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Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Micky D Chicken Rules Change

McDonald's Restaurants in USA have decided that they will "solely source chickens that are grown without antibiotics that are important to human medicine".

Today, the old McDonald's sees itself
differently.  McDonald's is transforming
into the new, hipper, millennial version
of itself.  (Image from NY Times)
McDonald's ("McD") is the world's largest restaurant chain. McD is the #1 buyer of beef in the world, but McD sells more chicken than beef, and one of the world's largest buyers of chicken.  This adds McD to a growing field of other restaurants (eg. US' Chipotle Mexican Grill, Chick-fil-A and Canada's A&W) who will no longer settle for the crappy chicken previously pushed onto consumers by the Chicken Mafia.  That's why this announcement is BIG!  McD doesn't make rash decisions on a whim, they do their research first.

CBC Radio said:
The fast food giant issued a statement acknowledging, “Consumer needs and preferences have changed... McDonald’s current performance reflects the urgent need to evolve with today’s consumers, reset strategic priorities and restore business momentum.”
Larry Light, the former Chief Marketing Officer for McDonald's USA said:
 "It is a crisis. McDonald's has unfortunately lost its way. The consumer has changed and McDonald's stood still."  
Canada's Chicken Mafia had better wake up and smell the McCafĂ©® coffee.

Are you listening, CFO?

The Drugs
What exactly are "antibiotics that are important to human medicine"?

There are 4 classes of antibiotics used on humans.  Class 1 is critically important to curing infections that likely cannot be treated any other way.  Class 4 is the least important.  It would seem that McDonald's ban on antibiotics includes all 4 classes.

Ionophores, another family of drugs, is generally considered to not be an antibiotic.  However, ionophores are often fed to factory chickens to promote growth by reducing the impact of questionable growing practices and diseases inside CAFO's (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations).  Ionophores (eg. drugs used to treat coccidiosis), are not used for humans.  Therefore it would seem that McD's antibiotic ban wouldn't include ionophores, other drugs, or feed additives used by most CAFO's.

Does McD's ban go far enough, or too far?  Should a restaurant dictate farming practices?

The Government
The so-called "experts" of Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, & Rural Affairs ("OMAFRA"), who are for the most part fossilized dinosaurs, who give unquestioning love and support to their Chicken Mafia masters, says it is impossible to do chicken factory CAFO's without using antibiotics.  Here is a quick taste of OMAFRA's dogma:
Q. Should the use of antimicrobials in agriculture be stopped?

A. No. Antimicrobials used in agricultural production systems help to control animal and crop diseases, and reducing disease helps to keep the cost of food reasonable. It can also help to prevent diseases from spreading from animals to people.

However, antimicrobials need to be used cautiously in agriculture, human medicine and public health applications. Prudent use means antimicrobials are not used excessively or indiscriminately. Many organizations have developed or are developing guidelines for prudent use of antimicrobials in animals and people.
The same goes for other bureaucratic, fossilized "experts" at Canadian Food Inspection Agency ("CFIA") and elsewhere.

The Farmers
Yorkshire Valley Farms of Peterborough, Ont., has proven that OMAFRA's fossilized "expert" apologists for drugged chicken to be wrong.
 
Did CFO help Yorkshire lead the way?   CFO decided to observe from the sidelines or sit on their hands, rather than offering significant help for Yorkshire to create a new future for chicken in Ontario.

I, a small flock chicken farmer, and most other small flock chicken farmers, do not use antibiotics on a regular, consistent basis with our chickens.  We keep our birds healthy by better farming practices.  We're not chained to using antibiotics as a risky, partially effective use of antibiotics that has significant negative consequences for many, including the consumer.

The rollout of McNuggets in the US happened between 1979 and 1983.  The Chicken Mafia caused a delay for McNuggets in Canada.  When McDonald's introduced Chicken McNuggets to Canada, Cuddy Foods in London ON won the contract to produce those McNuggets, but could never get enough chicken to supply that contract due to the infighting, jealousy, and posturing by all the Chicken Mafia factions across Canada.

For now, McDonald's in Canada won't be following the US McDonald's lead; possibly because of the previous difficulties and obstructionist Supply Management policies in Canada.

McDonald's has made this Antibiotic-Free decision (and other similar moves in Europe and US) because they understand McDonald's must change with the times.  McDonald's same store sales and profits have crashed in the last 2 years.  McDonald's chicken contamination scandal in S.E. Asia was a major blow there, and still is.  A cautionary tale to the Chicken Mafia here, and their questionable food quality practices.
McDonald's Net Profit & Net Income, slumping since Q3 2013
Ref.: Market Realist

McDonald's needs to protect and retain what they still have, and help those customers who left to return.  This can only be achieved by offering the customers what they want:  more nutritious, better food at a reasonable price.

chickens raised without antibiotics of importance to human medicine - See more at: file:///C:/Users/Glenn%20Black/Documents/BBay/Farming/Poultry/Chickens/Blog/Pending%20Posts/McD-ChickenDrugs/McDonaldsAntibioticFreeChicken.htm#sthash.LZLuYBhj.dpuf
chickens raised without antibiotics of importance to human medicine - See more at: file:///C:/Users/Glenn%20Black/Documents/BBay/Farming/Poultry/Chickens/Blog/Pending%20Posts/McD-ChickenDrugs/McDonaldsAntibioticFreeChicken.htm#sthash.LZLuYBhj.dpuf
chickens raised without antibiotics of importance to human medicine - See more at: file:///C:/Users/Glenn%20Black/Documents/BBay/Farming/Poultry/Chickens/Blog/Pending%20Posts/McD-ChickenDrugs/McDonaldsAntibioticFreeChicken.htm#sthash.LZLuYBhj.dpuf

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