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Chick-fil-A is the latest company to back off an old pledge to never serve chicken that was fed antibiotics. The restaurant chain plans to utilize a looser industry standard that is becoming more standard to not use chickens that have been fed any antibiotics important to human medicine. "This change enables us to not only ensure we can continue to serve high-quality chicken, but also chicken that still meets the expectations our customers count on us to deliver," stated a Chick-fil-A spokesperson.
Last year, Tyson Foods (NYSE:TSN) ended an eight-year-pledge to keep all antibiotics out of its chicken, with a similar pledge as Chick-fil-A to only ensure that chicken it produces has not been fed antibiotics that are important to the treatment of humans. That standard has been recognized by both the USDA and the World Health Organization.
The industry switch could help some poultry producers improve the overall health of their chicken flock and could reduce the risk of the type of highly infectious avian flu outbreaks that have impacted companies such as Tyson Foods (TSN), Post Holdings (POST), Cal-Maine Foods (CALM), Pilgrim's Pride (PPC), Cargill, Sysco (SYY), Hormel (HRL), Perdue Farms, and Sanderson Farms in the past.