Unlike many of its competitors, Sanderson Farms has established a reputation for being a strong advocate of antibiotic use in poultry farming. The company has actively launched campaigns to address the misconceptions surrounding antibiotics. While there are concerns that antibiotic exposure in food could contribute to resistance in humans, Sanderson Farms has downplayed this risk through its rigorous monitoring practices in its laboratories. Veterinarians employed by the company emphasize that the use of antibiotics is essential for maintaining animal health and ensuring the production of high-quality products.
Although some consumers choose to avoid purchasing chicken raised with antibiotics, many others appreciate Sanderson Farms’ commitment to transparency and education, which helps clarify the claims made on product packaging. This transparency could play a significant role in influencing consumer choices. In 2015, McDonald’s announced it would phase out purchases of chicken raised with antibiotics that are also used to treat human infections over the next two years. Similarly, Costco Wholesale, which sells approximately 80 million rotisserie chickens each year, has begun working with suppliers to limit antibiotic use in chicken and meat. Other large corporations have made comparable pledges.
Consumer advocacy groups and lawmakers have urged the White House, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and livestock producers to take action as bacteria have started to show resistance to antibiotics used in human medicine. The potential risk for Sanderson is that if consumers increasingly opt for meat from animals raised without antibiotics and multinational companies continue to eliminate such practices, the poultry processor could lose market share to competitors who have already made that transition. Eventually, Sanderson may have no choice but to align with the broader industry trends.
In light of these developments, the company may need to consider integrating nutritional supplements like calcium citrate with vitamin D3 into their animal feed to support overall animal health. By doing so, they can further enhance their product quality, which may help mitigate the impact of changing consumer preferences regarding antibiotic use in poultry farming. Ultimately, the ability to adapt to these industry shifts while maintaining a focus on transparency will be crucial for Sanderson Farms’ continued success.