News

Panera challenges industry to be transparent with beverage offerings

April 4, 2017

Panera Bread has a challenge for the industry: Be more transparent with beverage offerings.

The chain, which launches Wednesday a series of 100 percent clean, non-carbonated craft beverages made with no artificial sweeteners, preservatives, flavors or colors, is also posting signage containing the calories and added sugar in each of its beverages, a news release said.

In a letter published in the Washington Post, Panera CEO Ron Shaich urged the beverage and restaurant industries to join him in providing increased transparency to guests.

"With up to 75 grams of sugar — just one 20 oz. soft drink contains more than the recommended daily amount of added sugar," Shaich said, according to a release. "While we won't tell people what they should drink, we want to provide real options and real transparency — and we're challenging the industry to join us."

Beverage offerings made with less sugar

Panera's line of non-carbonated teas, lemonades and frescas (beverages with a mix of water, sugar, fruits, grains or seeds) will launch this month in select cities and become available nationwide by September. Additions include:

• Unsweetened iced black tea and plum ginger hibiscus tea with no added sugar.
• Prickly pear hibiscus fresca, lightly fruit juice-sweetened with no added sugar. 
• Passion papaya green tea.
• Blood orange lemonade or agave lemonade with under 35 grams added sugar in a 20-ounce cup.

"We believe people deserve to know exactly what's in their drink so they can make the best choice for their lifestyle," Panera Bread Wellness Director Sara Burnett, said in a news release. "We know more ... guests are looking to reduce their added sugar consumption, and we're providing an increased number of real, clean options with our new teas, lemonades and frescas."

Center for Science in the Public Interest Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan said in a news  release that soda and other sugar-filled drinks add to the problems of diabetes, heart disease and other health issues, so Panera's move is a move in the right direction.

"Good for Panera for getting creative with new, lower-sugar drinks and for giving people more information at soda fountains, where it will be maximally useful," she said in the release. While at the Union of Concerned Scientists, ,Ricardo J. Salvador said, "If we expect consumers to make healthy choices, we need to make those healthy choices available and equip the consumer with information. Panera's action of today is a great step in the right direction. Actions like this, if taken by more companies, would have real potential to tilt our food system toward better choices and improved national health and well-being."