Following its harsh year of salmonella, norovirus, and e. coli outbreaks, Chipotle decided to make some serious changes with food-safety practices and employee regulations. During the company's closed-door meeting, we learned that one off-site kitchen would churn out diced tomatoes and other produce to reduce the risk of cross-contamination and that employees would be encouraged to take sick time. But now, after dramatically low sales were reported, the burrito chain might be reverting back to its old ways.

According to Consumerist, Chipotle is toying with the idea of ending safety tests on their meat. With new protocols in place, beef is cooked in said central kitchen to a temperature that kills foodborne bacteria and other pathogens and later arrives at each restaurant inside sealed bags. According to company reps, this leaves no leeway for uncooked meat to cross-contaminate with the cooked stuff. 

It's also a major change from previous procedure, when raw chicken and beef were left to marinate overnight and then grilled on site every day. And apparently Chipotle is considering applying this same preparation process to its chicken.

All of this means means the company might quit expensive—albeit accurate and safety-guaranteeing—DNA-based pathogen testing, the Wall Street Journal reports. It's not unheard of or cavalier per se, but it would still be an incredibly bold move—especially after the company tried to do some serious damage control by hiring food-safety consulting firms and even win back its fans with a number of free burrito promotions. 

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