Tyson Foods will phase out use of all human antibiotics in its chickens by the end of 2017, the company said Tuesday.
The company currently uses no antibiotics in its 34 hatchery operations and said it has reduced the use of human antibiotics in its broilers -- chickens raised for their meat -- by 84 percent since 2011.
Springdale-based Tyson said it would begin to report on its progress reducing the use of the antibiotics in its fiscal 2015 Sustainability Report.
Fast-food chains, consumers and the U.S. Food and Drug administration have been putting pressure on drugmakers and companies that use antibiotics in meat production, like Tyson, over concerns that overuse of antibiotics helps create bacteria and pathogens that are drug resistant.
McDonald's said recently that it was working with Tyson to eliminate human antibiotics from chicken and set a two-year deadline for the project.
Gary Mickelson, a Tyson Foods spokesman, said in response to emailed questions that the move isn't a result of pressure in the marketplace but instead is the right thing to do. He said Tyson's plan is a balanced response to both the global concern about antibiotic resistance and the company's stance on animal well-being.
Currently Tyson allows human antibiotics for its broilers when there's a veterinary prescription. The company said in a release that it won't jeopardize animal welfare to meet its goals and will use the best methods available to keep its birds healthy.
"Antibiotic resistant infections are a global health concern," said Tyson President and Chief Executive Officer Donnie Smith in a statement. "We are confident our meat products are safe, but want to do our part to responsibly reduce human antibiotics from the farm so these medicines can continue working when they're needed to treat illness."
Tyson shares closed at $39.31, up 41 cents or just over 1 percent in trading Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange. Shares have traded as low as $34.90 and as high as $44 over the past year.
Tyson also said it plans to establish working groups made up of independent beef, turkey and pork farmers as well as farmers in the company's supply chain to talk about how best to reduce the use of human antibiotics. Plans are for the groups to begin to meet in the summer.
A major Tyson competitor, Colorado-based Pilgrim's Pride, said it intends to reduce the amount of antibiotics it uses, and Maryland-based Perdue Farms has said 95 percent of its chicken is produced without human antibiotics.
Tyson's Mickelson said the company plans to work with the food industry, government, veterinary, public health and academic communities and provide funding to push forward research into disease prevention and antibiotic alternatives on the farm. He said the company has been using alternatives to antibiotics including prebiotics, probiotics and essential oils that help digestive health.
Dr. Billy Hargis, a veterinarian and a professor of poultry science at the University of Arkansas, said there has been a good deal of successful research lately to develop treatments and preventive therapy that do not rely on antibiotics.
"Is there a silver bullet?" he asked. "No, but truthfully, antibiotics are not silver bullets themselves."
Business on 04/29/2015