Fast-food chain McDonald's Corp announced on Wednesday (U.S. time) that it would begin curbing the use of a kind of antibiotic in its global chicken supply in 2018, but China is not among the list of markets where antibiotic chicken will be gone at the earliest date.
This decision has angered Chinese consumers.
In January 2018, antibiotics defined by the World Health Organization as "highest priority critically important antimicrobials" (HPCIA) to human medicine will be phased out from McDonald's chickens in Brazil, Canada, Japan, South Korea, the US and Europe, according to an announcement on the website of McDonald's.
By the end of 2019, suppliers in Australia and Russia will stop using HPCIAs. All other markets including China will comply with the order by January 2027, said the announcement.
In a note sent to the Global Times, McDonald's claimed that the company has adhered to its global goal of eliminating use of antibiotics in Chinese market, and "has worked closely with relevant government department, suppliers, industry associations and scholars to promote the industry's sustainable development."
The company said the food safety concept of McDonald's China is consistent with the world's. Taking the feeding of poultry as an example. The birds must take proper antibiotics during treatment of diseases, and our suppliers are conducting the medication under the guidance of veterinarians. Besides, the type, usage and dosage of medicine is strictly in line with China's related laws and regulation.
However, some Chinese consumers were outraged at McDonald's decision.
"Why would McDonald's impose a double standard in China, one of the largest consumer markets in the world? … Is the move discrimination against Chinese consumers?" Wang Xinmiao, a Beijing-based white-collar worker, told the Global Times on Thursday.
"If McDonald's does not reduce antibiotics in its chicken supplied to China in 2018, I will boycott the brand," another Beijing resident surnamed Chen told the Global Times.
McDonald's has planned to double the number of its stores in China from 2,500 to 4,500 within five years, the Financial Times reported on August 8. The fast-food giant aims to shift from its focus on big cities to penetrate China's third- or fourth-tier cities.
