WashPIRG Calls On Wendy’s To Cut Out Antibiotics

WashPIRG Foundation is calling on the third latest burger chain in the U.S. to stop serving beef raised with routine use of antibiotics.  The consumer and public health advocacy organization and its partners have called on Wendy’s to follow the lead of its rival, McDonald’s.

“We can’t waste life-saving medicines to produce cheap beef. The cost to our health is too high, and Wendy’s can use its buying power to help move the beef industry away from overusing antibiotics,” said Elise Orlick, WashPIRG Foundation Director.

A recent estimate suggests that up to 162,000 Americans die from antibiotic-resistant infections every year, making them the third-leading cause of death in the United States.  Health experts, including the World Health Organization and American Academy of Pediatrics, warn that the routine use of antibiotics on animals that aren’t sick fuels drug-resistant bacteria.

Wendy’s no longer serves chicken raised with the use of medically important antibiotics, and it’s also taken modest steps to reduce use in its beef supply chain.  The company currently sources about 20% of its beef from producers that have cut the use of one medically important antibiotic by 20%.  That minor step forward earned the chain a D- on the Chain Reaction IV: Burger Edition scorecard, which graded top burger chains on antibiotic use in their beef supply chains.

For the last four years, U.S. PIRG and the Antibiotics Off the Menu Coalition have been urging food companies to phase routine antibiotic use out of their meat supply chains. Their efforts have helped convince McDonald’s, Subway, KFC and more companies to address this critical public health threat.

“If Wendy’s ups the ante on reducing antibiotic use in its beef supply chain, it can help preserve our ability to treat life-threatening infections,” said Orlick.  “Wendy’s likes to say it’s ‘deliciously different.’ Here’s a chance for the company to differentiate itself by being a leader in combating antibiotic resistance.”

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