Chipotle and E.Coli In late 2015 and early 2016, Chipotle food that was contaminated by two strains of the bacterium Escherichia coli O26 caused approximately 60 people to become ill. Although there w

Chipotle and E.Coli

In late 2015 and early 2016, Chipotle food that was contaminated by two strains of the bacterium Escherichia coli O26 caused approximately 60 people to become ill. Although there were no deaths, 22 people required hospitalization. Since people have previously died from E. coli-related illnesses, the government treats these outbreaks seriously.

Your group is tasked with analyzing the situation faced by Chipotle and considering ways that the firm could have or should have responded. In Chipotle's case, this includes their fall from grace that was as spectacular as their rise from obscurity, their separation from McDonald's (which had owned a 90% share in Chipotle prior to 2006), and their public commitment to the quality of their ingredients.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) became quickly involved in the incident.

Although we know how Chipotle responded to the outbreaks, the purpose of this exercise is to gain some experience putting together a Crisis Communication plan. 

I. Background

 Provide a brief profile of the company. This includes its history, when/where it was founded, where it trades stock, ts current market capitalization, key products or services, how is it generally perceived by the public, etc. Also, what happened to put the firm in crisis? Give a precise timeline.]

II. Type of Crisis

A crisis is only a crisis if it could cause some sort of loss. In this section, try to decide what sort of crisis the company faces. Sometimes, a crisis will impact all three areas. (e.g., when Union Carbide’s plant in Bhopal, India, released poisonous gas killing thousands, it represented a tremendous crisis in public safety, as well as a massive financial and reputation loss). That said, Union Carbide' reputation loss amounted to little as the company sold massive quantities of industrial chemicals, and its marketplace seemed not to care about the negative press.]

a. Public Safety

b. Financial Loss

c. Reputation Loss

APA styled, References and In text citation - Ive attached the following articles that can be used