Most people probably understand that the calorie counts on a fast food menu aren’t 100% precise, but an approximation of what you’d expect to consume. But there’s a big difference between being a few calories off and being off by hundreds of calories.
Three California Chipotle customers filed a class-action-seeking lawsuit against the burrito chain last week, accusing the company of breaking the law by inaccurately promoting the calories of its chicken and sausage Chorizo burrito, Business Insider reports.
According to the lawsuit, menu boards in at least three Chipotle restaurants in California state that the burrito has just 300 calories, when in reality the meat blend has 300 calories alone.
“[B]y providing false nutritional information for their menu items, consumers are lulled into a false belief that the items they are eating are healthier than they really are,” the suit reads.
While customers can reduce the calories of their meal by opting for a salad and fewer toppings, the photo clearly shows a burrito.
And as one Twitter user pointed out recently, if the tortilla itself has 300 calories, how does one stuffed with chorizo, salsas, and other toppings only come out to 300 calories?
That’s the same question the three customers are asking in their lawsuit. The customers, who ate at three separate locations in November, say they were prompted to order the meal after seeing the signs promoting the supposed low-calorie burrito.
In one case a plaintiff notes that he felt “excessively full” after finishing his meal and “realized that the burrito couldn’t have been just 300 calories.”
The remaining two plaintiffs reported coming to similar revelations after feeling extra full.
A rep for Chipotle tells Business Insider that the company couldn’t comment on pending litigation, but did note that the company is working on a “more clear menu panel,” without saying whether or not the company stands by the 300-calorie count posted at these restaurants.
A handful of Chipotle customers are suing the chain over misleading calorie counts [Business Insider]
by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist