McDonald’s Announces New Antibiotics Policy

Randall Weiseman Cattle, Dairy, General, Livestock, Poultry

McDonald’s USA announced this week they will only be sourcing chickens raised without antibiotics that are important to humans.

President Mike Andres said, “Our customers want food they feel great about eating, all the way from the farm to the restaurant table, and these moves are a way to help that happen.”

McDonald’s has been working with its farmers for years to limit the number of antibiotics they use in the chain’s poultry supply. All chicken served in McDonald’s American restaurants comes from farms working closely with the chain to implement the new policy. The chain does approve of using antibiotics to treat chickens when they become ill, but doesn’t support the practice after they are well. The farmers will continue to use antibiotics called ionophores (eye-on’-eh-fores), a type that isn’t used on humans and is important for keeping chickens healthy.

In a separate move, McDonald’s announced they will serve jugs of low-fat white milk and fat-free chocolate milk only from cows not treated with rBST, an artificial growth hormone sometimes used in cattle. McDonald’s realizes that there’s no significant difference between milk treated with rBST and rBST-free milk, but they recognize it’s something important to their customers.

(From the National Association of Farm Broadcasters News Service)