The Mexican fast food chain that is drawing crowds, Chipotle, made dining history on Monday by announcing it would no longer serve genetically modified food. The move is in response to a growing public clamor against GMO food.

Chipotle co-CEO Steve Ells acknowledges the huge debate over GMO food. The restaurant, though, wants to be on the safe side of the debate.

Like Us on Facebook

"Though many countries have already restricted or banned the use of GMO crops, it's clear that a lot of research is still needed before we can truly understand all of the implications of widespread GMO cultivation and consumption," Ells explains. "While that debate continues, we decided to move on non-GMO ingredients."

The move, though, would be challenging because more than 93 percent of corn and soy in the U.S. are genetically modified as herbicide-tolerant or insect-tolerant. The New York Times said that Chipotle is searching across the country for suppliers who can provide it GMO-free corn and soy.

To fry chips and tortillas, Chipotle uses sunflower oil, while for its fajita veggies, the restaurant uses rice bran oil mixed into rice. Its flour tortillas use canola oil with no GMO, which is costlier, prompting Chipotle to slightly increase prices this year, said Chipotle spokesman Chris Arnold.

Ells added that the move also aims to make diners change their perception of fast food establishments.

"Just because food is served fast doesn't mean it has to be made with cheap raw ingredients, highly processed with preservatives and fillers and stabilizers and artificial colors and flavors," he stresses.

However, health experts say that Chipotle diners do not gain from the restaurant's initiative since several scientific researches have reached the conclusion that the current crops of GMO produce in the market are as safe as those grown conventionally.

Quoting the American Association for the Advancement of Science 2012 study, Vox reports, "The science is quite clear: crop improvement by the modern molecular techniques of biotechnology is safe."

Other consumer-oriented companies that have made similar moves include Whole Foods that said by 2018, it would label all products that has GMO ingredients.

Tagschipotle, GMO