Chipotle Anyone?

My very first blog for this class discussed pros and cons of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and some of the controversy surrounding the topic. This week I found another article on GMOs that caught my attention so I thought I would share it with everyone.

Chipotle Mexican Grill is a fast-food restaurant that primarily serves burritos and tacos. Last fall the company made headlines when they announced their decision to become a GMO free restaurant; they became the first national company to allow customers to view exactly what was in their ingredients by posting food labels on their website. Many other developed countries have instituted mandatory labeling for GMOs. However the same cannot be said of the United States. Because of this, many people are trying to pass legislation for labeling GMOs in the U.S.; 2 states including Connecticut and Maine, have passed but not implemented the bill because they are waiting on more support (from other states). In the article was a screen snap shot of the video that was created by Mark Crumpacker, an executive at Chipotle. The video depicts a scarecrow that becomes a slave to a black crow; instead of protecting the food around them the evil (crow) dominates the all of the food. Although the scarecrow was surrounded by labels and signs that indicated the food was ‘ all natural,’ he found that machinery and chemicals were being used everywhere he looked. The video ends with the scarecrow trying to take back control by creating a true all natural product using home grown vegetables from his garden.

Much controversy surrounds labeling of GMOs and whether or not it does more harm than good, some think it only causes (unneeded) worry, while others think it’s a necessity for ‘healthy living.’ What do you think? Are you willing to pay more for whole/natural food? Is this something you are concerned with?

Watch the video here!