Subway joins companies dropping artificial ingredients

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By CANDICE CHOI

NEW YORK (AP) — Subway has joined the list of food companies dropping artificial ingredients.

The sandwich chain known for its marketing itself as a fresher alternative to hamburger chains told The Associated Press it will remove artificial flavors, colors and preservatives from its menu in North America by 2017. Whether that can help Subway keep up with changing attitudes about what qualifies as healthy remains to be seen.

Elizabeth Stewart, Subway's director of corporate social responsibility, said in an interview that ingredient improvement has been an ongoing process over the years. More recently, she said the chain has been working on removing caramel color from cold cuts like roast beef and ham. For its turkey, Subway says it plans to replace a preservative called proprionic acid with vinegar by the end of this year.

Among its toppings, Stewart said Subway is switching to banana peppers colored with turmeric instead of the artificial dye Yellow No. 5. Without providing details, she said the chain is also working on its sauces and cookies.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20150604/us--subway-ingredients-b95c3a5a59.html

[Sherman A1]

1. K&R!

[pangaia]

2. Does anybody actually EAT those subs?

I remember eating a few years ago.. worst subs I ever had.. air bread.. tasteless cold cuts, tasteless tomatoes.. plastic cheese....

[knightmaar]

3. They used to be delicious

For certain, about 15 years ago, they were.

The bread was fresh, the tomatoes were fresh. I enjoyed the Club or the Roast Chicken.

In the last 5 years or so, though, they started doing something weird with the bread. Even though I could see it baking, the bread I actually received was dry and tasteless. We stopped going. I have no idea what they changed, but it's no pleasant. The people here at work who still go out to lunch prefer Dagwoods and Quiznos.

[Ed Suspicious]

5. I agree. The first time I had one probably 20 or more years ago, it was amazing!

Now they stink. I heard they were forced to take some ingredient out of the bread that worked to give it its texture and kept it fresh. They removed it over public outcry that the ingredient was also used in floor mats or something to that effect.

[knightmaar]

23. My understanding is that fresh bread is harder to work with

So they make the bread fresh, then let it sit for a long time (a day?) before actually using it.

When you cut fresh bread, you need a sharper knife, a bit more time etc. When they're forced to use fresh bread, the employees often wreck it and have to throw it out because they aren't given sharp enough knives. So, to save bread/money, the company has rearranged things to use older bread.

Too bad it sucks.

On the other hand, not eating all that bread is losing me some weight, so it works out for the best.

[Recursion]

19. It's not really about "good", it's about "reasonably healthy for $5" (nt)

[WhoWoodaKnew]

24. I do. I get double turkey, a bunch of toppings and vinegar.

Vinegar makes anything good.

[wordpix]

26. turkey is one of the worst things you can eat, full of antibiotics

Producers also feed GMO soy/corn meal full of Monsanto chemicals like glyphosate, and processed turkey is usually salt-brined. The turkeys are crowded together in pens or coops. Who know what else goes into the brine? This is cancer-causing food.

[WhoWoodaKnew]

27. I'll probably get one tomorrow then.

[Little Tich]

4. I can't stand that Subway smell, it really puts me off. n/t

[pangaia]

10. You, too, eh.. It's probaby the sour dough plus.. magical stuff...

[Orrex]

6. I look forward to the parade of people howling about how awful Subway is

Subway is the #2 fast food chain in the world, so somebody somewhere must enjoy its products. Nevertheless, a certain vocal type of person invariably declares that the food is vile and/or that no one with any taste could ever possibly eat there, typically while adding "IMO" or "YMMV" or "It's fine if you like it." In fact, the only chain that these people are guaranteed to hate more is McDonalds, the #1 fast food chain in the world.

Got to love that hipster sensibility.

[1monster]

7. I like the fact that I can stand there and tell the sandwich maker to put

lettuce, tomato, green pepper pickles, black olives, and my choice of cheese on my tuna or steak sub. It's like getting a salad I can eat with my hands. Yummy!

I'm not into cold cuts much, so cannot comment on those types of subs.

[A Round Tuit]

8. This is gonna be good...

[Nihil]

9. You missed (the start of) it.

.2, .3, .4, .5

(Disclaimer: I wouldn't want to live on them but I have no problems grabbing
an occasional Subway when travelling. Mind you, I like Greggs at that level too.)

[pangaia]

11. Just because something is "NUMBER ONE IN THE WORLD"

doesn't say anything about its quality.

I like to think I have good taste in certain things, and food is one of them.
That's not to say somebody can't like something else.

"As I always say," "It's all a matter of taste, and your taste is rotten.'

[Skittles]

12. food snobs are everywhere

[LanternWaste]

14. I don't think popularity directly implies quality of product.

I don't think popularity directly (or even indirectly) implies, or is indicative of, quality of product. That also being a "sensibility" one may sardonically love...

[IronLionZion]

16. The rise and fall of Subway, the world’s biggest food chain

I used to like it long ago, but it's gone downhill. Some of my coworkers have it regularly since it's everywhere and the other options nearby are unimpressive.

check out this article

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/the-rise-and-fall-of-subway-the-worlds-biggest-food-chain/2015/05/29/0ca0a84a-fa7a-11e4-a13c-193b1241d51a_story.html

[Recursion]

20. It's very popular in India

I love it because it tastes at least moderately like the Subway in the US, so it's kind of familiar. I don't do their veg subs, which are more popular here obviously, but people seem to like them. In the non-veg subs, all the meat is some form of processed chicken.

Also, the foot-long sub is here called a "30 cm" sub. Sort of like Pulp Fiction's Royale with Cheese.

[RobinA]

22. Nope

I'm going to break your mold. Never liked Subway, never will. Can't understand why anybody does. I do like McDonalds, though. It's MY #1 fast food chain followed closely by Wendys. I like Olive Garden too. Guess that cancels whatever hipster cred I get for hating Subway.

[PersonNumber503602]

28. Well Subway is kind of gross...

Removing the most delicious part (the artificial ingredients) will only serve to make even more gross.

[MisterP]

13. does that mean its Lovecraftian bread-logs will start behaving like, y'know, BREAD

instead of wrinkling like human flesh?

[jmowreader]

25. You can thank that little bully Vani Hari for that

Dough conditioners are used for a reason.

[Mosby]

15. I think this is good

but the quality is not there, artificial ingredients or not.

In the early days they used to use boar's head which is OK but not great.

Their trademark was that funny bread cut where they cut a vee on the top and the bottom was like a boat.

[JI7]

17. i wonder why they changed the way the bread was cut

[Mosby]

18. probably because it was too gimmicky

The top piece was too small IMO.

I worked as a supervisor in the first subway in Phx, I could have gone farther with the local franchise but I thought the food was too expensive compared to other fast food. Oh well.

[Recursion]

21. What exactly makes an ingredient "artificial" vs. "natural"?

Those seem like terms vague enough to drive a truck full of processed non-dairy cheesefood through...

[alboe]

29. I've always enjoyed their meatball subs