A new report is sounding the alarm about the use of antibiotics in the meat and poultry supply chains of the 25 largest U.S. fast food and "fast casual" restaurants.
Most
top U.S. restaurant chains have no publicly available policy to limit
regular use of antibiotics in their meat and poultry supply chains,
according to the "Chain Reaction" report by Friends of the Earth, the Natural Resources Defense Council and four
other consumer interest, public health and environmental organizations.
"When
livestock producers administer antibiotics routinely to their flocks
and herds, bacteria can develop resistance, thrive and even spread to
our communities, contributing to the larger problem of antibiotic
resistance," the authors wrote in the report, which was released
Tuesday. "The worsening epidemic of resistance means that antibiotics
may not work when we need them most: when our kids contract a staph infection (MRSA), or our parents get a life-threatening pneumonia."
The
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health
Organization have repeatedly warned about the not-far-off public health threat of antibiotic resistance. The CDC estimates at least 2 million Americans contract antibiotic-resistant infections every year, and that 23,000 die as a result.
"A
post-antibiotic era -- in which common infections and minor injuries
can kill -- far from being an apocalyptic fantasy, is instead a very
real possibility for the 21st century," the WHO cautioned in a 2014 report.
As
people are eating out more than ever, the researchers behind the report
wanted to look closely at "industry leaders and laggards." They created
a scorecard assessing the commitments of U.S. restaurant chains on
antibiotics use and transparency in their supply chains.
How did your favorite food fare?
Each
restaurant was graded on its antibiotics use policies, including the
strength of the policy and whether it applies to all types of meat; its
implementation of policies, including the estimated availability of meat
produced without routine antibiotics; and transparency about its
policies, including third-party audits, whether its policy was listed
online and whether it responded to the survey. The authors reached out
to restaurants in person, via email or via traditional mail. The total
number of possible points was based on the restaurant's menu offerings.
Chipotle
and Panera Bread fared best, with both receiving As. Those restaurants
are the only two that report serving a majority of their meat from
animals raised without regular use of antibiotics, the report said.
"While
many people are just starting to pay attention to the issue, we have
known for a long time that it is the right thing to do, and we are
pleased to see others taking even small steps to curb antibiotic use in
livestock," Chipotle said in response to the report.
Panera
Bread responded, "More than a decade ago, we started serving chicken
raised without antibiotics -- ahead of the industry. We're glad to see
that others have followed and proud to have extended our commitment to
all of the chicken, ham, bacon, sausage and roasted turkey on our salads
and sandwiches."
Chick-fil-A received a
grade of B, and responded to the rating by noting that it was "the
first in the quick service restaurant industry to announce a commitment
to 'No Antibiotics Ever' in its chicken supply back in 2014. ... Because
of this stringent requirement and our desire to have third-party
verification of our suppliers' processes, the switch will take some
time."
Dunkin' Donuts and McDonald's
received Cs. Subway, Wendy's, Burger King, Denny's, Domino's and
Starbucks all received Fs, but got at least one point.
CNN reached out to 11 restaurant chains singled out by this study, and several responded to the report.
- "Dunkin' Donuts has stringent food quality standards for all of our products that meet all requirements of the FDA and USDA -- complying with all laws, ordinances and regulations," the doughnut chain said.
- Wendy's said it is testing grilled chicken that is raised without antibiotics.
- Burger King Corp. said it would review the findings.
- Domino's said its suppliers "currently meet all USDA requirements and we don't purchase chicken or beef treated with the non-therapeutic use of antibiotics."
- Starbucks said it was working with its suppliers to address concerns about antibiotic use.
Other
restaurants that received Fs earned zero out of 36 possible points:
Olive Garden, Papa John's, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC, Applebee's, Sonic,
Chili's, Jack in the Box, Arby's, Dairy Queen, IHOP, Outback and Little
Caesars.
One of the chains scoring a
zero, Papa John's, said it is spending $100 million a year to eliminate
artificial ingredients and other additives and that "by the first half
of 2016, we will offer antibiotic-free chicken on our pizza."
"Panera
and Chipotle are the only chains that publicly affirm that the majority
of their meat and poultry offered is produced without routine use of
antibiotics," the authors said in the report. "Chick-fil-A and
McDonald's have established policies limiting antibiotic use in their
chicken with implementation timelines, while Dunkin' Donuts has a policy
covering all meats, but has no reported timeline for implementation.
"Most
top U.S. chain restaurants have so far failed to effectively respond to
this growing public health threat by publicly adopting policies
restricting routine antibiotic use by their meat suppliers."
Terry
Fleck, the executive director of the Center for Food Integrity, whose
members include the National Restaurant Association, said that
responsible use of antibiotics makes food safer and more affordable.
"Antibiotic
resistance is a serious public health concern that should be addressed
both in human and animal medicine," Fleck said in a statement emailed to
CNN. "But just as with you or me, when animals get sick with a
bacterial infection, treating them with antibiotics is the ethical thing
to do. Farmers work closely with veterinarians to responsibly
administer antibiotics in the care for their animals, benefiting each of
us by making food safer and more affordable."
Hormones in the food supply
The
report's authors said they also asked restaurants about use of hormones
in meat and poultry supply chains out of concern that meat producers
might increase use of those growth-promoting drugs as they phased out
antibiotics. Hormones did not factor into the restaurants' grades, but
the authors said the use of hormones raise animal welfare concerns and
possible human health risks.
"A
good rule of thumb is to avoid eating foods that contain ingredients
you can't pronounce," says Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN's chief medical
correspondent.
The report lists recommendations ranging from diners to restaurants, government officials and farmers.
Restaurants,
the report said, should "use their considerable purchasing power to
make meat and poultry produced without the routine use of antibiotics
more readily available to consumers."
The
Food and Drug Administration should mandate greater transparency on
antibiotic use among livestock producers, the report said, and "policies
that prohibit use of medically important antibiotics for both growth
promotion and disease prevention."
The report urges consumers to ask about meat sources in restaurants and on social media.
"As
more consumers demand better meat options, they will become more widely
available," the authors wrote. "Remember: it's your money, your health
and your future."
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