McDonald’s Canada removing most antibiotics from chicken
TORONTO — McDonald’s Canada is moving to remove antibiotics used in humans from its chicken offerings, including the popular Chicken McNuggets, by the end of 2018.
The company’s 1,400 restaurants in Canada, which source all of their chicken from Canadian poultry farmers, said it will work with suppliers to phase out the use of antibiotics that are important to human medicine over the next three years. “Our guests are telling us that they want these types of changes,” said Rob Dick, senior director of McDonald’s Canada’s supply chain.
Dick said the company has been on a “food journey” over the last few years, introducing healthier options such as salads and wraps. He also pointed to a McDonald’s Canada announcement last month when the company said it was moving to use eggs from cage-free chickens over the next 10 years. “Part of this journey we’re on is to let our customers feel even better about the great food we’re serving at McDonald’s.”
Antibiotics are used to stimulate growth as well as protect chickens and cattle from disease. Critics allege that the overuse of the drugs in meat has contributed to the rise of antibioticresistant bugs in humans.
McDonald’s Canada said chicken farmers will continue to use ionophores, a type of antibiotic that is not used in humans. The international fast-food giant’s American arm made a similar announcement earlier this year.
Dick would not say if the company was considering antibiotic-free beef, but he said anyone in the food industry is aware of customer concerns. Poultry and cattle given antibiotics can also be infected with diseases such as salmonella, which can become more resistant to the drugs through repeated exposure.