McDonald’s faces online campaign against antibiotics in supply chain
UK responsible investment charity, ShareAction is calling on consumers to contact McDonald’s CEO, Steve Easterbrook, as part of an online campaign against the “overuse of medically important antibiotics” in supply chains. ShareAction is calling for the company to impose tighter restrictions on antibiotic use and to make these restrictions standard across countries. McDonald’s is committed to phasing out such antibiotics from its US supply chain and has pledged to remove them from its European poultry supply chains by 2018. As we reported, in April, 54 investors managing £1tn in assets called on 10 companies, including McDonald’s, to reduce antibiotic use.

Global fast food giant McDonald’s has faced renewed pressure over the use of antibiotics in farm animals destined for its supply chain.

Charity ShareAction has launched a new online campaign calling on consumers to write to the restaurant’s chief executive Steve Easterbrook about what it calls the “overuse of medically important antibiotics in its beef, pork and poultry supply chains”.

See also: Antibiotics: Conference places pressure on use in poultry

ShareAction said the restaurant chain needed to tighten its standards and make them uniform across the globe.

It welcomed McDonalds’ move to phase out medically important antibiotics from its US supply chain and ending the use of the “highest priority critically important” antibiotics within its European poultry supply chains by 2018.

The online campaign follows a move in April by an investment vehicle controlling more than $1tn in assets to request that McDonald’s end the routine use of antibiotics.

‘Concern’

Catherine Howarth, ShareAction chief executive, said: “Investors are right to express their concern directly to the board of McDonald’s, and now as individuals we can too. Improved animal welfare practices are a far more sensible way to prevent disease than antibiotic overuse.

“We hope this action will encourage McDonald’s to supersize their ambition – now is the time for action.”

Emma Rose, spokeswoman from the Alliance to Save our Antibiotics, said: “McDonald’s has an opportunity to demonstrate global leadership by committing to phase out the routine use of antibiotics entirely – not just limited to chicken in its US market and doing so would drive up standards across the industry.”