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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Antibiotics on the Menu?

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Monday, October 2, 2017   

LINCOLN, Neb. – A new nationwide report by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) Education Fund ranks the top 25 restaurant chains for their antibiotics policies and practices.

At issue is misuse of antibiotics in meat production, which experts say puts human health at risk by breeding drug-resistant bacteria.

Shelby Luce, an Antibiotics Fellow with the PIRG Education Fund, says for the third year in a row, Panera and Chipotle were the only two major chains to get an A grade, because they reject routine antibiotic use through their entire supply chain.

Further down the list is Kentucky Fried Chicken. Luce says KFC earned the "most improved" grade.

"Going from an F grade to a B-minus for its newly announced commitment to no longer serve chicken raised with medically-important antibiotics in its U.S. locations by 2018," she states.

According to the report, 14 restaurants have taken action this year to curb routine use of antibiotics in their supply chain, compared to nine last year.

Luce says the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization both warn widespread overuse of antibiotics is pushing us closer to a time when medicines could no longer work.

"Right now, 70 percent of medically important antibiotics sold in the U.S. are for use in animal agriculture, and fast food restaurants are some of the largest meat purchasers in the world,” she explains. “So, their policies can completely shift the meat industry, for the U.S. – and eventually, hopefully, globally."

The report says no new progress was made in reducing antibiotic use in beef and pork.





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