Has Chipotle Caved?

finance.yahoo.com...

There may be nothing more to this than the reasons given by Chipotle to why pork has been pulled from the menu, however, I find the timing a little odd.

A routine audit of one of Chipotle's pork suppliers found pigs were not being kept in humane conditions, a violation of company standards. A spokesperson for Chipotle told the Associated Press the company learned of the violation Friday. About a third of the company's restaurants are affected.

Chipotle requires pigs to be raised in humane conditions with outdoor access, rather than tight, cramped pens. The audit found this was not the case. The name of the supplier was not released.

So you pull pork from the menu, yet when the same issues were discovered regarding beef, rather than pull it from the menu, Chipotle lowered its standards and served the beef anyway.

This is the first time Chipotle has removed a featured topping for its burritos and bowls from its menu, but it’s not the first time the company has found suppliers in violation of its standards. Previously, Chipotle posted signs informing customers that it was serving meat that didn’t meet the company’s “responsibly-raised” standards. Chipotle says that happened when the restaurants had to serve conventionally-raised beef rather than Chipotle's standard hormone and antibiotic-free beef.

What do you think, ATS, is this nothing more than Chipotle holding firm to its standards for food served in their restaurants, or are they the latest in an ever growing line of those trying not to offend Muslims?

a reply to: IamAbeliever

Pretty sure that if they were 'conforming' to the desires of the Muslim community they would have pulled pork from ALL the restaurants, not just a third of them....

Well.....to be fair, the two stories are not really similar in nature. One has the pigs being kept in what they called inhumane conditions, while the other is about the beef they were using not being the standard, non-hormone natural beef.....nothing to do with conditions or disease or anything.

One is more of a protest type angle in order to force change on their supplier...pretty cool I think....they are using their corporate name to make a difference in the way pigs are raised on farms.

However, there is the irony that regardless of conditions the pigs are kept in, they are all going to the slaughterhouse eventually.

And no...I don't think this has anything to do with Muslims....Chipotle is a TexMex place.....that can't happen without pork.

a reply to: IamAbeliever

It might be because of the recent kerfuffle over pig cages.

thedailyshow.cc.com...

a reply to: Montana

I simply asked a question about the curious timing. I don't have a dog in this fight.

And to use your argument, if this pork doesn't meet their standards, why only pull it from a third of their restaurants? I would love to know the demographics in the areas where these restaurants are located.

a reply to: IamAbeliever

Has Chipotle Caved?

What difference does it make? Why would anyone want to eat at a place that serves industrial, phony texmex, food not fit for the pigs anyway? The motto of Franchise Restaurants is "Fast, Expensive, subpar ingredients and poor service to maximize profit"

A burrito from the 7/11 would be more authentic.

Just my opinion of course....

"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." - H. L. Mencken

Muslims that keep halal don't eat at Chipotle anyway.

Neither the chicken or beef is halal.

en.wikipedia.org...

originally posted by: IamAbeliever
a reply to: Montana

I simply asked a question about the curious timing. I don't have a dog in this fight.

And to use your argument, if this pork doesn't meet their standards, why only pull it from a third of their restaurants? I would love to know the demographics in the areas where these restaurants are located.

Because those are the stores that supplier supplied to. Isn't that obvious?

Wow, good for them (Chipotle) that they even have a policy for purchasing only ethically raised animals.

I support them even more now.

As for whether it had anything to do with Muslims.. could not care less.

I hear pigs are more conscious of the fact that they are going to be slaughtered.. not sure if this is true, but if so, maybe its less ethical to eat them.

a reply to: IamAbeliever

So would I considering that the store they mention in the articles I read are in New York, but they're not selling pork out here in Midwestern Missouri, either. How far does this 1/3 extend? I want my carnitas.

originally posted by: nOraKat
I hear pigs are more conscious of the fact that they are going to be slaughtered.. not sure if this is true, but if so, maybe its less ethical to eat them.

They're not. I've butchered many a hog over the years and can tell you from experience, the last one out of the pickup bed walks to its death just as easily as the first one off did.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
Because those are the stores that supplier supplied to. Isn't that obvious?

Well, I thought it was, but....

Not that I have any specifics on that, though. Maybe it's a 'go slow' policy change? One third of the company at a time so we won't notice how they are selling out on our pork-fed American goodness!

a reply to: Montana

That could work too. Anything other than "it was because of the muslims". I'm pretty sure if it was because of the Muslims, they would have said it was because of the Muslims.

originally posted by: burdman30ott6

originally posted by: nOraKat
I hear pigs are more conscious of the fact that they are going to be slaughtered.. not sure if this is true, but if so, maybe its less ethical to eat them.

They're not. I've butchered many a hog over the years and can tell you from experience, the last one out of the pickup bed walks to its death just as easily as the first one off did.

This is true. Pigs are certainly "intelligent" animals, but they're no more "intelligent" than a domesticated dog. I remember when I was little growing up in New Mexico, we raised four, maybe five pigs for our own (and a few neighbors) use. When it came time to slaughter pig number 5 had as little a clue to what was going on as pig 1.

a reply to: nOraKat

ethically raised animals. 

Yep so they can be slaughtered, sounds ethical to me.

originally posted by: hillbilly4rent
a reply to: nOraKat

ethically raised animals. 

Yep so they can be slaughtered, sounds ethical to me.

Just like me putting those stringers of catfish in the backyard pool while my daddy was cleaning them.

"It would be wrong to just leave them on the ground out of the water ..."

Pulled Pork!

Actually, They are doing all this to compete with A and W. Which is conquering right now because of its anti- hormon, antibiotic laws on their meat.

www.vancouversun.com...

At least that's what i think anyways. Recently some other chains have taken on a natural stand to their fast food as well. So it's all these factors.

Why Muslims? Why not Jews or Ethiopian Orthodox or Mormons? Oh wait because Muslims are the target of the day eh?

a reply to: ketsuko

Mmmmmmm I love me some catfish

And some BBQ pork tenderloin mmmmmmmmmm

Now I'm hoooooongery!!!!!!!!!!!!