On Tuesday, October 16, Panera Bread announced that it is the first national restaurant company to disclose the whole grain content of breads on its menu. The bakery-café chain will now label all servings of whole grain per slice, roll or bagel, as well as the whole grain percentage, on all breads over 50 percent whole grain.
The commitment is part of Panera’s launch of “Food Interrupted,” a digital platform aimed at providing increased transparency. These “webisodes,” which will also air on Facebook Watch, will follows leaders in the food world as they meet people who have dedicated their lives to changing America’s food system.
The first edition began on Tuesday with “Grains Interrupted,” in which chef Marcus Samuelsson and Weiser Family Farms’ Jon Hammond discuss the importance of ancient grains and their role in the future of food.
“At our size and scale, we believe it’s part of our job to help revolutionize the food industry from the inside out – challenging the way things have always been done,” says Panera CEO Blaine Hurst. “From the whole grain in our breads to the ingredients in our food – we will be relentless, leading by example and committed to increased transparency. But we can’t do it alone. People deserve to know more about their food and how it makes its way to their plate. Together, we can make a real change in the food system.”
Future webisodes of “Food Interrupted” will tackle plant-based diets, sugar intake, egg authenticity, meat health, and clean food.
“At Panera, we’ve always tried to do what’s right, regardless of what our industry has accepted as efficient or good enough,” says Panera Director of Wellness Sara Burnett. “Interestingly, multiple whole grain options available at grocers through our Panera at Home bread business helped remind us what really matters in bread and inspired us to translate their progress into our restaurants. Guests deserve real, measureable information, but also options – and we offer more whole grain options than any other national restaurant chain. When we combine our own actions with consumer education in our new “Food Interrupted” series, we believe we can create real demand for better food.”