Capitol Hill Briefing: Alternatives to Routine Antibiotic Use in Food Animals

On March 2, 2010, Pew hosted a briefing on Capitol Hill in collaboration with Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Rep. Louise Slaughter. Bill Niman, founder of Niman Ranch; Steve Ells, co-CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill; and other successful livestock producers and businesspeople discussed how they sustain profitable ventures based on antibiotic-free meat production.

Find out more:

Alternatives to Antibiotic Use in Food Animal Production

Stephen Jay, M.D., professor of Medicine and Public Health and past founding chair, Department of Public Health, Indiana University School of Medicine

Meat Without Antibiotics. It Can Be Done.

Linda Boardman, president of Applegate Farms, Branchburg, NJ

Steve Ells, Chairman and Co-CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.

"We are serving more naturally raised meat than any other restaurant company. All of this meat comes from animals that are raised in a humane way, and never given antibiotics or added hormones.

We have chosen this path because we believe food made with these premium quality ingredients, from more sustainable sources tastes better. But there are other benefits as well. We believe that food raised this way is better for the environment, better for the welfare of the animals, and better for the farmers who raise the animals and grow the produce.

While it costs more to serve food made from these better ingredients, we made the decision early on that we would fight hard to find efficiencies in other areas of our business, so we could afford to buy food made from sustainable sources, without charging premium prices to our customers. It's an important part of our company's vision not only to serve food made from these better ingredients, but also to make it affordable so it is accessible to everybody..."

Download the PDF for the original invitation to this hearing.