Chick-fil-A, an American fast-food chain that specializes in chicken sandwiches, is under fire on social media for abandoning its 2024 ‘no antibiotics’ pledge. In a statement issued on Monday, the company stated that it would begin serving chicken free of antibiotics ‘important to human medicine’, or those commonly used to treat people.
This comes ten years after Chick-fil-A announced a ‘No Antibiotics Ever’, or NAE policy, in which the company would not use antibiotic-raised chickens.
Is Chick-fil-A adding antibiotics to its chicken?
No, not with the cooked chicken. Chick-fil-A’s new ‘No Antibiotics Important To Human Medicine’ (NAIHM) standard states that antibiotics will be used to treat sick animals, but only if the animal and those around it become ill.
The fast-food chain also stated that the chicken will be free of artificial preservatives, steroids, and added hormones.
“NAE means no antibiotics of any kind were used in raising the animal. NAIHM restricts the use of those antibiotics that are important to human medicine and commonly used to treat people, and allows use of animal antibiotics only if the animal and those around it were to become sick,” Chick-fil A said in a statement.
In a statement to the Associated Press, a company spokesperson cited supply chain issues. They claimed that Chick-fil-A is concerned about its ability to obtain antibiotic-free chicken.
“Chick-fil-A has been dedicated to quality since the beginning. Our commitment to the high-quality chicken you expect from us is rooted in three simple things,” the company added.