Source: MEATINGPLACE, 5/29/15

Saying it will not compromise its moral obligation to care for sick animals, Sanderson Farms pledged to continue administering to its chickens antibiotics that are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

A number of U.S.  companies, from Walmart to Tyson Foods and Pilgrim’s Pride, are setting goals for eliminating antibiotics used in human medicine from their meat products.

Sanderson said its policy on antibiotics takes into account animal welfare, food safety and environmental considerations.
“After very deliberate, careful and measured consideration of this issue, we informed our customers last week that we will continue our responsible use of antibiotics when prescribed by our veterinarians,” CEO Joe Sanderson Jr. told analysts Thursday during the company’s second-quarter earnings call.

“Our obligation to care for the animals under our care is not subject to compromise,” he said.

Unhealthy chickens are more likely to carry higher loads of Salmonella, Campylobacter and E. coli, Sanderson said. A sick chicken takes longer to reach market weight and requires more feed, electricity, natural gas and other resources to grow, he said.

“Given the number of animals on the ground in the United States for food production, even small changes in the performance of those animals could have a significant negative environmental impact,” Sanderson said.

Because of withdrawal periods mandated by FDA, there are no antibiotic residues in chicken meat marketed in the United States, the CEO noted. “In that sense, all chicken is antibiotic-free,” he said.

Sanderson said the company would continue to work with its pharmaceutical suppliers to find alternatives to antibiotics important in human health and is committed to using alternatives when they become available.

Avian flu vaccine
Sanderson also addressed an analyst’s question on whether the company would step up bio-security measures to combat avian influenza, saying it would never vaccinate its broiler chickens but would have a contingency plan to vaccinate breeders if there were a huge outbreak. A wider outbreak of avian flu among broiler flocks would be extraordinary, he added.

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