UK-based charity ShareAction released an email campaign on Thursday for McDonald's to omit the use of antibiotics on the meat they are serving worldwide. The giant fast food chain lately confirmed that the chicken meats served in the U.S. are antibiotic free.
The charity group's online campaign allows customers to email McDonald's Corp CEO Steve Easterbrook. Its goal is to persuade him to cease the use of antibiotics to the dairy, poultry and livestock meat that the largest fast food chain serves except for curing diseases.
"We hope this action will encourage McDonald's to supersize their ambition," ShareAction Chief Executive Catherine Howarth said.
She added that antibiotics used in the U.S. are greater than 70 percent and that the United Kingdom uses half of it to give to livestock.
According to scientists, regular usage of antibiotics for the growth and illness prevention of robust farm animals boost the rise of "superbug" illness which no longer responds to the effects of antibiotics. This practice could cause the death of no more than 23,000 people in the U.S. and could threaten global health.
"The Golden Arch's" earlier statement informed Reuters that it is too early to set a deadline for restraining antibiotic use in all meats, due to a worldwide diversified agricultural practices and control.
In April, ShareAction initiates an investor coalition along with the Farm Animal Investment Risk & Return (FAIRR) Initiative to contend McDonald's. The same is done with other nine huge fast food firms to set deadlines to discontinuing the practice of administering of non-therapeutic antibiotics to the farm animals.
Meanwhile, Yum Brands investors placed a shareholder proposal on Tuesday asking that it immediately stop using dangerous antibiotic dispensed in the meat supply pertaining to KFC. It's sister brands, Yum's Taco Bell and Pizza Hut has already committed on the cessation of antibiotics use to their meat supply. KFC said that next year, antibiotics vital to human health will no longer be used to the meats they serve, Fortune reported.
ShareAction is hoping that these promises be implemented not only in the U.S. but around the world specifically McDonald's which is the largest fast food chain.
