Advocates of so-called clean eating are pressing for concessions from one of the restaurant industry’s most tradition-bound brands, In-N-Out.
A 50-group coalition is pressuring the retro burger chain to stop using ground beef from cows that are routinely treated with antibiotics. The advocates contend the California-based operation has an obligation to switch because the move would protect the public from antibiotic-resistant germs.
“As a hamburger restaurant known for its high-quality, fresh ingredients, In-N-Out should be a leader on this issue,” Jason Pfeifle, public health advocate for coalition member CALPIRG Education Fund, said in a statement. “It's time for the company to set a strong antibiotics policy that will help push the meat industry to do the right thing for public health.”
The statement suggests that a switch by In-N-Out could lead other chains to call for antibiotic-free meat.
In addition to CALPIRG, one of the nation’s largest institutional funds, the advocacy group includes Friends of the Earth, Center for Food Safety and Consumers Union, the political arm of Consumer Reports.
In-N-Out had not replied publicly to the coalition’s announcement at presstime.
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