Panera Bread sets standards and expectations for suppliers related to animal health and welfare across our supply chain. Our Animal Welfare Beliefs Statement helps guide our approach and is informed by the UK Farm Animal Welfare Council’s Five Freedoms, which serve as widely recognized guiding principles for humane animal care.

We take animal ⁠welfare and health seriously at Panera. We believe this involves balancing humane care for animals with the long-term viability of farmers, ranchers, fisherfolk, suppliers, and our business, while supporting the integrity of the broader food system.

While this work is ongoing and complex, we remain committed to making progress where we can and to continued transparency. We engage with suppliers and industry organizations—as well as farmers, fisheries, advocacy groups, and scientists—to help inform our efforts in these areas.

In menu offerings with meat, eggs, or seafood, we aim to work with reputable suppliers who share our commitment to humane animal care and responsible sourcing practices. Unless a more specific standard is noted below, animal proteins used for sandwiches and salads in U.S. bakery-cafes are required to be raised using responsible antibiotic practices, where antibiotics are prescribed by a veterinarian when necessary to support animal health.

·      Chicken: Panera requires chicken for salads and sandwiches in U.S. bakery-cafes to be raised without antibiotics.
 

·      Eggs: Panera requires all primary eggs to be cage-free and sourced from certified producers.
 

·      Pork: Panera requires reduced confinement through group housing for sows once pregnancy is confirmed.
 

·      Turkey: Consistent with common U.S. producer practice, and required by Panera, turkeys should not be caged.
 

·      Beef: Consistent with common U.S. producer practice, and required by Panera, beef is pastured on grass and typically finished on grain.
 

·      Milk: Panera requires milk suppliers to be in good standing with the Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) program for animal care, which promotes continuous improvement and monitors numerous markers of health and welfare.
 

·      Seafood: We seek to source seafood from suppliers and fisheries participating in credible animal welfare and sustainability certification programs, or with comparable documented practices.

We review and update our Animal Welfare Beliefs Statement and related standards periodically to reflect evolving consumer expectations, supplier practices, and marketplace considerations.  We also work with our suppliers to review and update our supplier expectations as appropriate.