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Chipotle Offers Customers An Ingredient Sustainability Tracker

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Whether your go-to order is a steak burrito bowl with guacamole, a classic burrito with chicken and queso, or just a good old bag of chips and salsa, Chipotle wants you to know that the quality of its ingredients matches the taste. The next time you order on the company’s app or website you can view data on the environmental and animal welfare impact for each of the ingredients in your order using Chipotle’s new Real Foodprint sustainability impact tracker. The feature allows guests to access ingredient impact data on the order confirmation page. The fast-casual chain even partnered with Bill Nye The Science Guy to break down how it works!

Real Foodprint compares average values for Chipotle’s 53 ingredients to their industry counterparts against five metrics including:

  • Less Carbon in the Atmosphere (Measured in grams)
  • Gallons of Water Saved
  • Improved Soil Health (Measured in sq feet)
  • Organic Land Supported (Measured in sq feet)
  • Antibiotics Avoided (Measured in milligrams)

Newport Beach, California-based Chipotle announced that it is the first brand to provide its guests with detailed ingredient impact data.

“Beyond asking people to make the right choice for the climate based on a carbon label, we are demonstrating the impact of our sourcing practices through data computed based on the ingredients in our guests’ orders,” said Head of Sustainability at Chipotle Caitlin Leibert. “While our guests can make good choices for the planet by simply eating at Chipotle, the radical transparency provided by Real Foodprint also holds us accountable to improve our practices and source more sustainably over time.”

The tracker was made possible through the company’s partnership with independent research company HowGood. Chipotle’s ingredients were evaluated by HowGood to develop Real Foodprint and to illustrate each digital order’s environmental impact.

“The positive change in impact across the five key metrics is the difference between average data for each ingredient based on Chipotle’s sourcing standards and conventional, industry average standards,” Chipotle stated.

HowGood used data from the U.S Food and Drug Administration, the World Health Organization, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop the conventional food production baseline for comparison.

“Having worked with top global brands across the industry, we are particularly excited about Chipotle’s approach to providing a truly comprehensive view of ingredient impact,” said Alexander Gillett, chief executive officer of HowGood. “We’re optimistic that their trailblazing could set a new tone for radical transparency and excited to have partnered with them to provide the level of granular, exhaustive data they are committed to using.”

Chipotle has established itself as an environmentally-conscious leader in the restaurant industry by sourcing organic ingredients and assisting its farming partners to grow organic. Additionally, the company partners with farms that utilize eco-friendly agriculture practices to save water and improve soil health.

“For more than 25 years, Chipotle has been dedicated to responsibly sourcing every single one of our ingredients and creating industry-leading practices around animal welfare and sustainability,” said Chipotle Chief Marketing Officer Chris Brandt. “Now, with Real Foodprint, our guests can see how this commitment is better for the planet in each individual order.”

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