Soy Growers to Chipotle: Misinformation is Not a Marketing Strategy

Chipotle recently announced that it was removing all food from its menu containing genetically modified ingredients, including the soybean oil it uses for cooking.

In response, the American Soybean Association (ASA) issued a statement making note of Chipotle’s willful disavowal and denial of the scientific consensus on the safety of these agricultural innovations and advances in order to increase sales.

ASA president, Wade Cowan, takes issue with the perpetual spread of misinformation being reinforced by the company, stating, “Chipotle contends that more study is needed on GMOs, even though they are among the most studied and tested food products in the world, and have been since their introduction almost 20 years ago—all without a single incidence of harm to humans, plants or animals. Think about that for a minute: a planet’s worth of meals over two decades means literally trillions of servings without one adverse occurrence.”

Mr. Cowan is not alone. The Center for Science in the Public Interest has publicly taken Chipotle to task for its tactics, as have the highly respected, and neutral media outlets of National Public Radio and the Washington Post.

The ASA invites Chipotle to join in the movement to better educate consumers about their food instead of using scare tactic to increase sales. “Just like soybean farmers, Chipotle and indeed all links in the farm-to-fork supply chain have a huge opportunity to help Americans discover more about their food. This comes, however, with the responsibility to do so in an ethical and honest manner.”