U.S. Largest School Districts to Procure Antibiotic-Free Chicken

Serving nearly three million students daily, new city alliance continues to improve quality of school meals

Urban School Food Alliance logo
Serving nearly three million students daily, new city alliance continues to improve quality of school meals.

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 today 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 their students.

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:

  • No animal by-products in the feed
  • Raised on an all-vegetarian diet
  • Humanely raised as outlined in the National Chicken Council Animal Welfare Guidelines
  • No antibiotics ever
Sources and more information
  • Nation’s Largest School Districts to Procure Antibiotic-Free Chicken, nrdc, media 2014/141209b, December 9, 2014.
  • Support For Antibiotic Stewardship in Poultry Production,
    nrdc, December 2013.
  • Major US Cities Not “Chickening” Out on Good School Food, switchboard, December 9, 2014.
  • Looking for Good Food in LA? Head to the School Cafeteria!, switchboard, December 9, 2014.
  • Dominoes falling: A year-in-review in the consumer movement for antibiotic-free meat, switchboard, December 9, 2014.

Have your say! Share your views