Chipotle First National Restaurant Chain to Use Only Non-GMOs

Standing firm on a pledge to change the way people think about and eat fast food, a national restaurant chain has become the first to use only non-GMO ingredients.

Denver, Colorado-based Chipotle Mexican Grill is announcing that, effective immediately, it is using only non-GMO ingredients in all of its menu items.

The chain officially launched its public campaign against GMO's, or genetically modified organisms, in 2013, when Chipotle voluntarily disclosed which of its ingredients were modified. Executives said they would move to all non-GMO's for all menu items once it could replace, or find alternate sources of, ingredients such as soybean oil and tortillas.

The Chiptole group also owns ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen, which has moved to non-GMO sourcing as well.

Not everyone feels that GMO's are evil. Proponents of the use of genetically modified crops point to the ability to curb disease and increase yield by slightly changing the DNA of an organism. Others say that any tampering with the genetic code of any living thing poses a danger not only to the ecosystem overall, but to the animals higher in the food chain that may consume the modified food item.

For proponents there is the issue of cost as well. High yield means lower cost. Chipotle executives are responding saying that they have not experienced significantly higher prices for non-GMO ingredients.

In a written press release issued today the company says, "While GMO advocates point to higher costs associated with producing non-GMO foods, Chipotle's move to non-GMO ingredients did not result in significantly higher ingredient costs for the company, and it did not raise priced resulting from its move to non-GMO ingredients."

Steve Ells, the chain's founder, was quoted in a June 29, 2010 article by Lucy Lean in LA Weekly as saying, "We are changing the way people think about and eat fast food." In today's release Ells expands upon that sentiment, saying that the company is committed to "...serving food that is affordable, convenient, and most importantly delicious, That's really unusual in fast food, but that's the quest we are on..."

Put another way, on its website Chipotle says they are "G-M-Over It." With the apparent success of their branding and other choices promoted as "healthier" alternatives being touted by executives from other companies throughout the country it will be interesting to see if more end their relationships with GMO's as well, or if they will continue to encourage food that grows as fast and furiously as it is consumed.