Chipotle, the trendy fast-food chain, has been dealing with a difficult health-and-safety environment for a while now. It has had to temporarily close some outlets; and it has received a barrage of negative publicity.

Here’s a YouTube video from Bloomberg, which reports:

“Chipotle, reeling from an E. coli outbreak that has sickened dozens of customers, closed a restaurant in Boston following complaints of  ‘gastrointestinal symptoms’ from scores of Boston College students, including members of the men’s basketball team. Bloomberg’s Craig Giammona reports on ‘Bloomberg Markets.'” 
 

In its defense, Chipotle has created a page at its Web site that is regularly updated. Here are some excerpts from its December 5, 2015 food safety update:

“Chipotle’s enhanced food safety program is the product of a comprehensive reassessment of our food safety practices conducted with IEH Laboratories that included a farm-to-fork assessment of each ingredient we use with an eye toward establishing the highest standards for safety. Specifically, program components include:”

“Implementing high-resolution testing of all fresh produce in which a series of DNA-based tests will ensure the quality and safety of ingredients before they are shipped to restaurants, a testing program that far exceeds requirements of state and federal regulatory agencies, as well as industry standards.”

“Initiating end-of-shelf-life testing where ingredient samples will be tested to ensure that quality specifications are maintained throughout the shelf life of an ingredient.”

“Pursuing continuous improvements throughout our supply chain using data from test results to continuously measure the performance of each of its vendors and suppliers.”

“Enhancing internal training to ensure that all employees thoroughly understand our high standards for food safety and food handling.”