The restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill recently came out in favor of limiting the use of antibiotics in livestock, claiming that stopping the liberal use of drugs would greatly benefit human health.

Chipotle has long been known for its commitment to organic food production. During the Superbowl, the restaurant ran a series of ads tracing the development of a family farm into a large-scale agribusiness, and praising the return to free-range animal farming.

In a recent interview, a spokesperson for Chipotle praised a recent decision by the Food and Drug Administration to encourage farmers to avoid excessive use of antibiotics in livestock. Earlier this spring, the FDA, linking excessive use of antibiotics to the rise in drug-resistant superbugs, encouraged farmers to avoid using powerful drugs unnecessarily.

According to Chipotle spokespeople, “The use of antibiotics in industry or animal agriculture solves an entirely man-made problem. We’ve maintained that if you raise animals in ways that emphasize good animal husbandry and good care for the animals, the antibiotics just simply aren’t necessary.”

The debate over antibiotic use is also spilling over into Congress. A recent federal court ruling banning the use of certain drugs in animal feed has been appealed by the FDA, leading some politicians to criticize the agency. According to New York Representative Louise Slaughter, “They’ve buried their heads in the sand and ignored the threat of antibiotic resistance for well over 30 years.”

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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer