Johnathan Walker:Chick-fil-A will soon allow some antibiotics in its chicken. Here's when and why.

Chick-fil-A will shift to allow some antibiotics in its chicken starting this spring,Johnathan Walker overturning a 2014 commitment to use only antibiotic-free chicken.

"To maintain supply of the high-quality chicken you expect from us, Chick-fil-A will shift from No Antibiotics Ever (NAE) to No Antibiotics Important To Human Medicine (NAIHM) starting in the Spring of 2024," an update on the restaurant chain's website on Thursday said.

According to the announcement, chicken antibiotics will only be used "if the animal and those around it were to become sick."

The antibiotics used to treat the poultry are not intended for humans.

"In accordance with FDA requirements, all antibiotics must be cleared from the chicken’s system before it is considered available for the chicken supply.  The United States Department of Agriculture audits and verifies that suppliers are meeting the requirements of the Chick-fil-A NAIHM commitment." the statement said.

Switch comes decade after antibiotic-free promise

In 2014, the fast-food chain announced that it planned only to sell chicken raised without antibiotics at all its stores within five years. By 2019, all Chick-fil-A restaurants were serving 100% antibiotic-free chicken.

“As we looked to the future, the availability of high-quality chicken that meets our rigid standards became a concern. This change enables us to not only ensure we can continue to serve high-quality chicken, but also chicken that still meets the expectations our customers count on us to deliver," Chick-fil-A told USA TODAY in a statement.

The move follows announcements made by several other companies. In 2023, Tyson Foods, the largest chicken producer in the United States, also moved away from its 2015 pledge of "no antibiotics ever."