Papa John's to Serve Only Antibiotic-Free Chicken on Pizzas

Papa John's has committed to making sure all of their grilled chicken pizza toppings and chicken poppers will come from chickens that are raised without human and animal antibiotics by next summer (2016).

The company is the first national pizza chain to make such a pledge as consumer demand for such has risen. They also plan that the chicken will be fed a 100% vegetarian diet in the same time frame.

It should be noted that all chicken is “antibiotic-free” in the sense that no antibiotic residues are present in the meat due to the withdrawal periods and other precautions required by the government. Still, there is a concern that the use of such antibiotics contribute to the growth and proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Similar commitments have been made by fast food chains like McDonald's and Chick-fil-A, while Panera Bread has only serves antibiotic-free chicken.

Photo via Papa John's.