Tyson Strives To Remove Human Antibiotics From Broiler Chicken Flocks By 2017

(RTTNews) - Tyson Foods, Inc. (TSN) Tuesday said it is striving to eliminate the use of human antibiotics from its U.S. broiler chicken flocks by the end of September 2017.

The company will report annually on its progress, beginning with its fiscal 2015 Sustainability Report.

Tyson has already stopped using all antibiotics in its 35 broiler hatcheries, requires a veterinary prescription for antibiotics used on broiler farms and has reduced human antibiotics used to treat broiler chickens by more than 80 percent since 2011.

Tyson is also forming working groups with independent farmers and others in the company's beef, pork and turkey supply chains to discuss ways to reduce the use of human antibiotics on cattle, hog and turkey farms. Those groups will begin meeting this summer.

The company plans to work with food industry, government, veterinary, public health and academic communities, and provide funding, to accelerate research into disease prevention and antibiotic alternatives on the farm.

Tyson is also getting input from its Animal Well-Being Advisory Panel, which is made up of independent advisors.