Rubio’s at ICR XChange Conference

Rubio’s(R) Restaurants, Inc. to Present at the 11th Annual ICR XChange Conference
 
CARLSBAD, Calif., Jan. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Rubio’s Restaurants, Inc. (Nasdaq: RUBO) will be participating in the upcoming ICR XChange Conference. Dan Pittard, president and chief executive officer, will present Thursday, January 15, 2009 at 3:45 p.m. Pacific Time. Frank Henigman, chief financial officer, will also be participating. The conference will be held at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, California.
Rubio’s presentation will be webcast at http://investor.shareholder.com/icr/eventdetail.cfm?eventid=63893. You can also view a copy of the presentation on our website, rubios.com, available following the presentation on January 15.
About Rubio’s(R) Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ: RUBO)
Bold, distinctive, Baja-inspired food is the hallmark of Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill(R). The first Rubio’s was opened in 1983 in the Mission Bay community of San Diego by Ralph Rubio and his father, Ray Rubio. Rubio’s is credited with introducing fish tacos to Southern California and starting a phenomenon that has spread coast to coast. In addition to chargrilled marinated chicken, lean carne asada steak, and slow-roasted pork carnitas, Rubio’s menu features seafood items including grilled mahi mahi and shrimp. Guacamole and a variety of salsas and proprietary sauces are made from scratch daily, and Rubio’s uses canola oil with zero grams trans fat per serving. The menu includes tacos, burritos, salads and bowls, quesadillas, HealthMex(R) offerings which are lower in fat and calories, and domestic and imported beer in most locations. Each restaurant design is reminiscent of the relaxed, warm and inviting atmosphere of Baja California, a coastal state of Mexico. Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, Rubio’s operates, licenses or franchises more than 190 restaurants in California, Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Nevada. More information can be found at http://www.rubios.com.
    Contact:
    Frank Henigman
    Chief Financial Officer
    760-929-8226

Salmonella outbreak sickens 388

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – An outbreak of salmonella food poisoning has made 388 people sick across 42 states, sending 18 percent of them to the hospital, U.S. health officials said on Wednesday.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is trying to trace the source of the outbreak, which began in September. The Department of Agriculture, state health officials and the Food and Drug Administration are also involved.

The CDC said poultry, cheese and eggs are the most common source of this particular strain, known as Salmonella typhimurium.

“It is often difficult to identify sources of foodborne outbreaks. People may not remember the foods they recently ate and may not be aware of all of the ingredients in food. That’s what makes these types of investigations very difficult,” said CDC spokesman David Daigle.

Daigle did not specify how many people were hospitalized, but the percentage he gave puts that figure at about 70.

“Because foods of animal origin may be contaminated with Salmonella, people should not eat raw or undercooked eggs, poultry, or meat. Persons also should not consume raw or unpasteurized milk or other dairy products. Produce should be thoroughly washed,” he said.

Only Ohio state health officials have agreed to have their state named as one of those affected, with an estimated 50 cases.

Every year, approximately 40,000 people are reported ill with salmonella in the United States, the CDC says, but it said many more cases are never reported.

There have been several recent high-profile outbreaks of foodborne illness in the United States, including a strain of Salmonella carried by peppers from Mexico and that sickened 1,400 people from April to August of 2007 and an E. coli epidemic in 2006, traced to California spinach, that killed three.

Salmonella-contaminated dry pet food sickened at least 79 people, including many young children, in October and November.

(Reporting by Maggie Fox)