…and the only two that got A’s are not even in Sacramento. Wendy’s was the only other burger chain to pass the test, but barely. They got a D minus.
Lena Brook, lead researcher of the Natural Resources Defense Council, said after seeing improvement after testing chicken, they decided to focus on beef. The study used sales to determine who the top 25 burger chains were across the country and then rated them based on three things. First was if the company promised end the routine use of antibiotics. Second was how the company implemented current policies. Third was if the claims being made by the company were true.
Shake Shack and BurgerFi both received an A grade and the other 22 restaurants got an F. These include McDonald’s, Burger King, Jack in the Box, Sonic, Habit Burger, Five Guys and even In N Out.
“Sometimes, antibiotics are used to treat sick animals, and that’s great, we are 100% supporting of that, and they are a really important part of the veterinary tool kit. But unfortunately…they are also given to animals either to promote faster growth or for the so-called disease prevention purpose,” Brook told CNN.
Like in humans, bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics in animals. Resistant germs can then hang out in the animal’s gut and passed on to you, the consumer. In fact, the CDC says every year 23,000 people die and two million get sick from antibiotic resistant infections. Two of the most common culprits are bacteria spread through food.