Meat producers give animals antibiotics to make them grow faster and prevent illness, a practice that has become a public health issue. (Paul Sakuma/Associated Press)
KFC said it plans to stop serving chicken raised with antibiotics important to human health.
The fried chicken chain said the change will be completed by the end of next year at its more than 4,000 U.S. restaurants. Other fast food companies have made similar pledges, including McDonald’s Corp.
Meat producers give animals antibiotics to make them grow faster and prevent illness, a practice that has become a public health issue. Officials have said that it can lead to germs becoming resistant to drugs, making antibiotics no longer effective in treating some illnesses in humans.
Human infections from antibiotic-resistant bacteria pose a grave threat to global health.
KFC said it its working with more than 2,000 poultry farms around the U.S. to make the change.
KFC is the last of the big three chicken restaurants to join the fight against the rise of dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria known as superbugs.
“We recognize that it’s a growing public health concern,” KFC U.S. President Kevin Hochman told Reuters.
“This is something that’s important to many of our customers and it’s something we need to do to show relevance and modernity within our brand,” Hochman said.
The policy applies only to KFC in the United States and its 4,200 restaurants supplied by some 2,000 domestic chicken farms, said Hochman. KFC’s antibiotic policy is set on a country-by-country basis, he added.
Vijay Sukumar, chief food innovation officer for KFC U.S., said the new policy applies throughout the bird’s full life cycle, which includes the hatchery where chicks are sometimes injected with antibiotics while still in the shell.
Yum spun off its KFC-dominated China division in November.
The chain, owned by Louisville, Kentucky-based Yum Brands Inc., said it is also in the process of removing artificial colours and flavours from certain menu items by the end of 2018.
