In an effort to gain back some diners back who now eat elsewhere, fast-food giant McDonald’s has announced that it will limit the use of chicken raised on antibiotics.
CNN reported that on Wednesday, the restaurant said it will only continue to use chicken raised with antibiotics that are important for human health reasons.
The fast-food chain has a total of 14,350 restaurants in the U.S., so it will take a couple years to convert every restaurant.
“The farmers who supply chicken … will continue to responsibly use ionophores, a type of antibiotic not used for humans, that helps keep chickens healthy,” McDonald’s said in a press release.
The Wall Street Journal noted that Marion Gross, senior vice president of the company’s North America supply chain said that there is still work to do in terms of labeling and marketing.
“Because of our scale, we have to plan well in advance and very thoughtfully,” Gross said. “It is limiting if we don’t.”
For McDonald’s Corp., the hope is that with a menu shift to some healthier alternatives and ingredients it will get back customers who dine at Chipotle Mexican Grill and other competitors.