Immokalee Tomatoes Implicated In Chipotle Salmonella Illnesses

IMMOKALEE, FL. -- Six L's Packing Company, doing business as Lipman Produce has been named as the source of tomatoes that sickened 64 Chipotle restaurant customers with Salmonella in August.

Nine were hospitalized, reports Food Safety Magazine about the alleged tomatoes from Lipman shipped to Minnesota restaurants. 

The report says "word leaked out that the Chipotle restaurant locations in Minnesota where patrons became ill in late August from Salmonella Newport were supplied with tomatoes by Six L’s Packing Co." adding the company was named as a new defendant in a previous federal lawsuit against Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.

It is thought that Chipotle served 560,000 customers during the period of the illnesses and that even more people were sickened by the tomatoes in the Twin Cities area, but many infected don't seek treatment so it's believed many more were actually affected.