McDonald’s USA recently announced new menu sourcing initiatives including only sourcing chicken raised without antibiotics that are important to human medicine. In addition, McDonald’s U.S. restaurants will also offer customers milk jugs of low-fat white milk and fat-free chocolate milk from cows that are not treated with rbST, 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.
In the UK
A McDonald’s spokesperson commented:
“In line with other retailers and the UK poultry industry, McDonald’s UK and Europe continue to work closely with our suppliers to monitor and reduce the use of antibiotics among chickens in our supply chain.
“Alongside the announcements from McDonald’s USA, McDonald’s Europe announced plans to phase out the use of those antibiotics that play a crucial role in the human treatment of specific and serious infections and diseases, from our poultry supply chain.”
Reducing the use of antibiotics in poultry supply
McDonald’s has been working closely with farmers for years to reduce the use of antibiotics in its poultry supply. This new policy supports the company’s new Global Vision for Antimicrobial Stewardship in Food Animals introduced this week, which builds on the company’s 2003 global antibiotics policy and includes supplier guidance on the thoughtful use of antibiotics in all food animals.
“McDonald’s believes that any animals that become ill deserve appropriate veterinary care and our suppliers will continue to treat poultry with prescribed antibiotics, and then they will no longer be included in our food supply,” said Marion Gross, senior vice president of McDonald’s North America Supply Chain.
While McDonald’s will only source chicken raised without antibiotics important to human medicine, the farmers who supply chicken for its menu will continue to responsibly use ionophores, a type of antibiotic not used for humans that helps keep chickens healthy.
Meeting the preferences and expectations of customers
All these actions are the latest steps in McDonald’s USA’s journey to evolve its menu to better meet the changing preferences and expectations of today’s customers. In addition to the menu sourcing changes, McDonald’s USA this week was announced as a founding member of the newly formed U.S. Roundtable on Sustainable Beef – a critical step in support of the company’s global commitment and effort to source verified sustainable beef.
See McDonald’s Global Vision for Antimicrobial Stewardship in Food Animals
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