Tyson To Eliminate Antibiotics From Chicken Products By Mid-Year

Tyson Foods reportedly plans to become the world's largest producer of antibiotic-free chicken later this year.

Reuters reports that Tyson executives told an industry conference that its branded chicken products would use birds raised entirely without antibiotics.

Tyson previously said that it would stop the use of human antibiotics in its chicken facilities by September.

Numerous poultry companies, including rivals Perdue and Pilgrim’s Pride, took steps in recent years to limit or halt their use of antibiotics due to concerns over drug-resistant bacteria.

"We think that we can be very competitive in that space in the next 12 months," Tyson Chief Operations Officer Noel White said during a webcast of the conference.

The decision also comes as Tyson seeks to bolster sales of its flagship protein products in stores, The Wall Street Journal noted.