A: That is gluten-free cookies in a world where the lawyers won't let you say "gluten free." You cannot walk into a Panera and be a celiac without having flour dust in the air. We're not telling you this is celiac standard. So our lawyers say we can't say gluten free. They're gluten conscious.
Having said that, there is no gluten in that cookie. That doesn't mean that your personal injury lawyers have permission to go after us.
Q: So your lawyers came up with the name?
A: As a simple, single soul that goes into Panera, I feel good about eating that cookie because I often try to avoid gluten. It has no gluten in that cookie. I'm not telling you that it meets the highest standards of whatever.
I think it's a stupid name.
Q: Why is the CEO of Panera trying to avoid gluten?
A: There are times when I want to eat it, and times that I don't. I would suggest that gluten tends to be tied to carbs. And I try to balance my carbs and my proteins and my fats.
Monday, August 29, 2016
"I noticed Panera has a 'gluten-conscious cookie.' What does that mean?"
AP interview with Panera's CEO: