Tyson Foods, one of the biggest meat suppliers in the country, is working closely with fast food chain McDonald's to reduce the use of antibiotics in the chicken supplied by the company. McDonald's has asked chicken suppliers to stop using antibiotics that are crucial for human health after reports that the higher use of antibiotics is leading to health issues and stronger infection outbreaks.

McDonald's announced on Wednesday that the company is planning to stop using chicken raised using antibiotics deemed important to human health.

Tyson Foods said that it completely supports McDonald's decision. Tyson has been working on reducing the antibiotic use since 2011 and has already achieved major milestones in providing healthier food options to consumers. Tyson is looking forward to work with McDonald's to meet its mandate.

McDonald's US President Mike Andres said, "Our customers want food that they feel great about eating -- all the way from the farm to the restaurant -- and these moves take a step toward better delivering on those expectations".

The move by Tyson and McDonald's resulted from the pressure mounted on pharmaceutical companies and animal producers to limit the use of antibiotics in order to preserve their effectiveness on human health.

The US Food and Drug Administration said that antibiotics are added to the animal feed or drinking water of cattle, hogs, poultry and other food-producing animals to help them gain weight faster.

In December 2013, the FDA also issued guidance on how pharmaceutical companies can work with the agency to voluntarily remove growth enhancement. In an update, the FDA stated that drug companies have agreed to comply with the requirement, but some lawmakers believe that the voluntary guidance is too weak.

Senators Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, introduced the legislation on Monday, according to which the FDA has to withdraw its approval for certain antibiotics that have higher risk of abuse.