Restaurant Brands International

RBI provides a high-level disclosure of its key purchased proteins across its different reporting. For its animal welfare efforts, the company identifies its key animal proteins as broilers, laying hens, beef, and pork. In its Climate Change 2023 CDP Report, the company further identifies dairy as a key commodity. Additionally, RBI disclosed shrimp and seafood as Popeye’s menu items in its annual report. RBI does not provide a granular breakdown by volume or revenue of its key purchased proteins therefore it is unclear to investors what the company’s most material proteins are however it does disclose on its company website that it is one of the world’s largest purchasers of beef through its Burger King restaurants.

RBI disclosed on its company website that it is committed to good antibiotic stewardship and reducing antibiotics important to human medicine in its chicken and beef supply chain. The company has removed the use of antibiotics important to human medicine from its approved chicken supply for Burger King US and Popeyes US. RBI clarified via email that its “approved” products are products approved by Popeyes US and Burger King US to be purchased and sold in its restaurants and its categorisation of antibiotics important to human medicine aligns with the WHO’s categorisation of medically important antimicrobials (MIAs). For its Tim Hortons Canada restaurants, RBI has prohibited the preventative use of antibiotics of high importance and very high importance to human medicine as defined by Health Canada’s Categorization of Antimicrobial Drugs Based on Importance in Human Medicine (2009) for chicken used in its approved products. Health Canada does not align with the WHO’s categorisation of MIAs and is not considered a policy. As part of its antibiotic stewardship program, the company reports that with regards to beef, it will work with its suppliers and franchisees to encourage the reduction in the use of highest priority critically important antibiotics (HPCIAs), a reduction in the routine preventative use of antibiotics, and a reduction in the use of antibiotics to promote growth. However, the company has not yet publicly disclosed a policy or target to achieve this. The company disclosed during its dialogue with the group of investors, that the lack of traceability and visibility in its supply chain is a major challenge to developing antibiotic policies. Regarding its purchased pork, RBI disclosed that it aims to define its vision through the future development of an antibiotics policy for this protein. The company has not yet publicly disclosed an antibiotics policy for its pork supply chain or a timeline for when it will be ready. Additionally, the company does not disclose any policy for its egg-layers, dairy, and seafood.

RBI’s antibiotic policy for its broilers, which prohibits the use of medically important antibiotics, applies to its Burger King US restaurants and its Popeyes US restaurants. RBI disclosed that 6,778 of its 19,384 Burger King restaurants are located in the US, therefore its policy covers approximately 35% of its Burger King restaurants. Additionally, the company reports that 3,051 of its 4,571 Popeyes restaurants are located in the US, therefore its policy covers approximately 67% of its Popeyes restaurants. The company is not considered to have an antibiotic policy in place for its beef, pork, egg-layers, dairy, and seafood.

RBI disclosed on its company website that its poultry supply chain is its most vertically integrated and it is therefore more feasible to maintain traceability from barn to the final product. However, although the company reports that it has removed MIAs from its chicken supply chain for Burger King US and Popeyes US, the company does not publicly disclose its antibiotic usage data and the scope of its internal tracking is unclear. The company disclosed its beef supply chain is not vertically integrated from farm to processing and packaging, and there are no systems in place to trace and track records of antibiotic use. As such measuring its current use of antibiotics is significantly challenging. The company reported that they are seeking solutions to this challenge but it has not publicly disclosed any evidence of engaging its supply chain on this issue. Additionally, the company does not disclose any evidence that it is tracking and monitoring antibiotic use data for its egg-layers, dairy, and seafood.

RBI reports on its website that it has worked closely with its suppliers to study the use of antibiotics in its supply chain but it does not publicly disclose evidence of conducting audits on antibiotic use.

RBI does not publicly report how it manages non-compliance of its antibiotic policy within its supply chain.

The company does not currently disclose evidence of an antibiotic's reduction target for any of its other purchased animal proteins.

This is not applicable as the company does not currently disclose evidence of an antibiotic's reduction target for any of its purchased animal proteins.

This is not applicable as the company does not currently disclose evidence of an antibiotic's reduction target for any of its purchased animal proteins.

RBI provided a written response to the investor letter, the company participated in a dialogue with FAIRR, and the company participated in a follow-up discussion with FAIRR to discuss industry best practice amongst its peers. However, the company did not provide any feedback on its assessments.