The opening line of the news story caught my attention. “McDonald’s is going the way of Chipolte and Panera with their announcement of sourcing only antibiotic-free poultry,” said the newscaster.
My heart sank. Every time a food company adds a label to their hamburger, burrito or soup, farmers are left explaining what the label really means versus what the company wants you to think it means. It’s Marketing 101 and that will never change. But after reading a bit more about McDonalds’ move to antibiotic-free chicken, I discovered this bit of marketing is being served with a healthy dose of reality.
In their own press release, McDonalds recognizes chickens have a right to be healthy and free of illness. Antibiotics are a part of that healthcare plan.
“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.”
And thankfully, news sources from the NY Times to Fox News have included this fact in their reporting.
According to the National Chicken Council, “The vast majority of these antibiotics are never used in humans. McDonald’s, veterinarians and animal scientists recognize their importance to minimize the use of those antibiotics that are important in human medicine.” Read their full statement here.
You see there are two classes of antibiotics, but we never hear about that when these food companies make big sweeping statements about a new label. Antibiotic-free isn’t necessarily true. Limited antibiotics may be the better term, referring to that fact that farmers aren’t going to stand by and watch an animal suffer if an antibiotic can make them better.
Livestock farmers already pay close attention to the medicines they use in animals, working closely with veterinarians to determine treatment options when needed. As Katie, an Iowa turkey farmer wrote, “. . .before turning to antibiotics, farmers work hard to prevent disease in other ways. We use vaccines to keep turkeys healthy. We limit exposure to germs by limiting visitors and changing clothes and showering between barns. We give them quality nutrition and clean water, and we also minimize stress on the birds by keeping them in a climate controlled barn.” (Read her full post titled, Does Antibiotic Use On Farms Affect Your Health?)
Ineffective antibiotics are no good to anyone. Farmers must steward the technology and science as much as humans need to pay attention to their own medicine cabinets.
By adding the antibiotic-free label, McDonalds is joining ranks with Chik-fil-A, Culvers’, Panera and Chipotle. But unlike the latter two restaurants, McDonalds isn’t demonizing the farmers responsible for raising their food. Instead through their Our Food. Your Questions campaign, people can see exactly how chicken nuggets are made, or meet the farmer who grows potatoes destined to be McDonalds’ french fries.
Chipolte, however, relies on a scarecrow and the ill-conceived Hulu mini-series “Farmed & Dangerous” to push their food with integrity agenda. Have you visited their website lately? I barely made it through a few clicks. Information via animation is not how I prefer my facts. I’ll take them from the people who make their living raising food, harvesting it, processing it and serving it.
Don’t misunderstand my message. McDonalds is a big company that wouldn’t have made such an announcement if a dollar wasn’t to be gained. However, their willingness to deliver the information without an idealistic picture of a backyard chicken coop is greatly appreciated by this farmer. At times, we can find truth in marketing.
For more information on antibiotic use in livestock and antibiotic resistance, please visit these farm gals who raise livestock and are involved in the poultry community.
- Janeal Yancey at Mom at the Meat Counter. Read her post, Antibiotics in the meat supply: Residues vs. Resistance
- Lara Durben at My Other More Exciting Self. Read her thoughts on antibiotic use on poultry farms.
- Katie Olthoff at On the Banks of Squaw Creek. Read about her family’s turkey farm.
One news statememt i heard on the radio this morning said these antibiotics are typically used to fatten chickens at a faster rate. I just don’t think they know a darn thing about farming or chicken or antibiotics or doing their research. Regardless, I won’t be eating any mcdonalds ever.
Jen – Some might. Here’s an explanation from fooddialogues.com:
Are antibiotics used for growth purposes in food animals?
Some farmers and ranchers use antibiotics to promote lean muscle production in animals. In 2007, this accounted for about 13 percent of antibiotic use. As part of the efforts to minimize future risk of antibiotic treatment failure in humans, antibiotics important to human medicine used for growth purposes in food animals will be eliminated within three to four years in accordance with the FDA Guidance 209 and 213 (FDA). (Note: the exact timing depends on the final issuance of the FDA guidelines expected in 2013.)
I’m going to keep looking for a better explanation and a livestock farmer who can speak from experience.
As you know, your cousin isn’t fond of them – farm animals, that is. ; )
Makes them grow or allows them to grow? While this might be splitting hairs, I don’t think antibiotics MAKE chickens grow faster. If it did, there might be something to the claims. Ionophores, and coccidia treatments, do allow birds to grow better. Coccidia is present in the environment – including in the birds. When too many build up, birds don’t grow as well, the feathers look rough and they can die. A treatment for coccidia doesn’t *make* the bird grow – a 4# Leghorn isn’t going to be the size of a 9# Australorp – but it allows that 4# Leghorn to reach her 4# rather than 3 and die. If there are 100 birds treated and 100 not, often those treated will be larger, better condition so it’s easy to think it makes them grow, when the truth is the others are stunted from having to battle coccidia and survive and grow.
Thanks for sharing the additional information.
Happy to – perspective is huge. I like maximizing what their genetics are capable of. Big, healthy, slick feathered birds are good. Stunted, disheveled or dead birds IMO are neglecting the best I can do by the birds. 🙂
I’ll offer this article too about growth in poultry. It’s the genetics! Just like in any sort of grain, fruit or vegetable crop, plants and or animals are bred for certain characteristics. This article addresses that: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/21/chickens-bred-bigger_n_5983142.html
Farmed and Dangerous was about as fact filled as watching reruns of Green Acres.
I would agree.
Excellent piece, Katie! Thank you for doing what you do… you do it well.
Thank you!
Katie, you are much more diplomatic then I would be!