Dive Brief:
- Tyson Foods and other chicken producers are utilizing sanitizing wipes, bacteria-reducing fog and even oregano to keep birds healthy, according to Reuters.
- Last week, Yum Brands’ KFC, which sells 65 million buckets of chicken annually, became the last of the big three U.S. chicken restaurants to back off from antibiotics important to human medicine. McDonald’s Corp and Chick-fil-A had made the move earlier.
- The Natural Resources Defense Council said more than 42% of the U.S. chicken industry has committed to reducing the use of antibiotics. KFC told Reuters its decision could open the door for similar action by smaller chains.
Dive Insight:
Fast food giant KFC has joined McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A in telling its customers it will no longer use chickens treated with antibiotics. Considering that 42% of the chicken industry—including some of its biggest players—have already committed to reducing antibiotic use, it seems a wise move by the restaurants.
Major poultry producers, such as Tyson Foods, Pilgrim's Pride and Perdue, have all committed to reducing or removing antibiotics from their chicken supply. Some have tried unique practices like Perdue Farms, which puts oregano in the birds' water in the hopes that the herb's antioxidants keep them healthy, Reuters said. Sanderson Farms, however, has disputed claims about antibiotic use being bad and are in the midst of a campaign to educate people about their beliefs.
More than ever, consumers are seeking antibiotic-free chicken amid concerns that their use in food could lead to antibiotic resistance in humans. This has led to companies making changes in their supply chains to reduce or eliminate antibiotics altogether. Poultry processors have applied a number of alternatives to antibiotics to treat sick animals and prevent the spread of disease, including improved feed products, better animal genetics and enhanced animal handling and management practices.
It remains to be seen how much antibiotics are really being curtailed even though manufacturers have committed to cutting back on their usage. Despite increasing demand for antibiotic-free meat products, the Food and Drug Administration continues to report rising sales of antibiotics for food animals. In December, the FDA said sales and distribution of all antibiotics posted a 1% increase from 2014 through 2015, which ties for the lowest annual increase since 2009. It's uncertain whether usage has improved since then.
When it boils down to it, even companies that have made the most concerted efforts to eliminate antibiotics agree that there is still a time and place to use them. Still, as more grocers and restaurants demand chicken raised without them, they may not have a choice but to further curtail their consumption.