McDonald’s Commits to Reducing Antibiotic Use in its Global Beef Supply

🔊 Listen to Article

McDonald’s, the world’s largest and most iconic burger restaurant chain, today announced it will address antibiotics use across its global beef supply chain by 2021. The new policy directs its global suppliers to reduce use of the drugs in beef produced for the company, with implementation beginning next year with pilot projects in 10 markets around the world, including the U.S. The Natural Resources Defense Council has been a stakeholder engaged on the policy since early 2018.

McDonald’s is the first major burger chain to announce a comprehensive antibiotic use reduction policy for all beef sold by its restaurants—and the largest, by far. It joins a small group of other fast food industry leaders that have either cut antibiotic use in their beef supplies or are committed to do so, including Chipotle, Panera and Subway.

A statement follows from Lena Brook, Interim Director of Food and Agriculture at the Natural Resources Defense Council:

“This important step forward raises the bar for other burger chains and sends an unmistakable market signal to beef producers worldwide. Nobody in the world sells more burgers than McDonald’s, and their actions can shape the future of the industry. With Washington asleep at the wheel on this rising health threat, leadership in the marketplace is essential. We will be watching with great interest to see how this policy unfolds.”

Background

This practice contributes to the rise and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and increases the risk of drug-resistant infections in humans. Leading medical experts warn that we must stop overuse of antibiotics in human medicine and animal agriculture, or else the life-saving drugs we rely on to treat common infections and enable medical procedures could increasingly stop working.

More than half of the U.S. chicken industry—spurred by commitments from fast food chains and meat producers—is now under a commitment to address antibiotics overuse in its supply chain.

The beef industry, in contrast, has taken very little action to date. With 43 percent of medically important antibiotics sold to the U.S. livestock sector going to the beef industry—compared to only 6 percent for chicken—addressing overuse in beef production is critical to combat drug resistance.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)