How far will Tyson Foods scale back its antibiotic-free beef pledge?

05 Jul 2024 --- Tyson Foods plans to reduce its antibiotic-free beef offering, following a similar move with poultry last year, according to reports. Speculation is mounting about the US meat giant pulling back on supplying beef without antibiotics, which has led to criticism from campaign groups concerned over antimicrobial resistance. 

It has also reportedly ended its deal with Certified Angus Beef for a program to market antibiotic-free beef. Tyson Foods and Certified Angus Beef have yet to respond to requests for comment.

Its decision to reintroduce antibiotics into some of its chicken supply chain last year came eight years after the company said it would not use antibiotics in some of its production. 

At the time, Tyson Foods said in a statement that its decision was based on “sound science” and had no impact on humans. The multinational says it follows a standard recognized by the US Department of Agriculture —“no antibiotics important to human medicine.”

Poor use of antibiotics 
It is thought that around two-thirds of antibiotics globally are used on farm animals. Its excessive use in animals has been heavily criticized in recent years due to antimicrobial resistance. Campaigners also say that antibiotics are sometimes administered to compensate for poor hygiene and farm standards. 

Around two-thirds of antibiotics globally are used on farm animals. Coilin Nunan, policy and science manager at the UK campaign group The Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics, says Tyson Foods’ approach of offering one line of antibiotic-free beef, while antibiotics continued to be used in other lines, did not fully tackle the issue of antibiotic resistance. 

 He tells Food Ingredients First: “What is needed instead is for companies like Tyson to commit to ending the routine preventative use of antibiotics in all of their livestock production. There is also an urgent need to improve animal husbandry standards, so that cattle are raised in healthy conditions, on pasture, and not subject to the same levels of stress that are causing them to fall ill so frequently.”

In a report published earlier this year, the group argues that more decisive action on antibiotic use and improvements to animal husbandry “could deliver major reductions in farm antibiotic use and contribute to tackling the antibiotic-resistance crisis.”

“Scientific evidence shows that the overuse of antibiotics on farms has contributed to antibiotic resistance in many different types of human infections,” says the group. 

“The Alliance’s report argues that many of the practices of modern intensive farming are putting animals under excessive stress, causing poor health and leading to unacceptable antibiotic use.” 

Tyson Foods says in a section on its website titled “Antibiotic Alternatives” that it uses essential oils and botanicals, like oregano, thyme, yucca and peppers, as alternatives to antibiotics in its chicken production.

“We also use probiotics – like the good bacteria found in yogurt – as another antibiotic alternative to help with our chickens’ digestive health,” it shares.

“Our company offers consumers the option of chicken from birds raised without antibiotics under our NatureRaised Farms brand. We’re also making significant progress eliminating the use of antibiotics, also important to human health, from our chicken production.”

By Sade Laja