Chipotle (NYSE: CMG) announced that moving forward none of their ingredients will be genetically modified, making it the first fast food restaurant to take this sort of initiative. The chain already uses non-GMO corn and recently switched from soybean oil to GMO-free sunflower or rice bran oil. According to CNN Money, this plan was in the works for years, but the company needed to wait for new GMO-free crops to be planted. Steve Ells, Chipotle’s CEO, believes by taking a stand on this issue, it will continue to distance Chipotle far beyond the competition. This message is resonating with consumers and it shows, with its stock raising 350% and its number of restaurants doubling, both within in a 5-year period, blowing competition like McDonalds away, as reported by CNN Money. This news follows the restaurant's removal of pork carnitas from over 500 restaurants, which admittedly is slowing sales growth; however, Chipotle plans for their return by the end of this year. Although its steak prices will increase by 4% to 6% in the fall, customers will be happy to know that the non-GMO ingredients will not cause an increase in menu prices. Chipotle continues to make strides to change the face of fast food. "We want to make the old fast food model irrelevant," Ells told CNN Money. "We want to make great ingredients and classic cooking techniques accessible to everybody."