Today, most of the mass-produced meat in the U.S. is contaminated with antibiotics. As CNN (Interagency Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance) explains, the extensive use of antibiotics has led to drug resistance that can reverse the medical advances of the past 70 years. The wide use of antibiotics has turned antibiotic resistance into the number one public health threat.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has tried to encourage patients and doctors to use antibiotics more wisely. However, the overuse of antibiotics in farms still continues, and little progress has been made to reduce it.
Around 80 percent of the antibiotics sold in the U.S. are used in the production of meat and poultry. The larger part is administered to healthy animals to prevent disease in unsanitary or crowded conditions, and to promote growth.
Even though the U.S. meat and chicken industry say there’s nothing harmful in the practice of administering antibiotics in livestock, nothing could be further from the truth.
The biggest threat comes from the potential presence of superbugs in poultry and meat that are antibiotic-resistant and hard to treat. They can migrate into the environment and transmit their antibiotic resistance to other bacteria that make people ill.
Recently, the 25 largest fast food and casual restaurant chains in the U.S. were ranked on the basis of their practices and policies regarding the presence of antibiotics in their food. The only two chains to get an A grade were Panera Bread and Chipotle Mexican Grill – the same from last year’s report.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 2 million people in America contract some form of antibiotic-resistant infection per year. The overuse of antibiotics in livestock can make bacteria like Campylobacter, E. coli, and salmonella stronger and resistant to drugs that used to be able to protect us against them.
Here are the 16 restaurant chains which got an F grade when it comes to antibiotic use:
- KFC
- Dunkin’ Donuts
- Sonic
- Jack In The Box
- Denny’s
- Starbucks
- Olive Garden
- Burger King
- Applebees
- Domino’s Pizza
- Chilli’s
- Little Caesars
- Buffalo Wild Wings
- Dairy Queen
- Arby’s
- IHOP
Check out the video below for more information about the restaurant chains that got an F grade in antibiotic use:
Source Pix 11
