So I don’t know whether or not you’ve heard about the latest news about Subway’s sandwich bread, but if you haven’t let me catch you up. Well, sixty-six thousand people have petitioned for Subway to remove an ingredient, called “azodicarbonamide”, from their bread. That chemical is found in things like yoga mats and shoe rubber.
Subway responded by saying the chemical is approved by the FDA and the USDA, but they gave into the protests, nonetheless, and are in the process of removing the chemical from their bread. Interestingly, only the Subways in North America use azodicarbonamide in their bread. It would be illegal to serve the bread with azodicarbonamide in Europe because it has been banned due to research that discovered that the chemical could cause asthma, allergies, and respiratory issues. The use of azodicarbonamide is banned almost everywhere else in the world except for the United States.
Let’s talk about azodicarbonamide
Azodicarbonamide is a toxic and flammable chemical that is found in yoga mats and the rubber at the bottom of our shoes. It looks like a funky yellow powder. "The principal end use of azodicarbonamide is as a blowing agent in the rubber and plastics industries.” But Subway uses the chemical in the dough to make the bread light and fluffier. Let’s risk possible respiratory problems for fluffier bread, right? I also want to know who saw azodicarbonamide and said “let’s put some of that in bread”. So, why in the world does Subway’s bread have the ingredient? Last time I checked you didn’t need that nasty tongue-twister of a word to make bread. All the ingredients to make bread are actual foods that I can pronounce like eggs or flour, and I’m pretty sure you won’t find either of those in a yoga mat. Other major fast foods companies like McDonalds, Burger King, and Dunkin Donut’s all have foods containing the harmful chemical. Subway isn’t the only one!
The use of azodicarbonamide in bread is illegal in Europe and Australia
What I find interesting is that Europe and Australia have already banned the use of azodicarbonamide. The United Kingdom has actually stopped producing azodicarbonamide. Instead, they import it from another country so they don’t have to deal with manufacturing the chemical. Why are food companies in the US still using it? Also, I think there’s something wrong with the FDA and the USDA. I have heard story after story of things that are “FDA approved” that have actually been harmful. Just because something is FDA approved does not mean it’s good for you. I think it's unnecessary to use azodicarbonamide. Sure, it might make bread fluffier but I'd rather have bread with normal fluffiness than have abnormal fluffy bread and health problems.
Subway has been labeled as the “healthy fast food option”, but I think it may be time to rethink that statement. It's funny that Subway's motto is "eat fresh", yet they don't use fresh ingredients. Never assume that what you’re eating is truly healthy. Make a point to read labels and research what’s going into the food you’re eating. You might be surprised what you find.
If you are interested in learning more or signing the petition against the harmful ingredient used in Subway's bread go to this link: http://foodbabe.com/2014/02/04/launching-petition-subway-will-finally-hear-us-loud-clear/.
If you are interested in learning more or signing the petition against the harmful ingredient used in Subway's bread go to this link: http://foodbabe.com/2014/02/04/launching-petition-subway-will-finally-hear-us-loud-clear/.
-Amanda
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