Ionophores are primarily used to control a poultry disease called coccidiosis, maintain intestinal integrity, and contribute to good bird health. According to the report, the World Health Organization does not consider them medically important for treating human disease.
“Based on current science, Tyson brand products are transitioning to No Antibiotics Important to Human Medicine (NAIHM), which is expected to be complete by the end of the calendar year,” a Tyson Foods spokesperson said.
In 2017, the US meatpacker had switched its retail line from company-branded chicken products to birds raised without antibiotics.