnold told ABC News in an email.
Chipotle is working to rebound after multiple E.coli and norovirus outbreaks were connected to the chain last year. One of the norovirus outbreaks is being investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, in conjunction with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations. Company officials told ABC News earlier this month they will "cooperate fully" with the investigation.
Company officials announced they started to implement new safety measures last year to ensure food safety and handling. These steps include testing fresh produce with DNA-based tests, end-of-shelf-life testing to ensure ingredients are safe throughout their shelf life, while also looking to improve the supply chain by measuring performance data of vendors and suppliers, and enhancing employee training in food safety and handling.
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