Three calorie-counting Chipotle patrons are suing the restaurant chain because they feel a menu listing misled them on nutritional content.
The plaintiffs argue that a “Chorizo Burrito” could not possible be 300 calories as ostensibly advertised because “at some time after eating the Chorizo Burrito” the plaintiffs felt “excessively full,” according to the formal legal complaint filed in California.
Chipotle locations usually have a “featured item” sign that highlights a specific combination of ingredients as a suggestion.
“Try our new deliciously seasoned, perfectly grilled spicy chicken and pork sausage in a burrito with white rice, black beans, fresh tomato salsa, and sprinkle of cheese,” a sign at Chipotles around Los Angeles read, according to Ars Technica. The price and 300 calorie amount was listed just underneath the description and adjacent to a picture of an overflowing burrito.
.@chipotle are you telling me this burrito has 300 calories? Can’t be right. pic.twitter.com/KECCZ3nxgx
— scottweier (@scottweier) October 21, 2016
One of the plaintiffs “believed based on this representation that Defendant’s burrito was a healthier, lower calorie product perfect for his consumption just as the Defendant’s advertising deceptively suggests.”
Chipotle, which prides itself on transparency for its nutritional information and ingredient sources, lists just the chorizo as 300 calories on its online nutrition calculator. All of the ingredients listed in the “featured item” amount to 1,055 calories.
The formal legal complaint argues that the plaintiffs were searching “for a low calorie meal, aware that healthy nutrition is important for maintaining overall health,” but were “lulled into a false belief.”
“CHIPOTLE’s practice is to misrepresent the nutritional value in their prepared food products, in violation of California Health and Safety Code §114094 which requires the accurate listing of nutritional information on menus and menus boards, among other things,” the suit reads.
The three plaintiffs, who are part of a larger class action lawsuit, also assert that the company is violating the law through false advertising and that the “Defendant’s conduct and actions alleged herein were despicable.”
Several people fell ill in 2015 and early 2016 after eating Chipotle. The company closed down all of its locations across the country for a day in order to ensure that employees were fully aware of all of the health and safety practices.
Send tips to eric@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
