May13
Chipotle To Stop Using Genetically Altered Ingredients
According to an article posted by The New York Times on April 26, Chipotle Mexican Grill is leading the charge toward GMO-free cuisine!
“This is another step toward the visions we have of changing the way people think about and eat fast food,” said Steve Ells, founder and co-chief executive of Chipotle. “Just because food is served fast doesn’t mean it has to be made with cheap raw ingredients, highly processed with preservatives and fillers and stabilizers and artificial colors and flavors.”
While this is undoubtedly good news, there are still a few caveats…
“Chipotle’s announcement does not mean that the restaurant will be entirely G.M.O.-free. The company acknowledges that some of the soft drinks it sells are likely to contain sweeteners made from G.M.O. corn, and that some of its meat and dairy supplies come from animals fed G.M.O. grains.”
Though I sincerely hope that other restaurants will soon follow their lead, Mr. Ellis explains why this may not be entirely possible:
“The vast majority of our ingredients don’t come in a G.M.O. variety, and we use lots of whole, unprocessed foods, so it was easier for us to do.”
Click here to read the full article.
My take on this:
Chipotle's mission to eliminate GMOs in their food preparation is undoubtedly a step in the right direction and I sincerely hope it inspires change throughout our food system. Sadly, even for a restaurant using mostly unprocessed foods, the transition to GMO-free cuisine is tricky because GMOs are omnipresent in our food supply. The fact that their animal products are still fed GMO grain makes it an imperfect solution for paleo adherents who consume ample amounts of protein.
Though it’s a small step, I want to acknowledge any and all progress. I hope that any positive attention they receive for these seminal efforts will encourage further menu improvements. I would love one day to be able to endorse Chipotle wholeheartedly because it truly is delicious. For now, your best bet is to seek out restaurants using all organic produce and high quality animal products. Yelp is my favorite tool for this.
If you want to support Chipotle for at least taking a step in the right direction, you can avoid GMOs by ordering a salad (without protein) and call it a day!
Here’s hoping little steps evolve into big change...
