Chipotle CEO called McDonald's chicken farm in Arkansas 'absolutely the most disgusting thing'

• Chipotle CEO Steve Ells visited farm during his fast food chain's partnership with McDonald's between 1998 and 2006
• He has not revealed what was so shocking about the farm
• Chipotle is known for using local vegetables and hormone-free meat
• McDonald's has been criticized several times for rumors about ingredients and the practices of its suppliers

By Kelly Mclaughlin For Dailymail.com

Published: 11:15 EST, 4 February 2015 | Updated: 02:58 EST, 5 February 2015

Chipotle Mexican Grill CEO Steve Ells said he was disgusted by a McDonald's Arkansas chicken farm when he visited with executives about a decade ago

Chipotle Mexican Grill Founder and CEO Steve Ells revealed that he was disgusted by a McDonald's chicken farm in Arkansas when he visited a decade ago.

Ells saw the farm with McDonald's executives during the time he was partnered with the fast food chain between 1998 and 2006.

He returned from the farm and told his father Bob Ells that it was 'absolutely the most disgusting thing he'd ever seen in his life', according to Bloomberg News.

The family did not reveal what was so shocking about the farm, but Ells told Bloomberg News that he hadn't visited a McDonald's farm until that point.

The fast food chain had fully divested from Chipotle, which is known for using locally raised vegetables, hormone-free meat and eco-friendly practices, by 2006.

But the chains had different ideologies regarding their food products long before the divestment.

When Chipotle was brought to Portland in 2004, the only common product that could be delivered to both fast food chains was a five-gallon bag of Coca-Cola syrup, Jeff Steiner, senior vice president for Golden State Foods told Bloomberg News.

This is not the first time McDonald's has been criticized for the practices of its suppliers, according to New York Daily News.

In 2011, the Humane Society of the United States filed a complaint against Smithfield Foods, the fast food chain's pork supplier, claiming it treated pigs poorly.

Pictured above, McDonald's released a video in December focusing on improving public perceptions of their fast food products. They took viewers to a factory floor (pictured) which focused on the Chicken McNugget

The fast food restaurant cut ties with Sparboe Farms, its egg supplier, over animal cruelty allegations during the same year.

McDonald's had to pull a Twitter campaign sharing stories of its commitment to fresh meat and produce in 2012 when people began tweeting about the company's treatment of animals.

In an attempt to disprove rumors about ingredients - including one that chicken nuggets are made with 'pink slime' - McDonald's launched a behind-the-scenes transparency campaign, Our Food. Your Questions last year.

Chipotle is known for using locally raised vegetables, hormone-free meat and eco-friendly practices in its fast food chains

McDonad's CEO Don Thompson conceded that his fast food chain has failed to keep up with changing tastes, with people increasingly moving toward foods they feel are fresh or wholesome.

This causes losses for McDonald's but growth for places like Chipotle.

Thompson has announced that he will step down from his position in March and Chief Brand Officer Steve Easterbrook will take over his position.

Previously, Easterbrook served as president of McDonald's Europe and led efforts related to marketing and menus.

Among the challenges British-born Easterbrook will inherit as the chief executive are: the image that fast-food is junk food; the growing number of convenience stores selling cheap, ready-to-eat food and the surging popularity of companies selling higher-quality food, such as Chipotle.

Though Ells does not agree with all of McDonald's practices, Chipotle executives told Bloomberg News that they credit the company as a 'rich uncle' that made way for the Mexican fast food chain's success.

McDonad's CEO Don Thompson has conceded that his fast food chain has failed to keep up with changing tastes, with people increasingly moving toward foods they feel are fresh or wholesome, which causes losses for McDonald's but growth for places like Chipotle