Chick-fil-A has announced it will allow certain antibiotics in its chicken 10 years after making a commitment to the contrary. The company, citing supply chain challenges, posted the update on its website last week, noting it will transition “from chicken raised with No Antibiotics Ever (NAE) to chicken raised with No Antibiotics Important to Human Medicine (NAIHM). The transition will begin this spring.
Reuters first reported the change, which has sparked a bit of a backlash, including social media users threatening a boycott.
In February 2014, Chick-fil-A committed to selling chicken raised without antibiotics at all of its stores within five years, but that commitment proved to be daunting for the chain’s supply chain. In 2015, the issue reached a fever pitch, with a coalition of consumer, health, and environmental groups pushing the restaurant industry to do more to reduce the use of antibiotics in meat production. Several chains have since adopted antibiotics-free commitments, including McDonald’s, KFC, and Papa Johns, but most policies entail chicken raised with NAIHM because of supply chain constraints. Recent and similar changes from Panera, an early adopter of antibiotic-free proteins, underscore the challenges of market availability.
Chick-fil-A said on its website and app that it will “maintain supply of the high-quality chicken you expect from us,” adding that antibiotics in its chicken are only administered “only if the animal and those around it were to become sick.” The company added that it will continue evaluating its approach in tandem with its Animal Wellbeing Council.
Nation’s Restaurant News reached out to the company for a follow-up statement.
Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]