Fast-casual chain Panera is looking to shake up the food industry with it’s "Cool Foods Initiative" that will revamp its menu to label the carbon footprint of each item.
According to Panera CEO, Niren Chaudhary, the idea behind the change is to bring awareness to customers about the foods they eat and their links to climate change.
"What many of us don’t realize is as much as 25 percent of greenhouse gas emissions are caused by food production and agriculture," he said.
Through a partnership with The World Resources Institute, Panera was able to identify which foods on its menu contributed the most to climate change. The 55 percent of the chain’s menu options found to be climate-friendly will now be labeled as Cool Foods.
As the taste buds of customers continue to evolve, Chaudhary said the chain will continue to research options that are environmentally friendly, flavorful, and healthy.
"Panera is a mainstream brand. We’re a brand for everybody. We embrace everyone. So, I think whatever the needs are, we believe in providing meaningful choices," he added.
The updated menu could potentially lead to significant changes in the climate crisis.
"If all Americans were to replace ten quarter-pound burgers and fries with Panera’s chicken avocado sandwich and chips, that would be equivalent to taking 16 million cars off the road for a year," Chaudhary claimed.
When it comes to being an industry leader, Chaudhary hopes the food industry will again follow suit in being honest about their products and the ingredients in them.
"In 2010, 10 years ago, we were the first brand to make transparent our calorific value and then that became an industry standard. And now, 10 years later in 2020, we’re the first brand to make transparent the carbon footprint of all of our food," he said.
Adtalem CEO Steve Beard addresses a report from Safkhet Capital taking the short position on the for-profit education giant, plus why he believes there should be financial recourse for student loan borrowers misled by their institutions.
CEO of Americares Christine Squires shares how the organization is helping provide medical assistance in a time of increasing instability, war, and climate-related disaster.
Doug Clinton, Deepwater Asset Management managing partner, shares tips for investors looking to take advantage of the massive boom in artificial intelligence beyond Microsoft and Nvidia.
Jason Moser, analyst and adviser at the Motley Fool, shares thoughts on recent tech earnings, including what’s behind Google’s share price drop and why A.I. could be Microsoft’s ‘iPhone moment.’
CEOs of social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and more meet with lawmakers Wednesday about how they are protecting children from sexual exploitation.
San Francisco 49ers president Al Guido discusses what goes into preparing for Super Bowl LVIII, building a championship-ready team, and how Taylor Swift and streaming are both bringing new fans to the NFL.
A $1 billion loss from a six-week strike did not crash GM's net income last year, which instead rose 12% — and the automaker expects improvement in 2024, too.
Accrue CEO and founder Michael Hershfield explains why Americans' credit card delinquencies are on the rise, advice on what can help, and the key difference between Boomers and Gen Z when it comes to money.
Senior Economist at Morning Consult Kayla Bruun shares thoughts on what to expect from the Fed's January meeting and where monetary policy is headed, as well as how consumers are faring.
