STATEMENT: Board nominee urges McDonald’s to uphold unfulfilled commitment to reduce antibiotic use in beef supply chain

Misuse of drugs in meat production factors into development of antibiotic-resistant ‘superbugs’

U.S. PIRG Education Fund

PORTLAND, Maine — In an article published Friday, Reuters reported that Leslie Samuelrich, who Carl Icahn recently nominated to McDonald’s board of directors, ‘is concerned McDonald’s has not followed through’ on its 2018 commitment to establish targets for reducing the use of medically important antibiotics in its beef supply chain. 

In response, PIRG’s Public Health Campaigns Director Matthew Wellington released the following statement:

“McDonald’s is 15 months past the deadline it laid out when it pledged to set targets for reducing the use of medically important antibiotics in its beef supply chain. That’s been more than enough time to do the right thing for public health. Since that apparently hasn’t provided enough incentive, let’s hope that additional encouragement from the investment world prompts McDonald’s to finally act. 

“As Leslie Samuelrich told Reuters, the company faces reputational and governance risks. McDonald’s can mitigate those risks by keeping its promises — or inflame them by continuing to delay them. The company stopped sourcing chicken raised with medically important antibiotics years ago; now’s the time to reduce use in its beef supply as well.”