Fans of the iconic chicken sandwich joint Chick-fil-A will be in for a shift this year, as the restaurant chain shared that starting this spring, it will be changing its chicken, shifting away from antibiotic-free chicken.
The fast food chain, known for its politeness, shared last week that it was going to change the meat it uses because of supply issues but still promised to keep the same great standard for its sandwiches, tenders, and nuggets.
“To maintain supply of the high-quality chicken you expect from us, Chick-fil-A will shift from No Antibiotics Ever (NAE) to No Antibiotics Important To Human Medicine (NAIHM) starting in the Spring of 2024,” the company shared in an announcement.
Chick-fil-A’s website shared that NAE means no antibiotics of any kind were used in raising the animal, while NAIHM means they restrict “the use of those antibiotics that are important to human medicine and commonly used to treat people, and allows use of animal antibiotics only if the animal and those around it were to become sick.”
In 2014, Chick-fil-A switched to antibiotic-free chicken, and by 2019, all of its restaurants were using the NAE meat.
“As we looked to the future, the availability of high-quality chicken that meets our rigid standards became a concern. This change enables us to not only ensure we can continue to serve high-quality chicken, but also chicken that still meets the expectations our customers count on us to deliver,” a Chick-fil-A spokesperson told Fox News in a statement.
The switch is not out of the ordinary, as several other restaurants and chicken companies have begun reintroducing antibiotics into their chicken.
Reuters recently reported that Panera Bread has dropped its antibiotic-free policy in its pork and turkey products. The restaurant shared that the decision came as supply chain options remained limited.
Last summer, Tyson Foods announced it was also reintroducing certain antibiotics into its supply of chicken after spending the previous six years being antibiotic-free.
Chick-fil-A did not share an exact date for when the switch would occur.