Chipotle announced that they have removed all GMO ingredients from their menu. GMOs are getting a lot of buzz the last handful of years or so, and being in St. Louis where Monsanto is headquartered, I certainly hear my fair share of the GMO arguments.
For Chipotle the move makes sense, they have been talking about it for a few years and it has finally come to fruition. This is part of their brand; healthy, fresh, organic ingredients. They market this heavily and it’s certainly a differentiator in the industry. Is this a big deal? Or is it just expected from Chipotle at this point as we get more and more familiar with the brand?
Will other chains have to follow suit? Does this matter in the grand scheme of the industry? I wonder if most people care about GMOs or not. Obviously, people like Chipotle and are frequenting their locations often as seen in their sales. Is that because their food tastes great and is reasonably priced or is it because of their image and appeal to the more ingredient aware consumer? My guess is it’s a combo of both, but mostly the former. They make a great burrito.
Check out this video from the Wall Street Journal talking about the announcement today: