These two American greats found their way into the spotlight for a very important reason. They’re health-conscious when it comes to antibiotic use in meat and poultry products.
Experts say that 2 million Americans contract antibiotic-resistant infections yearly. Even more terrifying, 23,000 people die from these infections. The issue is so serious that the World Health Organization (WHO) actually referred to the impending reality of a post-antibiotic era in a statement. In the statement, it said that this era will reflect a time in which “common infections and minor injuries can kill.” In fact, they said that this is “far from being an apocalyptic fantasy.” Instead, it says it is “a very real possibility for the 21st Century.”
The Facts About Antibiotics and Meat
This is where Panera and Chipotle received three cheers from antibiotic-free meat activists. In 2015, consumers were astounded when a report issued by Friends of the Earth and several other public interest organizations blew the roof off of 23 of the 25 largest fast-food and “fast-casual” restaurants in America. That’s because the report revealed that many of these American greats were either using antibiotics in meat products or had unclear policies.
The report cited concerns about a terrifying fact. Many of these American favorites use meat that “comes from animals raised in industrial-scale facilities where they are routinely fed antibiotics.”
Livestock disease prevention and accelerated growth are reasons behind antibiotic use in meat. It sounds like no big deal, but the health implications of the practice are significant. First, bacteria can become resistant. This is said to fuel the global and domestic problem of antibiotic resistance that the world already faces.
Experts warn that this practice could make humans resistant to antibiotics. For example, the report states that resistance could occur in kids with staph infections or adults with pneumonia in that antibiotics just might not work. Because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have named antibiotic resistance one of the five top health threats in America, this is a scary thing.
Just as concerning, the number of meats containing antibiotics is growing. According to the report, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says that the number of antibiotics sold for use in livestock grew by 20 percent between 2009 and 2013. In fact, it is said that about 70 percent of medical-grade antibiotics are actually sold for use in animals.
Good News About Restaurant Grub
These are the reasons why experts have begun investigating. To evaluate the policies and practices of these establishments in the way of antibiotics used in meat and poultry products, a collective group conducted a survey and analyzed establishments' public statements. The result was an industry scorecard designed to assess the commitments of the establishments regarding antibiotic use and policy transparency in general.
The findings were concerning. For starters, only five restaurants received passing grades: Chipotle Mexican Grill (A), Panera Bread (A), Chick-fil-A (B), Dunkin’ Donuts (C) and McDonald’s (C).
The report also states that “only five of the top 25 chains have adopted publicly available policies that meaningfully limit routine antibiotics use.” The policies vary by company. For example, Chick-fil-A stressed that it prohibits antibiotic use in its meats. And McDonald’s said it prohibits antibiotics that are important to human medicine in its chicken products.
The report found that only four restaurants had policies regarding antibiotic use on all meats served: Chipotle, Panera, Chick-fil-A and Dunkin’ Donuts. However, Dunkin’ Donuts was still docked -- the report states that “although Dunkin’ Donuts has adopted a good antibiotics use policy, it has not made public a timetable for when suppliers must meet company requirements and it is unclear how much, if any, meat served in its restaurants meets policy specifications. We therefore rated Dunkin’ Donuts at 0 (of 8) for estimated current availability.”
The report also delves into the issue of growth hormones used in meats. The restaurants were asked, “if they have policies prohibiting the use of hormones and/or beta-agonist growth promoters in their meat and poultry supply chains.” However, these results were not considered in the scorecard scores.
Panera and Chipotle also stole the show in this respect. In fact, they were the only restaurants to report policies restricting the use of these products. The report says that “Panera reports having strict policies against the use of beta-agonists and reports that most of its beef comes from suppliers that do not use hormones.” And “Chipotle reports that it has policies prohibiting the use of both hormones and beta-agonist growth promoters in their supply chain.”
Less-Conscientious Chain Restaurants
However, not all chains are as conscientious as these two standouts. In fact, a number of companies that many of us love failed: Subway, Wendy’s, Burger King, Denny’s, Domino’s Pizza, Starbucks Coffee, Olive Garden, Papa John’s, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC, Applebee’s, Chili’s, Jack in the Box, Dairy Queen, IHOP, Arby’s, Outback Steakhouse, Little Caesars and Sonic.
However, since the report was released, some restaurants have begun to make changes. For example, Consumer Reports says that Subway has introduced a rotisserie-style chicken sandwich to its menu that is said to be antibiotic-free. Consumer Reports welcomed the release of the sandwich as they, along with other organizations, had been urging Subway to make changes.
But don’t worry, these changes don’t stop with the addition of just one sandwich. The company has announced a general goal of eliminating the use of antibiotics in meats by 2025.
McDonald’s, who received a passing grade, also has set similar goals. According to the Christian Science Monitor, McDonald’s began to phase out antibiotic use in chicken products in 2015. And the company plans on offering all antibiotic-free chicken products by 2017. The company says it uses chicken products that are growth hormone-free. It has even made other changes in that it is shifting to cage-free eggs.
The good news is that all of these companies will have plenty of time to achieve passing grades in the future. The goal of the group is to make this survey and scorecard an annual thing. Those involved hope that this process will “encourage more top restaurant chains to adopt public policies that would end the routine use of antibiotics.” In addition, the group hopes to promote overall transparency about this issue.