Who supplies Chick-fil-A chicken? Antibiotic controversy explained

Chick-fil-A uses chickens raised in barns in a free-range environment without any stress. According to the company website, these chickens are sourced from farms across the United States. The poultry is raised in accordance with the company's Animal Wellbeing Standards. From 2019 onwards, the company only used chicken that did not contain any antibiotics, in accordance with a pledge the company made in 2014.

However, Chick-fil-A recently released a statement saying it was backtracking from its pledge never to serve chicken that was fed antibiotics. Instead, the company will adhere to "no antibiotics important to human medicine." The company claimed this was necessary to maintain its "high-quality chicken."

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Chick-fil-A backtracks on 'No Antibiotics Ever' policy

Chick-fil-A is quite famous for the quality of its chicken. The company proudly claims on its website that its poultry is not raised in cages but in barns according to its animal wellbeing standards on farms across the United States from California to Florida. The company also claims that it sources whole, 100% real, boneless breasts of chicken that have never been separated or ground.

The company's suppliers undergo rigorous safety and quality standards, including those of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) certification. The food chain writes on its website:

"Every year, the Chick-fil-A supply chain team visits our key suppliers and farms. When a new supplier is added to the system, we make additional visits to ensure food is handled safely and with care at the farm and their processing facilities."

In 2014, Chick-fil-A pledged to ensure customers that within five years, it would only use antibiotic-free chicken. This was true by 2019. From 2019 to the present, the food chain has only used chicken 100% free from any kind of antibiotics.

Antibiotics in poultry are harmful to human beings due to the resistant bacteria they create. A Harvard University study in 2014 stated:

"People who ingest these bacteria can develop infections that are resistant — that is, they won't respond — to the antibiotics doctors commonly use to treat them."

It further warned:

"Such infections can be particularly dangerous to people with compromised immune systems, such as the frail elderly, people with HIV/AIDS, or those being treated for cancer or chronic inflammatory conditions."

However, Chick-fil-A has seemingly backtracked from its initial promise. In a statement released on the company website, the food chain said:

"To maintain supply of the high-quality chicken you expect from us, Chick-fil-A will shift from No Antibiotics Ever (NAE) to No Antibiotics Important To Human Medicine (NAIHM) starting in the Spring of 2024."

The company's new 'No Antibiotics Important To Human Medicine (NAIHM)' policy will mean that antibiotics that are used to treat people and are important to human medicine will not be used by the food chain. However, animal antibiotics will be allowed if the livestock becomes sick.

The company revealed in a statement that the availability of Chic-fil-A standard high-quality chicken had become a concern. The company's statement read:

"In accordance with FDA requirements, all antibiotics must be cleared from the chicken’s system before it is considered available for the chicken supply."

It further added:

"The United States Department of Agriculture audits and verifies that suppliers are meeting the requirements of the Chick-fil-A NAIHM commitment."

This change in policy mirrors a similar step back from Tyson Foods' 'No Antibiotics Ever' policy last year. Tyson Foods, one of the largest poultry companies in the country, announced in 2023 that it would re-introduce some antibiotics that are not used to treat humans into its poultry supply based on scientific research and industry learning.