|
McDonald’s Calls
for Phase-Out of Growth Promoting Antibiotics in Meat Supply, Establishes
Global Policy on Antibiotic Use
OAK BROOK, IL – McDonald's Corporation today announced plans that
call for its suppliers worldwide to phase-out of animal growth promotion
antibiotics that are used in human medicine. The Global Policy on
Antibiotics also creates a set of standards for McDonald’s direct meat
suppliers and encourages indirect suppliers to take similar steps to
eliminate growth-promoting antibiotics and to reduce other antibiotic
usage.
“As a company committed to social responsibility, we take seriously
our obligation to understand the emerging science of antibiotic
resistance, and to work with our suppliers to foster real, tangible
changes in our own supply community, and hopefully beyond,” said Frank
Muschetto, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Supply Chain Management at
McDonald’s Corporation. “McDonald’s is asking producers that supply
over 2.5 billlion pounds of chicken, beef and pork annually to take
actions that will ultimately help protect public health.”
McDonald’s Global Policy on Antibiotics Use in Food Animals
was developed with a broad-based coalition of organizations interested in
the issue and committed to identifying opportunities within animal
agriculture. In July 2002, McDonald’s joined forces with Environmental
Defense, an environmental advocacy organization and a partner with
McDonald’s on a range of initiatives since 1989, and Elanco Animal
Health, an animal pharmaceutical company, to create an Antibiotics
Coalition. Other members of the coalition included McDonald’s suppliers
Tyson Foods and Cargill. Also participating in the coalition were Brigham
and Women's Hospital physician Dr. Thomas O'Brien, Oxford University
animal welfare expert Dr. Marian Dawkins and Bon Appétit Management
Company. The Meridian Institute facilitated the coalition process.
"By working together, McDonald's and Environmental Defense have
leveraged the company's purchasing power to help reverse the trend of
antibiotics overuse in animal agriculture," said Gwen Ruta, program
director for Environmental Defense. "McDonald's new policy
demonstrates that reducing antibiotic use is both feasible and
affordable.”
“Direct relationship” suppliers are those dedicated to McDonald’s
business and directly control the stages of animal production where
antibiotic use decisions are made. The majority of McDonald’s worldwide
poultry supply falls into this category. Direct suppliers must certify
annual compliance with the policy, including the sustainable use guiding
principles and the elimination of growth promotion uses of antibiotics
approved for use in human medicine, and must maintain records of
antibiotics use that are available for company audits and review.
Tyson Foods is a direct supplier of poultry to McDonald’s.
“Tyson Foods has worked productively with McDonald's in addressing
the issue of antibiotic use in our poultry production. Along with
McDonald's we believe it is critical for our company and our industry to
utilize antibiotics in a responsible manner, which preserves their
long-term effectiveness in both human and veterinary medicine,” said
Archie Schaffer, senior vice president of external relations, Tyson Foods.
McDonald’s policy will also be encouraged for indirect suppliers,
which includes most beef and pork suppliers. For indirect relationship
suppliers, McDonald’s Global Policy on Antibiotics Use offers incentives
for compliance with the policy and other actions that may reduce the
potential for antibiotic resistance. Indirect suppliers seeking
consideration as a preferred supplier in regards to the policy must also
certify compliance and maintain records of their antibiotic use.
For example, some of Cargill’s products fall within the indirect
category.
“Cargill recognizes McDonald’s effort to address this important
issue”, said Mark Klein, Director of Cargill’s Public Affairs. “The
McDonald’s policy is one of many steps that should be considered to
promote human health, animal health and the responsible use of antibiotics
and alternative antibiotics.”
McDonald’s Global Policy on Antibiotics builds upon a number of
leadership initiatives that the company has already taken on this issue.
McDonald’s Europe began phasing-out growth promoting antibiotics during
2000. At the end of 2001, all European-based suppliers for poultry had
eliminated growth promoting antibiotics for use in chicken feed. In 2001,
McDonald’s USA decided to discontinue all uses of the antibiotic class
of fluoroquinolones with its poultry supply.
McDonald’s will work together with other coalition members and
encourage adoption of similar policies within the food and restaurant
industry.
“Elanco supports McDonald’s overarching goal of the sustainable use
of antibiotics,” states Dennis Erpelding, corporate affairs manager for
Elanco Animal Health. “We feel our partnership and collaboration with
McDonald’s represents a key milestone for the sustainable use of
antibiotics in food animals, which are vital to ensure healthy animals and
thus a safe food supply. As a provider of animal health products to
McDonald’s suppliers, we encourage the judicious use of antibiotics,
advocate a science based approach for evaluating sustainability and remain
committed to educating and working with all key food chain
stakeholders.”
For the full text of McDonald's Global Policy on Antibiotics Use in
Food Animals and further information about other McDonald’s social
responsibility initiatives, please visit: http://www.mcdonalds.com/corporate/social/ |
