Why buy pork from across the pond, Chipotle?

For those of us who grow the food we feed all our families, it seems that some food companies (ahem, Chipotle) speak out of both sides of their mouth – and end up confusing consumers. When I read about Chipotle’s new overseas pork supplier, it sure left me confused.

On one hand, the company has said it wouldn’t source locally raised pork from farms like mine because their standards didn’t align with ours. Fair enough. I’m all about the free market and support their decision to buy from whomever they want. Now, Chipotle is saying it’s okay for their overseas supplier to use antibiotics when necessary to treat sick animals and that any medicine used will clear the animal’s system before it is sent to market…

If Chipotle would talk to me, I would tell them that standard practice on my farm – and many U.S. farms – is to treat pigs with antibiotics when they are sick, and only when they are sick. It’s the exact same process being used by Chipotle’s new pork supplier in the U.K. Perhaps Chipotle is confused.

A fellow pig farmer in Minnesota also questioned Chipotle’s new acceptance of imported pigs treated with antibiotics. You may want to read Lori’s perspective, here, too.

As a 6th generation Illinois pig farmer, there’s nothing more satisfying than knowing you’ve done the best you can to care for your animals and provide the highest quality pork for consumers. That includes humanely administering antibiotics when needed. I hope we can all agree on that.