Panera Bread petitions FDA to define ‘egg’

Panera Bread has petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to establish a clear definition for the word “egg.”

Photo by Roy Graber
Photo by Roy Graber

Panera Bread has petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to establish a clear definition for the word “egg.”

The restaurant chain took the action at the same time it launched its new line of breakfast sandwiches that contain “100 percent real eggs.” According to a press release from Panera Bread, while it was developing the breakfast sandwiches, it discovered that the agency had never established a definition or standard of identity for eggs. Without such a definition, Panera Bread asserts, companies can sell and advertise food items that contain multiple additives, such as butter-type flavors, gums and added color, under the term “egg.”

“Panera and our competitors use the FDA definitions to guide our product descriptions and names,” said Sara Burnett, Panera Bread’s director of wellness and food policy. “But in the case of ‘eggs,’ we have no guidance. Brands can say they offer an egg sandwich, but sell and egg product that contains multiple additives.”

According to the press release, when Panera Bread discovered there was no clear egg definition, it began exploring menus from other food industry companies, and found that about half of the top 10 fast-casual restaurants in the United States that sell breakfast sell “egg” products that contain at least five ingredients.

“Responsible companies will be transparent about the food items they serve, even if regulation does not require them to do so,” stated Blaine Hurst, president and CEO of Panera Bread. “At Panera Bread, we believe 100 percent real eggs are the basis for a great breakfast sandwich.”

To bring attention to the subject of an egg definition, Panera Bread is encouraging consumers to engage in social media conversations on egg transparency, using the hashtage #RespectTheEgg.

Panera Bread, as of late 2017, operated 2,065 locations across the United States and in the Canadian province of Ontario.

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