Antibiotics in fast food chains

[Jenise]

Interesting (but not surprising) report.

http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/09/15/antibiotics-scorecard?cmpid=organic-share-facebook

[Robin Garr]

Chipotle at the top didn't surprise me, since that's part of their shtick, and I wasn't too surprised to see Panera near the top, although I wouldn't have been surprised either way.

There was a certain amount of schadenfreude around Louisville to see both our locally based Papa John's and all the marques of locally based Yum Brands (Taco Hell, KFC, Pizza Hut) all getting "F" grades.

[Jenise]

I would have hoped for Panera to be at the top. Have you ever eaten at one? We did, I knew it's reputation from the financial pages, I'd had an emergency root canal and there was one right next door to where we were; plus I was starving, an hour away from home and they would sell me a drinkable soup to go. Not a chain fan but circumstantially it made more sense than anything else nearby. It's clear just from reading the menu that there's emphasis on not just organic but healthy choices.

I think I loved best seeing Subway rank so low. If years ago someone had come to me with a business plan for Subway including the cheesy outfits and the fresh baked bread gimmick, I'd have laughed them out of the room. A few locations in areas of dense industrial blue collar workers aside, I'd have flat-out said it would never have traction as a national chain. Obviously, I know diddlysquat.

[Robin Garr]

Yes, I've eaten at Panera on occasion, and I agree, it's on the high-quality end of the quick-service restaurant niche. I developed a little heartburn with them years ago and did an article about the first one in Louisville. In the process, I discovered that their "fresh bread baked daily" was actually made from frozen dough trucked in from a commissary in St. Louis. Technically correct, I guess - they did "bake" it right here that morning. But kinda misleading. You can take the restaurant out of the corporation, but you can't take the corporate mindset out of the restaurant.

I don't eat at Chipotle all that often, either, but i do like their food pretty well for a chain and feel I've got a somewhat better-than-average chance of not getting something laced with antibiotics and recombinant bovine growth hormone.

Plus, I've got a couple of Chipotles dangerously close to places that I'm likely to be at lunchtime.

I am also glad to see the two good-talking chains actually at the top of the heap. There is one very successful salesman at my company who is a big promoter of Panera so I get quite a bit of it, at certain customers.

I am surprised about Phuck-Fil-A scoring so well. (No forgiveness from me, obviously.)

Re Subway... If you don't look under the hood too hard, the whole idea sounds kinda better than most fast food. Most fast food is really greasy stuff: burgers, fried chicken, tacos and pizza dripping in oil. Whereas a Subway sandwich is a passable bread+filling that you can heap high with a side salad's worth of toms, cukes, peppers, lettuce, onions, etc. The raw veggie quotient is good.

The widespread occurrence of antibiotics in fast food is pretty much a mirror of their occurrence in the greater food supply. This article makes for good publicity and a nice prod, though, if nothing else.

Dunkin' Donuts? Huh.

[Robin Garr]

I'm not sure it's quite that simple, Mike. The places that want to avoid antibiotic-laced food can do so by selective buying, including organic dairy. It's not just a reflection of reality but sorts by corporate policy. I'm not saying that Panera and Chipotle do it out of the goodness of their hearts, but that they recognize a niche that's willing to pay a premium for "healthy" choices.

That's just it. The places that want to avoid antibiotic-laced products can do so but they have to work at it. The norm is to have those residues in our food products, and that doesn't just apply to the fast food world. Didn't mean to imply that this won't change but we have a long way to go. The publicity from articles like this helps.

Still don't get the Dunkin' Donuts thing, but I haven't been in one in many years.

Still don't get the Dunkin' Donuts thing, but I haven't been in one in many years.

Well, ya gotcher bakery sandwiches: http://www.dunkindonuts.com/dunkindonut ... iches.html

An' yer breakfast sandwiches: http://www.dunkindonuts.com/dunkindonut ... iches.html

Step right up and get yer Noo-trishun Catalog: http://www.dunkindonuts.com/dunkindonut ... talog.html


Jeff

Wow! Last time I was in one, they just sold donuts. (That was probably forty years ago, though!)

[Robin Garr]

That's just it. The places that want to avoid antibiotic-laced products can do so but they have to work at it. The norm is to have those residues in our food products, and that doesn't just apply to the fast food world.

Okay, I see your point, Mike. I hadn't thought of it that way. I guess I just live in a bubble, with a strong preference for "natural" food and, happily, easy access and the price of admission.

I'd have flat-out said it would never have traction as a national chain. Obviously, I know diddlysquat.

International chain!!

We have two on our high street in little old St Albans...

I've only been in Subway a couple of times when we were working in Austin and the whole group wnet out to get lunch.

Fast food it wasn't, took ages queuing while people in front dithered about what fillings they wanted, just took too much time. Then I felt hassled myself trying to see what fillings they had aware of queue behind me, Didn't like it, never gone again.

We also have a joint Dunking Donuts and Baskin Robins!! And packed since the day they opened.

Not been in either, but their cheap breakfast bacon buttie and sausage buttle looks tempting
http://www.dunkindonuts.co.uk/food/brea ... on-buttie/
http://www.dunkindonuts.co.uk/food/brea ... ge-buttie/

That's just it. The places that want to avoid antibiotic-laced products can do so but they have to work at it. The norm is to have those residues in our food products, and that doesn't just apply to the fast food world.

Okay, I see your point, Mike. I hadn't thought of it that way. I guess I just live in a bubble, with a strong preference for "natural" food and, happily, easy access and the price of admission.

It's not like that's a bad thing!