Chipotle sued for GMO-free food claims

The plaintiff is a woman from California named Colleen Gallagher, who accused Chipotle of false advertising when the restaurant claimed that it was the first restaurant to use ingredients that are free from GMOs of genetically modified organisms.

Gallagher filed a lawsuit on August 28 in behalf of other California consumers who have been eating from the restaurant since the day Chipotle claimed their food was GMO-free up to the present.

Represented by Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP, Gallagher mentioned in her lawsuit that the restaurant violated the government act due to its misleading, false and deceiving customers into paying a higher price for their food. She said to Reuters that food in Chipotle was never free of GMOs.

She said that the chain serves meat that were fed on soy and corn that are also GMO and that the restaurant's sour cream and cheese also come from farms that feed their animals with GMOs. Also mentioned in the lawsuit are Chipotle's soft drinks that contain corn syrup, which is also a GMO.

Laurence King, a lawyer for the said class, said that Chipotle should have been clearer with the information that they share their customers regarding the quality and source of their ingredients. Their advertisements should not mislead customers into thinking that all of their foods are GMO-free.

Chipotle mentions on its website that dairy and meat served at their restaurants came from animals that were at least given GMO feed. The company also said that they are taking steps into solve this challenge such as using cattle that were fed only grass. The website also mentioned in their website that plenty of the beverages offered in their restaurants contain GMOs such as those that contain corn syrup.

Chris Arnold, spokesman of Chipotle, refused to talk about the lawsuit but mentioned that the company will contest the accusations.