Chick-fil-A is facing growing backlash over a huge announcement it made last week about its famous chicken products.
In an announcement posted to its website, the popular fast-food franchise revealed that, because of supply issues, it’ll be shifting away from serving “chicken raised with No Antibiotics Ever (NAE).”
Instead, the restaurant will in the spring begin serving chicken “raised with No Antibiotics Important to Human Medicine (NAIHM).”
Dang. https://t.co/ZU0eG6C19P pic.twitter.com/hvRfJGXTMK
— Kyle Dettman (@kyledettman) March 23, 2024
What’s the difference?
“NAE means no antibiotics of any kind were used in raising the animal.,” according to Chick-fil-A. “NAIHM restricts the use of those antibiotics that are important to human medicine and commonly used to treat people, and allows the use of animal antibiotics only if the animal and those around it were to become sick.”
In a statement to Fox News, a Chick-fil-A spokesperson defended the controversial move.
“This change enables us to not only ensure we can continue to serve high-quality chicken, but also chicken that still meets the expectations our customers count on us to deliver,” the spokesperson said.
This move comes exactly 10 years after Chick-fil-A reportedly switched to antibiotic-free chicken in 2014 and five years after it finally met its “goal of serving antibiotic-free chicken at all” its restaurants, according to Fox News.
The problem is that the restaurant’s customers are now used to antibiotic-free chicken and aren’t happy about going back.
Look:
Goodbye @ChickfilA
— FJB Rose (@RosaDuf63036378) March 23, 2024
@ChickfilA please don’t do this!
— flntwd (@flntwd) March 23, 2024
Add ✅ Chik-Fil-A to the list of boycotted companies one more many more to go
— E1967M (@E1967M) March 24, 2024
Too late. Get caught then change. No. Done with them. It’s all about profits. We are the experiment.
— Eric Dryden (@EricDryden12) March 24, 2024
Already sworn off one brand this week and now I have to drop @ChickfilA chicken too? Seriously bad move!
— SpóòkedBasil (@TheSpookedBasil) March 23, 2024
It hasn’t been the same since Truitt Cathy died. They immediately quit selling their Cole slaw and carrot salad, which were big hits. I’m sad to see them messing up a good business.
— Gay Caswell (@gemcaswell) March 23, 2024
Chick-fil-A announced that they will be shifting from antibiotic-free chicken starting this spring to antibiotic chicken that’s “ok” for humans.
I do not need medicine in my food. This also messes with children’s hormones.
NO THANKS.— Kambree (@KamVTV) March 23, 2024
Just wanted to let you know that chick-fil-a just walked back their NO ANTIBIOTICS EVER rule for their chicken.
You have got to stop eating there.
The overuse of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, which means super bugs for human health. pic.twitter.com/NknpZmqx09
— Alex Clark (@yoalexrapz) March 22, 2024
Despite the backlash, the fact remains that there are certain benefits that chickens raised with NAIHM boast over chickens raised with NAE.
“NAIHM allows producers the flexibility to treat sick animals [with antibiotics], while being respectful to the role that food animal production plays in the world of antibiotic resistance and the idea of our entangled health systems,” according to Southland Organics.
Interestingly, this move by Chick-fil-A comes months after Tyson Foods — which is reportedly the restaurant’s chicken supplier — announced a similar policy decision.
“Tyson Foods, Inc. is changing its ‘no antibiotics ever’ (NAE) production policy and claim to ‘no antibiotics important to human medicine’ (NAIHM), according to a company spokesperson,” Food Business News reported in July.
“The company will add ionophores, which are antibiotics not considered important to human health, into the diets of some of its chickens used to produce fresh products as well as frozen and ready-to-eat branded products. … [I]onophores are often used in poultry diets to prevent intestinal disease in poultry, specifically, coccidiosis,” the site added.
This move by Chick-fil-A also comes amid the huge controversy over Tyson Foods firing a bunch of American workers and replacing them with asylum-seeking migrants:
Tyson Foods fires over 1,000 Americans, seeks to fill spots in new facilities with ‘asylum seekers’: report https://t.co/rJwydZOlLA via @BIZPACReview
— BPR based (@DumpstrFireNews) March 15, 2024
This decision by Tyson Foods also sparked massive backlash — backlash that is now being extended to Chick-fil-A and the many other restaurants that the company supplies.
Case in point:
Tyson Foods deserves to be boycotted. But it will take more than just boycotting Tyson products at the grocery store. They supply chicken to chains like Taco Bell, KFC, McDonald’s, Burger King, Popeye’s and Chick Fil A. Boycott these restaurants as well to really send a message! pic.twitter.com/9EU95Uys6Q
— The Crusader (@basednicotine) March 19, 2024
This is gonna be one helluva boycott: Tyson Foods manufactures chicken products for chains like Taco Bell, KFC, McDonald’s, Burger King, Popeyes, and Chick-fil-A.
Think how healthy we’ll become!— Brown eyed girl..la te da @brneyedgirl on Truth (@BettyBo10964654) March 18, 2024
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