On Monday, a federal class action lawsuit was filed against Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. on behalf of all California residents who have purchased their products since April 27 of this year.
The lawsuit alleges that Chipotle’s GMO-free marketing and advertising campaign is deceptive and misleading to consumers, as many of the restaurant’s menu items actually do contain GMOs.
“Consumers today are very concerned about what they eat, and restaurants know that consumers place a premium on food that is considered to be healthy or natural,” says Laurence D. King, an attorney for Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP, the law firm that has filed the suit. “As a result, 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.”
Beginning on April 27, Chipotle launched a multi-media publicity campaign that advertised that it was “G-M-Over it” and that as a result, it only uses non-GMO ingredients. The complaint alleges that Chipotle’s claims are false and misleading to customers because Chipotle’s menu was never free of GMOs at any time.
Specifically, the complaint alleges that Chipotle’s meat and dairy products come from GMO-fed animals and that Chipotle sells soft drinks that are made with corn syrup, also a GMO.
Currently, the case is pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.
