The number of potential customers that were affected by a foodborne illness outbreak at a Chipotle Mexican Grill in Ohio has grown again, but its cause remains a mystery. The Delaware General Health District said Friday that it had received a total 703 related to a possible outbreak stemming from a Chipotle in Powell, Ohio. So far, staff at the local health department has been able to interview more than 513 people who self-reported nausea, diarrhea and fever, among other symptoms, after eating at the restaurant. In addition, fecal and food samples were delivered to the Ohio Department of Health for laboratory testing. No illness reports have been made since the restaurant reopened on Tuesday afternoon, Delaware Health District said. Preliminary tests of the stool samples came back negative, but the health department is conducting additional tests which can take a bit longer than the initial ones. Chipotle wasn't immediately available to comment. This most recent food safety issue hasn't driven away customers, however. The day after the Ohio location was closed Chipotle had great success with its national "Free Guac Day" promotion. Chipotle said it used almost 700,000 avocados to meet consumer demand, 200,000 more than an average day. The promotion drove digital sales up nearly 60 percent and generated more app downloads than any other single day, Chipotle said. "We believe the free guacamole promotion that Chipotle ran [Tuesday] should help offset some of the negative publicity the company received following the Ohio food safety incident," Peter Saleh, analyst at BTIG, wrote in a research note Wednesday. "While we don't want to minimize food safety incidents given Chipotle's recent history, we believe the sales impact from these events is moderating." The stock initially sold off nearly 8 percent on Tuesday when reports surfaced that there had been another food safety incident. However, the stock has since recovered and is up more than a percent since Monday. Chipotle is not the only restaurant to face food safety issues. McDonald's recently recalled salads at about 3,000 of its U.S. restaurants due to an outbreak of cyclosporiasis tied back to lettuce tainted by the cyclospora parasites, which is transmitted in fecal matter. Still, Chipotle's history with foodborne illness issues means each new incident is scrutinized. The burrito chain was sued Tuesday by an Ohio man, who is asking for $25,000 after he purchased three chicken tacos on July 29 from Chipotle and then started experiencing nausea, headaches and hot flashes, according to the lawsuit filed in Delaware County in Ohio. He was undergoing medical treatment, the lawsuit says. In Ohio, Delaware County's health department said it is testing for salmonella, shigella, E. coli, and norovirus in both samples. The food samples will also be tested for bacillus cereus and clostridium perfringens, two bacteria that can cause the symptoms that have been reported. The results from the submitted food samples may not be in for another week, however. Testing of these materials involves culturing and can take five to seven days. The samples were delivered to the Ohio Department of Health on Wednesday.<doc-sep>Late last month, hundreds of people in Ohio got sick and they had one thing in common: Chipotle. Between July 26 and July 30, over 600 people experienced stomach discomfort after eating at one Chipotle location in the midwestern state. The embattled fast-casual chain was hit with a lawsuit over the incident Now, health officials have figured out what caused the illnesses: the bacterium Clostridium perfrigens. According to CNBC, this disease is caused by food being left out “at unsafe temperatures.” Though the CDC has deduced the cause, it’s still unclear which food specifically was the source of the outbreak. This development will likely further tarnish the already-sullied brand. The restaurant chain has been trying to stage a comeback after other reports of food-related illnesses. CEO Brian Niccol is now reportedly planning to retrain employees on best food-handling practices. We’ll see if this latest issue will further hurt the restaurant’s sales.<doc-sep>Chipotle closed a restaurant in Powell, Ohio, on Monday following reports that customers got sick after eating there. The local health department told Business Insider that it had received 518 calls and emails related to the possible illness outbreak. A total of 418 people said they fell ill after eating at the restaurant, according to reports made to the website iwaspoisoned.com. Chipotle had two to five staff members call off work while citing illness on Sunday and Monday, the company told health officials. More than 400 people said they fell ill after eating at an Ohio Chipotle that is thought to be at the center of an illness outbreak, according to a website that tracks foodborne illnesses. A total of 228 reports have been made to the website iwaspoisoned.com suggesting that 418 customers have fallen sick after eating at a Powell, Ohio, Chipotle since Friday, according to Patrick Quade, the website's founder. The restaurant's address is 9733 Sawmill Pkwy. The website saw a surge in reports after Business Insider's article late Monday revealing that Chipotle had shut down the restaurant over reports that customers had fallen ill. The site allows users to self-report suspected foodborne illnesses. Chipotle shares fell more than 3% in after-hours trading Monday. The local health department, called the Delaware General Health District, is investigating the possible illness outbreak. The agency said Thursday that it has received 518 inquiries — including 95 emails and 423 calls — related to the possible illness outbreak, according to Traci Whittaker, a spokeswoman for the Delaware General Health District. "The Health District food inspection team inspected the restaurant this afternoon," Whittaker said in an email to Business Insider on Tuesday. "Based on the food protection procedures followed by the facility, the inspection team found no reason for the facility to not reopen." She said 33 stool sample kits were delivered Tuesday to people that reported illness. Chipotle shut down the Powell restaurant on Monday over reports of customer and employee illnesses. "We take all claims of food safety very seriously and we are currently looking into a few reports of illness at our Powell, Ohio, restaurant," Chipotle spokeswoman Laurie Schalow told Business Insider on Monday. "We are not aware of any confirmed foodborne illness cases, and we are cooperating with the local health department." The Delaware General Health District said it received illness reports from seven customers on Sunday and Monday. In response, health officials arrived at the Chipotle restaurant on Monday for an inspection and found the restaurant closed. Health officials then discussed the illness complaints with the company and discovered that Chipotle had also received four to five illness complaints from customers. Chipotle management said it was unable to get in touch with the health department to report the illnesses. Chipotle also told health officials that two to five staff members called off work citing illness on Sunday and Monday. Chipotle voluntarily closed the Ohio restaurant Monday for deep cleaning and removal of all exposed foods and single-use equipment, the company said. The company planned to reopen the restaurant on Tuesday.<doc-sep>
A type of bacteria that forms when food is left out at unsafe temperatures caused Chipotle Mexican Grill's latest foodborne illness outbreak. Nearly 700 people reported gastrointestinal problems, including nausea, diarrhea and fever, after eating at the Chipotle restaurant in Powell, Ohio, between July 26 and July 30. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's tests named clostridium perfringens the culprit of the outbreak. The bacteria is one of the most common causes of food poisoning in the U.S. It forms when food is left out at unsafe temperatures. The incident deals another blow to Chipotle, which has spent years trying to convince diners and investors it has improved its food safety practices. An E. coli outbreak in 2015 sickened hundreds of people and plunged Chipotle into crisis. The fast-casual restaurant rolled out promotions and new menu items such as queso to try to win customers back. But diners continued to shun the restaurant. Chipotle hired former Taco Bell CEO Brian Niccol in February to replace founder Steve Ells as CEO. Since taking the helm, Niccol has unveiled a strategy to woo consumers back to the troubled burrito chain with a focus on new menu items and faster mobile and online orders. Its turnaround efforts appeared to be working. Shares of Chipotle have surged 74 percent this year. They slid 4 percent Thursday. Niccol said Chipotle will start retraining all restaurant employees on food safety and wellness protocols next week. The tests do not confirm the exact number of people who fell ill. Twenty samples were sent to the Ohio Department of Health and returned negative, a spokeswoman for the Delaware General Health District said. Six samples were sent to the CDC for more advanced testing and five returned positive for the toxin, she said. The number of samples submitted are in-line with the Ohio Department of Health's guidelines.