Fast Food Chains Fail on Antibiotic Laced Meats

Nearly all fast food chains are serving beef from animals raised with antibiotics, according to Consumer Reports "Chain Reaction Report 2019". Of the 25 chains named in the report fifteen earned a grade of F for not even having a policy on using beef from antibiotic-treated animals - let alone not serving it. Only 2 chains earned an A for using only beef raised without the drugs.

The chains did a little better where poultry is concerned, with 13 of them having "responsible" antibiotic policies in place for chicken.

For the complete list of chains and the grades they received, go to USPIRG.org. 

Why does this even matter?

By now you have certainly heard about the problem of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Each year over 3 million Americans become infected with an antibiotic resistant bacteria, mostly after undergoing a hospital procedure, and 48,000 of them die.

Antibiotics save human and animal lives, but when they are used, they can contribute to the development of resistance. Animals get sick, just like people, and treatment should not be delayed or avoided for sick animals. But when animals are given antibiotics for growth promotion or increased feed efficiency, bacteria are exposed to low doses of these drugs over a long period of time. This is inappropriate antibiotic use and can lead to the development of resistant bacteria.

The World Health Organization describes the rise of resistant bacteria as "one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development today". Antibiotic resistance is rising to dangerously high levels in all parts of the world. New resistance mechanisms are emerging and spreading globally, threatening our ability to treat common infectious diseases. A growing list of infections – such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, blood poisoning, gonorrhoea, and foodborne diseases – are becoming harder, and sometimes impossible, to treat as antibiotics become less effective.

Without urgent action, we are heading for a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries can once again kill, and where even minor surgery cannot be performed because the risk of infection is simply too high.

That seems like a high price to pay for meat that is neither tastier nor more nutritious than that from responsibly raised animals. Given their huge economic influence on meat producers, fast food chains can be a big part of either the problem or the solution. Let them know which you prefer.