Minnesota Woman Sues Chipotle for $75,000 Over 345-Case Salmonella Outbreak
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Aug 6
Minnesota Woman Sues Chipotle for $75,000 Over 345-Case Salmonella Outbreak
3 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Aug 6
Summary
Kristen Behne says a June 24 chicken burrito bowl from a Roseville, Minnesota, Chipotle led to salmonella, sepsis and hospitalization, and she is seeking more than $75,000 in federal court.
345 illnesses across 27 states and 36 hospitalizations have now been tied to the outbreak, up from 212 cases cited in the complaint; Minnesota alone accounts for at least 110 illnesses.
Chipotle said it traced the problem to a single lot of jalapeño peppers from a grower in Sinaloa, Mexico, removed them from affected restaurants and replaced them with peppers from other growers.
The lawsuit argues Chipotle should have anticipated the risk given its history of foodborne illness cases, including a 2015 Minnesota salmonella outbreak and a $25 million criminal fine in 2020.
Behne's lawyer said more suits may follow and case counts could rise further, even as the CDC and FDA say Chipotle's restaurants no longer pose a current ongoing risk in this outbreak.