It’s a bad day for Subway. The popular fast food sandwich shop has been coasting for years on the assumption that its fare is healthier than other common alternatives, but concerned customers are rallying against the chain because it uses a chemical called azodicarbonamide commonly found in rubber and plastic products like the soles of shoes.
The movement has been spearheaded by a blogger and activist named Vani Hari, known for her website FoodBabe.com. In a video posted earlier this week, Hari points out that the chemical is banned in some of the other countries that Subway does business in, leaving U.S. consumers exposed to a danger that others aren’t. This campaign represents a huge blow to the chain, especially since this dangerous chemical is known to be both flammable, toxic and a possible cause of health products.
“We deserve the same safer ingredients that Subway sells to other customers across the globe,” Hari says.
For their part, Subway seems to have taken the hint. The company has responded to the petition and now says it will be removing the chemical from US shipments of its bread. “The complete conversion to have this product out of the bread will be done soon,” the business’ statement officially said.
But this issue alone is maybe enough that customers will be thinking twice about fast food options that present themselves as “fresh.”
Putting transparent food labels up front for customers to read continues to be important, and as scandalizing as this situation is for Subway, it may bring in more business once they remove the contested additive. Use a label printer that can be applied to various types of adhesive labels and attached to display stands in restaurants as well as packages.