Well, this is good news! Now if we can get the “growth hormones” out of our food chain, milk, meat…etc, we might start getting a handle on our childhood obesity. You will never convince me, that you can take a newly hatched chicken, and eight weeks later have an 8-pound fryer, due to growth hormones in that chickens feed, that these hormones are not affecting our weight crisis in this country.

 Tyson Foods Inc. announced Tuesday that chickens used for its Tyson brand fresh products will be raised without antibiotics.

The Springdale-based company’s “100 percent All Natural, Raised Without Antibiotics” branded chicken began selling this week.

Tyson said Tuesday it also expects to include Tyson Foods’ deli rotisserie and marinated raw breaded eight-piece items in the “raised without antibiotics” branding in early July. Individually quick frozen chicken sold in retail stores will get the brand by late August.

The new chicken products will be included in the $70 million marketing campaign the company recently launched.

“We are the first major poultry company to offer fresh chicken raised without antibiotics on a large scale basis and at an affordable price for mainstream consumers,” Dave Hogberg, Tyson Foods senior vice president for fresh meal solutions, said in a news release. “Because of the size and scale of our operations, we’re able to convert our entire branded business and assure supply to our customers.”

While the antibiotic-free chicken will cost more, the company said its research shows that the higher price will be below what consumers are willing to pay for such products.