McDonald’s, the world’s biggest fast food chain, has made an announcement that could change the entire fast food industry. A recent press release states the intentions of McDonald’s to remove antibiotics from chicken.
The overuse of antibiotics is becoming an epidemic in the United States, as they are prescribed for almost everything. The issue with over consuming antibiotics is that they kill good bacteria in the gut, making it more difficult to fight infections in the future. When antibiotics are used on animals, they can make it into food and contribute to antibiotic resistance.
McDonald’s stated that they would only use chickens that aren’t treated with antibiotics, as part of a plan that will span across the next two years.
They also announced that they will be offering milk jugs from cows that are not treated with rbST, which is an artificial growth hormone.
“Our customers want food that they feel great about eating – all the way from the farm to the restaurant – and these moves take a step toward better delivering on those expectations,” said McDonald’s U.S President Mike Andres.
Dr. Mercola, a leading physician and health expert, believes that these changes can make a significant impact on the entire industry. “Due to its sheer size, when McDonald’s makes a change in its food supply, it can have industry-wide repercussions. When the company added sliced apples to Happy Meals, for instance, they became one of the largest apple buyers in the US.”
Because of these changes, fast food competitors will be forced to make similar moves in order to stay competitive. For example, when McDonald’s decided to remove soda from kid’s meals, Wendy’s and Burger King both followed suit.
As reported in TIME: “The decision on antibiotics… shows that McDonald’s still enjoys formidable industrial power. Few institutions can dictate terms to the powerful meatpacking industry, but that’s essentially what McDonald’s is doing here. And it means that other meat buyers will likely follow suit.”
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REFERENCES:
1. “McDonald’s USA Announces New Antibiotics Policy and Menu Sourcing Initiatives.” McDonalds. McDonalds, 4 Mar. 2015. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
2. “McDonald’s to Sell Antibiotic-Free Chicken Only?” Mercola.com. Mercola.com, 17 Mar. 2015. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
3. “3 Reasons McDonald’s Is Tackling Antibiotics in Chicken.” Chicago Tribune. Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2015. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
4. “McDonald’s Is Making a Huge Change to Its Chicken.” Time. Time, 4 Mar. 2015. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
