Cargill reduces antibiotics from turkey production, expands no-antibiotic line

Under public and government pressures to reduce the use antibiotics in meat production, Cargill said Tuesday (Aug. 9) it recently ended the use of gentamicin, an antibiotic used in humans and animal welfare.

The antibiotic was used for disease prevention in turkeys marketed under the brands of Honeysuckle White and Shady Brook Farms.

Turkeys will continue to receive antibiotics for control and treatment of disease, though typically not those drugs used in humans. Cargill’s turkey products covered by this decision will be available in the marketplace by early January.

For those consumers who want turkey that has never been treated with antibiotics, Cargill said it will expand its new Honest Turkey produce line.

“Eliminating antibiotic use for disease prevention purposes is the next logical step after ending the use of antibiotics for growth promotion purposes, which we began in 2014,” said Jan Hood, head of marketing for the Cargill turkey business. “Based on consumer research and their desire for transparency in food production, we developed the Honest Turkey product line, which communicates the turkeys are raised without antibiotics.”

Cargill said it remains committed to exploring fact-based technologies as alternatives to antibiotics, and to the reduced use of shared-class antibiotics when the efficacy of a given technology has been proven effective and economical. Earlier this year Cargill announced a 20% reduction in shared-class antibiotics — those used in humans and animal health — used at four of its own cattle feed yards as well as five other feedlots that are run by Cargill partners.