Chick-Fil-A will no longer use antibiotics in its chicken when 2019 rolls around.
The plans are part of the United States Food and Drug Administration's efforts, unveiled in December to eliminate particular antibiotics from food products CNN reported.
"We need to be selective about the drugs we use in animals and when we use them," William Flynn, DVM, MS, deputy director for science policy at the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine said in a statement on the FDA's website "Antimicrobial resistance may not be completely preventable, but we need to do what we can to slow it down."
Chick-Fil-A is therefore working with chicken providers throughout the country, and regionally to create chicken inventory from birds that were never given antibiotics according to information on Chick-Fil-A's website.
"Since our family business began 67 years ago, we have focused on our customers. It's why we insist upon using the highest quality ingredients," Dan Cathy, president and chief executive officer of Chick-fil-A, said in a statement CNN reported. "We want to continue that heritage, and offering antibiotic-free chicken is the next step," CNN reported.
"Transparency in our food is important to customers and its' important to us, too," Cathy told The Chicago Tribune.
Chick-Fil-A's plan is also business based according to information from the National Chicken Council CNN reported.
"Antibiotics are not always used in chicken production; rather, they are administered to prevent and treat disease, only under the care of a licensed veterinarian," Ashley Peterson, vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs at the Council told CNN.
"The science shows that responsible and judicious use of FDA-approved antibiotics to treat and prevent disease in livestock and poultry is both safe and effective," Peterson told CNN.
Chick-Fil-A took dyes out of its chicken soups in December according to the Huffington Post. High-fructose corn syrup was also eliminated from white buns the AP reported.
