Perdue said Friday that it plans to use birds raised without antibiotics for all of its prepared chicken products, such as chicken nuggets, as well as a line of foodservice turkey items, continuing a move away from drugged animals the Maryland company has been pursuing for several years.
About two-thirds of Perdue’s chickens are now raised without antibiotics and about half of its turkeys, it said in a press release announcing the change.
Eric Christianson, Perdue’s senior vice president of marketing and innovation, said in a statement that the latest switch “represents a significant transformation in the market.”
The transition to antibiotic-free birds in the new products is expected to be complete at the end of May, making more than 200 of the Salisbury firm’s products available in that category, it said.
Public health officials say widespread use of antibiotics in animals that will be eaten can help bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics used in humans.