Kids may unknowingly be consuming an animal contraceptive when they eat a chicken sandwich at Chick-fil-A, according to a Moms Across America’s (MAA) report on veterinary drugs and hormones found in food served in the most popular U.S. fast food restaurants.
The nonprofit MAA this month released results from food samples tested for veterinary drugs, including antibiotics and hormones. Health Research Institute, a Fairfield, Iowa, nonprofit independent lab, conducted the testing.
The results showed that a Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich contained nicarbazin, an antiparasitic that also functions as a bird contraceptive.
Sixty percent of samples from the U.S.’ top 10 fast food chains also contained the antibiotic monensin, which can cause severe harm in humans and remains unapproved for human use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Zen Honeycutt, MAA’s founder and executive director, called the results “shocking” and “disturbing,” especially because some fast food chains supply school lunches.
Honeycutt and other healthy food advocates on Oct. 17 will present the test results to U.S. lawmakers during a congressional briefing on U.S. food toxicity.
“Thirty million school meals are served to our children each day,” Honeycutt told The Defender, “and for millions of underprivileged children, these toxic meals are their only access to nutrition.” She added:
“The impact of millions of Americans, especially children and young adults, consuming a known animal contraceptive daily is concerning.
“With infertility problems on the rise, the reproductive health of this generation is front and center for us, in light of these results.”
Commenting on MAA’s fast food testing initiative, attorney Michael Baum, a senior partner at Wisner Baum said:
“Toxins like the ones Moms Across America’s testing found in major fast foods don’t belong in anybody’s food, especially children’s food.
“Repeated exposure to them can build up and cause unexpected harms — kudos to Moms Across America for getting this testing done and published.”
Under Baum’s leadership, the law firm has won billions of dollars in consumer fraud and product liability cases against major pharmaceutical and life sciences companies, including Bayer Corp. (formerly Monsanto), Eli Lilly, Forest Labs, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer and more.
Read More: Animal Contraceptives and Antibiotics in Popular Fast Foods, Testing Reveals