Have you noticed how short the lunch-hour Chipotle lines have been recently? 

Well, that's probably due to the fact that people are scared out of their minds that they'll contract E. coli or norovirus from their chips and guac. 

On the other hand, maybe you, like us, feel that the risk is worth it. 

Chipotle has made major steps to live up to its popular slogan, "Food With Integrity," by hiring IEH Laboratories, a food safety group, to tighten the chain's food safety procedures while maintaining the standards and freshness that Chipotle was founded on. 

While Chipotle will continue to operate without using chemical additives and artificial ingredients as much as it can, the leadership of the Mexican grill announced that it will be changing the cooking processes for many of its ingredients to ensure the safety of consumers. 

Changes include:

-Cheese arriving at stores will arrive pre-shredded.

-60 samples of every 2,000 pounds of steak will be tested prior to being sent to stores.

-Tomatoes, cilantro, and other ingredients will be chopped in centralized locations in order to be tested before being sent to restaurants. 

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Because onions cannot be chopped in advance due to oxidation and smell, they will be blanched in order to kill germs. They will then be soaked in lemon or lime juice to further inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria and germs. 

While we know of many people who have been permanently frightened off of their burrito binge, we're going to give Chipotle the benefit of the doubt that these changes will increase consumer safety without sacrificing flavor. 

Plus, we can't live without some lime-salt saturated chips and guac. We're basic. Judge us. 

Check out 7 Best NYC Restaurants to Help You Keep Your New Year's Resolutions. 

[via Washington Post] [Feature Image Courtesy Instagram]