I'm not a conspiracy blog kind of person but I have yet to see any story which explains how this is NOT sabotage. Does chipotle really have a source of ingredients which is so unique?

E coli AND norovirus? And as you say, "rare" strains of e coli?

I think about all the disgusting restaurants which exist, like the kitchen nightmare guests, which you know are only a small representation of poor food handling across the country and then wonder why this one particular restaurant chain out of all restaurant chains is having this issue. The one chain which was targeted recently by a bizarre anti-chipotle campaign with billboards...then within a year it is having all these outbreaks?

This was all turning through my head even before I saw a short blurb on fivethirtyeight recently explaining how the norovirus outbreak was statistically "different".

Again, maybe Chipotle really does get its meat and such from places where no other chain gets ingredients. Maybe Chipotle has cooking methods which are very different from other restaurants. I have no idea. Any Chipotle insiders out there?

I was initially skeptical. Spinach tends to be a frequent source of E. coli and salmonella contamination. It has happened numerous times over the years, and more frequently in big box stores like Kroger and Walmart than anywhere else.

Obviously, GMO vs organic is not really the issue at hand here. It is a dumb straw man perpetuated by biased "science" paid for by food manufacturers themselves to say that organic food is less safe.

But to get two different strains of E. coli, both of which are rare, is an interesting trend. Interested to see how this plays out.

I think Chipotle buys a lot of their produce, and maybe their meats, from more independent farms. For instance, I read once (maybe it wasn't true, I didn't investigate), that Jason Mraz, and his avacado farm, supplies the avocados for some Chipotle's out west. It seems they may have multiple (local-ish) sources for their "all natural" ingredients. Maybe that could help explain two varying strains of E. Coli?

I'm not a conspiracy blog kind of person but I have yet to see any story which explains how this is NOT sabotage.

A shitpost by definition.

Allow me to explain. Employee defacates in the toilet but fails to wash his/her hands before handling customers' food.

Here's the crazy part: No shadowy, stall-stalking Monsanto agents required.

No, I was explaining how r/conspiracy is not a frequented sub for me. I did a search at Reddit and responded to someone who was thinking like me. Trying to make the point that as an "average consumer", not a Chipotle stock bro, or a Chipotle fanboy, this seems weird.

That wasn't an explanation. Do you really think Chipotle is unique in terms of employees not washing hands? That happens in restaurants all across the country every day. Something special about Chipotle employee shit? You haven't addressed the unique strains or the norovirus. I'm willing to listen, but you don't have anything informative here other than colds spread via sneezing and doorknobs.

The only conspiracy: you're paying attention (but not enough).

Another low info response. No surprise, but why bother? Drop the conspiracy angle and try again?

Trolls gotta troll.

I'm surprised they haven't come back with

you don't even know me. I grow my own. I'm better than you.

You're the one making the extraordinary claims without any valid info to back said claims.

What do you think I owe you, exactly?

How about this. Name the labs that tested the offending samples and the connection to Monsanto.

Here is your opportunity to persuade your audience toward the validity of your sudden selective outrage.

Me: This is getting statistically weird. What's up with Chipotle? Sabotage?

You: PROVE THIS IS MONSANTO! DO MY RESEARCH!

Why? Where did I even bring it up? Or GMO for that matter? Selective outrage indeed.

You don't owe me anything. It's obvious you've already paid.

That's a slam dunk for user 'hardlyimportant'.

You're the one who brought up the GMO angle to support your "conspiracy theory," yet now claim otherwise. lol.

Btw, name the labs...

[edit: here OP mentions Monsanto by name.]

The "Big 6" pesticide/GMO corporations are BASF, Bayer, Dupont, Dow Chemical Company, Monsanto, and Syngenta. They cannot be happy that a very popular, growing fast food chain that brands itself as a healthy place to eat, is coming out against GMOs.

I haven't mentioned gmo once. Maybe your own selective outrage got me confused with OP.

It's all one thread. ;)

Edit: I notice you still haven't even named the testing labs...

Lol, Bullshit it's all one thread. You're not responding to the "ALL" here. You replied to ME. Then you grabbed shit from somewhere else. Just stop already. This bus is in the ditch.

[deleted]

While we're digging through histories, your history is quite... interesting.

Ahh, McReddit.

Calls out shitpost with shitpost

Never change.

What's shitpost about explaining the mechanism of E. coli contamination?

Oh right. I forgot that 100% of food born illnesses are employee faults. How silly of me.

No, apparently you believe they are all the result of a Monsanto conspiracy to steal your kibble.

Ahhh, McReddit. Never change.

Says the McRedditor for 5 years.

Yep. I have a unique standpoint having watched the creeping normalcy learn to accept obvious trolls, corporate accounts, politically sponsored posts, you name it.

No, apparently you believe they are all the result of a Monsanto conspiracy to steal your kibble.

Yeah, the fight to patent the food I eat and give a shit about is such a retarded thing to care about, isn't it? So trivial. I should just STFU, get my shots, pay my taxes, never question authorities, and accept my fate in this neofeudal society.

Yeah, the fight to patent the food I eat and five a shit about is such a retarded thing to care about, isn't it? So trivial.

I just grow my own. Your obnoxious high horsing is directed at the wrong cat.

I should just STFU, get my shots, pay my taxes, never question authorities, and accept my fate in this neofeudal society.

You really have no idea who you are talking to, and reading the vain and facetious drivel you've posted above makes my head hurt. Go metafag out all over someone else. 5 years on reddit....

Oh. Ok then.

the point is that this is multiple restaurants in multiple states across the country simultaneously.

Just posted this hit piece in another thread, seems to confirm the propaganda slant.

Was Chipotle too busy avoiding the fake dangers of GMOs to focus on actual food safety?

Yet study after study has found that GMO foods are perfectly safe.

Every "study" I have seen saying GMOs are safe presents itself like a Yahoo.com infographic.

What the actual fuck?

Ever since the NDAA it's legal to use propaganda against American citizens. Welcome to the new world.

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imo, once you wake up to this phenomenon it becomes painfully obvious how ubiquitous it is, and how little is done to even try to mask it.

[deleted]

I'm speaking from my own personal experience, it honestly has nothing to do with you. Please don't interpret it that way (I am using the general 'you', not 'you personally').

Ag-chem companies pay for the studies that prove their products safe. It's a complete sham.

It could very well be. Is panera non-GMO too? Seems like they could go that direction.

I'd be so sad if chipotle disappeared. I love love love eating burrito bowls there.

[product shot]

Lol it's a thread about chipotle...

I know there are a lot of people who don't like it and the consensus on this sub is split pretty much 50/50 from what I've seen.

It's one of those things people hate or love.

it's a thread about chipotle...

Yea, I picked-up on that.

I'm just saying lol I don't think it's unreasonable to say I like it on a thread where people are talking about it.

I really do try to avoid product endorsement, but I agree with their business ethics and genuinely like their food. I'd hate to see their company being targeted if there really is a conspiracy against them. Next time I think I'll leave out my personal opinion to avoid the flames though.

Nah man, personal opinions are cool. I'm just a bit of skeptic when it comes to the selective outrage of the selectively outraged a la OP.

I really do try to avoid product endorsement, but I agree with their business ethics

Speaking of personal opinions, how do you feel about McDonald's?

It's too greasy for me personally. Idk I just don't like it. I don't eat much fast food though.

If I do want fast food, I like the fries at DQ and the burgers at Five Guys. I guess Five Guys is pretty greasy too though :P

A goddamn immigrant objects over the orbital. How does a goddamn immigrant malfunction? The mad chance defends the sentence. Why won't a mud indulge into a rectified taxpayer? A gossip divines a goddamn immigrant across the constructive machine. A wizard dictates?

Yeah! Bots rocking the free verse!

I fancy Chipotle to Cabo Bob's the way I fancy McDonalds to 5 guys. ;) ;)

Edit: DQ just ain't what it once was.

Idk what cabo bobs is! Are you out west? Maybe we don't have it here.

Yeah it's not as good as it used to be, but it's slightly better than other burger places imo-- at least on the cheap end.

Carl's Jr. has stolen my heart with all that guacamole and what not.

Lol, I don't know that one either. I'm starting to think my selections are more limited than yours.

:(

I'll send you my carne guisada recipe so you don't have to settle for that slop at chipotle anymore.

Also, the secret ingredient to stellar carnitas es nada. ;)

Please do when you find the time! I would love to try it. (I will still love chipotle though lol)

If I had to pick one. Monsanto would easily stoop to this level of douchebaggery. They are the biggest GMO pusher that I know of anyway. Their business tactics have always been unethical, immoral and diabolical.

Research how they tried to globally dominate and own the seeds of this earth and you will understand they are more than capable of poisoning food. If people die, no problem. To Monsanto, the end justifies the means

This is the obvious choice and my best guess.

E. Coli is used in the production of rBST, something Monsanto is quite familiar with. Maybe investigators should compare the strains with those used in Monsanto's labs.*

Chipotle should have solid records of their supply lines to trace back, even if they use local/independent farms.

It's more than possible that somewhere in the chain, someone was paid or swapped out. Could be the growers or the transport, or even new hires at those locations.

Corporate sabotage for sure.

*[Edit: Nvm, just read up that typical e. coli strains used would probably be of the relatively harmless K12 strain vs the O26 said to be present at Chipotle. This doesn't completely exclude Monsanto as they certainly have the friends, finances and motive to make it happen.]

Actually I look more at American beef producers than Monsanto, Chipotle contracted with Australian beef producers about 9 months ago for all beef products in their chain and it really pissed off American cattle men and beef producers

i dont really see beef producers acting as a mafia. "you dont buy from us, your dead" kinda thing

i would, they got pissed at Canada when we stopped importing their meat because of mad cow, and that they still used the practices that caused mad cow.

Welcome to the Panvomicon

Joking aside, I think you are on to something

I came here and searched this because it seems so improbable that this is just misfortune. I work in the hospitality industry, and could write a book about the mind-boggling health code violations that I've witnessed (and continue to witness) in dozens of different restaurants. I'm talking about violations so dangerous that the health departments would shut these places down for good, if the system wasn't so corrupt.

Yet, none of them have caused a trackable outbreak. Before I'd buy a lottery ticket or invest in the stock market, I'd place my bet on this being corporate assassination. It would be so easy to pull off!

It happened recently in Boston. It was norovirus. https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/12/17/mother-sues-chipotle-over-son-bout-norovirus/EVDT6Ejvq2Vn86FZoDjyNI/story.html

Heil Reddit!

Just wait until the resistance comes up with a science article that demonstrates that the more strains of pathogenic ecoli you have, the stronger your immune system is. Hell, chipotle could spin this in their favor with a chipotle-immune pill, which is a muktipathogenic ecoli probiotic made from a variety of freeze dried samples of food from multiple locations.

crossed my mind that this is more then a co inky dink.

Good. They treat their cooks like shit.

GMO is an unfortunately loaded buzzword.

Regardless of anything else, is Chipotle food even healthy to start with? Wouldn't a home-cooked meal beat this?

(Chipotle aren't well-known in my vicinity, so I ask for general info)

It's about as healthy as Subway or Panera. Chipotle has a health-conscious menu, but that doesn't make it automatically healthy. It's what you make of it that determines the true nutritional content. Obviously eating a 1.5 pound burrito with steak, queso sauce, white rice, pinto beans, and guacamole isn't really healthy.

Home-cooked organic plant-based foods with minimal salts and oils is obviously a much healthier meal.

Chipotle doesn't offer queso. That's qudoba. hehe

Well Chipotle is probably among the healthiest fast food restaurants there is. Nobody is saying to eat there everyday and eat nothing else, but their ingredients are pretty good already for what it's worth.

This all feels like the elite are trying to sabotage a competitor especially one that offers an affordable and healthier alternative with GMO-free ingredients before they get too big. Regardless of whether Chipotle has healthy food or not, we need to have more competition anyways in our industries.

I agree. Chipotle has made a lot of ripples in the fast food industry to offer healthier food options, non-GMO food, and locally sourced meat. Hope this doesn't derail them too much.

E. coli outbreaks happen about 2-3 times a year at major food processors, including GMO food processors. Trying to pin this on organic food is a dumb straw man.

Yeah, it's like when one Tesla car got caught on fire which was a pretty rare incident but the media blew it out of proportion and tried to make Tesla cars look bad. Meanwhile, conventional gasoline cars can explode or ignite way more often and far more dangerous.

Honestly your burrito is as healthy as you make it there. I get a bowl with white rice, chicken, mild salsa, corn salsa, sour cream AND cheese. Ooh hohohohoho. I don't try to make it healthy at all, lol. It's like 1700 calories. I can only eat half if it and save the other half for later. So 850 calories for dinner. That might be a lot depending on what else you eat during the day. Especially on days where I don't eat much, I don't care about going to town on it, and it's an occasional thing anyway.

You could get a burrito with brown rice, chicken, mild salsa, and lettuce. It'd be way less calories. You can play with options on their website if you care to see how many calories are in your favorite burrito combination.

All the ingredients there are natural, with nothing being processed like if you ate at a cheaper fast food place. I can't imagine anything there is unhealthy on it's own. The danger just potentially comes from getting too many calories in one meal.

I think the Avocado TPTB have created a false market with "healthy" product advertising with Chipotle and Subway. Dammit i know the GUAC is EXTRA!

I remember 10 years ago, Avocados and Guacamole were an afterthought and never were "Extra"

Reminds me of the restricted supply diamond markets.

I think the real chipotle conspiracy that no one is talking about is how they have dirty food yet people are still brainwashed enough to eat there.

Try harder Chaim

Stay tuned for our next installment: Are Young Living Essential Oils really therapeutic grade?

Idk what cabo bobs is! Are you out west? Maybe we don't have it here.

Yeah it's not as good as it used to be, but it's slightly better than other burger places imo-- at least on the cheap end.

:(

I'll send you my carne guisada recipe so you don't have to settle for that slop at chipotle anymore.

Also, the secret ingredient to stellar carnitas es nada. ;)

Me: This is getting statistically weird. What's up with Chipotle? Sabotage?

You: PROVE THIS IS MONSANTO! DO MY RESEARCH!

Why? Where did I even bring it up? Or GMO for that matter? Selective outrage indeed.

You don't owe me anything. It's obvious you've already paid.