Mcdonald’s wants to reduce the use of antibiotics for chickens

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Published the 24.08.2017 at 15h54

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The antibiotics in the nuggets or the McChicken from Mcdonald’s, it is in the past, or almost. The giant burger has announced that in 2018, the use of these drugs would be limited in the poultry farms. It has also said it wants to reduce their presence in the beef.

The american company has asked its suppliers to limit the use of antibiotics critical for human medicine “. This list, established by the world Health Organization (WHO), includes the cephalosporins, macrolides or quinolones.

Note that since 2016, the chickens reared in France and consumed in French restaurants, the chain of fast-food are not exposed to antibiotics growth promoters. In addition, no animal flour is not used.

As of January 2018, chickens raised in Brazil, Canada, Japan, South Korea, the United States and Europe will no longer be force-fed with these drugs. The firm, however, indicates that the european holdings, which will continue to give the animals of colistin, an antibiotic of last resort. By the end of 2019.

Objective 2027

From this date, the plan of Macdonald’s will continue in Australia and in Russia. The european livestock farmers will then be able to stop their treatment with colistin. All suppliers of the giant will be required to comply with this new rule by 2027. But “our goal is to implement this new program prior to that date,” said company in its press release.

According to Reuters, the multinational company has insured a group of consumer and environmental organizations that nearly three-quarters of chickens sold in January 2018 will meet these new criteria of food security.

Ten million deaths per year

The reduction of the use of antibiotics in livestock production and veterinary medicine has become an international priority, due to the emergence of many multi-resistant bacterial strains. A scourge, these microbes resistant to the medicines the most potent are responsible for 10 million deaths worldwide each year, according to a british report.

In France, the farmers and veterinarians seem to have grasped the extent of the hazard. Exposure of animals would have fallen by 48% since 2005, and approximately 20% in the last 4 years in domestic and farm animals.
A decrease that has allowed to reduce the resistance in E. coli in the pig and poultry production. Still, the quasi-totality of 514 tons of antibiotics for animal health are swallowed by animals that we consume, recalled last year a report presented by the major health agencies of the country (1).

(1) national security Agency of the drug (MSNA), national Agency of sanitary safety of food and the environment (Anses) and public Health France.