Panera petitions FDA to clearly define ‘egg’

St. Louis, MI – Panera Bread has petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to establish a clear definition for the term “egg.”

In a news release, the restaurant company said its standard sandwiches feature “100% real eggs,” which means freshly prepared, cracked shell eggs and/or egg whites with no additives.

Panera said that in developing its newest breakfast sandwiches, it discovered that current FDA regulations do not establish a definition or a standard of identity for eggs. Without this, it said, companies can sell and advertise items that contain multiple additives, such as butter-type flavours, gums and added colour, under the generic term “egg.”

The goal in petitioning the FDA, Panera said, is to raise awareness among customers of the absence of a true definition and improve transparency.

The said its breakfast sandwiches meet its commitment to “100% clean food.”