• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Surging Treasury yields expose a brutal truth: America has no margin for error on its $39 trillion debt

2

After a judge ordered Trump's name be removed from the Kennedy Center, president says it will 'soon be closed, probably never to open again'

3

U.S. says deals with Iran for safe Hormuz transit are prohibited

1

Surging Treasury yields expose a brutal truth: America has no margin for error on its $39 trillion debt

2

After a judge ordered Trump's name be removed from the Kennedy Center, president says it will 'soon be closed, probably never to open again'

3

U.S. says deals with Iran for safe Hormuz transit are prohibited
Retail

This lawsuit claims Chipotle has been deceiving customers

By
Dan Mitchell
Dan Mitchell
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Dan Mitchell
Dan Mitchell
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 1, 2015, 10:31 AM ET

In April, Chipotle announced with great fanfare that it would no longer serve food made with genetically modified ingredients. On Monday, a law firm filed a class-action lawsuit in federal court claiming that the Mexican-style, fast-casual chain’s marketing is misleading and deceptive because it still sells lots of foods made with GMOs.

According to the complaint, Chipotle’s meat, cheese, and sour cream is made from animals fed with GMO soy and corn, and the soft drinks it serves are made with corn syrup made from GMO corn. The lawsuit was filed in the Northern District of California on behalf of California consumers who have purchased food from Chipotle since April 27, the day the company announced that it was “G-M-Over it.” Kaplan, Fox, and Kilsheimer filed the lawsuit.

The law firm issued a statement attributed to attorney Laurence D. King that read in part: “Chipotle’s advertising in its stores should have accurately informed customers about the source and quality of its ingredients and should not mislead consumers that they are serving food without GMOs when in fact they are.”

When reached for comment, King wrote in an email that beyond the complaint, “we have no comment at this time; rather we will let the complaint’s allegations speak for themselves.”

Chipotle is similarly mum. Chris Arnold, the company’s communications director, said only: “Generally speaking, we do not discuss details of pending legal action, though we do plan to contest this.” [Update, September 1, 2:30 pm: After this article was published, Arnold, Chipotle’s communications director, contacted Fortune to comment further. The lawsuit is “meritless,” and “filled with inaccuracies,” he said in an email. “Chipotle has always been honest and transparent with its customers, and the messaging surrounding our use of non-GMO ingredients is no exception.” Arnold said some of the graphics included in the complaint weren’t created or approved by Chipotle, including one depicting a menu board with all the letters “G” “M,” and “O” removed. The billboard indicating that “all” of Chipotle’s food was “non-GMO” also wasn’t created by Chipotle, he said, though he defended the language. He said that while the meat Chipotle serves is from animals fed GMO grains, “that does not mean that our meat is GMO, any more than people would be genetically modified if they ate GMO grains.” Also, Arnold said, the billboard is accurate because beverages aren’t “food.”]

In news reports at the time of the announcement, the company made clear that some of its ingredients are still made with GMOs. And at the bottom of the company’s Web page devoted to the topic is this disclaimer:

“The meat and dairy products we buy come from animals that are not genetically modified. But it is important to note that most animal feed in the U.S. is genetically modified, which means that the meat and dairy served at Chipotle are likely to come from animals given at least some GMO feed. We are working hard on this challenge, and have made substantial progress: for example, the 100% grass-fed beef served in many Chipotle restaurants was not fed GMO grain—or any grain, for that matter.

“Many of the beverages sold in our restaurants contain genetically modified ingredients, including those containing high fructose corn syrup, which is almost always made from GMO corn.”

The class-action complaint includes several examples of Chipotle advertisements that seem pretty explicit. “Now, all of our food is non-GMO” is the wording on one billboard, according to the suit. A photo in the complaint depicts a restaurant menu sign that reads, “Only non-GMO ingredients.” The named plaintiff in the lawsuit, Colleen Gallagher of Piedmont, Calif., could not be reached for comment.

Consumers, especially Millennial consumers, have expressed concerns about eating foods with GMO. But more than 90% of corn and soybeans grown in this country came from GMO strains in 2014, according to data from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Many scientists say the crops are safe, but critics say they could cause environmental problems and even cause harm to human health.

Chipotle has 1,831 restaurants globally. At the time of its announcement, Co-CEO and founder Steve Ells said the chain had decided to eliminate these GMO ingredients until the science is more definitive.

About the Author
By Dan Mitchell
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Retail

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Retail

Delta has trained its passengers to pay premium prices. Here’s how it plans to get even more from them
C-SuiteAir Travel
Delta has trained its passengers to pay premium prices. Here’s how it plans to get even more from them
By Phil WahbaMay 30, 2026
19 hours ago
Tomatoes become the latest symbol of the affordability crisis as prices rose over 40% from last year
EconomyGrocery
Tomatoes become the latest symbol of the affordability crisis as prices rose over 40% from last year
By The Associated Press and Matt SedenskyMay 29, 2026
2 days ago
A barista wearing a green apron stands behind the bar and pours a drink into a cup
RetailStarbucks
Starbucks quietly retired its AI agent just months after deployment after it miscounted coffee shop inventories and slowed down baristas
By Sasha RogelbergMay 28, 2026
2 days ago
lee
Commentarystock exchanges
Texas Stock Exchange CEO: exchanges can build on Exxon’s retail model to rein in proxy advisors
By James H. LeeMay 28, 2026
3 days ago
Independent book stores are growing as people look for community in local spaces
Retailbooks
Independent book stores are growing as people look for community in local spaces
By The Associated Press and Hillel ItalieMay 28, 2026
3 days ago
Robinhood launches agentic trading, announces credit card for AI agents with 3% cash back
BankingRobinhood
Robinhood launches agentic trading, announces credit card for AI agents with 3% cash back
By Jeff John RobertsMay 27, 2026
4 days ago

Most Popular

Surging Treasury yields expose a brutal truth: America has no margin for error on its $39 trillion debt
Economy
Surging Treasury yields expose a brutal truth: America has no margin for error on its $39 trillion debt
By Shawn TullyMay 30, 2026
23 hours ago
After a judge ordered Trump's name be removed from the Kennedy Center, president says it will 'soon be closed, probably never to open again'
Law
After a judge ordered Trump's name be removed from the Kennedy Center, president says it will 'soon be closed, probably never to open again'
By Collin Binkley and The Associated PressMay 30, 2026
10 hours ago
U.S. says deals with Iran for safe Hormuz transit are prohibited
Politics
U.S. says deals with Iran for safe Hormuz transit are prohibited
By Jack Wittels and BloombergMay 30, 2026
16 hours ago
Gen Z is rejecting $200 dates and choosing 'solo-maxxing'—and dating apps are taking a hit
Economy
Gen Z is rejecting $200 dates and choosing 'solo-maxxing'—and dating apps are taking a hit
By Sydney LakeMay 30, 2026
20 hours ago
Current price of oil as of May 29, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 29, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 29, 2026
2 days ago
After Blue Origin rocket explosion, NASA's entire moon exploration program depends on SpaceX for now as Musk eyes blockbuster IPO soon
Innovation
After Blue Origin rocket explosion, NASA's entire moon exploration program depends on SpaceX for now as Musk eyes blockbuster IPO soon
By Jason MaMay 30, 2026
11 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.