They call it "Food with Integrity."  I call it

Great Food with an Even Greater Message.  My kids were ecstatic when we stopped in for lunch the other day as it is one of their favorite places to eat. Upon entering, I was thrilled to see the following placard next to the menu:

Wow.  Aside from the basic (and I mean basic!) but great tasting yet healthy menu, Chipotle happens to have a cult following of tweens, teens and 20 somethings.  They all flock to this  healthy-style fast food where the lines are long but move quickly as the contents of the meals are directed by the patron in a cafeteria-style assembly line. 

However, it's not just about the taste or the big profits that come from Chipotle's success.  Chipotle has always emphasized that good food comes with responsibility and integrity.  They actually care about where their ingredients come from and how it affects farms, animals, humans and our environment. 

not to cower and sell out to the Agri-business GMO giant, Monsanto, that has taken over our country's food supply.  Chipotle first had the guts to identify what ingredients were GMO and what were not, so people could make better choices by knowing exactly what they were eating.  Now, they are committing to go even further by making most of their food non-GMO. Yay!

For those who are not familiar with why GMO foods even matter, you may ask, "What's so bad about "improving" upon nature?"

The problem is that it doesn't--it does the exact opposite.  The consumer actually gets this transfer of resistance of antibiotics and allergens from the GMO plants.  Is it any wonder why soy allergies have skyrocketed by 50% with most soy being genetically modified? As a result, there are many who believe that the epidemic of allergies, asthma, skin problems and chronic ailments are due to GMOs.  There are at least 19 studies with animals that link Genetically Engineered food with organ disruption, tumors and premature death.  As a matter of fact, there is a reason why GMOs are banned by so many countries.  Yes, banned. Members of the European Union such as Italy, Spain, Austria, Germany, France, Portugal, Switzerland, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Algeria, Brazil, Paraguay and just recently Peru all have bans on one or more types of GMOs.  The US have had bills for bans, but all have failed due to the influence of agri-business.

Cheers to Chipotle for standing up for what they believe in and investing in our future.  More so, thanks for even sparking the conversation where too few people are even aware of the "food" they put in their mouths.