Fact Check

Did Subway Remove Pork Products from Their Menu?

Halal stores are clearly identified by signs throughout, including on the menu panels and in the front windows.

Published May 2, 2014

SUBWAY(R) Restaurant Chain to Open 2,000 North American Locations in 2011 - source SUBWAY Restaurants.  (PRNewsFoto/SUBWAY Restaurants) (PRNewsFoto/SUBWAY Restaurants)
SUBWAY(R) Restaurant Chain to Open 2,000 North American Locations in 2011 - source SUBWAY Restaurants. (PRNewsFoto/SUBWAY Restaurants)
Claim:
The Subway sandwich chain has stopped serving ham and bacon due to pressure from Muslims.
What's True

Some Subway restaurants tailor to local religious and cultural customs and do not serve pork products.

What's False

All restaurants in the Subway sandwich chain have not stopped serving pork products.

Founded in Connecticut in 1965, the Subway sandwich chain has expanded to more than 41,000 locations in over 100 countries. Since 2007, Subway's corporate policy has been to permit menu item substitutions in areas where the local customer base follows dietary restrictions. In India, many franchises substitute lamb and chicken items for beef and pork throughout their menus, and some do not sell any meat products at all. In the United States, Subway has several kosher franchises that do not carry pork products or serve dairy with meat.

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, fewer than 200 out of 1,500 Subway sandwich franchises conform to Muslim dietary restrictions -- their meat suppliers are certified halal, and no pork products are used. Instead, those locations offer turkey products to substitute for ham and bacon:

Due to the growing popularity of the SUBWAY® chain, with the diverse multicultural population across the UK and Ireland, we put a programme in place in 2007 to ensure that the population demographic is taken into account when new store openings are considered in order that we meet consumer demand in each location.

All our suppliers comply with EU animal welfare legislation as a minimum and we require suppliers of Halal products to adopt the stunning of animals prior to their slaughter. All Halal meats are certified by the appropriate Halal authorities.

All Halal SUBWAY® stores have numerous signs stating that they serve Halal food. These are situated on the menu panels, nutritional information and in the front window of the store. Details about the locations of Halal stores can be found on the store finder at www.subway.com

Halal stores are clearly identified by signs throughout, including on the menu panels and in the front windows. There are currently no halal Subway franchises in the United States.

Sources

Fishkoff, Sue.   "Eat Fresh, Eat Kosher: Subway the Largest U.S. Kosher Restaurant Chain."     Jewish Telegraphic Agency.   5 August 2009.

Poulter, Sean.   "Subway Removes Ham & Bacon from Nearly 200 Stores and Offers Halal Meat Only After 'Strong Demand' from Muslims."     Daily Mail.   30 April 2014.

Unnithan, Chitra.   "US Food Giants Turn Vegetarian in Gujarat."     The Times of India.   6 March 2013.

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