SPRINGDALE, Ark. — Tyson Foods, Inc. announced April 28 it will phase out human antibiotic use in its U.S. broiler production by 2017. The company also said it is exploring antibiotic reduction strategies in its cattle, hog and turkey supply chains.

It is the latest announcement from a major meat industry player concerning antibiotic reduction. Perdue Farms has made a similar announcement, and McDonald’s announced in March it will source all its chicken, by 2017, from suppliers that do not use human antibiotics.

Tyson, like other chicken companies making similar announcements, couched its move in terms of human health benefits and food safety. “We’re confident our meat and poultry products are safe, but want to do our part to responsibly reduce human antibiotics on the farm so these medicines can continue working when they’re needed to treat illness,” said Donnie Smith, president and CEO of Tyson Foods.

Smith noted the phase-out will not occur in a way that will hamper the health of poultry in production facilities.

Broiler and other meat producers have been criticized for using antibiotics to counteract effects of confined production. On the day of Tyson’s announcement, the Center for Food Safety and ASPCA, an animal welfare group, issued a joint statement urging meat producers to do more.

“Companies must simultaneously improve living conditions while reducing reliance on routine antibiotics in order to fulfill their responsibility to consumers and the animals in their care,” stated the groups.

Meat producers say their ongoing efforts to reduce antibiotics are helping improve the public health climate, and consumers have a growing number of choices for selecting meat produced without antibiotics. Large companies, including Tyson and Perdue, have rolled out premium “antibiotic-free” brands in response to consumer demand.

Smaller meat producers have offered reduced and antibiotic-free products to fill growing market niches. “Antibiotics and added hormones are one of the hot-button questions from our customers,” said Phil Baggett of Tennessee Grass-fed Beef in Clarksville. His family sells beef, pork and chicken from animals not treated with antibiotics or added growth hormones.

“I don’t know if we could have this business if our beef, pork and chicken were not antibiotic-free,” said Baggett, who watched his beef sales volume double to more than 100 cattle in 2013. The family added pork and chicken in response to customer requests.

Certified organic meat production, which has strict guidelines on antibiotic use, has also increased to meet market demand. In 2008, there were no certified organic broilers produced in Indiana; in 2011, the state counted 80,000 certified organic broilers, according to the USDA Economic Research Service.

Organic broiler production in Iowa skyrocketed during the same period, from fewer than 15,000 to 2.41 million. Iowa also raises a significant number of certified organic turkeys.

Two reports released by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in April indicate mostly decreasing antimicrobial trends in certain bacteria isolated from raw meat and poultry. The reports showed antimicrobial resistance in salmonella found in raw poultry decreased to 20 percent in 2013, a decline from a peak of 38 percent in 2009.

Ashley Peterson, National Chicken Council vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs, said the meat industry is doing its part to reduce microbial resistance to antibiotics. In a statement released in mid-April, she said those FDA reports provide a “strong case” that judicious use of antibiotics by livestock and poultry producers is helping.

“NCC is pleased to see many positive trends in the data continue, including a decrease in resistance in several foodborne pathogens, and that first-line antibiotics remain effective in treating illnesses,” she added.

Some consumer groups remain concerned about the presence of any drug-resistant bacteria on food and in the environment. Peterson said consumers can combat possible illness by proper food preparation.

“One thing consumers should remember is that all pathogens potentially found on raw chicken, regardless of strain or resistance profile, are fully destroyed by handling the product properly and cooking it to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit,” she said.