Sandwich chain Subway are facing a lawsuit alleging that its famous tuna sandwiches are only “imitating the appearance of tuna.”
We all know that fast food comes at a price for its instantaneous delivery, but where do we draw the line?
A lawsuit has been filed in the Californian US District Court alleging that Subway’s tuna sandwich contains absolutely no tuna.
According to the Washington Post, the mixture reportedly contains ingredients that “imitate the appearance of tuna” and is a “mixture of various concoctions that do not constitute tuna.”
Although a US Subway representative claims that the accusations are baseless, the plaintiffs are seeking compensatory damages for Subway to end their dishonest behaviour and to surrender the profits earnt from the money-saving practice.
I want to know who was eating the “tuna” at Subway to begin with. It’s like getting seafood at a diner. You don’t do it.
— Jen Peters (@EditrixJen) January 28, 2021
But how much value should we place on these fishy allegations? This isn’t the first time Subway has been accused for stretching the concept of “eat fresh”.
In 2017, CBC revealed that Subway chicken contained 53.6% chicken DNA with their chicken stripes falling at 42.8%. This is in comparison to other US fast food restaurants, such as McDonalds and Wendy’s, whose chicken sits between 88.5% to 89.4% respectively.
In October 2020, an Irish court even ruled that Subway’s freshly baked bread could not be constituted as bread because of its high sugar content. According to the ruling, Subway bread contained five times more sugar than flour, 8% higher than the 2% maximum.
subway! where the bread is cake and the tuna is… a mystery!
— fightme tuscadero (@entoncesallora) January 28, 2021
In Australia, Subway is the largest fast food franchise, with 1311 stores. In regards to the US lawsuit, Aussies either have no time, do not care, or have nothing to dispute.
The only notable Australian lawsuit involving Subway occurred in 2013, when teenager Matt Corby measured an 11.5 inch foot long sub when it should have been 12.
Every Subway I’ve ever been to has that back room where you can’t look in.
And there are always employees going in and out of that room with a concerned look on their face.
— S.G. (@Teme01310) January 28, 2021
According to Subway’s website, the tuna sandwich in question contains “delicious tuna chunks mixed with creamy mayonnaise”. This is prepped with tuna that has been pre-packed.
Thank you for reaching out. These claims are meritless. Our tuna is 100% wild-caught tuna. We mix it with mayonnaise and top it with our guests’ favorite ingredients to create the sub they love.
— Subway Listens (@SubwayListens) January 28, 2021
And in regards to the chicken, although Aussie chicken DNA data remains a mystery, the ingredient is indeed pre-cooked/frozen and merely heated in a microwave.
