Chipotle Ups Sourcing From Pasture-Raised Animals

Only weeks after publicly expressing its support for a pending Food and Drug Administration ban on the usage of antibiotics in livestock feed, fast-food chain Chipotle has announced that it will henceforth be sourcing all of its sour cream—as well as 65 percent of its cheese—from pasture-raised cows. Yesterday, Founder and Co-CEO Steve Ells stated in a press release that Chipotle aims to obtain all of its ingredients from sustainable sources with higher welfare standards than its competitors. The pasture-raised cows are fed an all-vegetarian diet and have access to the outdoors, and none of the company’s dairy cows are treated with recombinant bovine growth hormone. In February, Chipotle began airing an anti-factory farming campaign, which aims to raise awareness about the ethical concerns of large-scale animal-raising operations.