Dynamic Accident Lawyers: Chipotle GMO-Free False Advertising Class Action Lawsuit is Dismissed

Chipotle escapes a putative class action lawsuit that claimed the Mexican grill restaurants falsely advertised that its menu was completely GMO-free based on a California federal judge decision that the plaintiff didn’t prove she suffered economic loss from the alleged injury.

U.S. District Judge Haywood S. Gilliam Jr. dismissed the Chipotle class action lawsuit but agreed to allow lead plaintiff Colleen Gallagher revise her allegations and file an updated version.

Gallagher alleged that she bought Chipotle menu items based on “the representation that Defendant’s Food Products did not contain any GMO ingredients, having seen or heard advertisements, and in-store signage, that [Defendant] used ‘only non-GMO ingredients,’ in deciding to continue her purchases.”

However, Judge Gilliam did not find Gallagher clearly stated that she purchased the Chipotle GMO food items in question, which included meat, cheese, sour cream and soft drinks.

“If Plaintiff did not purchase any meat, dairy or third-party soft drinks from Defendant, as is possible given the facts alleged in the complaint, it is not plausible that Plaintiff’s economic injury was caused by Defendant’s GMO Claims, uses ‘only non-GMO ingredients’,” Judge Gilliam explains.

The Chipotle class action lawsuit stated that Gallagher would not have purchased the products at all had she known that the representations made concerning GMOs was misleading but Judge Gilliam says that nowhere in the complaint does Gallagher specify what Chipotle food items she purchased.

According to the Chipotle false advertising class action lawsuit, Chipotle serves meat products that come from animals which eat GMOs including soy and corn. In addition, the Chipotle lawsuit claims that burritos and tacos are typically served with cheese and sour cream which come from dairy farms that feed their animals GMOs. Gallagher further reports that Chipotle sells soft drinks which are made with corn syrup which is a GMO.

GMO refers to a genetically modified organism which includes any organism whose genetic material has been altered. In the United States, 92 percent of corn, 94 percent of soybeans and 95 percent of cotton are genetically modified varieties, according to Gallagher.

According to the Chipotle GMO class action lawsuit, the fast food restaurant intentionally concealed that not all of the menu is GMO-free for the purpose of enticing consumers to buy their products.

The Chipotle customer brought forth allegations of violating California’s False Advertising Law, Consumer Legal Remedies Act and Unfair Competition Law. Gallagher requested financial damages along with either restitution or disgorgement of any ill-gotten gains.

The plaintiff hoped to represent all Class Members residing in California, during the period April 27, 2015 to the present, who purchased and/or paid for Chipotle food products.

Gallagher is represented by Laurence D. King, Linda M. Fong, Matthew B. George, Mario M. Choi, Frederic S. Fox and Donald R. Hall of Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP.

The Chipotle GMO-Free False Advertising Class Action Lawsuit is Gallagher v. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc., Case No. 3:15-cv-03952, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

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