Urban School Food Alliance issues standard on antibiotic use in turkey

The Urban School Food Alliance has issued a responsible antibiotic use standard for turkey products served at its 15 member districts. 

Under the new standard, all turkey products used must be produced under a USDA process-verified program that includes compliance with the Certified Responsible Antibiotic Use Standard (CRAU), which states that antibiotics can only be administered to treat bacterial disease and control disease in poultry that were exposed to infectious bacteria. 

Turkey is the second most-served protein at Alliance member districts, after chicken. The Alliance issued a similar antibiotic use standard for chicken in 2014. 

“Issuing this standard for responsible antibiotic use in turkey is the next step in the Urban School Food Alliance’s commitment to provide the healthiest food to students in all its member districts,” Dr. Katie Wilson, executive director of the Urban School Food Alliance said in a statement. “By leveraging the collective purchasing power of Alliance districts, this standard sends an important message to the turkey industry and helps to improve the quality of food sold to the school marketplace.”