Nation’s Restaurant News: Panera Petitions FDA for Clear ‘Egg’ Definition

One way to launch a new product is by calling out your competitors—and that’s the route Panera Bread has taken with its new line of breakfast sandwiches. In a recent Nation’s Restaurant News article , the bakery-café chain is petitioning the Food and Drug Administration to establish a clear definition of the term “egg,” while calling out its competitors for serving eggs that include five ingredients or more.

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

Panera claims the new line of breakfast sandwiches use cracked-shell eggs or egg whites with no additives. As real ingredients and no additives continue to be a trend sweeping through the restaurant industry, the chain may gain more consumer trust from the #RespectTheEgg campaign it launched on social media on Friday.