Chipotle to pay $25 million related to food borne illness outbreaks: Justice Department

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Chipotle Mexican Grill has agreed to pay $25 million and enter a deferred prosecution agreement to resolve charges related to food borne illness outbreaks that sickened hundreds of people between 2015 and 2018, the Justice Department said on Tuesday.

Chipotle, which said the investigation’s factual findings were true, agreed to develop and follow an improved, comprehensive food safety compliance program, the Justice Department said. It will also review food safety audits, restaurant staffing, and employee training to mitigate issues that led to the outbreaks, the department said.

(Reporting by Lisa Lambert and Tim Ahmann; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)