About a third of all Chipotle restaurants in the US won’t be serving carnitas as an option for its burritos and bowls for the foreseeable future. Chipotle found a violation being committed by one of its pork suppliers, according to the AP. Chipotle promises customers that the animal meat it serves comes from “responsibly raised” animals. That doesn’t always happen–sometimes Chipotle informs customers that it is temporarily serving meat that doesn’t meet this self-imposed standard. But the pork problem is a different story: the restaurants aren’t serving any kind of pork alternative.
That a problem with a single supplier can affect a third of Chipotle’s more than 1700 restaurants highlights Chipotle’s reliance on giant suppliers for its food, just like the other fast food chains. Chipotle issued no guidance for a return of carnitas to its menu. Chipotle’s giant free food deal on January 26 focuses on its vegetarian option.
