On my birthday last Friday, I received an AMAZING present. It was an email from Chris Arnold, the Communications Director at Chipotle, that read “Tadah!” in the subject line and had a link attached to the body of the email.
The link directed me to the Chipotle’s website where they finally released a comprehenstive list of all their ingredients online.
Back in August of last year, I did an investigation that ultimately left me frustrated with the company. When inquiring about the ingredients – I was met with significant challenge and had to work my way around the corporate headquarters to actually find out the ingredients.
Here’s an excerpt and infographic from my investigation that sums up my experience quite nicely –
When I emailed Chipotle asking for the ingredients in certain products they downright refused. They in turn asked if I was concerned about a specific ingredient or had an allergy. Really? Why do I have to be concerned about a specific ingredient or have an allergy to want to know what I am eating and what’s in my food? When I tried to call them, there was no way for me to leave a message or get a person on the phone to answer my questions. Email responses were S-L-O-W. I had to ask very specific questions to get the data I needed to write this – specific questions that most consumers would likely not ask. Thank goodness for the genuinely accommodating employee who shared some of the ingredients with me (behind his Manager’s back) so I could give you the full story.
A few weeks after my investigation, Chris from Chipotle contacted me and asked me to meet with him, so I could better understand their challenges with posting their ingredient list. I’ve been in contact with him ever since – asking for periodic updates and making sure he knew I wasn’t going to let Chipotle off the hook. To keep the pressure on, some folks were so inspired by the investigation, that they created a petition on my behalf, where 2400+ people shared their voice in concern.
So that begs the question – what’s really in Chipotle’s food now that we can easily find the ingredients and read them for ourselves? Some of the original results of my investigation still hold true – but Chipotle made a major oil switch in some of their products like the black beans that don’t use GMO oil any longer and has made a fanastic committment to eliminate the transfat, preservatives and other GMO ingredients in the future.
As you can see – putting pressure on companies to change their ingredients and petitioning them to change their practices leads to actual results. We together are changing the food system – and today we have a win in terms of true transparency and knowing what’s in our food!
If you live in Manhattan – Chipotle is using rice bran oil instead of the GMO soybean oil for meat preparation – so for you lucky New Yorkers, you can avoid the GMO oil they currently use in their chicken and beef.
For the rest of us, in the meantime, I still wouldn’t order the chicken, beef, tortilla products, rice, salad dressing or chips – those items still contain GMO soybean oil. In several states, the chips and corn tortillas have benzoic acid – a preservative that I would avoid at all costs. Studies have shown this ingredient to be linked to decreased good bacteria in the gut in animal studies. The Mayo Clinic reported that this preservative increases hyperactivity in children. Also, when this acid combines with ascorbic acid (vitamin C), it can form benzene, carcinogen that damages DNA in cells and accelerates aging.
Chipotle’s burrito and flour taco shells have partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (a.k.a. trans fat). “A 40-calorie-per-day increase in trans fat intake can lead to a 23% higher risk of heart disease.” 40 calories is a mere 2% of a typical 2000 calorie per day diet. Trans fats can be deadly even in a small amount and as you can see will easily add up if you go over one serving size.
Also the pinto beans, contain pork bacon and have sodium nitrate – a substance linked to cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
I have to be completely honest, I haven’t been to Chipotle in over six years, but I wouldn’t be shy about eating there again now that I know I can order some options without GMOs, preservatives, and transfat. I’m actually pretty excited about that fact.
This is what my order would look like if I went there… A salad with:
- Organic black beans
- Romaine lettuce
- Fresh tomato salsa (and maybe try the others without the corn)
- A huge serving of guacamole
- Possibly sour cream or cheese if I were feeling fancy
- If you are a meat eater – you could add pork carnitas to that list – since they do not use any GMO oil during the cooking preparation
I hope you celebrate this accomplishment with me and praise Chipotle for their changes.
It’s a great day in the world – however, we have a lot more work to do, don’t we? I can only wonder when Kraft will have the courage to meet with us and address the concerns of over 270,000+ consumers.
Food Babe
P.S. See a news article in Take Part here discussing these changes!
Thank you for every other wonderful article.
The place else may anyone get that type of information in such an ideal way
of writing? I’ve a presentation subsequent week, and I’m on the search for such info.
Thanks for all you do! Reading your reports has been a real eye-opening experience. A while back you mentioned meeting with management at Chick Fil-a (one of my personal favorites)–I still see “splenda” on the containers of diet lemonade. I don’t dare order it but can’t help but wonder how they can continue to use that sweetener. It makes me wonder what else they are using in the food I am eating 🙁
Thank you for your investigations and this website. People think I’m crazy when i talk about gmo’s, organic, gluten free etc. So now I have your fantastic website to back me up and prove it! I do have one question referring to the Chipotle article, why would you stay away from the rice too? Even the brown rice? Is that gmo too?
Yes, because finding one website that supports your food paranoia makes your not crazy.
So don’t be “paranoid” Randolph and eat all the GMO’s you can find and also don’t even bother to find out what foods you are eating have it, because that would be acting paranoid. Oh and good luck with your future health. Let’s hear from you again in a few years.
Sadly, Randolph passed away last year from fatty liver.
Did you ever get a response on the brown rice? I was wondering the same thing.
I don’t know about brown rice per se but brown rice syrup often contains processed free glutamates which creates MSG when it combines with free sodium in the body.
I wonder why you would choose sour cream and or cheese. Those products would contain gmo from the feed fed the cows. Do you think the dairy at Chipolte can be considered hormone and antibiotic free?
I think that they only serve dairy that is rBGH-free, but not organic which means the cows could be eating GMO grains. Grass-fed organic is best.
Excellent way of telling, and nice paragraph to obtain facts about my
presentation subject, which i am going to present in university.
From what I’ve noticed, Chipotle’s guacamole does not shift from its green color to brown. Seems off, no?
lime/lemon juice added to guac can keep it from turning
I was ѕuggested this blog by my cousin. I’m not sure whether
this post is written by him as nobody else know such detailed about my trouble.
You’rе wonderful! Thanks!
I travel often for work and Chipolte is the one place I can count on to find fresh guacomole. It is made several times each days at all locations, much more often than the majority of mexican places.
Regarding the oil in the meat and beans; I have inquired in each state from coast to coast in recent months (fall 2013) and all seem to have switched to Rice Bran oil now.
The managers have verified that at most locations and say it is gmo-free. Many claim that their (sunflower oil) chips are now non-gmo. Not for certain that all of the corn is though.
I recently read an article stating that Chipotle is, indeed, going Non-GMO throughout within, I believe, the next 2 years (at that time – maybe by 2015??) I wish I could find it now, but it was on national news service, so should be trackable. Also, they are experimenting with using Gardein products for those who would prefer those to meat. So, soon, according to the published report, everything in the chain will be GMO-free, mostly organic, and largely locally sourced. Good aim! Hope they get there. I personally love Chipotle over all the other similar chains. 🙂
OMG!!! We live in PA and we eat at Chipotle almost once a week because we thought the majority of the food was organic, in fact we asked an employee if all of the food was organic and GMO free and they said that most of it was. It is the only place I felt comfortable eating at for this very reason. I am so glad you investigated this franchise. I am happy they have some GMO and organic options however, if they were smarter, they could be the leader in the “fast food” market with every ingredient they have being organic and non GMO. With all the revenue they bring in, they can certainly afford to purchase organic and non GMO ingredients before someone else does it first.
OMG!!! Huuuuuuuuuuuuur. What’s it like back there in 1998? That was teen bimbo newb stupidity, even back then.
Wow, how obnoxious are you Mr. Huuuuuuuur. Who’s really the “troll” here? OMG!!!
Oh I hope they use rice bran oil everywhere soon… Granted, I really NEVER EVER eat there – but if I ever was asked to go, I would have no problem eating their chicken and fajita veggies if made with rice bran oil! I find it kind of odd how rice bran oil is only used on the east coast…
Another disturbing fact is that the rice they use is grown in the US which has high levels of arsenic (higher in brown rice). Their response was that the levels of arsenic are under the maximum allowed by the FDA. Much of the rice grown in the US is grown on land that cotton was previously grown on. High levels of pesticides were used over many years and have increased to dangerous levels in the soil. When farmers started growing rice they experienced poor yields. No problem, Monsanto came to the rescue developing strains of rice that produce in contaminated soil. We can only hope that Chipotle will switch to organic rice in the near future.
I recently wrote chipotle and inquired about their cor salsa. They informed me that it was not made with GMO corn or corn product. They did say that their tortilla chips are not exclusive to GMO or non-GMO but to whatever was available. The last time I ate there, I got the sofritas (tofu) option. Do you have insight as to that would be a safe option?
Soy, in my opinion, is not a safe option. Soy is one of the biggest GMO crops grown, but aside from that, there is evidence that soy can affect the thyroid gland negatively and cause hypothyroidism. There is a lot of hype around soy because it’s a cheap product to produce, but should be eliminated in all forms, except they say that fermented soy is okay. To my way of thinking, there are many other options to eat and soy should be one of those replaced with something healthier. I’m sure if you search the web, you can find the studies that have to do with the negative aspects of soy.
Great Comment!! Soy Is Bad!!!
The sofritas are made with Hodo Soy (an all organic and local Oakland, CA company). They provide organic/non-GMO tofu, so it would depend on the other ingredients Chipotle adds to the sofritas. I would be weary of the oils used mostly.
Here’s one ingredient you didn’t mention; the calcium chloride in the “sour cream” For some reason it is allowed in “organic” foods, even though it is an industrial additive and is commonly used in cement and concrete. Naturally is causes extreme constipation and I ALWAYS know when it is in my food. I haven’t been to Chipotle since the last dose.
Hey Foodbabe or anyone who knows this answer…
The pork carnitas are safe to eat because they don’t use GMO oil to cook it. But I do know that the cows/chickens/piggies are fed a grain based diet which (according to a chipotle rep) stated the feed “most likely is a GMO corn feed”.
If the animal eats the GMO corn is it safe for us to eat the meat?
HELP!
Please and Thank you 🙂
No, when animals eat a grain based diet, especially beef, it changes the fats into Omega 6 fats. When they are allowed to eat the diets they are meant to eat, beef will have more Omega 3 fats, which are the healthy fats while Omega 6 fats are generally consumed in the daily diet to the point where it throws our fats out of balance when we consume a higher Omega 6 intake and not enough Omega 3. Grass-fed beef may contain slightly less total fat than grain-fed beef, but a lot more Omega-3 fatty acids and CLA, which are both very beneficial for health. Many nutrients are much lower in grain fed beef as well.
Regarding a study on pigs, this mixture of GMO foods led to a toxic mix in the digestive tract of the animals, leading to a reduced ability for GMO-fed pigs to reproduce. The pigs were studied from conception until slaughter (the first long term study of its kind) and all were all affected adversely. Female pigs were found to have the following possible pathologies, measured through careful analysis and post-mortem examination:
Endometrial hyperplasia, Carcinoma Endometriosism, Adenomyosis, Inflammation, Thickening of the myometrium, Larger presence of polyps.
Further, the uteri of the GMO-fed pigs were fluid filled compared to the pigs who weren’t fed a GMO diet. The uteri of the pigs who consumed GMO food were 25% larger than non-GMO fed pigs. Inflammation of the stomach and small intestine, Stomach ulcers, Stomach inflammation, Thinning of intestinal walls, Increase in hemorrhaging bowels (this causes the pigs to bleed to death from the bowels).
Among these horrendous findings, scientists also noted that none of these types of results have been reported in the biochemistry tests performed by Monsanto or other companies in the GM industry.
Thank you very very much for the wonderful article truly! So are you saying that Vegans can easily order a meal with the specific vegan non-GMO ingredients you listed above as long as there is no rice and just black beans, lettuce, salsa without corn and guacamole?
At my local Huntsville Chipotle’s they were telling me how they used to have the bacon in pinto beans but not anymore. what would you say about this especially in Huntsville, AL?
I live in Huntsville and I would rather have the bacon-flavored pintos.
Nice how you stay in Huntsville Ava. So, you would still go for them even it has GMOs and are you a non-veg? Hope you are liking Huntsville and hope you satisy your taste buds well lol.
One of the worst, frustrating and irritating things is when encountering certain people who like activists and other people bringing attention to the toxic ingredients or additives stir things and get carried away with getting so adversarial as I understand where they are coming from, but it is such negative energy. I mean I all for having a world free of additives and sweeteners, but wish all of them understoof how it may not always be possible to steer clear of them as in one one of the worst, unexpected situations when even we don’t have food of our own we then resort to a nearby fast food place or restaurant open which is vegan, vegetarian or nonveg.
Most importantly, I am wondering of the sensible and pragmatic thing to hear from well-intentioned activists and mindful eaters of “what good steps to take even if inevitably taking any GMOs or additives?” It is the worst off-putting thing when such people get so rigid and dysfuncational. I see how it is imporant to have all GMOs and toxic ingredients banned while still being able to combat anything accidentally or inevitably taken due to no other choice such as any powerful herbs, cleanses or daily “conventional” which don’t have to be organic superfoods due to cost for everyone?
Hope all well!
I just ran into the Subway news and You are the BOSS!!
Now, can you get gatorade to stop putting in that nasty jet fuel derivative in their blue gatorade? I believe the color aide is banned in europe. Sorry, I am shooting from the hip right now since I’m at my desk and heading out.
Again, Y’all r the bomb and easy on the eyes. I tip my hat to you.
TLC the Texan
I’m wondering if you would revisit your Chipotle investigation, as they promised to be GMO free by 2014. Can you please do an update? Thanks! Laurie RN
I second Laurie – the article was written on March 2013 and Chipotle had more likely made changes since. Update will be also fair toward Chipotle.
I am crushed to find out that the burritos at Chipotle contain hydrogenated oil. I let my young children eat these! It is truly impossible to keep our kids pure these days. Impossible!
Hello Foodbabe,
I just finished watching a Netflix movie about how Chipotle became a company and it discusses how the chain uses organic products. Can you reinvestigate to see if they are following through with their change for non-GMO and organic products in their chain?
There’s only one date on this page, not sure if that is when this article was written or not, but I also watched the Netflix movie that said Chipotle uses organic products, and it sounded as though all of their products were included. I don’t know the date of that film either. Do you have the dates of either or an update on your investigation that’s dated?
The Chipotle website has an ingredient statement under Menu. It specifies which foods contain organic ingredients and which ingredients are GMO.
Thank you for all that you do….
Thank you! I haven’t had fast food in so long. I went to Chipotle and had a salad with:
non-organic lettuce 🙁
partly organic blackbeans
organic softritas 🙂
partly organic guacamole
non-organic salsa 🙁
It was great to eat out and I’m so happy that Chipotle gives me an option other than bringing my lunch from home every day. It would be awesome if they had organic options, but non-GMO is amazing from a fast food place.
Our Chipotle’s pinto beans are vegetarian now – no bacon 🙂
Recently Chipotle changed their pinto bean recipe. They said they took the pork bacon out, does that mean they took out the nitrates? Please give us an update! Thank you
Hi there just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The text
in your article seem to be running off the screen in Chrome.
I’m not sure if this is a formatting issue or something to
do with browser compatibility but I figured I’d
post to let you know. The design look great though! Hope you get the problem fixed soon.
Thanks
Awesome website exposing the items in food.
Can you post the date of the articles and if they are any recent updates?
Keep up the excellent work.
Thanks.
Hi Food Babe.
What about their new their; SOFRITAS? Are they using Organic NO GMO tofu??
Thanks.
Went to Chipotle and had their chips, and beans which I typically don’t do, and I had the worst heart burn ever! Feeling much better after some baking soda and water.
Now, just some background – I never, ever get heart burn. I am blessed with a strong stomach. Found this – and maybe it’s the benzoic acid, but they don’t seem to be as pristine as they advertise. This isn’t the first time their meal gives me heartburn, and it’s always when I order either the beans or chips (not sure which it is – leaning toward the chips???). Was thinking it was MSG, but I didn’t get a headache or swelling of the lips. Thoughts?
SEE http://www.chipotle.com/en-us/menu/ingredients_statement/ingredients_statement.aspx OR BELOW FOR A STATEMENT REGARDING GMOs ON CHIPOTLE’s WEBSITE
GMOs
The WHO (that’s the World Health Organization, not the seminal British rock band) defines Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) as “organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally.” Our goal is to eliminate GMOs from Chipotle’s ingredients, and we’re working hard to meet this challenge. For example, we recently switched our fryers from soybean oil to sunflower oil. Soybean oil is almost always made from genetically modified soybeans. Sunflowers, however, have not yet been genetically modified, thus making sunflower oil a great non-GMO alternative. Where our food contains currently unavoidable GM ingredients, it is only in the form of corn or soy.
In the United States at this time, most of the grain used as animal feed is genetically modified. This includes most of the grain used to feed the animals that provide our meat and dairy. While we are striving to eliminate GMOs from our supply chain, there is currently not a viable supply of responsibly raised meats and dairy from animals raised without GMO feed. Responsibly raised food is a journey and we’re always striving to source better ingredients. We recognize that the feed given to the animals who provide our meat and dairy is an area for potential improvement
AND AS I SUGGESTED ON ANOTHER POST, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF FOOD BABE WOULD UPDTAE HER BLOGS SO WE DON’T HAVE TO RESEARCH HER RESEARCH. CALL ME CRAZY, BUT THAT SEEMS COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE TO ME!
Agree Natalie!! Updates Are The Best!!
Chipotle has updated their websites and all the meats now use rice bran oil. I ordered pork carnitas today, which I never do, because it was what she recommended, and then found it it’s the only meat on the menu with lard used in cooking. YUCK! Should have stuck with chicken. Do your own research, folks!!
READ YOUR ARTICLE ON BREAD. BRESD AT HEALTH FOOD STORE IS$7.0- 8.0
IS THERE A SUBSTITUE BRAND FOR SAFE EATING. ALSO, HOW ABOUT GOLDEN CORAL, AND OTHER BUFFET CHAINS. LOVE YOUR ARTICLES. HOW CAN YOU EAT A SAFE PIZZA/
You are ruining my life by making it better. I hate you but I love you. I’m just so confused. Curse yo- no bless y- NO damn you… Wait no… Stay forever?… GGAAAAAAHHHHH
All about GMO’s huh? Well what about the proven carcinogenic dyes used in almost everything? And MSG? GMO’s have not completely been proven to be damaging. If you take a look at majority of those studies…they were probably performed by scientists in Europe…I would not trust those studies. I suggest you read those studies carefully and question it. The Institute for Responsible Technology says “Numerous health problems increased after GMOs were introduced in 1996. The percentage of Americans with three or more chronic illnesses jumped from 7% to 13% in just 9 years; “….Well you cannot pinpoint the cause of all those “chronic” health problems directly to GMO’s. There have been a lot of changes occurring within in all aspects of life in USA. They even say this: “Although there is not sufficient research to confirm that GMOs are a contributing factor, “…and that first part of the statement is correct. There indeed is not enough research that GMO’s are bad for you. My family has been eating any food out there, be it milk with those hormones added or even corn when we grill it on our barbeque and a lot of mexican food with corn tortillas, a lot of Fruit Loops with those dyes, Soy Milk, Soya bean patties, multiple products with Lecithin, etc etc and well all of the babies delivered turned out to be fine (since there are articles saying if you eat maybe a million pounds of soya beans per day, the rats get cancer or the placenta is separated from the baby or whatever else…). Tell me how ridiculous that is for the amount of product fed to those animals to test for the negative results. Would humans eat that much per day? Well obviously, too much of anything is not good for you.
I remember when the article related to Subway came out relating to the carcinogenic material used in bread….well FYI, you’ll never know which breads anywhere contain that ingredient or not. Even the breads in your local grocery stores might be using that. Stick to making your own bread at home. Stick to growing your own rice in your own back yard. I’m sure it will be arsenic free. Simple solution to all this would be, why don’t you try growing all your veggies in your backyard pesticide free? Also, while you’re doing that, raise your own animals and eat them. Buy a cow or goat and drink that milk if you have a problem with all the hormones. If you’ve got a problem with soy, then stop eating it. Oh yeah, make your own oil while you’re at it. If you’ve got a problem with corn…well FYI corn is not completely digestible, whether GMO or non-GMO. The outer layer is almost entirely cellulose (indigestible and you probably see that in your stool but also a reason for having a great fibrous stool) and the inner layer is all starchy….are we not worried about eating all that starch now? Either way, all foods are good and bad for you. Fruits themselves may provide benefits however at the same time, if you are concerned about your sugar levels…then there is that disadvantage.
You are a little ridiculous and most of your rambling doesn’t even make sense. My suggestion is to stop eating the hormone laden food and GMOs and then maybe you won’t be quite so crazy.
Yes, sorry…I realized none of the junk I was saying made sense and random as hell. LOL after you read something you did not proofread right? A little scatterbrained and definitely rambling. I am actually in the field of biotechnology and to be honest, the stuff I have learned in there (in my undergraduate years), has sort of shaped me to not look at products made via biotechnological ways negatively. It has taught me that a lot of people are actually not educated enough about it and people rely heavily on one study after another. But then there comes out that other study that “proves” it wrong. Also, to never believe every study you read or really anything you read…always that you should read it carefully to find flaws…you’d be surprised to find how flawed some research can be.
Thanks for your response. I read your original comment and was like wth? I get you, sometimes what makes sense when we write it does end up sounding crazy later.
I understand your point of view and definite;y get how flawed research can be, especially depending on who is funding it and what the researcher’s agenda is. Personally, I find information from a variety of sources, along with my experiences, and put together my as informed as possible decisions. Sometimes, we just don’t know enough about things, such as the long term effects of bio-engineering and biochemicals to have conclusive evidence one way or another, so it is preferable to not take a chance. Or, as in some cases, know the risks, but do it anyway. For example, I know that soda is bad for me, but I still drink it. Whether we make good choices or bad choices is up to us, but we should at least have as much information necessary to make those choices.
I understood your comment. I read it to a friend, who also understood and enjoyed it. You didn’t sound crazy; in fact, yours was one of the most logical arguments that I’ve seen on here. Many believe every study that comes out and eat it up like non-GMO corn. I believe that the key is simply moderation. Thank you.
According to their website rice bran oil is used for the meat in all locations. They’ve also switched their fryer oil used for the chips from (GMO) soybean oil to sunflower oil. The only ingredients that look bad to me are the tortillas and chips. http://www.chipotle.com/en-us/menu/ingredients_statement/ingredients_statement.aspx
Thanks for saying that Dani. I noticed the same thing. I love Chipotle and it’s one of the few places I will eat. I don’t usually get the tortilla chips anyway. I wish foodbabe would at least put an edit in her post to reflect the progress of chipotle since two years ago.
Thanks, Dani! I was thinking the same thing. Chipotle is headed toward non-gmo, even though still in chips, etc. Also, meat seems to be pasture raised. Please ask foodbabe to make an Editor’s note that things have changed since the article was written! I am sure she would not want to mislead people! Thanks foodbabe.
FINALLY CHIPOTLE!
You are the change I want to be and see in this country and world! Thank YOU Vani!!!!!!!
Its obviously a work in progress with Chipotle. Im really glad that Chipotle is trying to change their bad ingredients to “better” ones. I wish they would use ORGANIC romaine as well. That shouldnt be a hard thing to do for any food business, but it seems to be lacking in almost every restaurant there is.
We must keep pushing them for quality ingredients!
please check out cheesecake factory menu as i believe most all deserts and bread has HIGH FRUSTOSE in it. and they dont care.i get sick every time i eat it.
Loved this article!
Just wanted to point out one tiny thing, the term “begs the question” is idiomatic and does not mean “raises the question”. It’s supposed to call out a logical fallacy, you can google its correct usage. You should just use the phrase “raises the question” because that’s apparently what you wanted to say. Yes, I am the grammar police.
Still loved the article.
My question is why do they use OIL in the RICE? Who the heck uses oil when cooking rice? My other question regarding the rice is where do they source it from? Does it have high levels of arsenic?
They do not cook with oil, they put it in after its done cooking so the rice won’t stick together. I hate that they do this since I am on an added oil-free diet.
Vani, thank you for your efforts to inform the public about the food we’re eating.
One thing I hope you’ll correct about this post: there’s no such thing as “hormone-free” dairy or meat.
When you think about it, it’s obvious… Mother’s milk naturally contains growth hormones. That’s what milk is for—to grow a baby. By definition, dairy products are chock-full of bovine hormones.
Same with meat. Animals’ bodies contain hormones, so “hormone-free meat” is impossible.
Bottom line: animal products contain animal hormones. To avoid animal hormones in your food, we need to leave animal products off our plate. The good news? A B12-fortified plant-sourced diet provides everything we need, and it’s better for the environment, too.
Do you know what type of White & Brown rice is being used at Chipotle?
Jasmine vs. Basmati? Imported from where; India, Thailand, Vietnam and etc.
Rice ingredients break down; carb, oil, cal and etc?
Do they have USDA Cert for imported rice (if when imported) or any other cert?
Thank you
Andrew
From what I understand the Barbacoa isn’t made from the GMO oil either. I was lied to when I asked about the oils in the flour tortillas. They told me no. I knew about the GMO corn and soybean oil. I haven’t eaten there in 4 years since I found out I was mislead into eating their GMO corn tortillas and oils during pregnancy 🙁 I appreciate they are trying to do “better’ but they give the impression they are nonGMO and they are FAR from it.
Food Babe – please include a date on your articles
I ate at Chipoltle’s this week. I noticed a new sign stating that the pinto beans are no longer made with pork bacon. To me, this would indicate no nitrates since it is the bacon that usually contains it. Also, thanks Food Babe for getting me to think about GMO’s. I will no longer be ordering the corn salsa!
I note that they use phosphoric acid in their tortilla chips, and other suspect ingredients in their soft and hard tortillas and burrito wraps.
Hi All,
I know this is a little after the article is published, but as a summer job to acquire some extra cash I worked at a local Chipotle and I can say 100% things have changed. It was just a summer job, so I don’t have any ties there now, and also burrito rolling isn’t my dream job so there’s no gain in me posting this.
Taco Shells and Chips are cooked in Rice Brand oil, and Also over this summer (2014 ) we JUST switched to 100% gmo free flour tortillas in my, and stores around mine.
The summer i worked at chipotle i was on a mission to loose 15lbs. I ate a chipotle burrito bowl 3 times a week and made my goal. Chipotle is not health food, but it’s gotten much better since this article.
happy eatings
Ally–than ks for posting about the non-GMO corn tortillas. this is a huge relief–i’ve been avoiding Chipotle’s even though it is right next door to my office and so tempting!. Do you know if the tofu is also non-GMO?
I ate a sofritas burrito when they first came to our city and had the weirdest reaction. My tongue and gums felt weird kinda numb but also felt inflamed and metallicy. It happened again to me three months later after I ate ginger snaps but worse. This time it extended to my throat and I fad a painful time swallowing, it felt as though food and drink burned going down. This has been scary and I can’t find anything about it online though I appreciated finding your website.
These people put sulfites in some of the food – when I called the manager to inquire, I was told I was getting the flu. My throat closed up worse than MSG and lasted more than 24 hours. I was referred to the corporate site and found the link admitting to sulfites, yet when I sent an email inquiry asking exactly what type of sulfites were uses, I was dismissed. I have never been that sick from food before… I was very disappointed with the way they handled things locally and on the corporate level
http://www.chipotle.com/en-US/menu/special_diet_information/special_diet_information.aspx
I just noticed that I got the same bloated and stomach cramp feeling I got at Chipotle as when I ate some non-breaded Publix chicken wings. Those wings contained TBHQ and polydimethylsiloxane (also used in silly putty). These are FDA approved items (for now) . I’m wondering if these are some hidden ingredients in Chipotle’s oils or some other ingredient. I don’t think they have a requirement to specifically list these out. The TBHQ, was observed in a “pill camera” Ramen Noodles test causing a stomach to churn and churn abnormally long to try and digest the TBHQ treated noodles.