Panera Bread (PNRA) Is Making Some Big Changes To This

Panera Bread will now be serving “clean” bacon.

In an effort to ban a list of additives from the chain’s menu by the end of 2016, Panera Bread is changing their bacon up.

The cured meat will still be smoky, salty, and “bacon-y,” says director of food policy and wellness at Panera, Sara Burnett.
The company has removed additives like sodium nitrite, sodium phosphate and sodium erythorbate, which are used to cure the meat, and are using celery powder.

The bacon slice is also now 25 percent thicker, so that it won’t slide out of your sandwich and once cooked, won’t be stored in a refrigerator. Leaving it out in room temperature will have it remain crispy.

“Clean bacon is an example of how you can amplify when you simplify,” Ron Shaich, Panera’s founder and CEO, said in a statement.

“By removing artificial additives, we made a switch to better ingredients, better texture and, ultimately, better flavor. We’re not just offering clean bacon; it’s bacon that has been elevated in every way.”

Disclaimer: We have no position in Panera Bread Co. (NASDAQ: PNRA) and have not been compensated for this article.