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June 19, 2003
McDonald's Rises to Challenge on Antibiotic Resistance
New Policy Will Help Reduce Antibiotic Overuse by Fast-Food Giant's Suppliers; Burger King Should Match Commitment
Statement By Dr. Margaret Mellon, director of UCS Food and Environment Program
"McDonald's today becomes the first major fast-food chain to develop a comprehensive policy to reduce and monitor antibiotic use by its suppliers. This is an important step toward ending practices in the animal food business that have led to the growing specter of antibiotic-resistant disease.
"According to UCS research, an estimated 70 percent of antibiotics and related drugs in the United States are fed to healthy pigs, cows, and chickens to promote growth and prevent disease. That's eight times the amount of antibiotics used to treat diseases in humans.
"McDonald's new global policy prohibits its direct suppliers of meat from using medically important antibiotics as growth promoters in food animals after 2004. Twenty percent of McDonald's meat products come from direct suppliers. Most poultry suppliers fall into this category, while beef and pork suppliers are indirect. Beef and pork suppliers will receive a purchasing preference if they work to minimize antibiotic use and establish guidelines for the appropriate use of antibiotics. In addition, McDonald's has established an accountability system that requires its direct suppliers to maintain records of antibiotic use and to document compliance through an internal assurance program and with regular audits. McDonald's plans to share this program with companies within its supply chain and with the industry as a whole.
"McDonald's has pioneered a robust structure to address this issue that should serve as a model for other socially responsible companies. McDonald's internal accountability system will give consumers an increased measure of confidence about antibiotic-use claims. UCS applauds McDonald's for instituting a global policy that targets antibiotics used in animal agriculture, which have human-use equivalents, and for sharing this plan with other companies. We urge other fast-food companies such as Burger King to make similar pledges soon.
"McDonald's policy does not go far enough, however. The policy focuses only on antibiotics used for growth promotion and leaves out the larger category of antibiotics used for disease prevention. Additionally, it is unfortunate that its policy is mandatory for poultry producers but not for pork and beef producers. In the future, McDonald's should add third-party certification of its antibiotic monitoring program.
"UCS and its members have pressured McDonald's to reduce antibiotic overuse for more than a year. Today, we are able to cheer McDonald's for rising to the challenge posed by many Americans on this crucial public health issue." |
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