Post by Dan Charles, The Salt at NPR Food (8/13/2013)
For a few hours Tuesday, it appeared that Chipotle Mexican Grill, an ever expanding source of fast food for the ethically conscious consumer, had softened its hard line against antibiotics in meat production.
Bloomberg News "broke" the story, as we journalists (rather weirdly) like to say. Relying on an email from Chipotle spokesman Chris Arnold, it reported that the restaurant chain no longer would ban all meat from animals treated with antibiotics. Such beef is growing increasingly scarce and expensive. Under the new policy, Bloomberg reported, Chipotle would allow beef producers to use antibiotics to treat disease, but routine use of antibiotics to prevent diseases or promote faster growth still would be banned.
The "burrito bombshell" (Salon.com) flashed 'round the food world on tweeted wings. Many news outlets picked it up. Here at The Salt at NPR, we tried to confirm it. And eventually, we got our own email from Chris Arnold. Update! Chipotle has made no such change in its policies. "I gave Bloomberg incorrect information," Arnold wrote us, manfully taking responsibility.
In fact, according to an official statement from Chipotle, the chain's antibiotic ban still stands. For now. Chipotle admits that it is considering a change: "The company is currently evaluating if this strict 'never-ever' antibiotic protocol is best for the animals, or whether animals can be treated when necessary and allowed to remain in the herd."