According to the Chain Reaction report, meat sold by major American fast food chains contains an unsafe amount of antibiotics.

The 25 largest fast food chains in the United States are getting schooled — not surprisingly, the report card doesn’t look so good.

The meat sold by the nation’s major fast food providers has been analyzed for its antibiotic content. The scorecard exposes the seriousness of an underreported health issue that affects the nation as a whole.

The Report Card

The scorecard shows that only five American fast food chains received a passing grade, while 20 other restaurants failed the test.

Friends of Earth released a “Chain Reaction” report in conjunction with the Natural Resources Defense Council, Consumers Union, Food Animal Concerns Trust, Keep Antibiotics Working, and Center for Food Safety.

The report grades America’s top restaurant chains on their policies and practices regarding antibiotics in their meat and poultry. Researchers gathered data from restaurants in person, through email and snail mail.

The researchers looked at how well these policies were implemented, including the estimated availability of meat produced without routine antibiotics. The grade also takes into account how transparent the restaurant is about its policies, and if the practices were online.

The grades were calculated based on the establishment’s antibiotics use policies, including the strength of the policy and if it applies to all meat products offered. The total number of possible points was 36.

According to the report, 20 of the most popular fast food restaurants failed, which meant the meat they sold contained a lot of antibiotics. The restaurants that received zero points include Wendy’s, Burger King, Dominos, Starbucks, Olive Garden, Papa John’s, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC, Applebee’s, Sonic, Chili’s, Jack in the Box, Arby’s, Dairy Queen, IHOP, Outback and Little Caesars.

Each restaurant had a different response of explanation for their good, or not-so-good, grade.

Dunkin’ Donuts and Dominos both said their food complies with all FDA and USDA laws. Wendy’s and Starbucks are working to address concerns about antibiotic use. Burger King plans to review the findings.

Only two restaurants passed with flying colors. Chipotle and Panera Bread both received an “A” score because their meat isn’t treated with antibiotics.

“While many people are just starting to pay attention to the issue, we have known for a long time that it is the right thing to do, and we are pleased to see others taking even small steps to curb antibiotic use in livestock,” Chipotle said in response to the report.

Panera Bread had a similar reaction, claiming that “More than a decade ago, we started serving chicken raised without antibiotics — ahead of the industry. We’re glad to see that others have followed and proud to have extended our commitment to all of the chicken, ham, bacon, sausage and roasted turkey on our salads and sandwiches.”

Chik-fil-a, coming in with a “B” score, is working to catch up to their 2014 claim of ‘No Antibiotics Ever.’ Representatives say that the switch will take time, and that verification from suppliers is of utmost importance. McDonald’s is also working to eliminate some antibiotics in their meat supply.

Papa Johns, which received an “F,” is spending $100 million a year to eliminate artificial ingredients and other additives. “By the first half of 2016, we will offer antibiotic-free chicken on our pizza,” Papa Johns said in response.

The Meaning Behind The Meat

Consuming meat that contains antibiotic-resistant bacteria will make antibiotics ineffective when they are needed most.
Image: Maximized Living

The meat industry uses antibiotics to prevent animals from getting infections that would develop from poor diet and unsanitary conditions. Using antibiotics as a standard preventative method has yielded resistant bacteria, which is then passed on to humans.

“When livestock producers administer antibiotics routinely to their flocks and herds, bacteria can develop resistance, thrive and even spread to our communities, contributing to the larger problem of antibiotic resistance,” according to the report authors.

This is a bigger problem than we think. At least 2 million Americans contract antibiotic-resistant infections every year, the CDC estimates. These infections will kill about 23,000 people.

“The worsening epidemic of resistance means that antibiotics may not work when we need them most: when our kids contract a staph infection (MRSA), or our parents get a life-threatening pneumonia,” according to the study.

In addition, six hormones are used in the industry to promote faster, larger growth of animals. Although the scorecard doesn’t measure the amount of hormones used in fast food meat, the authors want to caution as using them as a replacement for antibiotics.

The report urges restaurants to “use their considerable purchasing power to make meat and poultry produced without the routine use of antibiotics more readily available to consumers.”

The authors also call upon the Food and Drug Administration to mandate greater transparency on antibiotic use in the meat industry, and create “policies that prohibit use of medically important antibiotics for both growth promotion and disease prevention.”

According to the report, it’s really up to the consumer. Recommendations ranging from diners to restaurants, government officials and farmers are included in the report.

“As more consumers demand better meat options, they will become more widely available,” the authors wrote. “Remember: it’s your money, your health and your future.”

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Animal rights groups have long targeted McDonald’s for its food processing practices, but a recent investigation from Mercy For Animals has put heat on the big-league fast food chain once again.

Most people know how animals are treated in the American meat industry… even if they would prefer to pretend that they don’t. But if you haven’t ever seen an animal abuse video, you’re in for a wake-up call.

Mercy For Animals, a non-profit organization that focuses on the abuse of farm animals and promotes compassionate food choices, has released film of heart-wrenching cruelty at a Tennessee farm that provides chicken for Tyson Foods, Inc., which then supplies the meat to McDonald’s.

The investigation has created a rift in the partnerships of the involved parties. In addition to impacting business, the film has caused a media outcry that further exposes the horrendous living conditions of animals that end up in a box of McNuggets.

Undercover Documentation of Animal Cruelty

Employees from T&S Farm in Dukedom, Tenn., are caught using cruel tactics to manage thousands of chickens living in a dark, dirty and cramped atmosphere. The farm housed chickens that would later be sold as McDonald’s McNuggets.

In the video, a female worker beats, bludgeons and stabs the flapping bodies of frightened chickens with a sharp metal rod. She is shown stomping on a chicken’s head before using the sole of her shoe to hold the its body in place while she breaks its neck.

A particularly sad part of the video illustrates that many chickens remain alive while they are being readied for the consumer’s plate. They appear to be sick, injured and terrified.

“This type of abuse runs rampant in the animal agriculture industry, which seeks to maximize profit and minimize costs at the expense of animals, public health and the environment,” says Matt Rice, Director of Investigations at Mercy For Animals.

The Corporate Reaction To Ditch The Abusive Supplier

Animal rights activist group PETA takes a stance against McDonald’s treatment of chickens with the McCruelty campaign.
Via: McCruelty

McDonald’s and Tyson no longer have a relationship with T&S Farm. The two are working together to investigate the claim in addition to the investigation conducted by the local sheriff’s office at Weakley County.

“Animal well-being is a priority at our company and we will not tolerate the unacceptable animal treatment shown in this video,” Tyson spokesman Worth Sparkman said.

McDonald’s supported and elaborated on the statement, saying that the behavior of the farm’s employees was completely unacceptable.

“We’re committed to working with animal welfare and industry experts to inform our policies that promote better management, strong employee education and verification of practices,” McDonald’s said.

The documentation of abuse is particularly relevant after McDonald’s recently announced a new plan to clean up its food sources, avoid certain antibiotics and focus on ensuring better treatment of animals.

It’s important to realize that although McDonald’s made a progressive move by ditching T&S Farm, animal abuse in the meat industry continues.

McDonald’s gets a thumbs up for taking a stance against an abusive supplier. But the fight to end standardized animal cruelty is far from over.

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