Hackett, J. (2015, October 28). Subway Joins Other Fast-Food Giants to Cut Back on Antibiotics. Scientific American. Retrieved November 15, 2015, from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/subway-joins-other-fast-food-giants-to-cut-back-on-antibiotics/

Starting next year, Subway will serve antibiotic-free chicken and turkey in response to a petition. Chipotle and Panera Bread already serve antibiotic-free meat, while McDonald’s and Chik-fil-A are going to switch soon. Reducing antibiotic use is beneficial because it decreases the number of bacteria that grow immune to medicines. “Antibiotic-free livestock” entails only administering antibiotics when an animal is sick, rather than routinely. The U.S. FDA has voluntary restrictions on antibiotic use, and California has banned the use of antibiotics not prescribed by a veterinarian. While chicken is the easiest product to find antibiotic-free, Subway and other restaurants plan to make the switch for other meat products as well.

Subway’s decision to buy antibiotic-free meat will greatly impact the food production industry, as it forces company to either offer antibiotic-free products or to go out of business. It is related to the environment because if every farm administers routine antibiotics, then many bacteria will become immune and scientists will have to discover new medicine. I think that this change is a step in the right direction in terms of improving food production. Because Subway is the largest food chain in the world, it will hopefully act as a role model for other companies to make the switch.