FOOD Chick-Fil-A backtracks from its no-antibiotics-in-chicken pledge, blames projected supply shortages

[Red Baron]

Pay elite fast food prices and now you get even poorer quality food that wouldn't even be allowed in some other countries.

Fair Use Cited
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Chick-Fil-A backtracks from its no-antibiotics-in-chicken pledge, blames projected supply shortages​

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Updated 5:44 PM CDT, March 24, 2024

ATLANTA (AP) — The fast-food chain Chick-Fil-A backtracked from its decade-old “no antibiotics ever” pledge intended to help prevent human antibiotic resistance linked to the rampant use of the drugs in livestock production.

Instead, the company said in a statement that it will embrace a standard known as “no antibiotics important to human medicine,” often abbreviated as NAIHM, which entails the avoidance of medications commonly used to treat people and limits the use of animal antibiotics to cases of actual animal illness.

Livestock producers have long used antibiotics to boost rapid weight gain in animals such as chickens, pigs, cows and sheep, improving the profitability of their businesses. Over the past decade, however, many nations, including the United States, have begun to restrict the practice as evidence mounted that it was contributing to drug resistance and reducing the effectiveness of antibiotics against disease in humans.

Chick-Fil-A said it will begin shifting to the new policy in the spring of 2024. A company spokesman added that the move reflects company concerns about its ability to acquire sufficient supplies of antibiotic-free chicken. One of the poultry industry’s largest companies, Tyson Foods, said last year that it was reintroducing some antibiotics to its chicken production and removing its “No Antibiotics Ever” package labeling. It began to eliminate antibiotics from some of its poultry production in 2015.

In a May 2023 video featured on the Tyson Foods YouTube channel, Tyson’s senior director of animal welfare, Karen Christensen, described the shift as “based on scientific research and industry learnings.” She noted that Tyson planned to begin using antibiotics known as ionophores, which don’t play a role in human medicine, to “improve the overall health and welfare of the birds in our care.” Ionophores have long been used to promote growth in livestock.

Chick-Fil-A backtracks from its no-antibiotics-in-chicken pledge, blames projected supply shortages

A company spokesman added that the move reflects company concerns about its ability to acquire sufficient supplies of antibiotic-free chicken.

apnews.com

 

[Deeb]

Looks like Chick-Fil-A has no choice than to make this move if Tyson is.

 

[Deeb]

Pay elite fast food prices and now you get even poorer quality food that wouldn't even be allowed in some other countries.

Found this at MSU Extension Emphasis mine.

Further complicating the antibiotic landscape is how ionophores are classified around the world. For example, in the U.S., ionophores are considered antibiotics because they meet the definition of an antibiotic in the U.S. That definition is “a substance produced by one organism which impedes the growth of, or kills, another organism.” Because ionophores are classified as antibiotics in the U.S., poultry companies marketing NAE products cannot use them. This often leads to high rates of sickness and death in broiler flocks from coccidiosis and necrotic enteritis (NE) on NAE farms. Ionophores are classified as “anticoccidials” in Europe, allowing NAE programs in Europe to include the use of ionophores. This discrepancy puts U.S. poultry operations marketing NAE poultry products at a disadvantage relative to their European counterparts.

 

[CaryC]

Pay elite fast food prices and now you get even poorer quality food that wouldn't even be allowed in some other countries.

Also have to include that AROUND HERE it costs less to eat at Chick-fil-a than it does at McD's.

 

[Red Baron]

Looks like Chick-Fil-A has no choice than to make this move if Tyson is.

My take on Chick-Fil-A's "vaunted" reputation is rather diminished now that I see they source from the lowest priced, lowest quality vendor they could find this side of Wuhan. China.

 

[Deeb]

My take on Chick-Fil-A's "vaunted" reputation is rather diminished now that I see they source from the lowest priced, lowest quality vendor they could find this side of Wuhan. China.

I didn't say they use Tyson, just that if Tyson is moving to ionophore use, I figure other US chicken producers will follow other than strictly organic farms especially since ionophores aren't considered antibiotics in other parts of the world.

Chick Fil A states on their website that they source chicken that isn't cage raised so that eliminates Tyson.

 

[WalknTrot]

I didn't say they use Tyson, just that if Tyson is moving to ionophore use, I figure other US chicken producers will follow other than strictly organic farms especially since ionophores aren't considered antibiotics in other parts of the world.

Chick Fil A states on their website that they source chicken that isn't cage raised so that eliminates Tyson.

I highly doubt Tyson raises meat birds in cages. More like loose housed in a building. Can't imagine where the heck that concept came from - likely just an advertising phrase that sounds good and sold to the rubes, because nobody does it that way.

 

[Deeb]

I highly doubt Tyson raises meat birds in cages. More like loose housed in a building. Can't imagine where the heck that concept came from - likely just an advertising phrase that sounds good and sold to the rubes, because nobody does it that way.

lol! have no idea how ginormous chicken farms work and don't want to visit to find out!!! I do eat at Chick Fil A maybe every couple of months but cook most food at home from scratch. I buy free range meats, prefer those raised on organic farms if available. As little as I eat out, I don't worry about restaurant food sources when I do.

 

[Red Baron]

I didn't say they use Tyson, just that if Tyson is moving to ionophore use, I figure other US chicken producers will follow other than strictly organic farms especially since ionophores aren't considered antibiotics in other parts of the world.

Chick Fil A states on their website that they source chicken that isn't cage raised so that eliminates Tyson.

My observation was not based on your comment.

 

[Deeb]

My observation was not based on your comment.

Where do they source from?

 

[Red Baron]

Where do they source from?

All I need to know is that they are dropping hormone free birds.

 

[Deeb]

All I need to know is that they are dropping hormone free birds.

No. Hormones and antibiotics aren't the same. They're going to ionophores which are labeled antibiotics in the US but not in Europe and other parts of the world where they're classified as anticoccidials. Ionophores are not used in human medicine and do not treat bacteria but a protozoa called coccidial that infects poultry.

Chick Fil A is getting a lot of negative press about this in the mainstream media though they are still adhering to European allowed ionophores. I have no doubt it's due to their religious stances.

 

[Red Baron]

No. Hormones and antibiotics aren't the same. They're going to ionophores which are labeled antibiotics in the US but not in Europe and other parts of the world where they're classified as anticoccidials. Ionophores are not used in human medicine and do not treat bacteria but a protozoa called coccidial that infects poultry.

Chick Fil A is getting a lot of negative press about this in the mainstream media though they are still adhering to European allowed ionophores. I have no doubt it's due to their religious stances.

My bad, I meant to say antibiotics.

 

[Tristan]

My take on Chick-Fil-A's "vaunted" reputation is rather diminished now that I see they source from the lowest priced, lowest quality vendor they could find this side of Wuhan. China.

I suppose all the chicken farms and hatcheries blowin' up the past few years had nuthin' to do with it.

 

[Macgyver]

I noticed that sign on the chick fillet drive through window the other day.

And as someone else pointed out they are one of the cheapest fast foods out there.

And if you frequent them get the app, you get free stuff constantly.

 

[Profit of Doom]

What came to mind is the zinc ionophores we have in the Covid protocols. Any relation?

 

[Groucho]

So why not take the company vertical and start up their own chicken raising operations? Seriously, then they could say with certainty that their chickens are raised correctly. They could also branch off and sell their own brand of chicken to markets across the land and have a (maybe) second lucrative revenue stream.

Notice, I didn't say "chicken ranches."

 

[Deeb]

What came to mind is the zinc ionophores we have in the Covid protocols. Any relation?

Ionophores transport ions across membranes. There are lots of different kinds with a myriad of effects on biological systems. Chloroquine is a a zinc ionophore that increases the efficacy of zinc and I believe is effective in combating Covid though it's an old drug and doesn't benefit Big Pharma so that got nipped in the bud early on.

The type inophore used in poultry is specific for a protozoa called coccidial which is why it's called anticoccidial in Europe. Antiprotozoal would be the most accurate descriptor for this application. Dunno why the US calls it an antibiotic unless it does have an effect on some type of bacteria; I didn't dig into it that deep but regardless, the anticoccidial isn't used in humans.