These Restaurants Fail Antibiotics Test

(RTTNews) - Panera Bread and Chipotle Mexican Grill topped a report that ranks the 25 largest US fast food chains on their antibiotics policies and practices. Both of the chain received an A grade, for the second year in a row.

The report--Chain Reaction II-- is compiled by six nonprofit activist organizations, which include Friends of the Earth, Natural Resources Defense Council, Consumers Union, Food Animal Concerns Trust, Keep Antibiotics Working, and Center for Food Safety.

Meanwhile, 16 of the 25 chains rated received a grade of F, including KFC, Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Burger King and Domino's Pizza.

Pressures from consumers, health activists have made many companies change their antibiotics policies, particularly for chicken.

According to the report, "Lifesaving drugs are fed routinely to animals that are not sick in order to promote growth and prevent diseases that spread easily in crowded, filthy factory farm conditions. Public health agencies have declared antibiotic resistance a top health threat in the U.S. -- and the rampant misuse of antibiotics in livestock production is a major cause."