Health advocates want McDonald’s to phase out the use of beef and pork grown with medically important antibiotics and that’s something that could impact Missouri’s beef industry. The Show-Me State ranks sixth in the country for number of cattle, and if the fast-food chain agrees to the request, Shelby Luce with the U-S Public Interest Research Group (USPIRG) says it likely would change farming practices here.
While Luce says farmers would have to change their practices, she says it’s important to prevent the growth of antibiotics-resistant bacteria and improve the health of Missourians who live near cattle and pig farms. According a study by Rand Europe and K-P-M-G, by 2050 superbugs may kill more people worldwide than cancer kills today.
McDonald’s began requiring poultry suppliers to phase out antibiotic use this year. According to USPIRG, poultry related antibiotic sales only amount to six-percent. Luce says a shift in the beef and pork industry could improve the health of everyone.
McDonald’s sells a billion pounds of beef in the U-S annually, and Luce says a shift in the company could be the tipping point for an industry-wide change. Some companies including Chipotle, Subway and Panera Bread have already moved away from all meat raised with routine antibiotic use, or are in the process of doing so.