If you think you’re opting for a healthier choice with a chicken sandwich from Subway, you might want to rethink that decision. A recent investigation has revealed that Subway’s chicken sandwiches may not contain as much actual chicken as one would expect.
A study led by researcher Alex Thompson from Trent University in Ontario, Canada, examined the chicken in popular fast food chains, including Subway, in response to a request from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s show, “Marketplace.” The lab conducted DNA testing on chicken samples from various fast food outlets, effectively performing a scientific analysis on what we’re consuming.
For context, a piece of raw chicken from your local grocery should ideally yield around 100% chicken DNA. However, when cooked or processed, that percentage typically decreases but should still remain significant. In the study, chicken from McDonald’s Country Chicken sandwich had 84.9% chicken DNA, while Wendy’s Grilled Chicken sandwich contained 88.5%. So how did Subway fare? Not as well as one might hope. The DNA analysis revealed that the chicken in their Oven Roasted Chicken sandwich comprised only 53.6% chicken DNA, while their chicken strips fared even worse, at just 42.8%. The remaining content was primarily soy.
The researchers were astonished by these results, which prompted them to conduct additional tests on more samples of Subway’s chicken. Time after time, they found similar low percentages of chicken DNA. While we’re not gourmet food critics, we certainly expect that when we order chicken, we receive something more chicken-like than not.
Subway has firmly denied these findings, stating, “Subway Canada is concerned by the alleged findings… Our chicken strips and oven roasted chicken contain 1% or less of soy protein. All of our chicken items are made from 100% white meat chicken.” They have requested a retraction of the CBC report, asserting the integrity of their food quality.
Regardless of the controversy, this investigation raises questions about what else we might not know about our food. Are we going to have to scrutinize our carrots next? For now, it may be wise to consider alternative fast food options, including those meatless choices that might be less questionable. If it turns out that the vegetables in the Veggie Delight are only half vegetable, we might just retreat to a more self-sufficient lifestyle—though that sounds exhausting.
In summary
A recent study has suggested that Subway’s chicken products contain much less actual chicken than expected, leading to concerns about food quality. While Subway has denied these claims, such findings prompt us to reconsider what we put in our bodies.
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