Witnessing the power of the Food Babe Army this week has been absolutely incredible.
On Tuesday, February 4th, I launched a petition for the removal of a dangerous plastic chemical called azodicarbonamide from Subway sandwich bread – the same stuff used in yoga mats, shoe rubber and synthetic leather. This was after repeated attempts to reach out to Subway since June of 2012 to learn more about why they are using this (asthma inducing and potentially carcinogenic) chemical here in North America and not in any other countries. They never responded until now.
Within 24 hours, the petition received over 50,000 signatures, and Subway’s social media channels were completely overrun by concerned citizens and the Food Babe Army. I want to thank the countless number of friends, family members, fellow bloggers, organizations, and everyday citizens who took swift action to tell Subway we deserve the same safer ingredients they use overseas.
To date, the petition has received over 78,000 signatures and counting.
Late Wednesday afternoon in an email to me from Michelle Dinello, Director of Corporate Communications, Subway announced they would be removing this ingredient from their sandwiches “soon”. In this email, she apologized for not responding sooner and specifically to my inquiry on January 25th that went unanswered. They said “that we are already in the process of removing azodicarbonamide from our bread as part of our ongoing bread improvement program” and additionally told reporters that their change had nothing to do with the petition. We know this is just a corporate spin and how big companies operate. They don’t want us to know how much power we have over their decisions. We’ve seen this kind of deceptive marketing move before when Gatorade took out a flame retardant chemical and said it had nothing to do with a petition with over 200k signatures. And again, most recently in Kraft, when they started removing artificial food dyes from their Mac & Cheese and said it had nothing to do with our 350k signatures petition. Since Subway has been exploiting us with unsafe ingredients that are prohibited in other countries for all these years, wouldn’t it be nice if they’d just be straight with us?
As soon as I received this email, I wrote back and asked for a timeline and asked if they would provide the new ingredient list.
There’s been dead silence on their end. Every single reporter I talked with yesterday and today (over 30) has tried to get the same answer from Subway headquarters and they aren’t responding. I went live on CNN yesterday afternoon talking about this. I’ve heard nothing. I sent another followup email this morning.
We cannot call this a victory until we know the facts. Please keep spreading the word, and ask Subway to give a timeline.
We know nothing about their changes. Are they going to be using the same ingredients they do overseas? This would mean they would also have to eliminate caramel coloring, yeast extract, and GMOs from their bread – which would be fantastic! What do they plan to do? No one knows.
Keep the pressure on. They hope we’ll celebrate and just go away. The Food Babe Army is too strong and committed for that.
Every time you see a Subway commercial, advertisement or walk or drive past a store – take the time to ask yourself, how long will it take for Subway to stop serving plastic to their customers?
The worldwide news coverage of this event has been miraculous – from China to India to Canada to Sweden to Mexico. I spent the last 2 days talking to as many reporters as possible so we could get our voices heard. I cry tears of joy realizing that so many more people will now have their eyes opened to what is really happening in the food supply and that eating at Subway is not “Fresh”. As of now, there are over 450 news stories about the petition according to Google News, here are a few:
ABC News – Subway takes chemical out of bread after protest
USA Today – Subway to remove chemical from bread
NY Daily News – Subway will remove additive found in plastics from its bread after blogger’s online petition
CNN – Meet the ‘food babe’ who helped convince Subway to remove chemical from bread
Canada CBC News – Subway agrees to end use of controversial chemical after food blogger Vani Hari’s protest
Late Night With Jimmy Fallon – (HILARIOUS) Subway Yoga Mat Controversy
What’s Next?
Please take action. Keep sharing the petition, keep going to Subway’s facebook page, keep calling them and tweeting them.
- Sharing the petition via email with at least 3 friends
- Sharing your support on Facebook, Twitter, and Google
- Contacting Subway directly and asking them when they are going to remove azodicarbonamide from their bread
- Subway Facebook Page
- Subway Twitter Page – @Subway #NoWaySubway
- Subway Customer Service Hotline: 800.888.4848
- Subway Customer Service Contact Form
- Call or Ask Your Local Subway Store Manager – Find Your Nearest Store
78,000 voices and counting deserve answers.
There’s no stopping us now!
Vani Hari
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
I see some on these msg bb threads wish to conveniently ignore the fact that most everything Hitler, his Nazis & the corporations surrounding/supporting them did was almost all legal under German law at the time.
A small few were later rightfully hung after the Nuremberg trials.
There seems little difference in the USA with today’s government polecats & corporations.
It appears to many of us most govt agencies whose duties were supposed to be protecting “We the People” interests have fallin to “Regulatory Capture” & are under control of Globalist Corporate Masters.
Further by reading/observing govt/corporations own papers/propaganda efforts to maintain the lies/distortions/factually incorrect info we have ever reason to believe at least some of those against basic food safety for “We the People” are just “Following Orders” from their bosses just as many past Germans did.
The issues here on this site are food, but I would point to you the tactics currently being used against Edward Snowden & others are likely many of the same tactics being deployed on most issues including Food Security.
**Greenwald’s latest article:
‘Dirty Tricks’
By Matthew Cole, Richard Esposito, Mark Schone and Glenn Greenwald, Special Contributor
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/snowden-docs-british-spies-used-sex-dirty-tricks-n23091
Excerpt:
“British spies have developed “dirty tricks” for use against nations, hackers, terror groups, suspected criminals and arms dealers that include releasing computer viruses, spying on journalists and diplomats, jamming phones and computers, and using sex to lure targets into “honey traps.”
Documents taken from the National Security Agency by Edward Snowden and exclusively obtained by NBC News describe techniques developed by a secret British spy unit called the Joint Threat Research and Intelligence Group (JTRIG) as part of a growing mission to go on offense and attack adversaries ranging from Iran to the hacktivists of Anonymous. According to the documents, which come from presentations prepped in 2010 and 2012 for NSA cyber spy conferences, the agency’s goal was to “destroy, deny, degrade [and] disrupt” enemies by “discrediting” them, planting misinformation and shutting down their communications.”
COINTELPRO tactics…, but much worse. **
Broke Godwins Law in the very fist comment. Well done!
Get a life! I am tired of little anorexic busybodies putting their noses in other people’s life. If you want to eat nuts, grass and such. Go for it. However, when you start forcing others to live their life. Then it needs to stop.
I want to enjoy life and if that means eating meat, potato’s, fried food and everything else. Then, let me be and if I die a few years early before you do. Who cares, at least I enjoyed life and am no afraid to live it.
Just get a life.
Curt,
Myself being of the real Liberal/Libertarian Thomas Jefferson/Madison bent I believe you & others should be able to do as you please as long as you guys don’t use force against us to say for example to make us eat your New Jersey Chem Lab toxic sludge in my food products.
Where we may find common ground & a compromise position is that food companies offer some customer a clean version of food products & a toxic version for people like yourself.
Restaurants could serve people of your position products like a side dish of Lucifer’s Stew, condiment bottle of Kidney Killer you could use as a dressing/sauce, or a new drink & you guys could order a cup of Fukushima back wash.
Thomas Jefferson was the single founder member of the Democratic party. I hate to bust your bubble.
Curt, you need to get a life. If you want to put poisons in your body. GO AHEAD. But we don’t. And some of us are on the road a lot and would prefer food that is not dangerous. Grow up and educate yourself. Or you will becoming down with cancer before you are 40.
Curt Hodapp – It’s called ‘consumer protection’. If you don’t want protection, that is fine. But most of us do want to help each other. We don’t want to live in a world like the one you prefer.
Quality food void of synthetic ingredients, chemicals, etc. is a FUNDAMENTAL right. Americans, Canadians, and others deserve just as nutritious and quality food as Europeans, the Japanese, the South Koreans, etc. (BTW this has nothing to do with eating fried foods, meat, etc.)
So glad everyone is waking up and voting with their wallets! Congrats to the American People for taking a stand.
So Liz, If I am reading your comment correctly, you believe it is the cancer causing compounds used in plastic manufacturing that give Subway bread it’s flavor? I can assure it is not.
I sure hope Subway is taking all the GMO’s out of there food.
GMOs like every single domesticated species of plant, animal, and fungus on the planet? Look at a dog, look at a wolf. Look at a chicken, look at a jungle fowl. Look at a wild strawberry, look at a grocery store strawberry.
They’ve all been genetically modified, our ancestors just took forever doing it.
Curt,
I don’t think Food Babe & the rest of us are trying to fix it so you can’t eat French fries & hamburgers, Which I also like , she’s trying to stop them from putting fake stuff in it that might be dangerous.
Forcing other people? Forcing other people? The word is informing, and just because it threatens your secure little world doesn’t mean anyone is forcing it on you..
Well Done Food Babe for taking on the big corporate organisations who obviously have lost their ethics and putting profit first.
Way to go!! Vani, you are doing fantastic with this and so many other food & health issues! I love how you are so persistent about holding these companies accountable and follow up in a strong way by requesting a timeline, etc.
So ridiculous that Subway and other companies say these petitions and exposure have nothing to do with their decisions. It’s insulting and it’s not good business for customers to feel like they are being lied to. These companies can still make plenty of money by giving the public what it wants, providing healthier products, and treating their customers with respect (it’s not respectful to ignore customers or lie to them). It must be some old way of doing business that was/is taught in business school to never admit being swayed by the public. Being truthful is good for business and hopefully these companies will figure that out someday.
This shows what we can do to change things. I know it’s only one company and this chemical is still be used elsewhere, but it’s a demonstration of how we can change things. We’re so fortunate you’re out there taking the lead with these issues, Vani. We all need you to be out there doing what you’re doing! Thank you!
Worse Than Subway is the fact its in the Great Value brand found at Wal-Mart. This affects more people than Subway ever could.
It figures! Walmart!
After having read that article about that chemical additive to prepare breads, loafs, etc.. I checked the costco kirkland signature’s triangular ciabatta buns which I used to buy and got scare to see they contain that same azodicarbonamide in it. Well, other than foodbabe, are there anybody else out there like the health inspectors from the ministry of health or from any other concerned parties to prohibit this rubber product added in our food? This is a serious matter. Canada’s food control are usually very strict and tough at these issues but nothing is being done to ban that acid. To be followed…..
Hi,
How about Subway Malaysia? Do they use that azodicarbonamide too?
Now to work on bagels!!! Sara Lee and almost all others! I did find Thomas’ Doesn’t include floor mats. But then Chinese hair??? Who knows. I’m starving here! Lol
There’s more than one ingredient that needs to be removed
Thanks to your petition, my eyes have been opened so much wider as to what is happening with our food supply. I never had an inkling as to what azodicarbonamide was, and I now realize that scanning the ingredient list of food that I regularly purchase, I miss so much of the danger lurking in my food without a frame of reference. When I heard that subway had that ingredient which is used in making rubber mats , i was so disgusted and upset only to look at the three different brands of bread in my household and also find that they include this horrible ingredient. I went to my grocery store and looked many of the breads and found that they too include this ingredient. A small percentage of breads however, did not have azodicarbonamide and those will be the only bread I purchase in the future. I wonder what other harmful ingredients are being slipped into unassuming customers food. Please continue to do the wonderful job you are doing helping us one at a time rally for ourselves for food that IS food and not a harmful parade of chemicals and products masquerading as a delicious treat.
You’ve really hit the nail on the head here. Same here and I agree wholeheartedly. Thanks to Food Babe I’m learning so much- and want to be healthier so I appreciate and applaud her efforts!! Def making a difference in my life!!
Why would someone who doesn’t care about what they eat be on this site anyways? Sounds like a corporate plant
Ditto.
Troll
The comments about Subway, Kraft and Gatorade lying their butts off, and claiming that public pressure had no part in their decision, what a crock. If they are going to lie like that, and look at what is still in Subway’s bread, (like caramel color, 3 different kinds of dough conditioners, DATEM, Potassium Iodate, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylayte, and the code name for MSG, Yeast extract) shows how little Subway cares about you, just your money. I dumped Kraft, Subway and Gatorade several years ago, and I have a permanent ban on those sad sacks of ****. Any company that has to be forced to do the right thing, then denies it bowed to public pressure with lies that are as tranparent as clear glass, deserve NO business, of any kind. Dump them, like they dump on us.
Very well said!
I’m certainly not here to champion chemicals being added to the food supply. But I wonder how Ms Hari reconciles her crusade against chemicals with the fact she has inserted a large amount of silicone in her chest. Personally, I would be more concerned with the silicone.
Gee SULLY101, did you actually touch Ms Hari’s breasts? You seem to be assuming a lot on a food blog..Maybe you should just keep your paws on your own flesh.
As long as you aren’t going to eat her breasts, I am not sure how this is relevant…..
Who would want to eat at Subway anyways?Avoid all the fast food , period.
Great! Now, when do we go after McDonald’s , Burger King, Wendys, Chick fil a, Jack in the box, arby;s… this crap is everywhere! So disgusted, I may never eat out again…
Stopping the food industry’s lobbyist and Monsanto from luring congressman/The President and God knows who else will take pressure from every interested consumer with blogs/letters/petitions to there office’s across the nation. God Bless!
I should of included the chemical companies/ pharmaceuticals as well, who skirt themselves to the food industries masquerading as good guys to help them keep a profit as well as their own. I would be assured of this, that they don’t even eat there own foods they produce.
Pat,
Why do you people keep saying that the CEO’s of these companies don’t eat the foods they produce? Do you have some internal documents or emails that say this? Or do you just read it on some stupid website and parrot that as the gospel truth? It’s because of these chemical/phamaceutical and food industries that you enjoy the lifespan that you do. Eat what you want but cut out the stupid, baseless cliches.
It most certainly is not because of the chemical/pharmaceutical and food industries that we are living so long as healthy individuals because those industries are keeping us in one sorry sick state as we age. Surely, you’ve heard of the side effects of these “marvels”? The body heals itself – something even some doctors will admit, and the body also doesn’t recognize foreign matter like synthetic chemicals, etc. Check out those crowded nursing homes with their very old people lying in their beds or slumped in wheelchairs lining the halls and tell me you want your last days to be that. Why is it the men who wander on sites like Vani’s make comments like yours?
Frankie,
To answer your last question first, it would be to counter all these baseless, stupid comments being made here. I would not want to spend my last days as you describe. However I do not believe for one minute that those folks are there because of something the food or drug industries did to them. They are there because we are living longer lives, thanks at least in part to our food and medical systems. Check out the lifespans of people in countries that don’t have a good food production system and medical care. What explanation do you offer up that our lifespans have been rising over the course of the last century and not going down as one would expect after spending time on websites like this?
Azodicarbonamide isn’t the only dangerous ingredient in Subway’s bread… White flour – Soy bean oil – Sugar —- every ingredient in that bread (minus the added vitamins that actually pretty much do NOTHING) is horrendous.
DITCH THE BREAD PEOPLE!
You played the gotcha game and won, but its not right to to bash a company and now demand non-gmo products. Wonder what percentage of your petitioners can afford to shop only at whole foods only?
I don’t shop at Whole Foods, but my market has a vast array of organic and non GMO products at reasonable prices. Organic is going mainstream, it’s not just for Whole Foods anymore.
It is great that the ingredients of bread is being brought to peoples attention.
I who thought I was very aware was lazy when it came to reading labels but being aware that Diabetes was in My hubbys family I was always vigilant re past and bread but that just made him want to consume it more, Well to help shorten the tale despite my warning he continued consuming excessive grains and pasta ect
( I was a Practicing RN at the time now Retd, but I was strong on prevention not medication) after having an accident at work it forced him to be hospitalized where he had various test he was warned he was on the verge of Diabetes well he followed the usual instruction but started reading the labels on Breads and was shocked see a lot of sugar and salt among some other unrecognized ingredient ,People do what they do some its affordability but then most people when ill health happens they wonder why some will change others its their destiny,If Your article saves one its great, It amazes how many cynic exist,The sad thing Sub way is not the only guilty one but its up to the people and it seems some still do not value them-self enough,People with Bad attitudes some time or another end up in the Chronic care so the choice is theirs As for GMO it seems to have invade even those of us that are careful it a way to depopulate .
Hmmm…how bout giving Alex Jones some credit too. I found out bout you And your petition through him. Just saying, his army is more vocal than Jimmy Fallon and ABC. Anyway glad I found your site, count me in as part of your army against GMO and crap food.
The food corporates are committing, without a doubt, genocides. This is greed. The world economy fell because of this insatiable greed for money no matter the cost. Dictators and governments who allow these food powers to exist are also part of this world genocide such as the chemical giant, Monsanto, who is destroying the global environment and the world society.
Please be sure to share your views on genocide with a Holocaust survivor’s family member. I’m sure they will appreciate your intelligent and well-reasoned opinions.
Please be sure that there’s hardly any holocaust survivors left because they are all dead. Because it happened all so long ago, and that since then there have been myriad genocides and massacres of all stripes.. not as glamorous as your previous holocaust perhaps but every bit as real and awful. Please strive for relevance
Way to generalize.
Greed, genocide, and general destruction of the world. And all the food powers are responsible. I think you have most of your bases covered. And this is a because of Subway using an additive that the FDA considers safe?
Nevermind, you’re right, it has to be a conspiracy because it’s a corporation.
So… now, thanks to this beautiful young lady and her heroic efforts, we will now be able to enjoy FLAT bread at Subway… lol, just kiddin. Good job ma’m!!.
Isn’t this a sourcing issue Food Babe? Obviously these companies aren’t milling their own wheat to make the nasty flour – they are buying it from a flour company or outsource the bread to a company sourcing the flour. Who is the flour source? Martha White? Who is making the bad flour?
Bigger issue?-
http://harvestpublicmedia.org/article/proposed-merger-could-create-flour-milling-goliath-wheat
Hey Dear Vani,
The news reached even Hungary, my home country 🙂
You are sooooooo awesome 🙂
Keep up the good work 😀
Love,
Zita
I can’t tell you how excited I was to see this story on the news here in NYC and our senator is calling for the FDA to remove this ingredient!! I am so proud if you Vani and it’s amazing to see how much power we all have when we stand up for what’s right. Thank you so much for all you do and keep fighting!!
I’m all for eating healthy, but how about recommending foods or snacks for those of us on a budget. Does she own stock in Whole Foods or what? Try recommending a few items the average person can friggin afford!
GET A LIFE BEYOCHE, LEAVE SUBWAY ALONE!
These large companys have contributed to many cancer patients and other physical problems. It is time they have stopped
Costco bakery uses azodicarbonamide. Don’t eat their bread either.
How can I find the truth as to if there is this same plastic agent being put in the chicken nuggets in mcdonalds I hear thAt the plastic is used in whatever it is that is keeping the nuggets bond together!!! I don’t know how true but when u break into the nugget check out the lines inside of it
Listen, I applaud the fact that people are asking questions! That’s a good thing!
But just what is it that Azodicarbonamide is supposed to do? I mean, not to the bread, but to us?
Five minutes of internet searching has taught me that it is used as a bleaching agent in flour, and is permitted in levels up to 45 ppm in North America. Not surprising as it is the North American population that has the greatest predilection towards white bread. Taken a little further, yes the World Health Organization does suggest that Azodicarbonamide MAY induce asthma and other respiratory concerns, but this refers to inhalation, and at concentrations that can only be achieved in the manufacturing environment. This means in the plants that make the Azodicarbonamide or perhaps in plastics manufacturing facilities that use it to aid in foaming.
But what are the health concerns for us eating it? Again, the only thing I found was a well cited WHO report that there were no adverse affects, http://www.who.int/ipcs/publications/cicad/en/cicad16.pdf
Now, I am not saying that Azodicarbonamide SHOULD be used. I don’t care if my white bread is white, and would normally choose something more flavourful and healthier anyhow. But raising a stink like this over it – is this not sensationalizing and fear-mongering?
Gord,
The answer to your last question is yes but it sells so they do it anyway. Talk about stooping to make a profit! I thought it was only Monsanto and us conventional farmers who would do anything to make money.
I think all of these companies who use these harmful chemicals are able to get away with it because FDA has approved it. Our fight has to be against FDA who has allowed it in food. It is truly bad for people who live on budget.
Pat,
Read Gord’s comments just above yours. The only thing bad for people who live on a budget is that this stuff helped make a loaf of bread last 10 days or more. Without it, you are looking at 3-4 days. One should pick their battles more carefully.
What about the other fast food companies that have the same ingredient in their breads/buns. McDonalds is the biggest of all of them, but also Burger King, Wendy’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, etc……..
Wonder how many of General Custer’s, I mean the food babe’s, army signed that one since you posted it? I bet there are at least a few.
Just found your site from The Daily Caller. I can’t believe you actually found an explanation for the foul stench of Subway stores. I’ve been avoiding Subway since the mid-1980s because I couldn’t stand the smell, ESPECIALLY during baking. Which always baffled me: how could all those other customers stand it, and why was it so different from every other baking-bread smell, which I always enjoyed. Beause of that, Subway lost 30 years of my business…wonder how much other business they lost that way. Now I am looking forward to the day when I can walk into a Subway without triggering the gag reflex.
Bleh. Just because something is used in plastics production does not mean its plastic, or bad. You k ow what else is used in plastics, and foam containers? Baking soda. For that matter calcium is also a popular plastic filler component. Both baking soda and calcium are perfectly fit for human consumption (hell, you’ll die if you don’t eat calcium).
This is yet another article making “sky is falling” chicken little screeches and invalid comparisons.
Just because a compound has multiple uses, does not means it should be identified as one of those uses.
Yoga mat? Wtf. There were a couple LIMITED studies in the UK that implied that some people developed allergies/asthma to concentrations of RAW Azodicarbonamide dust in the air (in plastic manufacturing situations). But otherwise, Azodicarbonamide is not a toxin, nor a carcinogen (WHO CICAD report). No food toxicity, and it is “GRAS” (generally regarded as safe).
With profit margins tight Kraft seems wise to seek customer approval of it’s products.
From the AP:
Kraft removes artificial preservatives in its most popular cheese product
19 minutes ago
By CANDICE CHOI
(AP:NEW YORK) NEW YORK (AP) — Kraft is removing artificial preservatives from its most popular Singles cheese product variety, in the latest sign that companies are tweaking recipes as food labels come under greater scrutiny.
The change affects the company’s Kraft Singles in the full-fat American and White American varieties, which Kraft says account for the majority of the brand’s sales. Sorbic acid is being replaced by natamycin, which Kraft says is a “natural mold inhibitor.”
Kraft’s decision comes as a growing number of Americans pay closer attention to what they eat and try to stick to foods they feel are natural. That has prompted a number of food makers to change their recipes.
Last week, for instance, Subway said it was removing a chemical from its bread after a popular food blogger named Vani Hari started a petition noting the ingredient is also used in yoga mats.
The ingredient, azodicarbonamide, is an approved food additive and can be found in a wide variety of products, including those sold by McDonald’s and Starbucks. But Hari said she targeted Subway because of its healthy food image.
Even though such ingredients are approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration, being able to tout a product as being free of them can be a selling point. Kraft, for example, plans to begin airing TV ads near the end of February touting that its Kraft Singles cheese product “begins with milk” and are now “made with no artificial preservatives.”
The ads show cartoon cows grazing in a pasture, with a milk truck driving past.
The new Kraft packages, which began appearing on supermarket shelves in recent weeks, also come stamped with a red circle noting they have no artificial preservatives or flavors. Kraft says its Singles haven’t used artificial flavors for many years, but that it just recently decided to advertise that aspect of the product.
“Consumers are looking for those less artificial cues and messages,” said Gavin Schmidt, manager of cheese research and development at Kraft. “Those messages are more meaningful to consumers than they have been in the past.”
Schmidt says the change took about five years to perfect because Kraft wanted to ensure the product’s taste and shelf life remained the same. He declined to provide details, but said it wasn’t as simple as swapping out an artificial preservative and replacing it with a natural one.
“There’s a little more to it than that,” he said.
Schmidt said Kraft is testing the removal of artificial preservatives from its other Kraft Singles varieties, but that it wanted to start with the most popular lines first. The changes do not affect Kraft Singles that are 2 percent milk, fat-free or other full-fat varieties.
Kraft Foods Group Inc., based in Northfield, Ill., also makes brands including Oscar Mayer, Jell-O, Planters and Maxwell House.
_______
Follow Candice Choi at http://www.twitter.com/candicechoi
Will you ever show those tits food babe?
Azodicarbonamide is also in Martins Potato Bread and Whole Wheat Potato bread. I called them today to tell them I can not buy their products anymore until it is removed. You can call them too at 800-548-1200.
Bottom line is if you want to find a problem, you will. Saying that Subway is serving “yoga mats” is like saying that I eat cowboy boots because I enjoy a burger. But food babe they make boots out of cows. So obviously one shared ingredient means the products are the same. I seem to remember stories of similar days. “Wood floats and burns, and witches burn, so if you float, you’re a witch”.
I’m all for throwing a petition out there if you would like the company to change something. However, the slander and shock value you used to get that change could really hurt companies like Subway. I don’t know about the rest of you but I remember that Subway was the company that dropped their prices when the market went South.
I know who to blame if the slander hurt the company enough for our beloved $5 Footlongs to be a thing of the past. Just saying if you take away enough customers with some outlandish comparison, chances are a company will raise pricing to keep their quota. Not to mention that production costs for your “yoga free” bread will probably cause an increase, and research and development as well. At this rate of annoying increases Food Babe will be the new spokesperson for Subway.
“$9….$9…..$9 Footlong… Subway”
You need to think bigger Food Babe. There is an ingredient out there that everything shares, linking cars, shoes and even your organic spinach together. It’s like the golden ticket to getting anything you want changed. It’s all about perspective.
Moral of the story is everyone has the right to produce what they want within the guidelines of FDA standards. The consumer has the right to not buy it. After Food Babe tanks Subway I know I will be planting myself a little garden out back so I can feed my family something affordable, since we as a consumer chose not to frequent places like McDonald’s and Burger King. But yeah Subway is the threat on America’s youth and health conscious consumers.
I don’t really care about all these personal attacks that are being thrown around but I do want to say this… due to the decrease in customers, Subway employees are losing hours. This is food that is NOT not going on their families tables. You may of got what you wanted out of Subway and it is something that needed done. But by directing people away from the restaurant you are damaging your fellow working class.
And the really sad part is that most of these people who are so giddy that Subway was taught a lesson wouldn’t set foot in the place regardless of what is or was in their bread. Just a useless, selfish, very sad activity. And unfortunately they don’t really get that.
It is inevitable sad and true that the worst victims of these purges will be working class consumers and workers. First thing I thought was the rise in the cost of these foods, not to mention the job angle you describe. Nobody ever pays attention to the poor, who would probably prefer to not eat crap in their food but who would prefer to eat crap than nothing at all. Let’s face it, big agra and chemicals have contributed to affordable food and less general famine – and if it all goes away from one day to the next, ugly things will happen.
It’s good to see now most people are ignoring the lobbist/polecats/corporate trolls & instead voting with their feet/dollars by buying clean food, water, air, etc..
There is too much good news today for me to post, but I’ll put a small sample below.
Garden season starts here this weekend & we see people now avoiding GMOs, having people like PETA go after GMOs being feed to animals, looking at planting clean crops like organic wheat, corn, rice, etc….
I understand Chick-fil-A’s problem, but I think 5 years might be to late for them?
**
Chick-fil-A to use only chicken raised without antibiotics within 5 years
34 minutes ago
(AP:NEW YORK) NEW YORK (AP) — Chick-fil-A says its plans to serve only chicken raised without antibiotics within the next five years.
The Atlanta-based fast-food chain says it’s working with its suppliers to build an adequate supply. It says it’s asking suppliers to work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to verify that no antibiotics are administered on the chickens at any point.
The announcement comes after Chick-fil-A told the AP late last year that it was making a number of changes to remove high fructose corn syrup and artificial dyes from its dressings and sauces.
Chipotle also says it tries to use meat raised without antibiotics whenever possible.
Chick-fil-A is based in Atlanta and has nearly 1,800 locations in 39 states and Washington, D.C. **
https://thedaywefightback.org/events/
You are only a PhD. The Food Babe has educated herself so she really knows what’s going on. That seems to be the line of thinking here. Really disturbing.
Good Work Gord. http://www.who.int/ipcs/publications/cicad/en/cicad16.pdf
No observable ill effects with heavy exposure to the ADA, much more then eating 200 Loafs of bread a day. ADA is metabolized and passed thru urine and feces with no observable toxic effects. So for everyone on this blog, you can go out and eat 500 loafs of bread a day and not have any worries about ADA. You may need some water to wash it down that contains FLUORINE! Another toxic substance supplied by our municipalities for free.
Please forgive the ignorance mr food man but not all of us could afford the phd in food physics. Why is this uber safe ingredient banned in almost all developed countries? And is it possible that you lack the understanding to see that this is, on the surface, an alarming and offensive thing – my gvmt cares less than theirs? I very sincerely want to know. Obviously am not the only one
ara,
there are many, many 100’s or 1000’s of ingredients used in foods around the world. Each country in the past has set their own guidelines on food ingredient safety assessments. This much is true. I have had the privileged honor to work peripherally to scientists, toxicologists, in the ingredient sector and, although just a business guy with a science degree, I understand fully the science rigor that ingredient companies have to prove to regulators, and in this case, WHO and other global scientific bodies, on the safety assessments and scientific studies to prove their materials are safe for consumption and in this case, in very minute levels. The scientist at WHO are the some of the most brilliant people in the world when it comes to this. I on the other hand cant possibly explain why some countries approve or disprove in a professional way, but suffice it to say, there is no global harmonized list of approved substances. A simple example, are you going to tell me that third world countries lists of approved substances (food Ingredients) should reign the day? The Europeans have materials they use that we don’t, and many that are visa versa. Another quickie, in china, bugs are commonly used as table fare, yet in the united states, they are considered filth. Sorry to dummy it down to that level. Conchinal extract (color) was derived from bugs. It’s a processed extract that is perfectly safe to consume, but the perception it got from blogs like this one was it was bad for you because it came from a bug. There are many plant extracts that are used for color and they get a pass? it’s lunacy.
I actually can’t believe their are people who are advocating keeping products that harm your body in the product? GOD DARN IT, READ…do your own research don’t just depend on foodbabes.com….the Europeans are one step ahead on this one. Its the same for vegetables and pesticides…it always taste better in Europe. No wonder there are so many unknown diseases in this side of the seaboard. I’m all for if you want to eat JUNK…and KILLER foods…but give those who don’t want to have it a choice!! You deserve to eat KILLER foods, and I deserve to eat HEALTHIER foods. This is America the land of equal opportunity isn’t it?
Can you get WAWA on the list too? I think a list with all the major culprits need to be formulated! Thank you for all that you do. @ Food Scientist, I really don’t care if JOE BLOW came up with the idea…or if it was a publicity stunt or not, the fact remains I want a better option in my food quality. Good for Food Babe if she captured a moment that everyone else wish they had. Hey if Jersey Shore – Pokie can get a reality show of her own…ANYONE is deserving of air time! And for such an important topic, I’m supportive! Kudo’s Food Babe.
Healthy eater by choice!
Checked labels on the Aunt Millie’s brand bread and also the SAVE-A-LOT brand breads, they ALL have this chemical in them!
Might want to get the bromine out of breads etc.
Very bad on the thyroid
Why was the change implemented, in your view, if industry believes the ingredients to be safe and public opinion holds no sway.?
Am happy for the proSpect of healthier more natural food, and have nothing but the most acute contempt for those poor souls who rant and snicker and whine about their right to eat dog feces, and blame is all on ms Vani s breasts.
However I fear the effort to be little more than NIMBY politics, and in the end it will be crushed by popular opinion and a little thing called reality: better quality food costs more.
The organic crusaders fail to remember that corporate agriculture, that additives and preservatives, and all their questionable cousins, have done more to curb acute famine than just about any other development. With all the horror and woe of the 99%, very very few starvation victim zombies wander through the streets of this fair land of ours and that lies squarely with mass processed food. Think about the poor bloke working 2 jobs for minimum wage, or the person at the food bank. None of these have the time or money for highly perishable, high maintenance food stuffs.
When companies like Subway eschew the use of preservatives, or other additives that make the food more palatable (to make up for the loss of vitality and micronutrient value) they will suffer a cost in revenue, and they will pass on the cost to the consumer. And, as someone here already noted, the primary consumer of all these foods are people for whom even a dollar increase is catastrophic. Mass unrest, and the death of the happy organic food movement must ensue.
The only way around this would be a large, intrusive government structure that subsidized “real food” and took better care of its poor. It is no surprise that this additive is banned in Europe, where a more socialist government presence is felt. But in this country, for some bizarre reason, people prefer starving, or being poisoned, than contemplate the prospects of a government structure that curtailed some of their chimeral, insubstantial ‘freedoms’. To each his own, I suppose.
But no ,I do not see this movement generally as a good, or useful thing. Cute, the way bourgeois housewives tend to be, but insubstantial and in the end, probably more harmful than not.
I sure do hope that you only eat what you grow yourself. Otherwise you’ll find your entire life to be one long, futile crusade.