YOUR DESCRIPTION HAS REACHED THE LIMIT OF CHARACTERS ALLOWED AND WAS CUT. (CNN) -- A new report is sounding the alarm about the use of antibiotics in the meat and poultry supply chains of the 25 largest U.S. fast food and "fast casual" restaurants. Most top U.S. restaurant chains have no publicly available policy to limit regular use of antibiotics in their meat and poultry supply chains, according to the "Chain Reaction" report by Friends of the Earth, the Natural Resources Defense Council and four other consumer interest, public health and environmental organizations. "When livestock producers administer antibiotics routinely to their flocks and herds, bacteria can develop resistance, thrive and even spread to our communities, contributing to the larger problem of antibiotic resistance," the authors wrote in the report, which was released Tuesday. "The worsening epidemic of resistance means that antibiotics may not work when we need them most: when our kids contract a staph infection (MRSA), or our parents get a life-threatening pneumonia." The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have repeatedly warned about the not-far-off public health threat of antibiotic resistance. The CDC estimates at least 2 million Americans contract antibiotic-resistant infections every year, and that 23,000 die as a result. "A post-antibiotic era -- in which common infections and minor injuries can kill -- far from being an apocalyptic fantasy, is instead a very real possibility for the 21st century," the WHO cautioned in a 2014 report. As people are eating out more than ever, the researchers behind the report wanted to look closely at "industry leaders and laggards." They created a scorecard assessing the commitments of U.S. restaurant chains on antibiotics use and transparency in their supply chains. Each restaurant was graded on its antibiotics use policies, including the strength of the policy and whether it applies to all types of meat; its implementation of policies, including the estimated availability of meat produced without routine antibiotics; and transparency about its policies, including third-party audits, whether its policy was listed online and whether it responded to the survey. The authors reached out to restaurants in person, via email or via traditional mail. The total number of possible points was based on the restaurant's menu offerings. Chipotle and Panera Bread fared best, with both receiving As. Those restaurants are the only two that report serving a majority of their meat from animals raised without regular use of antibiotics, the report said. "While many people are just starting to pay attention to the issue, we have known for a long time that it is the right thing to do, and we are pleased to see others taking even small steps to curb antibiotic use in livestock," Chipotle said in response to the report. Panera Bread responded, "More than a decade ago, we started serving chicken raised without antibiotics -- ahead of the industry. We're glad to see that others have followed and proud to have extended our commitment to all of the chicken, ham, bacon, sausage and roasted turkey on our salads and sandwiches." Chick-fil-A received a grade of B, and responded to the rating by noting that it was "the first in the quick service restaurant industry to announce a commitment to 'No Antibiotics Ever' in its chicken supply back in 2014. ... Because of this stringent requirement and our desire to have third-party verification of our suppliers' processes, the switch will take some time." Dunkin' Donuts and McDonald's received Cs. Subway, Wendy's, Burger King, Denny's, Domino's and Starbucks all received Fs, but got at least one point. CNN reached out to 11 restaurant chains singled out by this study, and several responded to the report. - "Dunkin' Donuts has stringent food quality standards for all of our products that meet all requirements of the FDA and USDA -- complying with all laws, ordinances and regulations," the doughnut chain said. - Wendy's said it is testing grilled chicken that is raised without antibiotics. - Burger King Corp. said it would review the findings. - Domino's said its suppliers "currently meet all USDA requirements and we don't purchase chicken or beef treated with the non-therapeutic use of antibiotics." - Starbucks said it was working with its suppliers to address concerns about antibiotic use. Other restaurants that received Fs earned zero out of 36 possible points: Olive Garden, Papa John's, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC, Applebee's, Sonic, Chili's, Jack in the Box, Arby's, Dairy Queen, IHOP, Outback and Little Caesars. One of the chains scoring a zero, Papa John's, said it is spending 00 million a year to eliminate artificial ingredients and other additives and that "by the first half of 2016, we will offer antibiotic-free chicken on our pizza." "Panera and Chipotle are the only chains that publicly affirm that the majority of the

• published: 17 Sep 2015
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