A Canny Business Move by the Clown

By the end of 2004, McDonald’s will require its direct suppliers, mostly of chicken, to stop giving antibiotics in low doses to speed animal growth. And McDonald’s will choose indirect suppliers that limit antibiotics over those that do not. This is the company’s response to growing alarm over the routine use of antibiotics in animal production, a practice that is diminishing the effectiveness of antibiotics in humans.

But don’t think the clown is doing this for the benefit of mankind. They do it because there is a direct benefit in it for them.

They keep a close eye on public opinion to see if the man on the street is worried about the contents of his hamburger. They also follow global trends, noting that in Europe there are better ways to raise animals without agricultural antibiotic use. This is much the same reason they switch from polystyrene packaging to paper. If they can make the change ahead of major public protest, they come out of it smelling like roses.

Never underestimate the power of public pressure used in the right places.