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Chipotle E. coli outbreak

CDC ends Chipotle E. coli investigation

Hadley Malcolm
USA TODAY

An investigation into E. coli incidents at Chipotle locations last year was closed Monday after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared that the outbreaks appear to be over.

An investigation into an E. coli outbreak at Chipotle stores last year could be declared over as soon as Monday, according to a "Wall Street Journal" report.

More than 50 people in 11 states were sickened by an initial outbreak that started in October. A second outbreak of a different strain of E. coli in December affected five people in three states. Investigators weren't able to figure out what ingredients caused it, the CDC said. It can be difficult to determine the source of an outbreak when a restaurant serves or cooks multiple ingredients together, according to the CDC.

No new cases have popped up since the CDC issued an update Dec. 21. Chipotle welcomed the end to the official probe and assured customers that it's safe to eat the company's food.

"We are pleased that the CDC has concluded its investigation, and we have offered our full cooperation throughout," said spokesman Chris Arnold. "Over the past few months we have taken significant steps to improve the safety of all of the food we serve, and we are confident that the changes we have made mean that every item on our menu is delicious and safe."

The incidents have been a blow to Chipotle, which saw traffic, sales and its stock price all tank as the illness affected more locations and customers. Then, at the height of the outbreak, at least 120 people who ate at a Boston Chipotle in December contracted norovirus. The company is also undergoing a criminal investigation related to a norovirus incident at a California store in August.

Chipotle executives have pledged to implement new food-safety standards and reduce the risk of future outbreaks. In a bid to get customers back, the company is also starting to roll out targeted promotions and will launch a marketing campaign this month.

It may not need to work that hard to get its younger fans back, though, because as it turns out, they never left. Teens and young adults ages 13-24 increased their visits to Chipotle more than 10% from October through December compared with the same period in 2014, according to research firm The NPD Group. Visits among that age group, which represent more than a third of Chipotle's traffic volume, increased 11% for 2015.

Still, overall traffic fell 5% for the October through December period, compared with a 19% increase in 2014. Chipotle shares, which are down nearly half from their all-time high set last year, were up nearly 5% in afternoon trading Monday to $474.23.

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