Factbox-US restaurant chains hit by foodborne illness outbreaks

Aug 6 (Reuters) - Foodborne illness outbreaks have repeatedly ‌disrupted U.S. restaurant chains, ​triggering recalls, ​lawsuits and heightened regulatory scrutiny while pressuring customer traffic and sales.

Burrito chain owner Chipotle Mexican Grill said on August 4 it removed jalapenos from all its restaurants in Minnesota and other locations that received them after the ‌peppers were identified as a potential source of a salmonella outbreak under investigation by public health authorities.

The ⁠salmonella probe comes amid heightened food safety concern following an outbreak of the parasitic disease cyclosporiasis linked to iceberg lettuce that was served at Taco Bell ‌restaurants and renewed attention on Chipotle's past ‌foodborne illness issues.

The business impact of such outbreaks has varied widely.

RBC Capital Markets analysts said in a note that the evolving outbreak of cyclosporiasis and Chipotle pulling jalapeños tied to Minnesota salmonella cases, may further amplify concerns about food safety.

Analysts at ​TD Cowen wrote in late July that similar food safety issues at McDonald's in late 2024 only impacted the chain for a quarter, while the Wendy's episode in 2022 saw no discernible impact at all. But previous outbreaks in 2015 at ⁠Chipotle Mexican Grill and in 1993 at Jack in the Box caused sales at those companies to drop sharply for several quarters.

Below is a look at major foodborne illness ​outbreaks and contamination scares that have affected U.S. restaurant and food companies in recent years.

Date Company Illness Impact

Outbreak

August, Chipotle Salmonella U.S. health

2026 Mexican officials are

Grill investigating a

Salmonella outbreak

linked to Mexican

jalapeno peppers

that has sickened

345 people in 27

states, prompting

supplier Coast

Citrus Distributors

to recall peppers

sent ​to restaurants

including Chipotle

Mexican Grill and

QDOBA.

Chipotle said it

had removed

jalapenos from

restaurants in

Minnesota and other

locations ‌that

received the

product.

July, Taco Cyclosporiasi U.S. health

2026 Bell s officials expanded

their investigation

into a

cyclosporiasis

outbreak tied to

iceberg lettuce

from central Mexico

after cases emerged

in six more states,

bringing the total

to 15.

Michigan health

officials reported

12,218 cases as of

August 5.

The outbreak, the

largest on record

in the U.S., caused

its first ⁠known

deaths– two people

in Michigan.

The FDA and the CDC

linked the outbreak

to lettuce served

at Yum Brands' Taco

Bell and later

traced the source

to Taylor Farms'

operations in

central Mexico.

The lettuce has

been recalled, but

authorities are

still seeking other

potential sources.

February, Lyons Listeria The FDA and the

2025 ReadyCare Centers for Disease

, Sysco Control and

Imperial, Prevention

Prairie investigated a

Farms multistate listeria

Dairy, outbreak linked to

Kraft Lyons ReadyCare and

Heinz Sysco Imperial

frozen supplemental

shakes manufactured

by Prairie ⁠Farms

Dairy, prompting a

recall of the

products.

Kraft Heinz

recalled some Oscar

Mayer turkey bacon

products over

concerns about

Listeria

monocytogenes

contamination in

July that year.

October, McDonald' E. coli The restaurant

2024 s chain temporarily

stopped serving

slivered onions in

affected states

after an E. coli

outbreak ​tied to

Quarter Pounder

burgers. FDA said

slivered onions

supplied by Taylor

Farms were the

likely source,

prompting a

voluntary recall;

CDC reported 104

illnesses, 34

hospitalizations

and one death by

December.

August, Wendy's E. coli The CDC said it was

2022 probing an E.coli

bacteria outbreak

in four states from

an unknown food

source, with many

of the affected

reported to have

had sandwiches at

Wendy's Co.

Wendy’s removed

romaine lettuce

from sandwiches in

some restaurants as

CDC investigated ‌an

E. coli outbreak.

July, Chipotle Clostridium A type of bacteria

2018 perfringens found in meat and

bacterium pre-cooked food

left at unsafe

temperatures was

responsible for

sickening hundreds

of people who ate

at a Chipotle

Mexican Grill

restaurant in Ohio,

local health

officials said a

month after

Chipotle's Ohio

outlets were linked

to food poisoning

complaints.

November, Chipotle E. ‌coli Chipotle Mexican

2015 Grill said it may

never pinpoint what

caused an E. coli

outbreak linked to

two restaurants in

Kansas and

Oklahoma, extending

a mystery over

dozens of illnesses

tied to the burrito

chain.

Company and ⁠health

officials

investigating the

outbreak had also

cited the same

hurdles to tracing

the cause ‌of a

larger E. coli

outbreak which

sickened at least

50 ​Chipotle

customers in nine

states since

October.

November, Chipotle Norovirus Boston Public

2015 Health Commission

reported that 91

people had been

sickened by

norovirus linked to

a Chipotle

restaurant in

Boston.

(Reporting by Sanskriti Shekhar and Anuja Bharat Mistry in Bengaluru and Waylon Cunningham in New York; Editing by Jonathan Ananda ‌and Shailesh Kuber)

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