California Woman Sues Chipotle, Alleges That They Are Not 100-Percent GMO-Free

A California woman filed a lawsuit in a San Francisco federal court against Chipotle August 28, alleging that the burrito chain uses genetically modified ingredients.

Chipotle is the first national chain to virtually be GMO-free, but Colleen Gallagher claims they violated the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, according to Reuters.

Gallagher says that Chipotle's labeling is misleading and incorrect, tricking customers into paying more for their burritos and burrito bowls. "As Chipotle told consumers it was 'G-M-Over it,' the opposite was true," Gallagher told Reuters. "In fact, Chipotle's menu has never been at any time free of GMOs."

A Chipotle spokesperson told Reuters that they "do plan to contest this."

The frequently asked questions section on Chipotle's website specifies that "It is important to understand that these protocols may not necessarily result in all of our foods being 100% GMO-free. Due to the potential for cross-contamination in fields, facilities or during shipping, it may be that trace amounts of GMOs are present in our food from time to time. For this reason, we identify our ingredients as 'non-GMO' rather than 'GMO-free' or other terminology that might be misunderstood as a guarantee of absolutely zero genetically engineered content."