Beef shortage leads Chipotle to consider changing stance on antibiotic usage
Due to the continued drop in beef production in the United States and a shrinking beef supply, Chipotle has announced that it may start using meat from cattle that were treated with antibiotics due to illness. The company still will refuse beef from cattle that were given antibiotics to prevent disease or promote weight gain.
Previously, the restaurant chain has accepted only antibiotic-free animals. Chris Arnold, a spokesman for Denver-based Chipotle, told Bloomberg Businessweek that the motivation for the change isn’t to increase its supply of steak, although Chipotle hasn’t been able to get enough naturally raised beef to meet customer demand. This year, about 80 percent to 85 percent of the beef sold at Chipotle’s more than 1,500 stores has been naturally raised, compared with almost 100 percent last year, Arnold said.