McDonald’s reducing antibiotic use in chicken globally

McDonald’s, having already eliminated the use of antibiotics important to human medicine for its U.S. broiler supply, is now setting timelines to eliminate use of such antibiotics from its broiler supply in other parts of the world.

Roy Graber Headshot
Photo courtesy of McDonald's
Photo courtesy of McDonald's

McDonald’s, having already eliminated the use of antibiotics important to human medicine for its U.S. broiler supply, is now setting timelines to eliminate the use of such antibiotics from its broiler supply in other parts of the world.

The fast food chain, on its website, published an updated statement on antibiotic use, which outlined its ambitions for reducing antibiotic use. While the company said that animals get sick and require treatment, it is also engaging farmers, producers and veterinarians in the responsible use of antibiotics. With McDonald’s Global Vision for Antibiotic Stewardship in Food Animals (VAS) as its guiding principle, the company established timelines to eliminate the use of antibiotics defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as important to human medicine from its broiler supplies.

According to McDonald’s, the company will eliminate use of such antibiotics from its broiler supply in Brazil, Canada, Japan, South Korea and Europe by January 2018. The one exception is that Colistin will still be allowed in Europe. The European countries included in the policy are: Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, United Kingdom, and Ukraine.

By the end of 2019, antibiotics important in human medicine will be eliminated from the McDonald’s broiler supply in Australia and Russia. Also by that time, the use of Colistin will come to an end for its broiler suppliers in Europe.

McDonald’s stated that all other designated markets across the world will cease to use antibiotics important in human medicine for its broiler supply by 2027, with a goal of having done so prior to then.

McDonald’s initiative to curb the use of such antibiotics from its U.S. broiler supply was achieved by August 2016, well in advance of when it had hoped to do so.

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