Chipotle removes jalapenos linked to Minnesota salmonella outbreak

Chipotle on Tuesday said it has pulled jalapenos linked to a salmonella outbreak in Minnesota from its restaurants, adding that it has replaced the peppers with product from another grower.\u00a0In a statement, the restaurant chain said it made the decision amid a public health investigation into the outbreak, which Chipotle said had impacted "several food service retailers in Minnesota."The Minnesota Department of Health said it has identified 110 cases linked to the salmonella outbreak. Of the 84 Minnesotans interviewed as part of the investigation, 75 reported eating at Chipotle. The agency said the customers ate at the restaurant between June 14 and July 14, with most eating there between June 24 and July 2."Out of an abundance of caution, we proactively removed the jalapenos from our restaurants and replaced them with product from different growers," Chipotle said. "The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed it has no ongoing concerns with Chipotle. We are cooperating with public health authorities in their efforts."Shares of Chipotle slid $3.28, or 8.8%, to $34.18 on Tuesday afternoon.\u00a0The stock decline comes as consumers remain sensitive to food safety issues following the weeks-long\u00a0cyclospora outbreak\u00a0that has sickened thousands of people nationwide. Although salmonella and cyclospora are different pathogens, recent outbreaks have weighed on demand for some fresh produce and restaurant chains associated with those foods."Given the measures Chipotle put in place, we are not concerned about Chipotle. But it is possible that the outbreak is ongoing if the contaminated food item is being served elsewhere," said Carlota Medus, a senior epidemiologist supervisor with the Minnesota Department of Health. "We do expect the case count to increase even if the illnesses occurred a couple of weeks ago, since it takes us a while to detect cases in surveillance."Following the cyclospora outbreak, grocers and restaurant chains featuring lettuce-heavy menus have experienced a drop-off in visits. Visits to Taco Bell, which had served lettuce under recall due to the cyclospora outbreak, saw its foot traffic drop by 30% in mid-July, according to data provided to CBS News from retail analytics platform Placer.ai.\u00a0Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps within eight to 72 hours after exposure, according to the Mayo Clinic, which said most healthy people recover within days to a week without treatment.