McDonald's chicken gets new standard: No human antibiotics

NEW YORK -- McDonald's says it plans to require chicken suppliers to stop using antibiotics important to human medicine within two years.

The company says its suppliers still will be able to use a type of antibiotic called ionophores that keeps chickens healthy and isn't used in humans. Later this year, McDonald's also said it no longer will serve milk from cows treated with a particular artificial growth hormone.

Many cattle, hog and poultry producers give their livestock antibiotics to make them grow faster and ensure they are healthy. The practice has become a public health issue, with officials saying it can lead to germs becoming resistant to drugs so the drugs are no longer effective in treating a particular illness in humans.

Chipotle and Panera already say they serve chicken raised without antibiotics, but the announcement by McDonald's is notable because of its size. The company has more than 14,000 U.S. locations. Chipotle has nearly 1,800 locations, while Panera has almost 1,900 locations.

"This really does move the ball quite a bit," said Gail Hansen, a senior officer with the antibiotic resistance project with The Pew Charitable Trusts. Hansen said ionophores, the antibiotics that will be allowed by McDonald's, are not considered medically important for humans.

Hansen noted the poultry industry already had been moving away from the use of antibiotics used in human medicine, which likely made the decision by McDonald's easier.

Marion Gross, senior vice president of McDonald's North America's supply chain, said the change will cost the company more but noted the increase won't necessarily be passed on to customers, because several factors are used to determine restaurant prices.

The announcement comes as McDonald's Corp. struggles to transform its image amid intensifying competition from smaller rivals positioning themselves as more wholesome alternatives.