Panera
challenges U.S. restaurants to come 'clean' on kids
menus
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[August 12, 2016]
By Lisa Baertlein
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Panera Bread Co is
launching a "clean" kids menu, the restaurant chain said on Thursday,
and it challenged rivals like McDonald's Corp to stop luring children
with junk food and toys that often have more taste and flash than
nutritional value.
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Typical U.S. kids menus often are limited to hamburgers, pizza,
chicken nuggets, french fries and sugary sodas.
Panera said that by year end it will remove artificial flavors and
colors, preservatives and sweeteners from the food served at its
2,000 restaurants.
Starting Sept. 7, its kids menu that includes soups, salads, pasta
and sandwiches will be free of ingredients on Panera's "no no list."
Side dishes will include organic yogurt, apples and sprouted grain
bread rolls. Water is the default drink option, and organic milk and
100 percent juice are add-ons.
Nutrition experts say food habits set in childhood influence
life-long eating, and have encouraged parents to expose children to
a variety of healthy foods.
Panera's announcement on Thursday came shortly after industry leader
McDonald's Corp said it eliminated artificial preservatives from
chicken McNuggets, the most popular main dish in its Happy Meals for
children.
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Panera founder and Chief Executive Officer Ron Shaich has criticized
such moves as too incremental, and challenged U.S. rivals to do
better.
"What do you think kids are dipping those (McNuggets) in?" said
Shaich, who added that the sauces served with chicken nuggets often
are laden with sugar and artificial ingredients.
"This is not food as it should be. The meals we serve our children
should be good food," Shaich said.
Panera also said it would not use cartoon characters, "crazy"
colors, toys, or toy-shaped food to lure children. Critics have
blasted those practices, saying they target children at a vulnerable
developmental stage and prompt them to nag parents to visit
particular restaurants.
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McDonald's in recent years has tweaked its Happy Meal menu, giving
parents the option to choose sliced apples over french fries and
milk over soda. Nevertheless, it has resisted calls to stop using
toys, cartoons and other gimmicks to make its Happy Meals more
appealing to children.
"By letting their food speak for itself, Panera allows children to
learn how to make food choices for the right reasons," said Josh
Golin, executive director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free
Childhood.
Golin said "parents will appreciate a dining experience where the
focus is family and food, not cartoon characters and toys."
(Reporting by Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; Editing by David
Gregorio)
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