TORONTO — In a move to better meet the changing preferences of its guests, McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada has promised to source chicken raised without antibiotics that are important to human medicine by 2018.
The decision comes after the U.S. arm of the chain pledged to reduce the use of antibiotics in its poultry supply. “McDonald’s believes antibiotics have important benefits, but that a few sensible changes to our policy can both maintain their most important benefits while helping to reduce their use overall,” said Rob Dick, senior director of McDonald’s Canada supply chain. The chain will continue to source chicken treated with an antibiotic called ionophores, a type of feed additive that controls coccidiosis (a disease of birds and mammals that affects the intestines).
The new policy follows an announcement last month that the company plans to transition to 100-per-cent Canadian cage-free eggs over the next 10 years.
