Company Overview
About Chipotle
Chipotle Mexican Grill is a fast-casual chain known for its burritos, bowls, tacos, and salads. Between 2015 and 2018, it became one of the most prominent food safety cases in the restaurant industry after a string of outbreaks sickened customers around the country. In 2026, the company turned up again in a federal public health investigation.
The 2026 Salmonella Outbreak
CDC and FDA have linked 431 Salmonella Javiana cases across 32 states to jalapeño peppers grown in Sinaloa, Mexico and distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors. CDC reports 57 hospitalizations and no deaths. Coast Citrus recalled the peppers at FDA’s recommendation, and recalls of retail products made with them followed. Both Chipotle and QDOBA received the product, and investigators found 28 illness clusters at their locations across 8 states. Chipotle began switching jalapeño suppliers for affected restaurants on July 20, 2026, and CDC and FDA say they do not consider there to be a current ongoing risk from either chain. Our Chipotle Salmonella outbreak page tracks the counts, the recall, and what to do if you got sick.
A Pattern of Outbreaks
Federal prosecutors linked Chipotle to at least five foodborne illness outbreaks between 2015 and 2018, in the Los Angeles area, Boston, Virginia, and Ohio. Together they sickened more than 1,100 people. The Justice Department named norovirus and Clostridium perfringens, including a Boston norovirus incident that sickened 141 people and a Powell, Ohio outbreak that sickened roughly 647. Separately, CDC reported that a 2015 E. coli O26 outbreak infected 55 people across 11 states and hospitalized 21.
A Record $25 Million Fine
In 2020, Chipotle agreed to pay a $25 million federal fine, the largest ever imposed in a food safety case, and entered a deferred prosecution agreement. In it, the company acknowledged the outbreaks and agreed to overhaul its food safety program, including its audits, staffing, and employee training.
Your Legal Options
If you were sickened after eating at Chipotle, a claim may seek medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages allowed by law. A lab-confirmed diagnosis and proof that you ate at the restaurant help establish the foundation of a claim. Request a free consultation to have the timeline and evidence reviewed.