After last week’s announcement that McDonald’s will phase out their use of antibiotics in chickens, KFC--the world’s largest chain of fried chicken restaurants--is facing mounting pressure to also alter the way their chickens are raised.
The debate over the use of antibiotics is not a new phenomenon to KFC, which is owned by Louisville, KY-based Yum Brands. Two years ago, the chain’s China restaurants experienced a deep sales decline when it was reported that some of KFC’s poultry suppliers fed excessive levels of antibiotics to their chickens. At the time, Yum Brands severed ties with about 1,000 poultry farmers and attempted to restore consumer confidence with a public relations campaign bolstering the safety and quality of the food they serve.
Use of antibiotics amongst KFC’s suppliers has not only been a problem abroad, but stateside as well, according to an independent Reuters investigation. In 2014, the international news agency discovered that Koch Foods--a KFC supplier--had dispensed antibiotics to chickens from November 2011 to July 2014, despite the company’s claims that it had not.
KFC, Yum Brands--who also owns Pizza Hut and Taco Bell--nor their suppliers such as Tyson Foods, have released comments on the matter as of yet.
KFC Facing Pressure to Change Chicken Following McDonald's Announcement
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