Source: Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE, 12/20/16


Panera Bread announced its intention to align its broiler chicken policy with the Global Animal Partnership’s Broiler Chicken Standard and set goals it hopes to achieve by 2024.

In a news release, the fast casual chain declared, “Going forward, we will work with animal welfare experts, growers, suppliers, competitors and other market participants to identify cost-effective solutions for our industry. With help of other market participants, we hope to achieve the following across the restaurant industry by 2024:
• Use new broiler breeds recognized as having higher welfare outcomes
• Provide birds more space (reduced stocking density)
• Offer improved environments, including litter, lighting and enrichment
• Ensure birds are rendered unconscious using multi-step controlled atmospheric stunning.” 

“We started 13 years ago with chicken raised without antibiotics because we believed that a national restaurant company could use size and scale to affect change in the marketplace,” said Ron Shaich, CEO and founder of Panera Bread. “Our journey to reduce antibiotics has taught us that truly transformational change requires moves by many stakeholders. It is our hope that leadership by companies like Panera will continue to be a catalyst for animal welfare across the industry.”

“As a restaurant serving more than 10 million people a week, we have the platform and purchasing power to encourage positive changes in animal welfare practices.  We also have a responsibility to the farmers and ranchers who care for these animals. They have been essential partners over the years and we respect the investments they will need to make as we work together to find economically viable and sustainable models that lead to higher welfare birds,” said Sara Burnett, Director of Wellness and Food Policy at Panera.

2016 Update on Animal Welfare Progress
Panera outlined the following steps it has already taken to direct the animal husbandry practices of its suppliers:
• With the introduction of RWA deli turkey in September 2016, 100 percent of the chicken and turkey on our sandwiches and salads is now raised without antibiotics and vegetarian fed. This means 86 percent of its poultry supply, or approximately 34 million pounds, met these standards.
• All bacon, breakfast sausage and ham served on sandwiches and salads at Panera – or approximately 7.7 million pounds – were raised without antibiotics and gestation crates for pregnant sows. This represents more than 93 percent of Panera’s total pork supply.
• In 2016, 95 percent of Panera’s beef – or approximately 4 million pounds – was grass-fed, free range – up from 89 percent in 2015.

Panera subscribes to the definition of raised humanely put forth by the UK Farm Animal Welfare Committee’s Five Freedoms: freedom from hunger or thirst; freedom from discomfort; freedom from pain, injury or diseases; freedom from distress; and freedom to express normal behavior.

As of Sept. 27, 2016, there were 2,024 bakery-cafes in 46 states and in Ontario, Canada operating under the Panera Bread, Saint Louis Bread Co., or Paradise Bakery & Cafe names.

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