December 11, 2018 -- For more than a year, ARAC staff has been advising McDonald's on a new policy it was creating to limit the use of medically important antibiotics in its beef supply chain. As the largest fast food company in the world, McDonald's has the ability to change markets and tackle the pressing public health issue of antibiotic resistance. On December 11, the company announced it's new policy that disallows preventative uses of antibiotics -- meaning that except in rare circumstances the drugs cannot be given to animals that are not showing clinical signs of disease. The policy also limits uses of antibiotics critically important to human health and will set antibiotic use reduction targets that will be transparent and reported publicly to its customers.
ARAC Director Dr. Lance B. Price commented:
'Antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest threats to mankind today. We commend McDonald's efforts to develop a global policy guiding how antibiotics are used within its beef supply chain. The company has set an ambitious timeline for implementing this policy and it's heartening that it is setting reduction targets that will be transparent and reported publicly to its customers. It is our hope that the entire beef industry will follow McDonald's leadership and adopt similar policies that reduce and where possible eliminate antibiotic use, while still allowing veterinarians to treat sick animals.