Panera To Serve 'clean' Bacon In Sandwiches And Salads

Panera Bread Co. said Wednesday that it will begin serving bacon that's free of artifical preservatives, flavors, sweeteners and colors from artifical sources. The company will also source its bacon from pigs that meet the company's standards for reduced confinement and antibiotics. This "clean" bacon is made with six ingredients - pork, water, sea salt, sugar, celery powder and thyme extract - and will be used in salads and sandwiches. Panera shares are inactive in premarket trading, but up 6.2% for the past year. The S&P 500 Index is up 8.8% for the last 12 months.