McDonald's to Serve Chicken Raised Without Human Antibiotics

McDonald's plans to only serve chicken raised without antibiotics that are important to human medicine within the next two years.

There's a concern that overuse of the antibiotics in chicken can lessen their effectiveness for use in humans by the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria or "super bugs." Since McDonald's is one of the largest purchasers of chicken in the U.S., there's a good chance the policy might significantly affect how chickens are raised in the U.S. as McDonald's works with its many suppliers.

The move comes as the company looks to improve the quality of its ingredients. Later this year, the company is switching to offering milk jugs of low-fat milk and fat-free chocolate milk from cows that are not treated with rbST, an artificial growth hormone.