The Urban School Food Alliance (The Alliance), a coalition of the largest school districts in the United States that includes New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami-Dade, Dallas and Orlando, announced an antibiotic-free standard for companies to follow when supplying chicken products to its schools. The Alliance is taking action to protect the future of our students.

Serving nearly 2.9 million students daily, Alliance members procure more than $550 million in food and supplies annually. The coalition aims to use its joint purchasing power and influence to help drive down nationwide costs, while setting higher standards for the quality of food served in its schools. The Alliance seeks to ensure that students receive the highest quality meals and that exceed minimum United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines. The Alliance’s landmark action focuses on chicken because it is one of the most popular items served at cafeterias across the country. Working with suppliers, non-profit partners and government agencies, the Alliance has committed to the following standard:

The Alliance will require that all chicken products must be produced under a USDA Process Verified Program that includes compliance with the following:
ANTIBIOTIC FREE CHICKEN

1. No animal by-products in the feed
2. Raised on an all-vegetarian diet
3. Humanely raised as outlined in the National Chicken Council Animal Welfare Guidelines
4. No antibiotics ever

To learn more about the Urban School Food Alliance, please visit www.urbanschoolfoodalliance.org. For more information about antibiotic-free meat and poultry, please visit www.nrdc.org/food/saving-antibiotics.asp.