A majority of the 25 largest fast food and fast casual chains have too much antibiotics in their meat supply, according to a new report from various consumer and environmental groups.
The report and scorecard released Tuesday found that 20 of the 25 chains studied earned an “F” for allowing routine antibiotic use by their meat suppliers, according to a release on the report. Antibiotic use in livestock is a key contributor to antibiotic resistance, public health experts warn.
The five chains that earned passing grades were Panera Bread, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s and Dunkin Donuts.
The major chains that failed included Subway and Burger King.
“From bacon cheeseburgers to chicken nuggets, most meat served by America’s chain restaurants comes from animals raised in industrial-scale facilities, where they are routinely fed antibiotics to prevent disease that is easily spread in crowded, unsanitary, stressful conditions,” said Kari Hamerschlag, senior program manager at Friends of the Earth, one of the groups that funded the report.
Restaurants have been getting heat from consumers to stop serving antibiotic-fed meat because it is linked to cultivating antibiotic-resistance in people. Livestock given too many antibiotics can develop resistant microbes that are then passed on to humans when the meat is consumed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Companies need to insist that producers reduce density and improve animal diets, sanitation and other management practices within their producers’ facilities, to reduce the likelihood of disease and the need for routine drug use,” said Steven Roach, food safety program director at Food Animal Concerns Trust and analyst for Keep Antibiotics Working. “By doing so, these companies can play an important role in ensuring better animal welfare and addressing one of our nation’s more serious public health threats”
The report included a survey of the top 25 fast food chains. It was supported by Friends of the Earth, Natural Resources Defense Council,Consumers Union, Food Animal Concerns Trust, Keep Antibiotics Working and Center for Food Safety.
