In good news for anyone hoping to eliminate GMOs from their diet, Chipotle announced today that it will be the first major restaurant chain to stop serving genetically modified offerings.
After it announced it would be offering delicious burrito delivery to the pants-less masses, we weren’t sure we could love Chipotle more. Now we have one more reason: Starting today, Chipotle Mexican Grill says it will no longer be serving any genetically modified food.
In a post on its website titled “G-M-Over It,” the company announced it would no longer be serving GMOs, saying, “Chipotle is on a never-ending journey to source the highest quality ingredients we can find. Over the years, as we have learned more about GMOs, we’ve decided that using them in our food doesn’t align with that vision. Chipotle was the first national restaurant company to disclose the GMO ingredients in our food, and now we are the first to cook only with non-GMO ingredients.”
In 2013, the chain announced it would disclose to customers which of its menu items contained genetically modified organisms, and it was true to its word. Now it has decided to nix them altogether, for a number of reasons.
We’re sure you’re familiar with the hubbub surrounding GMOs, but just in case, here’s a little refresher. A GMO, or genetically modified organism, refers to food products that have had their genetic code tinkered with; these plants are bred to be herbicide resistant, among other things.
Chipotle cites minimal research on the long-term and potential health effects as well as potential environmental damage in its reasoning behind giving GMOs the ax, and explains that the change will mainly affect two of the ingredients it uses: soy and corn. Corn is a primary ingredient in Chipotle’s tortillas, while soy is another. Soy is also a common ingredient in cooking oil.
Chipotle has vowed to use non-GMO alternatives in both cases, and notes that even the beef it uses is grass-fed, meaning that while some of its animal product will present a challenge in the face of going GMO-free (most animal feed uses genetically modified plant material), the beef won’t be an issue.
Best of all, Chipotle lovers are unlikely to see too much of a price increase — although that’s always a possibility. Addressing the cost concern on its site, “While removing genetically modified ingredients from our food took substantial effort by Chipotle in partnership with our food suppliers, we found the cost increases to be less than we initially expected.” So we might just be able to have our burrito and eat it too in that respect.
So, burrito lovers, rejoice! Now you’ll be able to enjoy unadulterated Chipotle goodness, pants- and worry-free!
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