McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) is being urged to stop using antibiotics with food in them by a charity named “ShareAction.”
ShareAction is asking people to email McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook with their concerns. The charity already has a preset email on its website that users can sign and send to the fast-food chain’s CEO. Those singing the email have to include their first name, last name, email address and the country they live in. They can also choose to personalize the email before sending it off.
The United Kingdom-based charity is concerned that farmers are increasing the threat of antibiotic resistant bacteria. It claims that this is happening because farmers use the drugs to prevent diseases, rather than treat them.
ShareAction claims that roughly half of the antibiotics in the United Kingdom are given to beef, pork and poultry used by McDonald’s and other fast-food chains. It says this number is as high as 70% in the United States.
According to the charity, antibiotic resistance in bacteria results in 2 million illnesses in humans and a minimum of 23,000 deaths every year. It states that this costs society between $55 billion and $70 billion each year.
McDonald’s has already been working to remove human antibiotics from its chicken menu items. The effort started in 2015 with a two-year goal set in place. It announced the change was completed earlier this month. The fast-food chain is also working to introduce healthier recipes and menu items in an effort to draw in customers that are concerned over those issues.
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