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.
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
Tesla, the car company run by Elon Musk, reported Wednesday that it sold more vehicles in the past three months after boycotts hit hard earlier this year, but profits still fell sharply. Third-quarter earnings fell to $1.4 billion, from $2.2 billion a year earlier. Excluding charges, per share profit of 50 cents came in below analysts' estimate. Tesla shares fell 3.5% in after-hours trading. Musk said the company's robotaxi service, which is available in Austin, Texas, and San Francisco, will roll out to as many as 10 other metro areas by the end of the year.
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