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McDonald's USA announces new antibiotics policy and menu sourcing initiatives

McDonald's USA today announced new menu sourcing initiatives including only sourcing chicken raised without antibiotics that are important to human medicine.

March 4, 2015

McDonald's USA today announced new menu sourcing initiatives including only sourcing chicken raised without antibiotics that are important to human medicine.

In addition, McDonald's U.S. restaurants will also offer customers milk jugs of low-fat white milk and fat-free chocolate milk from cows that are not treated with rbST, an artificial growth hormone.

"Our customers want food that they feel great about eating -- all the way from the farm to the restaurant -- and these moves take a step toward better delivering on those expectations," McDonald's U.S president Mike Andres said in a statement.

This new policy supports the company's new Global Vision for Antimicrobial Stewardship in Food Animals introduced this week, which builds on the company's 2003 global antibiotics policy and includes supplier guidance on the thoughtful use of antibiotics in all food animals.

"McDonald's believes that any animals that become ill deserve appropriate veterinary care and our suppliers will continue to treat poultry with prescribed antibiotics, and then they will no longer be included in our food supply," Marion Gross, senior vice president of McDonald's North America Supply Chain, said in a statement.

While McDonald's will only source chicken raised without antibiotics important to human medicine, the farmers who supply chicken for its menu will continue to responsibly use ionophores, a type of antibiotic not used for humans that helps keep chickens healthy, according to the press release.

"If fewer chickens get sick, then fewer chickens need to be treated with antibiotics that are important in human medicine. We believe this is an essential balance," Gross added.

The initiatives are the latest steps in McDonald's USA's journey to evolve its menu to better meet the changing preferences and expectations of today's customers.

"We will continue to look at our food and menu to deliver the kind of great tasting and quality choices that our customers trust and enjoy," Andres added.