Tyson Foods has stood by its “Raised Without Antibiotics” chicken programme despite the US government censuring the company over its labelling.
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The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said the company could no longer label the products as being raised without antibiotics.
The USDA told Tyson Foods yesterday (19 Nov) that it had made a mistake in approving the use of the description as Tyson includes ionophores in its feeding programme.
However, Tyson said in a statement that it is in discussions USDA officials to find a way to resolve the matter. The company said it had submitted modified labelling which it hoped would be approved soon. “The additional wording states no ingredients have been used that could create antibiotic resistance in humans,” Tyson said.
Tyson added that it expects no disruption in service to our customers.
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By GlobalData“We do not believe ionophores are antibiotics,” Tyson said, pointing out that ionophores are not included on the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) list of animal drugs deemed as antibiotics.
“Ionophores are recognised and approved by the federal government as a safe feed ingredient,” Tyson said. “They’re permitted in chicken feed as a preventive measure against coccidiosis, an intestinal illness, and are in a different class than antibiotics.
“Ionophores are not used in human medicine and do not contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance to important human drugs. They remain in the intestinal tract of the animal and do not carry over into the meat consumed by humans.”
