Seriously, what are thoooose??!

For those of you who don’t know, the WHO, or the World Health Organization, defines GMOs (which stands for genetically modified organisms) as “organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally.”

For those of you who are dumbfounded by science, I’ll break it down. Certain crops that are mass produced in the U.S., such as corn and soy, are having their genetic makeup changed in order to make the crops immune to disease. The companies doing this to their crops are striving for larger production and the reduced use of pesticides and herbicides in the growth of their product.

Changing the DNA of a crop in order to increase production and limit the use of pesticides sounds smart, doesn’t it? So why are places like Chipotle making this such a big deal?

GMOs can be found corn and soy, which can be found in pretty much all processed, packaged, and fast food, even cereal and soft drinks.

Chipotle was the first national restaurant company to disclose the GMO ingredients in their food, and is now the first to cook with only non-GMO ingredients. So why did they make this step?

First, they want to stand out from the crowd and attract more customers. Even the consumers who don’t know what GMOs are believe that Chipotle is looking out for them, and trying to provide them with the freshest, purest form of their food that they can find.

Chipotle’s marketing and the focus on the integrity of their food makes us all feel a little better when dreaming about a burrito bowl, their guac that is just right, and their chips that have the perfect amount of salt and crunch. However, scientists are still studying the long term effects of GMOs, and although some studies have said that GMOs are safe for us to eat, most of this research was funded by companies that are in the business of GMOs and sell genetically modified seeds.

Many scientists are calling for independent studies to be made so that we can have a clear understanding of how GMOs affect our health and the environment where they grow.

Since there are no real negative effects of GMOs that we know of and they are in pretty much every food you eat except Chipotle’s, I wouldn’t worry. However, the next time you sit down to another burrito, keep in mind that Chipotle has your back.

GIFs courtesy of giphy.com