Well, yeah. I'm sure they do grasp that. They also grasp that there's no way of knowing what caused it, and that lying would be immoral and unwise.
> I'd feel far more comfortable with Chipotle if they could definitively say, "It appears uncooked cilantro in our rice was harboring E. coli; we've changed how we prepare that item and believe the problem is fixed."
The reality is that it was some bit of fresh produce, it could have happened to anyone, it does happen to everyone (McDs, Burger King, KFC, etc have all had E. coli outbreaks, and will again), and they've made some changes to reduce the risk, but not to zero because no kitchen in the world, private or corporate, has a zero risk of food-borne illnesses.
> What if people aren't sick from bacteria in the food
Then you'd see a radically different pattern of infections.
Heh, I was wondering about it once waiting in line there. All those unpainted pipes, wood panels and corrugated galvanized steel must be fun to keep clean.
I guess that's the downside of wanting to look the opposite of McDonalds and White Castles with tiles everywhere. There is usually a reason why those places look like they do -- they easier to keep clean. Believe it or not White Castle despite its popular reputation for slimy burgers is one of the cleanest food chains (knew someone working for the insurance company which provides insurance for it).
From the article, quoting a Chipotle worker:
"Why do we earn almost the same as McDonald’s workers when the care we put in is 20 times what they do?"
Uncertainty has a strong influence on human behavior.
Their e-coli problems started soon after pledging to go GMO-free... The GMO-railroad might not have appreciated a little business taking a nail out of their tracks.
I'd feel far more comfortable with Chipotle if they could definitively say, "It appears uncooked cilantro in our rice was harboring E. coli; we've changed how we prepare that item and believe the problem is fixed." Instead, we now have a nebulous "central kitchens work for other companies, so now we're doing it" solution. As little as I cared about their feel-good "local food" drumbeat, it bothers me that they turned away from that stance.
At the same time, I've not seen a slowing of the constant level of decline in cleanliness at the stores near me. When they were opened, they were shiny a new. Now, though, they've begun to attract a noticeable level of crud in the corners and other hard-to-clean areas like the perforated wooden wall boards. The kitchen areas look to have received a good once-over, but the stores show the abuse they've suffered under high-volume visits.
What if people aren't sick from bacteria in the food, but from a nasty colony on the underside of a table or chair or even wall leaned against while waiting to order food that is often eaten in handheld form? Does the food safety program encompass those areas too? If so, why doesn't it clearly show?