Largest school districts to go with antibiotic-free chicken

LOS ANGELES — The nation’s six largest school districts announced yesterday that they will begin asking food purveyors to provide them with only antibiotic-free chicken products. The move taken by the Urban School Food Alliance will affect 2.9 million students in New York, Los Angles, Chicago, Miami-Dade County, Dallas and Orlando.

Eric Goldstein, CEO of School Support Services for the New York City Department of Education and chair of the USFA, said that chicken was chosen because it is one of the most popular items served in school cafeterias.

“The standards we’re asking from manufacturers go above and beyond the quality of the chicken we normally purchase at local supermarkets,” said Goldstein in a statement. “This move by [USFA] shows that school food directors across the country truly care about the health and wellness of students.

Specifically, USFA “will require that all chicken products be produced under a USDA Process Verified program” that stipulates that the chickens have had no animal by-products in their feed, were raised on an all-vegetarian diet, were humanely raised according to animal welfare guidelines established by the National Chicken Council, and have never received antibiotics.

On the same day the announcement was made, the Board of Education for the Los Angeles Unified School District passed the 2014 Goof Food Procurement Resolution, which calls for antibiotic- and hormone-free standards as part of its food purchasing guidelines.

“Providing the best possible, highest quality food for students shouldn’t be a privilege,” said David Binkle, foodservice director for LAUSD. “It should be a standard.”

The USFA hopes to use its joint purchasing power and influence to help drive down the cost of antibiotic-free chicken, making it easier for more districts to follow suit.