Is Panera’s Sausage Made from Pork? Getting to the Bottom of This Breakfast Staple

Panera Bread’s savory sausage, egg, and cheese sandwiches are a go-to breakfast choice for many. With their flaky croissants and ciabatta rolls overflowing with fluffy eggs, melty cheese, and protein-packed sausage, they make for a satisfying meal on busy mornings. But what exactly is in that tasty sausage patty? Read on to find out if Panera’s sausage is made from pork.

The Short Answer – Yes, It’s Pork!

The straightforward answer is that the sausage used in Panera Bread’s breakfast sandwiches is indeed made from pork. While the exact recipe and blend of cuts are proprietary information, we know from Panera’s own statements that their sausage contains ground pork as the primary ingredient.

Panera has also committed to only using pork from suppliers that meet strict animal welfare standards. This includes gestation crate-free pork as well as meat produced without the routine use of antibiotics.

Taking a Closer Look at the Ingredients

While we can’t know the exact blend, Panera’s sausage likely contains a mix of pork cuts like shoulder, loin, and fat trimmings. In addition to the pork, their sausage contains salt, spices, sugar, water, and natural flavors. Artificial preservatives, colors, and flavors are notably absent.

Nutritionally, a standard Panera breakfast sandwich with sausage provides around 25g of protein largely from the egg and pork components. It also contains around 600 calories and 35g of fat, so it makes for a hearty, protein-focused start to the day

Panera’s commitment togestation crate-free pork shows an added focus on responsible ingredient sourcing as well. The sausage supplies protein from pigs raised in better conditions.

Beyond Pork – Other Breakfast Meat Options

While the traditional pork sausage is likely the most popular, Panera does offer alternative meat choices as well. For those who don’t eat pork for religious, dietary, or personal reasons, substitutes include

• Turkey Sausage – Made from turkey raised without antibiotics

• Vegetarian Sausage – Made from a blend of wheat, soy, and egg whites

The turkey and vegetarian sausage can be substituted into any Panera breakfast sandwich. Just note that the nutrition profile and flavor will differ somewhat from the savory pork sausage patties.

Panera Cares About Animal Welfare

In line with their clean, responsibly-sourced ingredients initiative, Panera has taken major steps to improve animal welfare across their meat supply chain.

For pork, they commit to only using gestation crate-free sources. This means pigs raised for Panera pork products like sausage are not confined to restrictive crates during pregnancy. They’re able to move around, exhibiting their natural behaviors.

Panera’s animal welfare commitments also include:

• Eliminating antibiotic use in their entire 8 million pound pork supply
• Ensuring 91% of their pork is raised without antibiotics ever
• Sourcing 80% of beef from grass-fed sources
• Using 18% cage-free eggs with plans to increase this percentage

This focus on humane practices promotes healthier animals, less medication usage, and more sustainable farming. And it ensures the pork in Panera’s sausage is raised in an ethical manner.

The Takeaway – Quality Pork and Clean Ingredients

While Panera is tight-lipped about their exact sausage recipe, we know it contains flavorful ground pork as the star ingredient. And that pork comes from suppliers meeting humane standards.

Beyond the pork, spices like sage, black pepper, and garlic likely provide the signature savory sausage taste. There are no artificial additives, just real food ingredients.

For those craving a protein-packed start to their busy morning, Panera’s sandwiches with pork sausage deliver. You can feel good knowing the pork comes from pigs treated humanely. Next time you grab a Panera breakfast, enjoy your sausage sandwich knowing it’s made with quality ingredients and care for animal welfare.