Chipotle Becomes the First Non-GMO Restaurant
DENVER, CO - Chipotle has finally bid farewell to genetically modified ingredients in its food. Reportedly, the company has been phasing them out since 2013, but they are now officially the first national fast-food chain to complete this goal.
To be clear, there is no evidence to the Food and Drug Administration’s knowledge that GMOs are not 100% safe. Most of the country's big crops like corn and soybean crops are genetically modified to resist common issues such as herbicidal damage and plant diseases.
However, the general trend of activists lately is to call for regulations that require labeling for foods that contain genetically modified ingredients. Chipotle is not the first company to act on these trends, however. ABC News reports that Whole Foods has announced that all products in its stores that contain genetically modified ingredients will be labeled by 2018.
Chipotle’s Founder and Co-Chief Executive Steve Ells has said the company is making the move to avoid GMOs until the science around the technology is more definitive. According to The Wall Street Journal, the last efforts in the completion included substituting a non-GMO sunflower oil for a genetically modified soybean oil it had been using, and sourcing non-GMO tortillas.
According to market-research firm Nielsen, “Non-GMO” is one of the fastest-growing label trends on U.S. food packages, with sales of such items growing an average of 13% a year since 2010 to more than $3 billion last year.
The 1,800 restaurant chain has enjoyed strong sales growth in part by marketing itself as a healthier alternative to traditional fast-food chains. On the company’s website, Chipotle directly contrasts itself from its fast food competitors, showing an image of a burger and citing "fast food" as an example of where people might most encounter GMOs.
Chipotle will still serve meat from animals that are given GMO feed, according to ABC News. In order to be considered organic, animals cannot be given GMO feed. The company also serves Coca-Cola products made with high-fructose corn syrup.
