Not So Fast, Food
Starbucks, Domino’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King, Dunkin’ Donuts, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Arby’s.
What do all of these chains have in common?
Well for one, they are staples and industry leaders in the American fast food and coffee sectors. But most importantly, they all received a grade of F in a recent Chain Reaction II report by five consumer, environmental, and public health groups.
The Chain Reaction II report is an annual report that grades and scores popular fast food and restaurant chains with criteria based on their policies towards antibiotics use and transparency in their meat supply chains. The research, data analytics, and final report is done and published by the following five different organizations: (1) Friends of the Earth, (2) Consumers Union, (3) Natural Resources Defense Council, (4) Center for Food Safety, and (5) Food Animal Concerns Trust.
Many Americans are very aware that animals are intentionally treated with antibiotics before they are killed, cooked, and served up on a platter. Americans are also aware of the impending antibiotics resistance crisis going on around the world. However, a staggering statistic that most citizens are probably not aware of is that 70 percent of all antibiotics important in human medicine in the U.S. are sold for use in animal agriculture (Friends of the Earth). This speaks to the magnitude and severity of the real problem with antibiotics.
Yes, it is true that antibiotics are being improperly prescribed and administered by doctors all over the world. It is also true that they are being misused and overused by patients everywhere. We have certainly made a direct contribution toward the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. However, we have also indirectly impacted that growth through our consumption of food and animals treated with antibiotics. The average person did not put antibiotics in their own food, but have nonetheless been affected through these producers and manufacturers.
Giving antibiotics to animals raised for food is directly associated with an increase in resistant strains of bacteria that cause and further many human illnesses. On average, there are about 23,000 Americans that die every year because of this (U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention). And for those who are affected and don’t die, there is an average increase in healthcare costs of $55 million per year (U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention).
Some companies, like KFC, claim that they continue to use antibiotics only for chicken health, and that the antibiotics are specifically administered under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian. Technically, they are not breaking any FDA rules or codes, but that excuse is bologna. If other fast food chains can reduce, decrease, and come down on their antibiotic administration, then so can KFC.
Take Chipotle and Chick-Fil-A for example. These two companies routinely serve chicken in high quantities, yet they received grades of A and B, respectively, due to a concentrated effort to adapt to the consumer demands of fewer (or zero) antibiotics in food production. Some companies aren’t getting the message however. Starbucks refuses to even address the issue, but they’ll soon see that this can no longer be ignored.
Overall, I think the discussion and the report are positive signs going forward. For one, it shows that the issue is important and that consumers do care about what these fast food restaurants are putting in their products. Secondly, it highlights the fact that many of these companies are responding to the public pressure to stop using antibiotics in their meat supply chains. Subway did not acknowledge it’s antibiotic policies a year ago, and they just recently went from an F to a B. There is a consensus that we have to be the change we want to see in the world, and it appears as though we, as a society, are beginning to respond. We must take action to combat the antibiotics resistance, and a major way of doing that is monitoring and regulating the antibiotics we consume in our daily appetites.
