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SUBWAY, THE SANDWICH chain known for its marketing itself as a fresher alternative to hamburger chains, told The Associated Press it will remove artificial flavours, colours 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 colour 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.
Stewart didn’t detail the timeline for rolling out any changes to Europe, however.
Among its toppings, Stewart said Subway is switching to banana peppers coloured 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.
Getting more natural
The purging of artificial ingredients is quickly becoming the norm among major food companies, which are facing pressure from smaller players that tout their offerings as more wholesome.
That has prompted so-called ‘Big Food’ makers including Taco Bell, McDonald’s, Kraft and Nestle to announce in recent months they’re expelling artificial ingredients from one or more products.
Subway’s announcement, meanwhile, comes at a challenging time for the chain.
The company is privately held and doesn’t disclose sales figures. But last year, sales for Subway stores in the US averaged $475,000 each, a 3% decline from the previous year, according to industry tracker Technomic.
What’s ‘healthy’?
Subway is facing evolving definitions for what qualifies as healthy, said Darren Tristano, an analyst for Technomic.
While older generations looked at nutritional stats like fat and calories, he said younger generations are more concerned about qualities like “local”, ”organic” and “natural.”
“Change has come so fast and rapidly, consumers are just expecting more and more,” Tristano said.
And although Subway markets itself as a fresher option, he noted that people don’t necessarily see it as the healthiest or best product around.
Last year, Subway’s image took a hit when food activist Vani Hari, known as the Food Babe, launched a petition calling on it to remove azodicarbonamide from its bread, noting the ingredient was used in yoga mats.
Subway has said that it was in the process of removing the ingredient, which is widely used as a dough condition and whitening agent, before the issue became a controversy.
Tony Pace, Subway’s chief marketing officer, noted the chain is already seen as a place for low-fat options, but that it needs to keep up with changing customer attitudes.
“As their expectations go up, we have to meet those expectations,” he said.
Pace said the use of simple ingredients is becoming a “necessary condition” to satisfy customers, but that it won’t be enough on its own to drive up sales.
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Every supermarket in Holland has had this since before I arrived 28 years ago. We pay a deposit on our bottles, plastic and glass and we get our deposit back when we return the bottles
@John Brendan Mullen: That was also a thing in all eastern european countries. It disappeared as soon as multinationals hit the market. Problem with recycling does not lie with people but with companies who are constantly looking at how to increase profit.
I remember well returnable sturdy plastic bottles for coke/fanta etc… Companies figured out that it is cheaper for them to make single use cheap plastic bottles than to bother with shipping and cleaning returnable bottles for another use.
@Pat Patovic: It’s still a thing in Germany, old eastern for that matter, most prevelant in off licences/drink shops. Great system…
@John Brendan Mullen: it’s everywhere in Denmark too
@John Brendan Mullen: when I was staying with my aunt in Boston in 93, she used to take her empty cans to the supermarket and they had a counter near the entrance that gave you money off vouchers for your shopping for every can you returned!! Don’t know how much it was but enough to make her keep empty cans.
@John Brendan Mullen: same here in Germany
These machines have been in the Netherlands since at least 1994. We’re only 25 years behind on this one…
@Kiernan Gildea: I arrived in Holland in 1991 and they were already there.
@John Brendan Mullen: They had them beside the Red Sea when Moses parted it.
@Alan McDonald: is that how all the plastic ended up in the ocean?
@Alan McDonald: ha ha ha ha excellent
@Alan McDonald: brilliant
We had a glass bottle return in my Mam’s shop back in late 70s and early 80s and everyone brought back their glass and the various companies took em back for reuse then Tetra Pak and plastic became the norm and wiped the glass out. I always thought milk tasted nicer out of glass pint bottles. We also had a far cleaner countryside cos every child would be fighting over dumped bottles Togo and get 10p which would buy a good few sweets
Go deas le feiceáil. Ba chóir ceann a chur i nach siopa
@Séan Ó Nuanáin: Ta me Mahogany gas pipe. Nil aon Fáine Or agam!
These should be common place in every town village and city in Ireland.
No brainer!!! Why the hell is this only happening now??
@Devilsavocado: it’s Ireland
@Devilsavocado: we’re leprechauns. If it makes sense we will deny it for as long as possible until one day many years later someone will have a lightbulb moment…. Meanwhile the world’s moved on….
I’m 54. As long as I recall this was standard for glass bottles since I was small. Later plasticbottles and cans were added to the system.
This was in Finland.
@Nina Wallenius: time to return to glass bottles
Country is awash with glass
A broken bottle in the sea has majorly less impact on the environment than a plastic straw
@Means of escape: what about the energy used to make and transport the glass bottle? Also the natural resources used to make the glass bottle?
@John Horan: I may be wrong but I think the recycling process for glass is easier. Transport is more expensive as heavier but I think the environmental impact would still be less with glass
I remember politicians saying it wasn’t feasible to do this in Ireland. More down to the fact that they are to lazy and in bed with Multinational companies
I seen this in Germany 13 years ago and Ireland only gets it first one now typical ireland
Why cant we just be like the rest of the world and get actual coins for bringing bottles back? The homeless in germany and canada as i witnessed even go through the bins to get bottles. Less rubbish, more recycling and keeps people fed. Vouchers is a step indeed but it’s better to get that 25c back off the bottle. All adds up.
In Ireland they’ll probably set up a company first.. ‘Irish Plastic’, spend a lot of money on consultants, charge supermarkets a lot of money installing the machines….and then don’t follow through….
This is great to see but I guarantee you some little knackbag will put his hand in it, get injured and mammy will sue. Joe Duffy will hop on the bandwagon, call it a disgrace and the whole thing will be cancelled. This is ireland remember.
It’s a start but why does it take us so long to do everything that is good, surely these machine can be fitted in every town by Christmas
No where in this article or trial does it.mention a bottle deposit. Otherwise, at 10c a bottle refund, this is not viable.
@Lar Meyler: because it’s a trial….
@Diarmaid O’Riordáin: it’s 100% viable tax the bottle makers and allow normal people to recoup the money for recycling them
This is even a thing in some US states like Michigan. Has been for years.
8 cent after Tax
About fekn time …Simple idea
Great idea! I am living in frankfurt we have them over here really encourages ya to recyle plus you get paid
What can be done with the voucher? Is it cashed out in a shop?
Probably got to give 50 bottles back just to get the 10c.
But you are paying for the recycling. Look on the bottles for the recycling sign, that means there is already a levy to pay for the recycling. Rip Off Ireland at its finest
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