Panera Bread Co. is starting a “No-No List.”
The restaurant chain announced Monday it is publicly listing all the artificial additives it has already eliminated or plans to get rid of by the end of next year. The list includes more than 150 preservatives, colorings, sweeteners and flavors.
“If it’s not colored by nature, we’re not interested in serving it,” the company wrote on its website. “If it’s created and not grown, we know you won’t love it.”
Panera, which started in St. Louis, Mo., as a bakery and has since opened nearly 1,900 soup-and-salad restaurants in Canada and the U.S., is the latest in a series of restaurants taking steps toward more natural menu offerings that Americans are increasingly expecting.
Last week, Chipotle Mexican Grill said it will use only non-genetically modified ingredients. In February, Nestle announced the removal of artificial flavors and colors from its chocolates in the U.S.
Besides listing taboo ingredients, Panera is taking another big step in that direction starting Wednesday, when it will sell only “clean” salad dressings that are free of artificial additives. The actions build on the chain’s announcement last year that it would start eliminating additives from its menu.
“We are not made of Azodicarbonate and Dimethylpolysiloxane, so let’s keep it that way,” the company wrote.
