Chipotle Explains Food-Safety Practices in New Ad Campaign

Nearly a year after two E. coli outbreaks sickened dozens of its customers in several states, Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. still is trying to convince people that they can trust what’s in their burritos.

As reported in the Wall Street Journal, Chipotle last month launched a new marketing campaign in which it proclaims that it is tracing ingredients back to the farm, blasting pathogens off chorizo with high-powered water jets and requiring restaurant managers to receive food-safety certification.

In the months after the outbreaks, which included salmonella in Minnesota, norovirus in California and Boston, and E. coli in 14 states ranging from Oregon to Delaware, Chipotle tried to win back customers with free burritos and a loyalty program that rewarded repeat visits.
But sales continued to slide. Analysts began urging the company to assure customers that its food was safe to eat. In addition to newspaper ads Wednesday in nine major U.S. newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal, Chipotle plans to run digital ads drawing consumers to its website, where they can read more about the food-safety improvements.

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Source: WSJ