(Bloomberg) -- Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc., seeking to recover from an E. coli crisis that dragged down sales and profit, will start a program aimed at helping suppliers maintain food-safety standards.

Chipotle is spending as much as $10 million to fund the effort, co-Chief Executive Officer Steve Ells said during a meeting with employees on Monday. The money will be used to help local farmers offset the costs of new tests and food-safety protocols, he said.

“The money will be used to provide safety support and education that’s necessary to meet our standards,” he said in a clip that was broadcast via the Periscope app.

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