GoKawiilFast-casual burrito chain Chipotle is working with the data infrastructure giant Palantir.
The company is working on a “food safety risk platform” hosted on Palantir’s flagship software platform Foundry, according to screenshots viewed by WIRED. The platform appears to analyze factors like a store’s health department scores, pest incidents, and employee illnesses to assign a food safety score—basically, the store’s risk level.
Chipotle spokesperson Erin Wolford confirmed the initiative, but declined to comment further. Palantir did not immediately respond to WIRED’s request for comment.
It's not known exactly when the partnership started or how widely the platform has been deployed, but it comes amid a particularly disastrous period for food safety. The Food and Drug Administration identified more than 12,800 illnesses tied to foodborne outbreaks so far this year, most from a massive cyclospora outbreak connected to iceberg lettuce.
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Chipotle was not directly impacted by the turbo diarrhea outbreak or the related recall, since it doesn’t serve iceberg lettuce. In July, however, it proactively stopped serving jalapenos from a particular supplier that was linked to a salmonella outbreak that went on to sicken more than 430 people.
Palantir has substantial offerings aimed at food-and-beverage companies, with contracts with poultry and beef supplier Tyson, cereal giant General Mills, and the independent purchasing co-op for the fast-food chain Wendy’s. Companies can use Foundry to manage inventory, automate ordering and delivery, and track their supply chains. At Wendy’s, for example, Palantir’s software is used to spot potential ingredient shortages before they occur.
Palantir’s work with corporate America now accounts for nearly half of its US business. In August, the company reported US commercial revenue reached $764 million in the most recent quarter, a 149 percent year-over-year increase.
The company has also done significant work with government entities focused on supply chains and food safety, including a $22 million contract with the FDA in 2022.
But Palantir remains best known for its other government contracts, including its work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security. Last year, ICE awarded Palantir a $30 million contract to build a surveillance platform that provided visibility on people self-deporting.
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