"We felt it was important to set an ambitious goal as a means to give us something to shoot for and demonstrate our unwavering commitment to wellness."
Elizabeth Stewart
Fast food sandwich chain Subway announced yesterday that it will join a growing number of companies dropping artificial ingredients from their products. The chain, based in Milford, Connecticut, plans to rework its menu to remove artificial dyes and preservatives by 2017.
With this move, Subway joins Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and others in removing artificial ingredients.
Specifically, Subway plans to switch its chemical preservatives and colorings for more familiar alternatives, such as replacing preservative propionic acid with vinegar. The chain, however, said that it will not be raising prices as a result of these changes.
Subway director of corporate social responsibility Elizabeth Stewart said the company intentionally set the bar high with this transition.
"We felt it was important to set an ambitious goal as a means to give us something to shoot for and demonstrate our unwavering commitment to wellness,” she said.
However, experts say that removing unfamiliar ingredients do not necessarily make products healthier. Penn State University food science professor John Couplandtold The Washington Post sugar and salt content and portion size are the real culprits in fast foods -- not artificial coloring.
Subway hopes the switch -- which will apply to all ingredients in all Subway stores across North America -- will help revitalize sales in a competitive market. The company saw a 3.3 percent drop in sales in the past year.
This report includes information from the Associated Press.
