Chipotle Scores “A” in Chain Reaction III Study on Antibiotic Use in Farm Animals
September 27 2017 - 1:19PM
Business Wire
Commitment to Meat Raised Responsibly Earns Chipotle Top Grade
in Leading Antibiotic Study for Three Consecutive Years
Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) has earned an “A” grade in
the Chain Reaction III Report and Scorecard, a ranking of the
country’s largest fast food and fast casual restaurant companies
based on their policies for antibiotic use in farm animals.
Chipotle has earned “A” grades in each of the three years the study
has been conducted.
“We began serving meat from animals raised without antibiotics
in 1999 and continue to be a leader in this area today,” said Steve
Ells, founder, chairman and CEO at Chipotle. “Doctors, public
health officials and other experts agree that there is a growing
risk of antibiotic-resistant infection, and the overuse of
antibiotics in meat production is a significant part of that
problem. Good animal husbandry reduces the need for antibiotics in
livestock and promotes better animal welfare. We have simply chosen
to serve meat raised in a way that emphasizes care over the use of
chemicals.
“We made that decision simply because we thought it was the
right thing to do – the right thing for farmers, for animal
welfare, and for human health. While we are pleased to see other
restaurant companies following our lead on this issue, this report
shows there is still more work to be done across the industry, and
we hope that others will make this a priority in the same way that
Chipotle has.”
Of the 25 restaurant companies surveyed for the report, only two
received “A” grades (including Chipotle), while 11 received “F’s.”
Chipotle earned an “A” scoring 97% of the total points
possible.
Chipotle began its journey to serve Responsibly Raised®-brand
meat, from animals raised in more humane ways and without the use
of antibiotics or added hormones, when it started serving pork from
Niman Ranch in 1999. Today, all of the company’s meat comes from
animals raised without the routine use of antibiotics.
Antibiotic resistant disease is becoming an increasingly big
problem. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes
that at least 23,000 people die each year from antibiotic resistant
infections. One cause of the mounting problem of
antibiotic-resistant illness is the routine use of antibiotics in
industrial animal agriculture. According to the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration, some 70% of all medically important antibiotics
sold in the U.S. are intended for animal agriculture, not for the
treatment of human illness.
Chain Reaction III was conducted by six of the leading public
interest organizations working to curb the routine use of
antibiotics in industrial animal agriculture, including the
Consumers Union, National Resources Defense Council, Center for
Food Safety, Food Animal Concerns Trust, Keep Antibiotics Working,
and U.S. PIRG Education Fund.
Scoring criteria for Chain Reaction III evaluate restaurants
offering chicken, beef, turkey and pork. The scorecard awards a
total of 100 total points in three key areas: 1) policy regarding
antibiotic use; 2) the implementation of antibiotic policies; and
3) transparency. If a company serves only three types of meat or
poultry, the maximum possible score is 75 points; with two meats
the maximum number of points available is 50 points. Chipotle,
which does not serve turkey, earned 73 out of 75 points possible or
97% of the total points available for the company.
The complete Chain Reaction III Report and Scorecard is
available here. Additional information about Chipotle’s
ingredients, including meat from animals raised without antibiotics
is available at Chipotle.com/food-with-integrity.
ABOUT CHIPOTLE
Steve Ells, Founder, Chairman and CEO, started
Chipotle with the idea that food served fast did not have to be a
typical fast food experience. Today, Chipotle continues to offer a
focused menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls, and salads made
from fresh, high-quality raw ingredients, prepared using classic
cooking methods and served in an interactive style allowing people
to get exactly what they want. Chipotle seeks out extraordinary
ingredients that are not only fresh, but that are raised
responsibly, with respect for the animals, land, and people who
produce them. Chipotle prepares its food using only real, whole
ingredients, and is the only national restaurant brand that uses
absolutely no added colors, flavors or other industrial additives
typically found in fast food. Chipotle opened with a single
restaurant in Denver in 1993 and now operates more than 2,300
restaurants. For more information, visit Chipotle.com.
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Chipotle Mexican GrillChris Arnold,
303-222-5912carnold@chipotle.com
Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG)
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