Chicken on Papa John's Pizzas—and in its Poppers—Will be Antibiotic Free by Summer 2016

Papa John's is first national pizza chain to pledge this removal, continuing its leadership position in the QSR pizza "clean label" quest

LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Papa John's is proud to announce that its grilled chicken pizza toppings and chicken poppers will consist of poultry that is raised without human and animal antibiotics, as well as fed a 100-percent vegetarian diet, by summer 2016.

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The company has already made concrete strides toward this commitment by securing contracts with its suppliers, ensuring that they are on track to complete the process on schedule.

Promising to never, ever serve chickens raised with antibiotics in their grilled chicken pizza toppings or chicken poppers is just one of many proof points that supports Papa John's unwavering commitment to quality. Papa John's goal has always been to offer its customers the highest-quality ingredients, and it has recently taken the extra step by boosting its transparency and even educating its consumers on what certain ingredients are and why they are in consumers' food.

"This antibiotics initiative embodies everything our brand stands for," said John Schnatter, founder and CEO of Papa John's. "I started this company over 31 years ago on a foundation of quality and a commitment to my customers to deliver on a promise of ‘Better Ingredients. Better Pizza.' By serving high-quality chicken products without added human or animal antibiotics, we're just taking the next step on our journey to always get ‘Better.'"

Papa John's will be the first national pizza chain to pledge removal of antibiotics from its grilled chicken pizza toppings and chicken poppers. And, next summer, "NO antibiotics in our chicken toppings and poppers" will join Papa John's already extensive list of "‘NO' ingredients," including: NO trans-fats, NO MSG, NO fillers in core meat toppings, NO BHA, NO BHT, and NO partially hydrogenated oils. "Better Ingredients" are what sets Papa John's apart, and the organization stands committed to delivering quality, consistency, and excellence in everything it serves.

About Papa John's

Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, Papa John's International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) is the world's third-largest pizza delivery company. For 14 of the past 16 years, consumers have rated Papa John's No. 1 in customer satisfaction among all national pizza chains in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Papa John's is the Official Pizza Sponsor of the National Football League and Super Bowl 50.

For more information about the company or to order pizza online, visit Papa John's at www.papajohns.com. Also visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PapaJohns, or on Twitter at http://twitter.com/PapaJohns. Looking to be a part of something Better? Learn more about franchising with Papa John's at www.papajohns.com/franchise.

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For Papa John's International, Inc.
Megan Milam, 404-443-7363
Megan.Milam@Edelman.com

Source: Papa John's International, Inc.

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