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 The move by the world's biggest fast-food chain addresses concerns
that the overuse of antibiotics vital to fighting human infections
in farm animals may diminish the drugs' effectiveness in people.
McDonald's becomes the biggest beef buyer to tackle the issue in
cattle, potentially creating a new standard for livestock producers
and threatening sales by drug companies such as Merck & Co and
Elanco Animal Health.
"McDonald's iconic position and the fact that they're the largest
single global purchaser of beef make it hugely important," said
David Wallinga, a senior health adviser for the environmental group
Natural Resources Defense Council.
McDonald's said it will measure the use of antibiotics in its 10
biggest markets, including the United States, and set targets to
curb their use by the end of 2020. The markets cover 85 percent of
the company's global beef supply chain.
Under the McDonald's policy, medically important antibiotics cannot
be used to routinely prevent disease in food animals in the supply
chain.
The company does not expect the policy to raise hamburger prices,
although franchisees set their own menu prices, spokeswoman Lauren
Altmin said.
Franchisees operate about 90 percent of McDonald's restaurants.
The Animal Health Institute, which represents pharmaceutical
companies, said it supported "judicious" use of antibiotics and that
drug makers are developing alternatives.
Merck did not respond to a request for comment.
Elanco said a small portion of its portfolio includes medically
important feed-grade antibiotics. The drugs are used to treat
conditions such as liver abscesses and respiratory diseases, for
which there are not effective alternatives, spokeswoman Colleen Parr
Dekker said
"It is important to ensure that policies do not move faster than
science," she said.
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Bob Smith, an Oklahoma-based cattle veterinarian for Veterinary
Research and Consulting Services, said farmers have worked to cut
back on antibiotic use while keeping cattle healthy. The lack of
alternatives limits their options, however, when animals fall ill,
he said.
"We will need those medically important antibiotics in meat
production for a long, long time," Smith said. "We want to use those
wisely."
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last year said sales and
distribution of medically important antibiotics for food production
fell 14 percent from 2015 to 2016, the first decline in year-to-year
sales since the agency began collecting the data in 2009. Chicken
accounted for 6 percent of the sales, while swine and cattle came in
at 37 percent and 43 percent, respectively.
Many restaurants and meat companies have moved away from using
antibiotics in chicken production in recent years, in part because
McDonald's did so. The Chicago-based chain has an outsize influence
on farm practices due to its size.
Removing antibiotics from cattle is more difficult, experts said,
because the animals live longer than chickens and have more chances
to fall ill.
Hamburger chain Wendy's Co a year ago said it would buy about 15
percent of its beef beginning in 2018 from producers that have
pledged to reduce by 20 percent their use of an antibiotic.
"What McDonald's is doing will hopefully start to shift the industry
all together from over-using antibiotics," said Matt Wellington,
antibiotics program director for advocacy group U.S. PIRG.
(Reporting by Tom Polansek in Chicago; Additional reporting by
Siddharth Cavale in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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