McDonald’s USA is planning to source chicken raised without antibiotics to serve in its restaurants, which are important to human medicine, as part of its new menu sourcing initiatives.
The company's US restaurants will also serve milk jugs of low-fat white milk and fat-free chocolate milk from cows that are not treated with rbST, an artificial growth hormone.
McDonald's North America Supply Chain senior vice president Marion Gross said: "While no significant difference has been shown between milk derived from rbST-treated and non-rbST-treated cows, we understand this is something that is important to our customers."
The farmers responsible for the supply of chicken to McDonald's will, however, continue to responsibly use ionophores, a type of antibiotic not used for humans that helps keep chickens healthy, the company claims.
McDonald's procures all of the chicken served at its 14,000 US restaurants from farms that are working closely with the company to implement the new antibiotics policy to the supply chain within the next two years.
The company said its suppliers will continue to treat ill poultry with prescribed antibiotics which will no longer be included in its food supply.
Image: McDonald's to serve chicken raised without antibiotics at US restaurants. Photo: courtesy of McDonald's.
