CHIPOTLE

FOOD SAFETY & QUALITY ASSURANCE (FSQA)

OPERATIONAL POLICY MEMORANDUM

Global Restaurant Operations & Supply Chain Safety

TO:

General Managers, Field Leaders, Culinary Managers & Certi

ed Supply Partners

FROM:

Chief Executive O

ffi

cer & VP, Food Safety and Quality Assurance

DATE:

September 18, 2026

SUBJECT:

Chipotle Food Safety: Farm-to-Fork Protocol & Hazard Prevention Architecture

1. PURPOSE & CORE COMMITMENT

At Chipotle Mexican Grill, serving real, wholesome food with integrity is our foundational promise. Because our

culinary model relies on fresh raw ingredients prepared by hand in every restaurant kitchen without arti

cial

preservatives or industrial microwaves, our commitment to food safety must be unconditional, disciplined, and

uncompromising.

This operational memorandum codi

es our industry-leading Farm-to-Fork food safety architecture. It mandates strict

HACCP procedures, standardizes supplier DNA-based microbial testing, reinforces real-time temperature logs, and

establishes non-negotiable kitchen wellness checks across all restaurant locations.

2. FOUR CORE PILLARS OF THE FARM-TO-FORK ARCHITECTURE

Every restaurant team, supply chain partner, and commissary hub is governed by four interconnected food safety

pillars:

Supplier Intervention & High-Resolution Testing:

Complete microbial batch testing before raw produce (bell

peppers, onions, cilantro, romaine) leaves supplier facilities, alongside central blanching and centralized citrus

washing protocols.

Rigorous Kitchen Preparation Protocols:

Standardized multi-stage kitchen sanitization, including 5-second 180°F

blanching for avocados and peppers, victory-wash antimicrobial immersion, and strict color-coded prep boards.

Digital Temperature Tracking & CCP Automation:

Continuous digital monitoring of all hot and cold holding

stations via wireless telematics, with automated alarm escalation for any Critical Control Point (CCP) variance

exceeding 15 minutes.

Paid Sick Leave & Health Exclusion Culture:

Absolute enforcement of our Wellness Check Policy. Team members

exhibiting any symptom of gastrointestinal illness are strictly excluded from work with full paid medical leave,

removing any

nancial pressure to work while unwell.

Safety Imperative:

Food safety always supersedes line speed and operating labor targets. If a single CCP requirement

fails

—

such as an off-temperature grill or improper sanitizer concentration

—

the prep process must immediately halt

until full corrective remediation is veri

ed.

3. THE WELLNESS CHECK & NOROVIRUS DEFENSE PROTOCOL

Prior to every shift, every employee must sign into the digital Black Book, undergoing an active health veri

cation

interview with the Certi

ed Shift Leader. Any worker reporting vomiting, fever, or diarrhea is immediately sent home

for a minimum of 48 hours symptom-free with 100% paid illness coverage.

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.

—

Con

dential Internal Operations Directive

Page 1 of 2

4. OPERATIONAL CCP MATRIX & THERMAL STANDARDS

The operational framework below establishes mandatory Critical Control Points, temperature parameters, and audit

cadences across all food lines:

CONTROL STATION

CRITICAL SAFETY THRESHOLD

MONITORING

CADENCE

ACCOUNTABLE

ROLE

Produce Blanching

180°F water immersion for exactly 5 seconds

for avocados, lemons, limes.

Every Batch Prep

Culinary Lead

Raw Poultry & Carnitas

Grill to minimum internal temperature of

165°F (poultry) / 140°F (steak).

Every Drop (Probe

Test)

Grill Cook 1

Cold Holding Wells

Maintain salsa, sour cream, and guacamole

strictly below 40°F.

Hourly Digital Probe

Service Manager

Hot Holding Line

Maintain beans, rice, and shredded meats

strictly above 140°F.

Hourly Digital Probe

Kitchen Manager

5. OPERATIONAL KITCHEN AUDITS & DAILY PROCEDURES

Field leaders, General Managers, and Team Directors must enforce continuous operational compliance:

Digital Log Compliance (The Black Book):

All morning, afternoon, and shift-change temperature checks must be

recorded electronically in the operations tablet. Missed entries automatically trigger an alert to the Field Leader.

Handwashing Discipline:

Mandatory handwashing every 30 minutes on the top and bottom of the hour, signaled

by a kitchen chime, utilizing warm water (minimum 100°F) and antibacterial soap for a full 20 seconds.

Independent Third-Party Audits:

Unannounced quarterly inspections conducted by external food safety auditors

(Ecolab/Steritech). Restaurants scoring below 95% receive immediate re-audits within 14 days.

6. GOVERNANCE, TRACEABILITY, AND INCIDENT ESCALATION

Every case of meat and produce is serialized with GS1 barcodes, enabling real-time trace-back from customer bowl to

eld supplier within 60 minutes. Any suspected customer health claim triggers immediate auto-hold status on local

lot numbers and deployment of a certi

ed decontamination team.

Thank you for your uncompromising culinary execution, operational discipline, and collective commitment to

protecting our guests and upholding the highest food safety standards in the restaurant industry.

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.

—

Con

dential Internal Operations Directive

Page 2 of 2

Chipotle Food Safety Memo

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