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Earlier this month, six of the largest U.S. school districts announced they were switching to antibiotic-free chicken, but before you think your child's school lunch poultry will be affected next year, think again. It will likely take school districts several years to make the switch. The Urban School Food Alliance (The Alliance), a coalition of the largest school districts in the United States that includes New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami-Dade, Dallas and Orlando, announced today an antibiotic-free standard for companies to follow when supplying chicken products to its schools. The Alliance is taking action to protect the future of students.
Serving nearly 2.9 million students daily, Alliance members procure more than $550 million in food and supplies annually. The coalition aims to use its joint purchasing power and influence to help drive down nationwide costs, while setting higher standards for the quality of food served in its schools. The Alliance seeks to ensure that students receive the highest quality meals and that exceed minimum United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines.
With the advent of confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs), which can house tens of thousands of animals in a factory-style environment, the price of chicken dropped dramatically.
Chicken quickly became the cheapest meat available in the US, and as a result, consumption has doubled since 1970. Unfortunately, experience makes it clear that it’s virtually impossible to mass-produce clean, safe, optimally nutritious foods at rock bottom prices.
Ninety-nine percent of all chicken sold in the US are raised in CAFOs, and sickness and poor nutrition is the norm for animals raised in these inhumanely cramped warehouse facilities.
CAFO Chicken Promotes Drug-Resistant Disease
Agricultural use of antibiotics poses a direct threat to human health by promoting the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant disease—both in animals and in humans. Antibiotics also contaminate the environment when they run off into lakes, rivers, aquifers and drinking water, further increasing the risk of drug-resistant bacteria.
According to a landmark “Antibiotic Resistance …
Earlier this month, six of the largest U.S. school districts announced they were switching to antibiotic-free chicken, but before you think your child's school lunch poultry will be affected next year, think again. It will likely take school districts several years to make the switch. The Urban School Food Alliance (The Alliance), a coalition of the largest school districts in the United States that includes New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami-Dade, Dallas and Orlando, announced today an antibiotic-free standard for companies to follow when supplying chicken products to its schools. The Alliance is taking action to protect the future of students.
Serving nearly 2.9 million students daily, Alliance members procure more than $550 million in food and supplies annually. The coalition aims to use its joint purchasing power and influence to help drive down nationwide costs, while setting higher standards for the quality of food served in its schools. The Alliance seeks to ensure that students receive the highest quality meals and that exceed minimum United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines.
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