Perdue Farms Eliminated Antibiotics From Chicken Supply

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: The Wall Street Journal.

Perdue Farms Eliminated Antibiotics From Chicken Supply

Perdue Farms first major poultry supplier to end routine antibiotic use

By Jacob Bunge

[e-mail]
http://twitter.com/jacobbunge

Oct. 6, 2016 1:37 p.m. ET

NEW YORK—Perdue Farms Inc. eliminated all antibiotics from its chicken supply, the company’s chairman said, in a move he said makes the Maryland company the first major poultry supplier to take such a step. ... Perdue’s move completes 14 years of efforts to replace antibiotics with vaccines and re-engineered chicken barns, and could help the company ramp up production of organic chicken, a market that is growing far faster than conventional poultry.

Perdue’s campaign to stop using antibiotics to raise the roughly 13 million chickens the Salisbury, Md., company processes each week follows concerns raised by U.S. and international health officials over the widespread use of antibiotics in both human and animal medicine. Heavy antibiotic use raises the risk that dangerous bacteria could evolve to resist antibiotics that normally kill them, reducing the effectiveness of medicines that for decades have been a key health defense, officials say.

Growing pressure from consumer groups has prompted major restaurant chains, including McDonald’s Corp. and Subway, to unveil plans in recent years to reduce the use of antibiotics in their chicken supplies, following earlier efforts by companies like Panera Bread Co. and Chick-fil-A Inc.
....

Perdue two years ago stopped using on its chickens antibiotics that also are used to treat people. Now, the company has also stopped using antibiotics used only to treat animals, Mr. Perdue said. When chickens get sick and need an antibiotic to cure them, Perdue’s farmers will treat the birds, but their meat will be sold as a low-cost commodity product rather than under Perdue’s brands, he said.

Read more: http://www.wsj.com/articles/perdue-farms-eliminated-all-antibiotics-from-its-chicken-supply-1475775456

---

If this turns out to be pay-per-view, try going in by way of Google News.

[bigworld]

1. credit where credit is due

And congrats to the organizations and people who've been pushing for this.

[Warpy]

3. No kidding. Factory farming is horrible for the birds

and the overcrowding promotes disease. Kudos to Perdue for realizing that antibiotics given prophylactically are going to lead to more antibiotic resistance over time, that a few dollars of increased profit today will lead to huge losses in years to come.

I hate factory farming used by Perdue and other processors and always will. However, I can still applaud a step in the right direction, waiting until birds get sick before treating them for being sick.

[bucolic_frolic]

2. 13 million chickens a week

Probably none of us eats more than 2000 chickens in our lifetimes

That's a lot of chickens

[alcibiades_mystery]

4. Consumer-driven, to be sure

[Sophiegirl]

5. Oregano

From what I have read, they are using oregano infused water to boost antioxidants in the chickens, promoting better health.

[HockeyMom]

6. Yes, I saw their commercial on that

Chickens drinking oregano infused water. As an Italian American, what's wrong with oregano? lol

[awoke_in_2003]

7. I use...

Mexican Oregano in my Texas Red chili. It is about time to make some.

[MADem]

8. Oregano is a 'natural' antibiotic. It works, too, not just in a prophylactic way, but as a

curative. It's most popular use is for sinus issues but it has other applications as well.

Turmeric is good stuff too (should be combined with pepper to get the full benefit) -- wonderful anti-inflammatory. Toss it in your food at every opportunity!

[Sophiegirl]

9. Garden full

Every year I grow a large herb garden. Throughout the summer I "cull the herd" to dry and/or freeze for use during the winter months. I had tons of oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary and sage this year. Banner crop. Never tried to grow turmeric. Maybe next year.

Most are in large pots. At the end of the season, I bring in the Rosemary as it will survive indoors. I also bring in a pot or two of thyme. It won't last, but as the final bits dry out (on purpose) one of my cats loves to chew on it as a treat. Go figure.

[MADem]

10. I buy the powdered organic turmeric in bulk and put it in everything.

I toast it in a pan and make eggs at breakfast, toss it in stews, rice, etc. Pepper "activates" it and I swear by it as does my entire family (we all cook and we all use it). It really does keep my geezerish aches and pains at bay!! I've been traveling and without it in my daily diet and inside of a week I sure noticed not having it!

http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/turmeric

[Sophiegirl]

11. Interesting

I have some in my pantry but rarely use it. I'll have to find some ways to incorporate it into our also geezerish states of being. Probably need to get some fresh though. It's been in there for a while.

Thanks for the link.

[MADem]

12. I buy it in quantity online (Amazon); and occasionally at

an "Asian" (to include south Asian--Persian and Indian foods) food store, a pound at a time! It's absurdly expensive if you buy it at the grocer, but reasonable if you buy in bulk.

[Sophiegirl]

13. Good tips

We have an Asian market very close where we frequently shop. Since I have to do a little shopping tomorrow, I'll check it out.

Thanks.

[Midnight Writer]

14. I am actually somewhat excited by this development

Perdue is, of course, a very conservative old money Republican dynasty who is not likely to let humane concerns affect their bottom profit line.

But according to an article in Businessweek, they are actually finding that;

1) It is cost effective to raise chickens in a more humane way, as they are healthier and produce higher quality meat

2) The anti-biotics can give rise to anti-biotic resistant bugs, endangering their entire market

3) There is a growing market of consumers who will, if given the choice, choose the healthier, more humanely treated, chicken.

[MADem]

15. I pay for the more expensive eggs, and I'd grab that chicken, too! bt

[Midnight Writer]

16. I bought some free range chicken eggs the other day, and the cashier admonished me

I was at my local super market, and Betty, a cashier I have known for fifty years, said "Honey, you don't want to buy those eggs. They cost too much. Do you want me to take them back for you?' She also told me that you shouldn't eat brown eggs.

I just laughed and told her it was OK, I'd had them before and they were delicious.

A dozen regular large eggs go for 48 cents. The free range brown eggs were 3.98. So yes, a significant difference, but I eat maybe a dozen eggs a month, so it is not a big deal to me.