News

Chipotle is lone national brand not using additives or preservatives

March 28, 2017

Chipotle doesn't have any added flavors, colors or preservatives in any of its menu items, and is the only national restaurant brand to not have any, according to a press release.

"Rather than switching from artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners and preservatives to 'natural' alternatives of the same additives, fast food companies should be asking why their food needs added colors, flavors, sweeteners and preservatives in the first place," Mark Crumpacker, Chipotle's chief marketing and development officer, said in the release. "Because we prepare our fresh food using classic cooking techniques we avoid using the industrial additives typically associated with fast food — but most importantly, that approach is the reason our food is so delicious."

Chipotle uses 51 ingredients and began working two years ago to create new flour tortillas without any additives and preservatives,  according to the release.  

"We never resorted to using added colors or flavors like many other fast food companies do simply because these industrial additives often interfere with the taste of the food. We have always used high quality ingredients and prepared them using classic cooking techniques," Steve Ells, founder, chairman and CEO, said in the release. "However, commercially available tortillas, whether they are for us or someone else, use dough conditioners and preservatives. I've been on a quest for a better tasting tortilla for years, and we finally achieved a tortilla made the way you would make them at home, and they are simply delicious. Ultimately, all of the decisions we make about the ingredients we use are about making the very best tasting food we can."