Is Chipotle promoting food woo?

[Puppycow]

Chipotle will stop serving GMO foods — despite zero evidence they're harmful to eat

Chipotle Wants to Sell “Food With Integrity.” Dropping GMOs Is the Wrong Way to Do It.

Last time I visited my my parents in California we stayed at the same hotel where we had always stayed before. In the past there was a Taco Bell near by we liked to go to because there is no Taco Bell and few other choices for Mexican food in Japan. I realize they don't have a very good image these days, but my family likes it because it is cheap and yummy. Anyway, the Taco Bell was gone and in its place was a Chipotle. So we tried it. It's pricier but I liked their food. The wife and kids not so much. That was about 2 years ago. Now they are going all GMO-free, and I can't imagine the price of their food won't go up as a result. I honestly liked them myself at the time, but if GMO-free means paying 7 or 8 bucks for a burrito I think I'll pass if a cheaper option is available. I don't care about GMO-free or organic and I'm not going to pay a premium for it. Basically I think they are pandering to the Food Babes of the world.

 

[Wolrab]

Yeah, I heard a report about them on NPR. Sounded very woo-ish.
If they were serious they would not use corn at all as it was first GMed thousands of years ago.

 

[Peregrinus]

Wolrab rather beat me to it. We've been eating genetically modified foods (both vegetable and animal) for thousands of years.

 

[Red Baron Farms]

Wolrab rather beat me to it. We've been eating genetically modified foods (both vegetable and animal) for thousands of years.

As has been pointed out countless times on these forums, that is an equivocation.

 

[Segnosaur]

Is Chipotle promoting food woo?

Well, they do seem to be staking out a position that differentiates themselves from other food chains, rather like Whole Foods does with supermarkets.

When the movie "Food, Inc." came out, they offered free screenings; plus, they have a minimum percentage of 'organically' grown beans that they use.

http://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/chipotle-promotes-food-documentary-food-inc

 

[xjx388]

Pure marketing. They know there's no harm in jumping in that bandwagon because most people are scared of GMOs. This sets them up as the "healthy and natural," alternative in fast food. No different than other meaningless labels like "all-natural," "low-fat" and "organic."

 

[MinnesotaBrant]

Actually there has been some harmful GMO corn created as feed for cattle and some of that has crept into the food supply. I can't remember if anybody was hurt or not. I am not a big fan of Monsanto and neither should Bill Nye or anyone else be outside of the the companies that personally profit from GMOs and gene patents. IPersonally I don't think its a good idea to be able to patent either a gene or seed, but I don't spend 10's of millions on lobbyists every year, so I get no say. I though FOOD Inc. was a thought provoking movie and I think that any person who wants to discuss GMOs in an intelligent way should go see it.

 

[BazBear]

Maybe I'm mistaken, but I was under the impression that there are no commodity amounts of non-GMO corn or other grains available in the US anymore. Maybe Chipotle's needs are still small enough to get enough, but I find their claims to be able to do such a thing suspect. It will have to come at a premium to their patrons either way.

Just so you know, I'm fine with GMO crops. In fact, I believe there should be more public money spent on GMO research into issues that the Monsantos of the world aren't addressing.

 

[ThunderChunky]

Actually there has been some harmful GMO corn created as feed for cattle and some of that has crept into the food supply. I can't remember if anybody was hurt or not. I am not a big fan of Monsanto and neither should Bill Nye or anyone else be outside of the the companies that personally profit from GMOs and gene patents. IPersonally I don't think its a good idea to be able to patent either a gene or seed, but I don't spend 10's of millions on lobbyists every year, so I get no say. I though FOOD Inc. was a thought provoking movie and I think that any person who wants to discuss GMOs in an intelligent way should go see it.

Source for harmful cattle feed corn? I'd like to know why someone would develop and grow a new strain of corn that was harmful for a person to consume. Seems like a lot of work to feed a cow. I do recall some trial wheat (or rice?) crops that never went for final FDA approval being found in the wild, but these were not "harmful" varieties.

Why should people not be able to patent their biotech inventions? The IP laws were decided by lawyers--not lobbyists BTW. They have generally done a good job on the issue although there was some pretty bad precedent for a while when it game to disease gene diagnostics (but that's quite a bit different than patenting GMOs).

 

[MinnesotaBrant]

Maybe I'm mistaken, but I was under the impression that there are no commodity amounts of non-GMO corn or other grains available in the US anymore. Maybe Chipotle's needs are still small enough to get enough, but I find their claims to be able to do such a thing suspect. It will have to come at a premium to their patrons either way.

Just so you know, I'm fine with GMO crops. In fact, I believe there should be more public money spent on GMO research into issues that the Monsantos of the world aren't addressing.

Your fine with corporations patenting genes? How about Monsanto raiding the national seed repository and patenting all the heritage seeds they could get their hands on. I guess I am not that pro business. According to shows such as FOODinc companies such as Monsanto exist mainly to collect a fee from any farm in any country that will let them in by making them pay to use their patented material. Monsanto is really an embarrassment to this country in that they gained almost all of their wealth by paying lobbyists.

There have been a lot of dubious GMO crops sitting around on test fields. The problem is keeping them from blowing around because that's what seeds do. Just watch the show and others like it. I saw it like 4 years ago.

 

[Puppycow]

Your fine with corporations patenting genes? How about Monsanto raiding the national seed repository and patenting all the heritage seeds they could get their hands on.

You can't patent something you didn't invent. So of course not.

 

[ThunderChunky]

Your fine with corporations patenting genes? How about Monsanto raiding the national seed repository and patenting all the heritage seeds they could get their hands on. I guess I am not that pro business. According to shows such as FOODinc companies such as Monsanto exist mainly to collect a fee from any farm in any country that will let them in by making them pay to use their patented material. Monsanto is really an embarrassment to this country in that they gained almost all of their wealth by paying lobbyists.

There have been a lot of dubious GMO crops sitting around on test fields. The problem is keeping them from blowing around because that's what seeds do. Just watch the show and others like it. I saw it like 4 years ago.

Depends on the type of gene patent (there used to be some overly broad disease gene patents), but yes, they are good thing and necessary for the biotech industry to exist. It's no different than patenting any other invention.

I don't get my info from propaganda documentaries and you shouldn't either because you're spouting a lot of nonsense. You can't patent heritage seeds, because they are not GM. At best, you could trademark the name. Where's the source for the harmful cattle corn? Can you name one of these "dubious" test crops? My BS detector is off the charts here.

 

[MinnesotaBrant]

Depends on the type of gene patent (there used to be some overly broad disease gene patents), but yes, they are good thing and necessary for the biotech industry to exist. It's no different than patenting any other invention.

I don't get my info from propaganda documentaries and you shouldn't either because you're spouting a lot of nonsense. You can't patent heritage seeds, because they are not GM. At best, you could trademark the name. Where's the source for the harmful cattle corn? Can you name one of these "dubious" test crops? My BS detector is off the charts here.

The best way to attack this is by saying who exactly said it was a propaganda documentary? Sorry, I really don't place my trust in what your are saying but your aren't backing up your assertion with anything at all. And as it seems like I am the only person on this site who has seen the documentary--which is on netflix....

 

[Howie Felterbush]

Depends on the type of gene patent (there used to be some overly broad disease gene patents), but yes, they are good thing and necessary for the biotech industry to exist. It's no different than patenting any other invention.

I don't get my info from propaganda documentaries and you shouldn't either because you're spouting a lot of nonsense. You can't patent heritage seeds, because they are not GM. At best, you could trademark the name. Where's the source for the harmful cattle corn? Can you name one of these "dubious" test crops? My BS detector is off the charts here.

To be fair, "heirloom" seeds are genetically modified.

They were just modified the old fashioned way, usually for some of the same reasons we genetically modify crops today; higher yields, disease resistance, shorter growing time, etc.

 

[Puppycow]

At best, you could trademark the name.

Just to be clear, trademarking a name would not give anyone exclusive rights to use any particular variety of seeds. Think bottled water. Anyone can put water in a bottle and sell it, but only the company that owns the Evian brand can call their water Evian. All that means is that you have to think of a different name to call your product.

 

[MinnesotaBrant]

So you are saying the documentary FOODinc is pure bull. Let me go wiki it. Here is the script of the entire documentary. My understanding was they were borrowing as many seeds as they could get their hands on from the repository and patenting them without modifications of any type. I do know just from reading the news daily for years that there are many GMO foods designed that don't make the cut either because their only purpose seems to be patenting a product that is already just fine, or, they GMO they created is so gross that nobody in their right mind would eat it. Anyway here's the complete script. If there is some point the movie is trying to make that you disagree with post it and I will either disagree with your assessment or agree with it. But at least have an argument other than, "Because they blinded me with science!."

http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/f/food-inc-script-transcript.html

 

[ThunderChunky]

The best way to attack this is by saying who exactly said it was a propaganda documentary? Sorry, I really don't place my trust in what your are saying but your aren't backing up your assertion with anything at all. And as it seems like I am the only person on this site who has seen the documentary--which is on netflix....

I haven't seen the movie because I don't get my information from documentaries--period. I'm saying it's a propaganda doc based in the sheer amount of misinformation you have spouted off and that seems to be the only source you're willing to refer to. If Monsanto can patent heirloom seeds, surely you must be able to find a patent number or something. If some harmful GM corn was grown just for cattle, surely you must be able to find the name. If there are dubious test crops contaminating the wild, surely you must know some names. You provided nothing but baseless accusations.

 

[MinnesotaBrant]

I haven't seen the movie because I don't get my information from documentaries--period. I'm saying it's a propaganda doc based in the sheer amount of misinformation you have spouted off and that seems to be the only source you're willing to refer to. If Monsanto can patent heirloom seeds, surely you must be able to find a patent number or something. If some harmful GM corn was grown just for cattle, surely you must be able to find the name. If there are dubious test crops contaminating the wild, surely you must know some names. You provided nothing but baseless accusations.

What misinformation have I spouted off? Keep in mind that news feeds do not stay available forever on the internet but I am one of the few people around here that read news feeds daily so I feel fairly competent enough to fend off attacks. Just pick a topic from the actual film you claim is propaganda and I will somehow try to defend it. Here is a link to the script again.

http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/f/food-inc-script-transcript.html

I have been on this forum for awhile and I must say I find the whole the pro government orthodoxy here a bit disturbing.

There is a bit of propaganda put out by the corn industry if you google FOODInc that you might want to use but it really doesn't have anything other than allegations of propaganda plus they claim that our food industry is the gold standard for the world? Please someone prove that the eggs here are better than the eggs available anywhere else. I'm listening.

 

[Puppycow]

So you are saying the documentary FOODinc is pure bull. Let me go wiki it.

Personally I haven't seen it so I can't really comment one way or the other.

Apparently it was shown on PBS:

http://www.pbs.org/pov/foodinc/

And here's the Wikipedia page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food,_Inc.

And here's a website created by food companies to rebut the claims in the film:

http://www.safefoodinc.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3&Itemid=11

And this site is from Monsanto itself:

http://www.monsanto.com/food-inc/pages/default.aspx

 

[bigred]

Pure marketing. They know there's no harm in jumping in that bandwagon because most people are scared of GMOs. This sets them up as the "healthy and natural," alternative in fast food. No different than other meaningless labels like "all-natural," "low-fat" and "organic."

Exactly. And really, who cares? I don't stop buying things that say "gluten free" on them even though I know they never had gluten in the first place.