Wendy’s testing antibiotic-free chicken in 4 markets

Quick service restaurant chain Wendy’s is testing the saleof antibiotic-free chicken at restaurants in four regional markets.

Quick service restaurant chain Wendy’s is testing the sale of antibiotic-free chicken at restaurants in four regional markets.

While the restaurant chain currently has a policy to not use antibiotics essential in human medicine, this will be the first time it serves chicken that were never treated with any antibiotics.

According to a CNBC report, Wendy’s will be serving grilled chicken products using birds that were raised without any antibiotics at restaurants in Orlando and Gainesville, Florida, as well as in Austin, Texas, and Kansas City, Missouri. The company seeks to gauge not only the public’s perception for antibiotic-free chicken, but also the availability of chicken served without antibiotics.

The decision from Wendy’s follows that of other restaurant chains concerning antibiotics, as consumer concerns about antibiotic use in animal production and its potential impact on antibiotic resistance grow. Earlier in 2014, McDonald’s pledged to phase out the use of medically important antibiotics in the chicken it serves, while Chick-fil-A is transitioning to serving only antibiotic-free chicken.

More recently, New York-based restaurant chain Shake Shack introduced a new antibiotic-free chicken sandwich, and California poultry company Foster Farms introduced its first antibiotic-free turkey product. Both of those business moves were announced earlier in July.

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