DUBLIN, OHIO — The Wendy’s Co. said it has made significant strides toward the company’s corporate social responsibility and sustainability goals. The company released its 2016 updat on key initiatives and announced plans for progress throughout 2017.

Actions that affected the company’s food included:

•100% acknowledgement of Wendy’s supplier code of conduct that encompasses nearly 300 domestic and international providers of food, paper and packaging;

•A stronger antibiotics policy in which Wendy’s committed to removing antibiotics important to human health from its chicken supply by the end of 2017; 

•Formation of an Animal Welfare Advisory Council 15 years ago, which led the company to review and strengthen standards and expectations for animal handling, transport and care. The company has completed more than 1,300 audits.

•Continued progress toward 100% cage free egg supply by 2020;

•Membership in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef; and

•Reporting the company’s domestic palm oil use to the World Wildlife Fund and the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (R.S.P.O.), which the company joined in August 2015.“Forty-seven years after Dave Thomas founded Wendy’s, we remain passionately committed to his ideals and values,” said Todd Penegor, president and chief executive officer of Wendy’s. “We came together strongly with our employees and franchisees in 2016 to bring Dave’s vision to life: to serve food we are proud of, provide thousands of people with employment opportunities, and raise funds and awareness to help the 130,000 children waiting in foster care find their forever families through adoption.”

Looking ahead, Wendy’s reaffirmed the company’s commitment to removing antibiotics from its chicken supply, enhancing the technical expertise of its Animal Welfare Council, reporting on its efforts to advance sustainability throughout the company’s U.S. beef supply chain and announcing a plan by the end of 2017 for sourcing certified sustainable palm oil in the company’s international operations.

“We embrace our role as a responsible corporate citizen and believe that the purpose of Wendy’s is, ‘To Create Joy and Opportunity through Food, Family and Community,’” Mr. Penegor said. “And it is through this lens that we will continue to communicate regularly and transparently to our customers about the topics that matter to all of us.”