Subway vows to add antibiotic-free chicken sandwich to its menu, being the largest chain of its kind to deliver on a promise to serve chicken without antibiotics at locations across the country. Its rotisserie-style chicken sandwich, the first antibiotic-free sandwich, will be available on March 1.

On Oct. 20, 2015, Subway said it will elevate its current antibiotic-free policy by serving chicken raised without antibiotics. The transition covers more than 27,000 U.S. restaurants in the company's aim to provide high-quality and affordable menu items for their customers.

The company also promised to remove artificial flavors, colors and other preservatives from all its sandwiches, soups, cookies and salads by the end of 2017.

"Today's consumer is ever more mindful of what they are eating, and we've been making changes to address what they are looking for," Dennis Clabby, executive vice president of Subway said [PDF] in a press release.

By April 1, all of Subway's chicken strips will be free of antibiotics. The company chose to start off with chicken for practical reasons because it is quicker to raise than other animals.

The company's goal is to complete an antibiotic-free menu by 2025. In the next two to three years, they will start serving antibiotic-free turkey.

McDonald's promised to serve antibiotic-free chicken last year but they are still in the process of coordinating with suppliers.

Antibiotic Use In Poultry

Recently, antibiotic use in poultry raised concerns on public health. The rampant use of antibiotics in poultry is putting human health at risk, which may lead to difficulties in treating antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports a 23 percent increase in antibiotic use on poultry in the United States between 2009 and 2014.

Antibiotic overdose in livestock adds up to drug resistance and development of superbugs, which are very hard to treat. This reduces the effectiveness of antimicrobial drugs for treating human diseases.

Antibiotic-resistant bugs cause more than 2 million diseases at about 23,000 deaths every year in the United States. Improving antibiotic use could save about 37,000 lives from superbugs over five years.

Photo: Mike Mozart | Flickr