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Are You Being Tricked By These Food Industry Marketing Tactics?

The countless commercials touting Subway’s new “Fritos Chicken Enchilada Melt” have gotten so ridiculous, I am about to lose my mind. A member of the Food Babe Army sent me leaked photos of the ingredient list of this highly processed sandwich. The full ingredient list is below – you don’t want to miss this. 

I’ve been asked why I targeted Subway in my petition to remove azodicarbonamide from bread many times now. While I already knew this chemical is being used in restaurants and bakeries all across the country, I was fed up with the way Subway misleads its customers with their deceptive “Eat Fresh” advertising. Something needed to be done, especially since they completely ignored my investigation into their ingredients in 2012further pressure in 2013, and repeated phone calls and requests to their corporate headquarters. 

As taken from Subway’s website, We’ve become the leading choice for people seeking quick, nutritious meals that the whole family can enjoy” – they truly want you to believe they serve health food and many people fall victim to this, thinking eating at Subway is better than eating at other fast food restaurants. Subway uses many marketing tactics to drive this point home and dupe the public – but the tactics that really bother me are their partnerships with olympic athletes, medical associations and our government leaders, because many people take their endorsements as credible and rely on them. Here’s what’s really happening:

The American Heart Association’s endorsement of Subway as “heart healthy” is a farce!

Subway was the first restaurant to get the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check Certification on some menu items – so Subway prominently displays this little Heart Association logo all over their marketing materials and commercials.  This is so deceptive because the Heart Association’s stamp of approval ONLY applies to a handful of Subway sandwiches without any cheese or sauces.  Who doesn’t get mayo, cheese or oil on their subway sandwich? Most Subway customers are not eating sandwiches without any cheese or sauces and many are not aware that the certification does not apply when they add those items. Furthermore, the Heart-Check seal only applies to salads served with fat-free sweet onion dressing – a dressing loaded with sugar and dimethylpolysiloxane.  Apparently the American Heart Association thinks it is healthy to eat silly putty and breast implants.  Dimethylpolysiloxane is allowed by the FDA to be preserved by several different chemicals that don’t have to be listed on the label – including toxic formaldehyde – oh is that how they keep it “fresh?”

This certification doesn’t come cheap either. An undisclosed annual administrative fee is required by the Heart Association, and Subway has contributed more than 1 million dollars to them in the last few years.  Subway may soon find themselves in the same boat as Campbell’s who was sued last year for their deceptive use of the Heart Association’s certification label in exchange for money.  Especially when you consider that Subway has been permitted to use this label on sandwiches that are packed with 800 mg. of sodium – well above what the Heart Association sodium intake recommendation allows per meal – and much more than what is used in Campbell’s soup.

Who is Doctor’s Associates, Inc.?

To continue portraying the image that Subway is endorsed by a team of health-conscious doctors, you may notice that “Doctors Associates, Inc.” appears on their menu, napkins and packaging.  This is simply the name of the corporation that owns Subway Restaurants and is in no way associated with any medical organization.  Instead of naming their corporation like other restaurants do (i.e. McDonalds Corporation, Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc.), they chose a name that implies they are a medical organization.  How do they explain the reasoning behind this?  According to their student guide:

The name was chosen by Dr. Peter Buck and Fred DeLuca in 1966. Dr. Buck was a nuclear physicist by profession, and Fred had aspirations of attending medical school to become a doctor. So, the name Doctor’s Associates Inc. seemed to fit their situation

First Lady Michelle Obama’s endorsement of Subway as a “healthy choice” for kids is saddening.

Our First Lady is now on the record stating that Subway’s kids’ menu makes life easier for parents, because they know that no matter what their kids order, it’s going to be a healthy choice” and “Every single item meets the highest nutrition standards.” This came after a huge announcement that Subway is launching a $41 million dollar “Pile on the Veggies” advertising campaign targeted at kids using The Muppets, in cooperation with Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative.  As part of their partnership, Subway is supposed to focus all their kid-focused marketing on the healthier options available in its restaurants. 

That’s interesting – since Subway began this marketing campaign in February, the advertising for Subway’s new Frito Chicken Enchilada Melt has far surpassed the few Kermit and Ms. Piggy Ads played. Do Fritos count as veggies now?  What do you think kids are going to ask their parents to eat next time they go to Subway after seeing a commercial like this or this or this

Oh wait – I forgot. Fritos are healthy.

Fritos = Health Food?

It may look like Subway is deviating from their healthy image with their new Frito Chicken Enchilada Melt, but it turns out that Fritos has been trying to get accepted by the public as a health food for many years now.  Frito-Lay’s partnership with Subway is just one in a long list of endeavors to make customers think their chips are healthy. 

This is ridiculous, right? 

Back in 2007, Frito Lay notified the FDA that they were going to label their chips with “heart healthy” marketing claims and the FDA approved it.  More recently, Candice Choi of the Associated Press exposed a newsletter from Frito-Lay to dieticians advocating Fritos as a good option for a gluten-free diet, which provided suggestions that their chips replace traditional breadcrumbs in recipes.

Frito Lay Newsletter

 

This was preceded by her reporting on Frito-Lay’s sponsorship of Registered Dietician training conferences in which they advise and teach dietitians on health trends and nutrition education. Registered dieticians are the people that are supposed to be telling us what is healthy to eat – and they are being told that Fritos are a health food! Frito-Lay even created an entire website dedicated to nutritionists called “SnackSense.com,” where they further attempt to convince health professionals that chips are healthy.  Here, they tell dietitians that “There is no ‘junk’ in Fritos Original corn chips” and that they fit into a “healthier lifestyle”. 

Fritos Website

This is just another example of the food industry leading the conversation in this country about food and nutrition – and it’s really got to stop. Fortunately, last year, a group of dietitians formed Dietitians For Professional Integrity, which advocates for an end to the ties between Big Food and registered dietitians. This new group is working to share the truth that Fritos are made from GMO corn and are deep fried in corn oil (likely extracted using a very carcinogenic gas called “hexane”), which is very inflammatory.

So, what’s Subway got to say about their new sandwich with Fritos?

A member of the Food Babe Army shared the secret highly processed ingredients in the new Frito Chicken Enchilada Melt with me recently. This ingredient list is not available on the master list of ingredients Subway posts online – everyone needs to know what’s hiding in this new sandwich! 

ChickenEnchaladaMelt

Here’s how Subway describes this sandwich:

“There’s never been another sub like it!  Crunch into a pile of Fritos placed right on top of tender pulled chicken and authentic enchilada sauce for a new satisfyingly delicious bite of flavor you can’t find anywhere else!” 

GIVE ME A BREAK – This is what they left out:

There’s never been another sub like it…

Although I’ll never sink my teeth into one of these – food bloggers are calling it a stale “Double Decker Taco” and a soggy “Taco Bell Gordita”.  

“….a pile of Fritos…”

Yes, GMOs are piled high on this sandwich. The standard is to put 2 ounces of Fritos on a foot long, but there have been reports that up to two full bags of Fritos are dumped, which looks like “the bottom of a garbage can”. TWO BAGS!!!?! The ONLY ingredients in Fritos are GMOs (corn, corn oil) and salt.  Frito-Lay’s parent company (PepsiCo) spent more money than any other corporation (over 4 million dollars) to fight GMO labeling initiatives in California and Washington. They have a lot of GMOs in their food and don’t want to label it – even though 90% of customers have indicated that they want GMO’s to be labeled. It doesn’t fit in with the “Fritos are healthy and natural” mantra that they want you to believe. And remember GMOs are not natural – they are made in a laboratory, increasing the use of toxic herbicides that are causing cancer and have unknown long term health impacts. 

“…tender pulled chicken…”

This factory farm, antibiotic raised chicken is trucked in frozen and pre-shredded. It’s also laced with the preservative sodium benzoate, which becomes a carcinogen when combined with ascorbic acid (vitamin C).  Ascorbic acid is an ingredient in Subway’s Flatbread and added to many soft drinks – so there is a strong possibility that this cancer-causing combo will end up in your mouth. 

“…authentic enchilada sauce…”

Last time I checked, authentic enchilada sauce was made with a few simple ingredients – tomatoes, chiles, oil, spices.  However, Subway’s enchilada sauce is comprised of an astonishing 45 ingredients – including hidden MSG in the form of  yeast extract along with MSG enhancers (disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate). I’ve never heard of an authentic enchilada sauce needing “Polysorbate 60.” According to the “Journal of National Cancer Institute,” the “Journal of Nutrition” and the FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, polysorbate 60 can cause detrimental reproductive effects, organ toxicity and cancer in high doses.

What else goes into the Fritos Chicken Enchilada Melt?

  • Soybean oil – A cheap GMO oil that causes harmful inflammation in your body and is a major ingredient at Subway.  It’s in their bread – including the flatbread – and you’ll find it in the Chipotle Southwest Sauce that is squirted onto this sandwich.
  • Artificial colors – Derived from petroleum, they may contain carcinogens and are linked to hyperactivity in children.
  • High Fructose Corn Syrup – A cheap sugar substitute that increases appetite, weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and dementia.  It is also can be contaminated with mercury.
  • Sugar (and a lot of it) – Since the ingredient label doesn’t say “cane sugar” it’s a safe bet that its derived from GMO sugar beets – as is the majority of sugar in the U.S.  This type of sugar has no nutritional value, helps you pack on the pounds, and promotes inflammation – so it’s best to eliminate it as much as possible from your diet.  I found sugar added to the bread, the chicken, the enchilada sauce, and the chipotle southwest sauce – too much for a “healthy sandwich.”
  • Cellulose – Do you really want to eat wood?
  • Autolyzed yeast extract combined with disodium inosinate/guanylate – A super-sneaky additive that is really MSG in one of its hidden forms.
  • Polysorbate 60 (again in the Southwest Chipotle Sauce) – An emulsifier that may be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane – a known carcinogen. 
  • Propylene Glycol – Also known as the key component in anti-freeze.
  • Calcium Disodium EDTA – This preservative is made from formaldehyde, sodium cyanide, and ethylenediamine – sounds like fresh food, doesn’t it?
  • Natural Flavors – This ingredient seems so innocent, but it’s often not!

Check out the FULL LIST of over 170 ingredients here:

SubwayFrito

Thankfully, one thing this sandwich doesn’t have is the yoga mat chemical “azodicarbonamide.” A month has passed, since Subway announced that they will remove azodicarbonamide from their bread – but 93,000 people who signed this petition demanding this change have still not gotten a timeline or direct response from Subway headquarters. I called again today and asked customer service for an update. The answer is still that it will be changed in “coming weeks.”  I’d love to know what they are going to replace azodicarbonamide with and if we are finally going to be able to “eat fresh.” Unfortunately, looking at all the other ingredients Subway uses in other menu items, I don’t think we have any hopes of eating fresh anytime soon. They clearly have a lot more work to do! 

Please note, until they make this change, If you are still eating at Subway and ordering any other subway roll other than the flat bread – you are still eating yoga mat that is a possible carcinogen, linked to asthma, allergies and skin issues and banned all over the globe.

Join our cause to keep the pressure on Subway to make this change as fast as possible HERE and spread the word about their deceptive marketing practices (and this crazy ingredient list) with your friends and family by sharing this post – everyone needs to know what’s in their food! 

Much Love, 

Vani 

 

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335 responses to “Are You Being Tricked By These Food Industry Marketing Tactics?

  1. What about Taco Bell, my daughter just got sick eating at a Rio Rancho, NM Taco Bell. We need to face it , we know it is not the best, but through the years they have gone hill.

  2. Vani, I might be wrong but when the ingredient label says “sugar” and the very next item is “corn syrup” or “dextrose”, what they are effectively doing is putting the sugars half way down the ingredient label because if they used just one type of sugar they would have to put it up at the top and hence it would be one of the top 3 or 4 ingredients. Correct?

    1. Joe that is not correct, FDA labeling regulations require that you list the different sugars (sugar like salt is not just one type) separately in order of ascendency. Table sugar (cane or beet) is “sucrose” which is made up of a glucose molecule and a fructose molecule. Corn syrup is glucose (also known as dextrose) and thus has to be listed separately. If any other sugars (maltose, fructose ect) are added separately as ingredients they have to be listed as such. If you want to see “total sugars” it is on the “nutrition facts” panel under “sugars” where all are combined. This may seem like a trick to some but to a diabetic (like my son) knowing how much glucose (which will spike there blood sugar) versus how much fructose (which doesn’t hit their blood sugar nearly as much) is helpful. The FDA has hard and fast rules on how these things are labeled and all the information is there if you learn how to read it, something you wont find here.

      1. Ed, your points are valid, but they don’t exclude Joe’s point which is simply this: Breaking it down into the constituent types of sugars can give the perception that there is a lot less sugar than there is. Many people are not as well-versed in the details as you are. To the average lay person, the listing of multiple ‘oses’ looks more like an attempt at deception than it does transparency or adherence to regulation. Just as saying what’s clearing a single-serving package has 2-3 servings. It allows the manufacturer to play fast-and-loose with the sugar/salt/fat vs. nutrition numbers. Same thing with trans-fats. Once food processors realized that people didn’t like them, they didn’t bother to take them out. Instead they turned it into deceptive marketing. Where else but the US would the phrase ‘contains 0 grams of trans fats’ actually mean ‘this product contains trans fats?’

      2. It makes sense why different types of sugar have to be listed separately, but I think what he’s saying is that they could potentially only add one type of sugar instead of using several and the reason they use several is so they can put them lower on the ingredient list. Not sure if this is true, but I wouldn’t be surprised. The number of total sugars can help navigate, but I think some of these companies try to cause as much confusion as possible when it comes to unhealthy ingredients.

      3. Bruce- The reason all the ‘oses’ are broken out in a ingredient statement is that they are separate ingredients. They ARE lumped together on the Nutritional Facts panel as ‘Sugars”. Your point about trans fat is not really valid by the FDA labeling laws (and I am quite familiar with them , it is my job) say that “if the amount of trans-fat is less than .5 grams per serving it can be rounded down to 0. If it is .6 grams it rounds up to 1 gram. That is not the same thing as what you stated.
        Dani- I had several years in R&D before moving into quality assurance so I can answer your question as to why the different sugars are used. In BBQ sauces for example corn syrup ‘glucose’ is used because at room temperature it is thick and also it tastes much less sweet then table sugar ‘sucrose’. Fructose is watery at room temperature and tastes much sweeter than table sugar so combinations of the 3 different sugars are used to achieve flavor and viscosity “thickness’ in a product. It is not a industry trick as once again the Nutritional Facts panel combines them as ‘Sugars”. To both of you yes serving sizes are often undersized but if there is some ‘grand conspiracy’ to confuse people I am not aware of it. The facts are out there for people to understand and they are best found in places that someone is not trying to scare you so they can sell you something “Mercola or Mike Adams” or boost there sponsor clicks, like here. Profit drives everyone including organic, local, food suppliers. A good class in organic chemistry at a local college (agenda there just science) would be a good place for allot of the commenters here to start. Sorry to lecture but accusing me of that on this site is like handing out speeding tickets at the Indy 500,

  3. I think these corporations are disgusting and I blame the USDA (our govt) for allowing these companies to get away with feeding the public these poisons. I guess for the right price our government can be bought and they will let anything pass as food.
    Thanks for opening our eyes to the madness!

  4. Hello, I work at subway, if you need pictures of ingredients lists off boxes let me know. The only prepackaged item with less than four ingredients is the avocado pulp (as far as Io have seen, Avocado, Ascorbic acid ). When I started I wasn’t surprised about all the additives, but seeing what some of them do and are, its very disgusting.

      1. I never said anything was wrong with it. I was just stating it had the least ingredients in the entire restaurant. For your question , I don’t know. I’ll look it up though. Wow, I don’t even work there anymore. Management was a mess. Okay, I looked it up and the only major thing is that it doesn’t work as well as natural Vitamin C.

  5. It is clear that “eat fresh” is nothing more than a marketing gimic. Marketing is translated in today’s world as lying since the sole purpose of marketing seems to be trying to imply that you are receiving something more or better than what you are really getting. I adopted my own eating healthy plan just over a year ago. Working a fast paced job and long hours in addition to a long commuting time, I often found myself hungry and tired without the time to make a nutritious meal when I got home so there are times I would stop at Subway on the way home thinking I was doing myself a favor. I wouldn’t skip the cheese but I would load up on veggies, use only mustard for dressing and no salt (let’s not talk about the bread). Little did I realize they should likely be labelling their sandwiches with a toxic warning label or something similar to what you might see on a nuclear waste container. I am so disappointed in the many unhealthy ingredients in Subway products that I have banned them from my list of acceptable places to eat. I will not patronize Subway ever again unless things change, not even if they have one and only one healthy sandwich on their menu. It’s time to change the world, one dollar at a time. Reducing profits from companies such as this is the only way to force change. We do have freedom of choice. We do have the freedom to choose not to eat at Subway. Thank you so much for helping me and so many others make better choices!

  6. Coming from a quality tech, at the plant the enchilada is made. I can assure you non of the meat comes from antibiotic fed farms. We only pull from certain farms, that we personall . Audit several times a year. My point here is we are not making anyone eat it. If you are so against subway because this. Wal mart costco and sams club all purchase meat from the same co packing company. So cross them off your list as well.

    1. You’re missing the point. With all the crap they add, what person in their right miond would eat that, regardless of whether there’s meat on it or not. It look like a toxic GMO dump, and people who don’t get it, eat that dreck. Subway’s “Heart Healthy” badge is a blatant lie, and the “Doctor’s Associates” is misleading as all hell. Nothing more than gimmicks, that are a pack of lies , and used as deceptive marketing tools.

  7. First thank you so much for creating this blog I have been living organic and eating healthy for over 45 years. It has been tough to convince family and friends to eat organic. They Always believed the government would not allow poisons in processed foods. It is very heartening to find someone that a strong advocate for eating healthy and to change the American diet.

  8. I am Italian, living in Italy but I travel often to the States and I wonder “how can you guys keep going eating this stuff?”
    I would like all of you to try the real mediterran diet which is fresh, healthy for real, not like the subway ones.
    My idea is to open up a fast fresh food in the USA where people can really check what fresh means. What these fast food companies lets you eat is not what you deserve.
    If one of you find my idea interesting please write to me as I am looking for people to realize this project

    Giacomo

    1. I recall in Italy along the highway they have roadway stops where you can get wonderful, real food; great meals with freshly prepared food, where in the US it’s junk. I think you a have fabulous idea. Go for it, Giacomo! Bring this to the US!

    2. Awesome idea!! The Food Babe Army will support you!! I’ve travelled out of the country 2 times in the past year – and both times just amazed at the freshness of the food. Why do Americans put up with the garbage that restaurants serve? And why in the world would other countries import our garbage (McDonalds and all the rest).

  9. Thank you so much, Vani, for another great post. I’ve been following all the updates and your latest investigations.

    Like you, I also like digging into behind the scenes and find out little secrets as well. These days, with social media and loads of free content on the web, we have a lot of leverage to think before we believe in any kind of marketing messages.

    Advertisers these days really need to think of other ways to do marketing. Lying or hiding truths would longer be effective, as we consumers are empowered knowledge and communities like that one you have created here!

    Cheers,
    Tracy

  10. i get it, subway is bad. but it’s better than other choices on the fast food market

    1. Well that is debatable. Something that hasn’t even been touched on yet regarding Subway, which I wrote to them about many years ago to no avail, is their use of sodium nitrate in their meats. During the cooking process, nitrites combine with amines naturally present in meat to form carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds. It is also suspected that nitrites can combine with amines in the human stomach to form N-nitroso compounds. These compounds are known carcinogens and have been associated with cancer of the oral cavity, urinary bladder, esophagus, stomach and brain. This is just one of the preservatives used for that “fresh” meat. It has definitely been connected to brain cancer in children.

  11. Thank you for your extensive research. It is awesome to have people like you speaking out on the dangers that so many Americans are ignorant of.

    Although, if I could mention one thing…propylene glycol is NOT harmful. Yes, it is a component in anti-freeze but do you know why? Because it was found to have anti-freeze qualities and it is ultimately harmless so Anti-freeze companies began using it in their product to produce a LESS harmful anti-freeze. Propylene Glycol has been extensively studied since 1942 and since then has been used avidly in the medical industry as an inhalant. All PG is, is a preservative, a dehumectant(absorbs humidity), and a flavor and medication carrier. It is used in inhalers, it is pumped through hospital vents for its powerful antibacterial properties, it is used as a flavor carrier in almost ALL flavor concentrates, a preservative in foods, tooth pastes and makeup, and it is used as a base for many e-liquids(for e-cigarettes).

    As an electronic cigarette user we hear this common misconception about PG all the time so it’s kind of instinct fot me to correct it. 🙂

  12. Go mamma foodbabe! You rock in the let’s give American’s the truth about what they are eating! Insiteful, researched, and pertinent information. I LOVE IT!

  13. “Campbell’s who was sued last year for their deceptive use of the Heart Association’s certification label in exchange for money” – Why doesn’t the Heart Association doesn’t get sued for releasing their label JUST “in exchange for money”?
    Kind a rhetorical question, though…

    1. Here’s another question: why don’t people wise up and quit donating to these “non-profit organizations” whose only reason for being is to make money? Which is the worst? Well, surely the American Cancer Society. Cancer cure was found around 1937 (it is a virus) and the head of the AMA, Morris Fishbein, destroyed its inventor and the Rife machine, which cured cancer at 100%. This was scientifically validated by several groups including Mayo Clinic. The ACS claims to have been involved with all breakthroughs since 1947 – obviously, a lie as they have done nothing to try to validate, replicate Rife’s cure, have not narrowed down the search for the virus nor attempted to reproduce his machine. Rife’s machine could also cure many other diseases. It is just so sad that these people value the buck so much more than society’s health.

  14. I didn’t need to read the ingredients to be turned off by this gross looking product. As soon as I saw the commercial I was like “BLEHHH!” Note to Subway: Just because some may like a side of chips with a sw, doesn’t mean it’s cool to put it inside. It’s not creative, it’s lazy, disgusting, and not tempting. Yes, the ingredients are horrific, I haven’t been to a Subway since college..and that’s only because that was the only non school related food venue outside the campus..and just walking into one..made me want to walk out..the smell of the cheesy bread/deli meats are disgusting..it’s like you have to shower and wash your hair 3 times to get that stench out.

    1. I know what you mean, the commerical with that abmonination that looks like something I ate, and lost, gave me another good reason to NEVER buy subway’s dreck ever.

  15. Good Morning !

    My name is Christina and i work at a Creating Wellness, Chiropractic center in Yonkers, NY. We sell whole food based supplements, including some of Dr. Mercola’s products here and i love them because they are whole food organic based products. Last night i was invited to a seminar that talked about Isotonics (market america) it sounded like a great idea until i read the ingredients. There is fructose along with other sugars in their ingredients. Someone told me it is not a big deal because the amount of sugar is equivalent to 3 grapes, but i know that fructose is a big deal and should not be in supplements. I would not feel right selling something to someone when it is not good for their health, and i was just wondering if you knew more about this?
    I would love to hear back from you !!
    Thank you – Christina 🙂

  16. To everyone, like Belinda, who criticizes Food Babe for not being scientifically rigorous:

    Food Babe is to be admired for being successful in raising awareness where awareness is needed and providing alternatives. There are others in the movement for healthier food and more transparent food industry practices who provide the scientific rigor that is needed.

    Trolls, like Viriato77, pointing fingers and laughing at Food Babe and her followers — please contribute something meaningful instead, or leave the conversation. Being a troll is far more pathetic than drinking microwaved water.

  17. Excellent article. So many of the so called healthy options are awful, and the heart charities sanctioning these things is criminal….well almost.

    Here in the UK we have some better food quality standards, but as a nutrition coach, I am amazed at how the majority of my clients just don’t know how, what, or how much to eat

    Keep up the amazing work

    Steve Reed

  18. I love you so much! Can you follow me around and analyze all my food? Lol. I try to remember all of the no-no ingredients and why they are bad, but I forget a lot of them. We need a Food Babe quick reference book! 🙂

    1. What you will find in time is that almost everything in the grocery store and restaurants is unhealthy, for one reason or more. If you want to eat healthy, stick mostly to the outside aisles (fresh produce) and cook from scratch. To avoid GMO’s all corn products and products with soy or sugar (unless listed as cane sugar) must be organic or certified non-GMO. Unfortunately, even non-GMO products are being sprayed copiously with Round-up to make harvesting easier. Farmers are under the false impression that Round-up is safe. What the companies either need to add or think they do to keep it “fresh” on the shelf just isn’t good for us. If you must eat animal products, they will contain GMO soy and corn (having been fed it) unless it is organic. When I was a poor single mother, I felt bad that I couldn’t buy better meat than hamburger for my kids. Now I know that they would have been so much better off if I had used that hamburger money on fresh fruits and vegetables. We can be very healthy without meats and yes, even dairy.

  19. I admire your boldness to discover the truth from every marketing enticements in the Food industry. People should really mind in getting alternatives of what they are eating. Sometimes it’s not the taste that we can say it is good, but it is more of what the body tells us or need us to do. Thanks for the share!
    This is definitely an eye opener to everyone that not everything that we see or hear on ads, getting the impression of brand’s packaging and branding is good for us.

  20. I just have to say that I am so thankful to Jesus for you Vani the Food Babe”! I just learned about you recently when you were being interviewed by Alex Jones. My personal story is pretty enlightening but simple. I began to do research coming out of college in 2004 about ingredients in food. I began to eliminate MSG and its 25 other hidden names out of my diet. I went from 225 pounds to 210. Then I eliminated all foods that included partially hydrogenated oils and I went from 210 to 195. Then I did the same with all foods with high fructose corn syrup and I went from 195 to 185. Woo hoo! Then I eliminated all pork and white bread and white dough products and now I am at 175. Now you are even educating me more and challenging me to go to the next level about GMO’s and other ingredients. I have known about GMO’s for a few years now but it just hit me on another level for some reason this time. Maybe it was just by the way you explained what it actually does to people who eat it in the most recent article titled “Are You Being Tricked By These Food Industry Marketing Tactics?” Thanks for your work and ministry and Yeshua bless you!! -T.J.

    1. Congratulations on getting healthier and lighter. It was slow going but in the right direction. I lost 40 pounds in three months eating all I wanted of potatoes, pasta, rice, etc. and vegetables and fruits with no oils, meat or dairy. I continue to eat this way and the weight stays off. If interested, google John McDougall.

      1. Laura, you are likely well on your way to being diabetic with that kind of diet heavy on pasta, potatoes and rice, they are all extremely high in sugars which spike blood sugar and will make you a type II diabetic.

    2. On the contrary, I was diagnosed with diabetes and after I went on this way of eating, my diabetes reversed and I am now free of it. Dr. McDougall says that diabetes is caused by fats and oils in your diet, not by sugar. The famous rice diet of Duke University proved that. Do your own research and do not rely on “nutritionists” and medical people who are receiving their education from the pharmaceutical companies.

  21. The food supply in the USA is poison only because the consumers buy the products. Vani has found a way to get the word out on these poisons which is good but the food industry chemists have figured out how to make y’all’s cravings more than following Vani’s warnings. Those ingredients in subway and other products are there to provide a resource for craving their products.

  22. What reliable resources do you use to research ingredients in foods?? I would like to do my own research, but when I google ingredients, I get answers like “potassium sorbate is not harmful.” Or it will say it is harmful, but not really go into details…

    1. I respectfully disagree, Food Babe has done some really good investigative work. I love her and I’m sorry that she has a few haters that take the time to read her blog and post ugly things on here.

      I will be kind and show mercy. Humility is the attitude of the heart and mind that God requires of us. Never, under any circumstances, are we to view ourselves as better than others. Give God what He truly requires, which is to do what is just, love mercy and kindness, and walk humbly with Him. Some helpful scriptures on humility: Philippians 2:5-7, Micah 6:8, Philippians 2:3-4, Romans 12:16, 1 Peter 5:6 – Written by Joyce Meyer.

      1. Ugh, no. You brought the bible and god into your argument, so your argument is invalid. Like you.

  23. Live for you and your courage. I have not walked into a Subway in over a year. In fact it’s rare that I actually dine out unless I know the restaurant uses products from local farmers. I can’t get enough of what you are posting and accomplishing. Don’t stop! I literally don’t trust anyone with food that I am purchasing anymore. What is more sad is that unless it’s organic, comes from the ground or a tree, I just won’t put it in my body.

    Live for being Vegan. Eat to live is my new Motto on life.

    Thanks for all that you do.

  24. Thank you so much for the TRUTH. You are a bold, courageous lady who I truly appreciate. Keep up the great work!

  25. Hello Vani, thanks so much for inspiring and helping us to live a healthy, honest clean life. The knowledge we have gained living in the states for the last 3 and a half years was invaluable and we would not have been able to achieve this without your tips, help and guidance. Our dilemma is that we will be moving back to Europe (Ireland) soon and we feel totally overwhelmed and not sure where to start on continuing a GMO free lifestyle. Can you give us any tips, advice, guidance on where to find the best source of information on GMO exposure in Europe / Ireland. We are not even sure if GMO labeling is compulsory in Ireland. Thanks in advance and kind wishes, Charline

  26. view. see #4+/ #4.48. The.Most.Important.Knowledge.You.would.Ever.Read.Implement.and.Live.up.to.Forever

  27. Although I like your blog and applaud your efforts, you seem to emphasize that the only problem is Subway. Don’t you think that you should reach out to the American Heart Association if they are the ones receiving million dollars in fees from Subway in order to continue endorsing Subway? Have you tried calling or contacting them to see why they continue to endorse awful products that can potentially ruin a nations health?

  28. Wish we could actually “eat fresh”. My family and many people I know will not eat here until you deliver on your slogans promise. Or maybe stop pretending to be apart of the obesity pandemic and actually be apart of the solution. All organic, antibiotic free, grass fed, when you become familiar with how these can turn a HUGE profit for your company while actually helping people, then I will return to the Subway sandwich

    My message to subway

  29. There’s a reason that the azidodicarbonamide isn’t listed: it’s not in the bread when you eat it. It completely decomposes in the preparation process.

    Even IF it were there, it wouldn’t do you any harm anyway because it’s not present in a high enough concentration to do anything to you. The dose makes the poison. Always does, always will.

  30. Authentic enchilada sauce only has two ingrediants…. Red chili and a little garlic. 🙂 never use tomatoes or oil in your enchilada sauce. Gross!

  31. Food Babe, I do love what you do. I stopped eating preserved or deli meats years ago. I wish you would touch on how awful they are while you are dealing with the Subway menus. I call them “embalmed” meat. Just google “pregnancy” and “listeria.” Listeria is a pathogen that can occur in deli meat and hot dogs which is very dangerous because it is one of the few pathogens that CROSS THE PLACENTAL BARRIER and pose a threat to the fetus. Pregnant women are advised to abstain from this stuff throughout their pregnancy. This is a actual government advice, known by doctors. FYI.

  32. The AHA is full of crap anyway. A diet with no or very(healthy) fat is horrible for the heart, brain, and body! They lump all fats together, which is so bogus because the body needs fat; meanwhile, there are those who profit IMMENSELY from all the diseases causes by this nonfat nonsense. If you’ve ever been directly involved in any heart disease medical treatment, you know someone is profiting BIG TIME from it!!
    Besides, no fat in food almost always= more sodium, sugar, or other junk.

  33. I’m glad you found the ingredient list because I actually loved the taste of that sinful sandwich.

    I love how you state that the majority of people want GMO’s labeled. Do you know why? Because they will wholesale quit buying any product that has GMO technology in it.

    The “majority” of people don’t have the science education to know if a particular GMO is safe or not. Many of the GMO horror stories you here are true, but they were from test fields and the product was being tested on research animals.

    Like any tech, genetic engineering is bound to make some mistakes. Regulations need to be tightened up, safety needs to be #1, and the government needs to get off its ass and actually oversee these companies that are working in this field because it is certainly dangerous.

    But to be so fearful of the technology that you would avoid all of it is to show that you are a FOOL and incapable of rational thought. Scientific thought. I don’t mean to offend some of you but the idiots among you I could care less.

    People all around the world are working to make sure all of us are fed even if the eco system go wacky on us and look, that is happening now. And these fools would rather they and the rest of us starve than let them do their job.

  34. I’m glad that you and other people are working so hard to make foods companies provide us with better food, but I do have an issue with your whole yoga mat thing. My brother is a professional chemist and told me that the whole campaign to remove that chemical was blown out of proportion, since the chemical is not dangerous or rubbery (as the comparison to yoga mats might have people believing), but rather just an agent that produces excess gasses to make materials more fluffy. It’s just… like, air pretty much. So eating excess gas is what everybody is freaking out about.

  35. The thing is, convenience food, no matter where it is from, is going to be worse for you than something you cook yourself. Learn to make time to cook for you and your family with natural ingredients and this should not be an issue.

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