Panera Bread Hops On Food Simplicity Bandwagon

Panera Bread is responding along with other food companies and restaurants to consumer demands for simple, transparent foods. The restaurant chain announced it will eliminate three chemicals – an artificial sweetener, a preservative and a flavor enhancer -- from its products by 2017. Panera CEO Ron Shaich said the move is a way of “drawing a line in the sand” that will result in consumers knowing “what’s in the food they buy.” Since last year, a dozen food companies and restaurant chains have said they will reformulate products to eliminate certain ingredients. A food industry consultant said the “powerful trend” is becoming too entrenched to call it a fad.