Food - Drink
The Subway Bread Controversy, Explained
By ELIAS NASH
Subway’s bread has a unique, “Subway” smell with some controversy surrounding its origins, which the chain’s “Global Baking Technologist” Mark Cristiano explained came from the baking process. However, this response felt incomplete to many, and over the years Subway has faced some serious accusations.
In 2014, USA Today reported on food blogger Vani Hari who started a petition urging Subway to remove azodicarbonamide from its bread, a chemical used in rubber shoes, synthetic leather, yoga mats, and (in low levels) dough products. Subway responded with a complete phase-out by April 2014, but the controversy didn’t end there.
In 2020, the Supreme Court of Ireland claimed that Subway’s rolls didn’t meet their legal definition of bread, ultimately ruling that it had too much added sugar and should instead be regarded as a confectionery. Food Republic reports that the caramelization of this extra sugar may just be the reason that Subway’s bread smells like no other.