Some people are not thinking so much about the food they are going o put into their bodies and we are not thinking only in a sense of health, but also in a sense of restrictions.
Some find it very hard when it comes to selecting a meal – especially if they belong to a certain religious community, where there are numerous restrictions not only regarding the choice of ingredients but also regarding the way they have been prepared.
In a case when a person has to avoid a certain food because of some health circumstances, then there is a search for adequate replacements for that food since it cannot have anything that is not suitable or it can cause allergies or similar reactions, but when reasons are coming from a different point of view, and they have a religious nature, then things are as different as you could imagine.
And for people to always and at all times know what they can or cannot eat, this is not an easy task for sure.
If you have to bypass specific foods for religious grounds, understanding which food items (not just regarding their composition, but also the means of their preparation) and if they include them and where you can find locations that don’t have them on the menu are essential.
Different religions forbid their followers from consuming specific foodstuffs.
For instance, in the Islamic religion, prohibited food item is determined by the phrase haram, and these are things that are strictly forbidden, and there will be committed great sin if a person could take them.
Food items that are seen as strictly haram, in the Muslim religion are most notable, and there cannot be anything wrong with it, are those that include pork (and any product made out of it, as it is seen as an impure animal, and it cannot be consumed).
The other thing that we are talking about is of course alcohol, and for real Muslims there cannot be any negotiation regarding this; alcohol is strictly forbidden for all Muslim communities, it is seen as a great sin that leads to sins and temptations.
Now, here we are not just going to speak of the bread, which is as you know not only in Islamic culture but for many others the essence of food, it is the number one food item, for poor and rich alike.
Now, here we would not speak of just any bread, we will take a look into one specific type of not only bread but a specific restaurant that carries the name after bread.
It is Panera Bread, and here we will speak more of the idea is this restaurant is seen as haram or forbidden or is seen as allowed or halal in the Islamic religion.
Is Panera Bread Halal or Haram?
In this famous restaurant on the menu you can find many different kinds of pastries, pieces of bread, cookies, muffins, bagels, etc…many many different and baked dough.
But this is not all, in Panera Bread, you can eat everything else – soups, many kinds of pasta, pizzas, salads, and so much more.
And in this local, you can find many different kinds of drinks that can suit everyone – from coffees to teas, smoothies, and sodas.
And if you take a look at the web page that represents this restaurant then you cannot find any official information regarding whether the restaurant is halal.
So, we can see that this local does not have halal certification.
If we look at the large menu that Panera Bread offers, we can see that on it there are many meals that certainly include pork, and this is definitely haram for the Muslim community.
But is there anything on this menu that is suitable for the Islamic community to consume?
Certainly, there is -there are some other types of meat that are suitable for them like turkey or chicken or even beef, but there must be close attention here.
Just because certain meat is permitted, its means of preparation are maybe not halal, or the specific meat is mixed or cut on the same board as pork, and this is what makes it haram.
So, for some Islamic people, this is what Panera Bread restaurant makes haram and the reason why they cannot eat there.
They even do not want to attempt, as they are not sure what they can and cannot eat.
Is there anything on the menu that is halal?
Panera Bread a famous restaurant chain that serves soups, sandwiches, and salads, has created an altered menu aimed at the youngest.
Its children’s menu contains almost 250 “clean dishes” made without synthetic additives and flavor enhancers.
It shows that the company that stands behind this food chain wants to provide some healthier options, and maybe in the future it will serve a halal menu.
There can be certain items that do not contain any meat at all, and here we are talking about grains, dairy, and eggs.
Is this food then safe for them to consume?
On the menu, there can be found some vegan meals, as they are completely animal free, as in them there is not even an enzyme that comes from an animal.
On this menu, you can find pecans, strawberries, salads, smoothies, etc.
But, is this ok for Muslim believers, as all of this is made in the same kitchen?
Who knows if these ingredients are mixed with haram food and therefore make it unpure, even just if they were made on the same counter, and more.
And if we know that this place does not have any halal certificate, then we know that Muslims should avoid it.
Regarding drinks, we can say of course that numerous beverages that are served here are alcoholic, so this is the reason why it is a definitive haram for people who belong to the Islamic religion.
Having said all of this, it may be the reason why some Muslim people are around this place, having in mind that they do not want to be there where alcohol is even served, even if they do not drink it.
So, we can say that Panera Bread is commonly regarded as haram, even if on their menu, there are foods that are seen as halal, made from halal ingredients and in a halal way.
But the restaurant does not have a halal certificate and for that many Muslim people avoid it.
Conclusion
Like many other religions, the Islamic religion has numerous regulations that want their followers to obey – and at times this task is not very easy, especially in modern times, when so many younger people want to belong to the global community and to go in all places where younger people are going.
But, many of these places, not simply because here haram food is served, but because of the alcohol that is present, and with it many temptations.
Islamic rule that touches that matter of food is very specific and also very hard to follow at times, but from the Islamic point of view, if such a rule is broken it is a big sin.
The only way this rule can be broken is when their lives are in some kind of danger, and they have to eat something that is in any other regard seen as haram.
Another matter is this – a halal diet is also based on the idea that a true believer should take in their body only things that are healthy and good for him or her.
There are also many of those who say that this food has a much better taste than some other foods.
And when it comes to modern restaurants, we can say that like in the case of Panera Bread primarily does not have a Halal certificate, and serves numerous dishes with pork and which serves alcohol is not suitable for people who are Muslims.
Of course, on the menu, there are choices that are seemingly halal.
And how can a true believer be certain that in his or her food there is not a trace of pork, like for example gelatine which is made most commonly from pork?
No one can guarantee them this.
And in Islam, there are special rules which must be followed for food to be seen as halal, meat from an animal must be obtained in a certain very specific way, etc.
In some places around the globe, food is labeled as halal or haram, and those restaurants that want to serve this community have a Halal certificate.
Panera Bread is not such a restaurant and does not have such a certificate.
The company does want to provide its consumers with some alternatives as they have made a child’s menu that is made out of clean ingredients, and it was made just for kids, and maybe in the future, it will provide a halal menu, as they can obtain this certificate.
Read also: Is Hero Burger Halal? / Is Burger King Halal?
