A burrito, please; hold the science
Chipotle, the fast-growing “fast casual” Mexican grill, proudly announced last week that it would stop using genetically modified ingredients in its burritos, tacos and other menu offerings.
That means there’s one other thing customers won’t be getting when they order: Good science.
GMOs – the foods grown from seeds that have been genetically engineered – are safe. That’s the opinion of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the World Health Organization, the European Commission and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
GMOs also have been eaten for decades and planted on 5 billion acres of land, with no credible evidence of negative health issues.
And so Chipotle finds itself the latest example of our iffy relationship with science. The chain’s founder and CEO Steve Ells says his company is quitting GMOs because “a lot of research is still needed.” This despite the International Council for Science, which represents more than 100 science academies and unions, concluding that GMOs are safe after reviewing dozens of international studies.
Well, yes, Ells says. “I don’t think this is about GMOs being harmful or not harmful to your health,” he said. “It’s really part of our food with integrity journey.”
We suspect it’s more about the integrity of Chipotle’s bottom line. Ells seems to be guided by some different research – the surveys that show only one-third of Americans are confident that genetically modified foods are safe to eat.
And the two-thirds who aren’t so sure about GMOs? Many are unwitting victims of a fear campaign from food and environmental activists – including Charlotte’s own “Food Babe,” Vani Hari – who too often peddle junk science to capitalize on our discomfort with anything that doesn’t sound all-natural.
Peddling fear has consequences, though, as we’ve seen with parents who’ve left their children and others vulnerable to illness because of vaccination worries not supported by science. Last month, after hearing from some of those furious parents, N.C. Rep. Jeff Tarte pulled his smart bill tightening the religious exemption loophole for those vaccinations.
And let’s not forget the Republicans who for years have slowed the critical progress the U.S. and world need to make on climate change by denying it even existed.
There’s a danger to the anti-GMO hysteria, too. Genetically modified seeds help farmers across the world use less pesticide and harvest bigger yields that can help tackle worldwide hunger issues. If politicians start buying into or feeling anti-GMO pressure, some trade deals also could be threatened.
None of which means that science shouldn’t be vigilant in monitoring technological advances like GMOs. It would help, however, if Chipotle and others acknowledge that science already is doing that, no matter what you might want to believe.
This story was originally published May 4, 2015 at 7:15 PM with the headline "A burrito, please; hold the science."