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DNA tests show Subway sandwiches could contain just 50% chicken
- noobermin 10y agoBefore I had a heart attack, finding out the rest soy gave me a little more sanity. I'd hate to find out it was something more sinister. Not that false advertising isn't bad.
- jacquesc 10y agoAs someone who eats these fake chicken sandwiches occasionally, cant say I'm surprised. I always assumed these things were the equivalent of chicken hot dog patties or something. Don't know why people eat these things... oh ya -- it's the only food place open in SF SOMA late night.
- chrisseaton 10y ago> it's the only food place open in SF SOMA late night Wow that surprises me. I would have though SOMA would have been one of the best places in the world for people with disposable income leaving startups late and wanting to buy food on the way home.
- escot 10y agoThe SF food scene is falling apart and it's somewhat caused by tech workers eating all their meals at their office.
- trendia 10y ago"Eating their meals" Well, the ones who are still eating their food rather than drinking Soylent.
- tyre 10y agoSOMA has no culture—it's almost entirely apartment buildings and startup offices now. One reason is rents, another is that startups provide food/drinks in order to keep people at work. Not enough demand to create a healthy ecosystem.
- mahyarm 10y agoSOMA is the office district, with some apartment buildings added. The mission, china town and others is where there is more culture and such.
- et-al 10y ago> SOMA is the office district, with some apartment buildings added. Warehouse district is more accurate. And SoMa has shaped much of San Francisco culture. Maybe not the way we see it now, but without SoMa, many geeks and artists may not have settled here in the 90s. When you think of loft living in San Francisco, you think of SoMa. Dance parties? 1015, Mezzanine, Cat Club, DNA Lounge, etc. Spaces for who don't partake in vanilla sex? Folsom Street, Power Exchange, Wicked Grounds. And with all this, it's still surprising there's no seedy diner in SoMa for people to sober up in at 2am.
- wmil 10y agoWith SF rent I imagine it's more profitable to close up, remove the kitchen and tables, install cots, then rent to tech workers.
- Spooky23 10y agoThe gotcha is that you'd need to bus the workers in from Sacremento.
- mesh 10y agoThere are tons of places to eat, but not a ton of places to grab a quick bite.
- Apocryphon 10y agoDespite its status as a booming economic center, S.F. still strangely does not have a lot of businesses open late at night.
- mattmanser 10y agoIs it not reasonable to think that if someone says it's a chicken sandwich, that'd be a chicken sandwich?
- wmil 10y agoThe 'chicken' in most microwave dinners is chicken loaf with textured vegetable protein. Basically what Subway is serving. But it's specified in the ingredients. It seems like a vendor is scamming Subway here.
- marklyon 10y agoDNA Pizza. JWZ needs your lucre.
- jacquesc 10y agoSubway is the unfortunate choice for when I'm drunk enough to eat, but not too drunk enough to not care about how fat I get. DNA pizza is for the rest of the time.
- TheCoreh 10y ago> The majority of the remaining DNA? Soy. The headline got me sorta terrified, imagining what sort of repugnant, monstrous creature was being grinded and mixed into my Subway sandwich. Good to know at least it's just soy.
- oxide 10y agoAt least it isn't sawdust.
- whyenot 10y agoApparently dairy cows are perfectly happy and healthy eating a diet that is mostly sawdust. At least, that's what I learned when I took a course on ruminant nutrition and digestion when I was a graduate student at UC Davis.
- blackguardx 10y agoThat makes some sense. Cows should be able to live on anything that is mostly cellulose. Whether they are "happy" about it is another question.
- skissane 10y agoInteresting article I just found: http://www.thegazette.com/2013/02/25/northeast-iowa-cattle-herd-thriving-on-sawdust-based-feed http://www.thegazette.com/2013/02/25/northeast-iowa-cattle-h... Apparently, cattle digest cellulose fine, but the lignin in the wood interferes with their cellulose digestion. Treating the sawdust with nitric acid and heat breaks the cellulose-lignin bond and makes it more digestible. (Due to onerous government regulation of nitric acid, the farmer in question went on to develop an alternative method of sawdust processing which doesn't use it, but the article doesn't provide any details on that.)
- sporkologist 10y agoOr melamine.
- ilamont 10y ago
- minaguib 10y agoWhat exactly are people expecting when they order these things ? Are they unable to tell the texture is plasticky and highly processed, unlike normal "stringy" chicken meat you prepare at home ?
- wodenokoto 10y agothey expect what the label says. And you can process chicken and still have 100% chicken.
- RobertDeNiro 10y agoThen what's the point of processing it?
- toomuchtodo 10y agoHaving it be entirely chicken. Google how they make chicken nuggets for McDonald's.
- maxerickson 10y agoDoesn't seem that bad: http://www.businessinsider.com/how-chicken-mcnuggets-are-made-2016-5/#check-out-the-full-video-below-23 http://www.businessinsider.com/how-chicken-mcnuggets-are-mad... The "chicken skin for flavoring" part isn't especially appealing, but chicken skin is fat+protein, just like the rest of the nuggets.
- CydeWeys 10y agoSo long as you're eating chicken, adding in the skin isn't too unreasonable. You eat the skin with chicken wings and fried chicken anyway. And it's not like they're using chicken skins in vegan foods, where you otherwise wouldn't expect the involvement of chicken.
- wodenokoto 10y ago
- TamDenholm 10y agoi'm certainly not surprised, i dont have an issue with them putting soy in the chicken, the only issue i have is them advertising as just "chicken", if they instead advertised it as chicken + soy, then i'd be totally fine with it.
- pkaye 10y agoAck just a few months back I started getting IBS symptoms and figured out I'm intolerant to soy, dairy and some spicy stuff. I end up having make a lot of stuff myself because I can't trust what is made in restaurants.
- cheetos 10y agoI'm having similar issues. How did you figure it out? Is there a test, or just elimination?
- pkaye 10y agoSadly elimination is the only way. I started having bowel issues and my kidney health started plummeting (I have kidney problems due to autoimmune condition but that is another story.) so I eliminated everything but the basic stuff from my diet till my bowel movements are normal. Next I added things one by one and waited a few days to see if any change. It is tricky because sometimes there is a lag from when you take something to when the effects are felt. The funny thing is an year ago I didn't have sensitivity to any of these items. I've also paid hundreds of dollars for various tests to see if I can identify these intolerances but none are any good.
- tyteen4a03 10y agoIn the UK, the chickens contain 84% chicken wth starch fillers: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/subway-employee-reveals-sandwiches-you-8739588 http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/subway-employee-reve...
- WheelsAtLarge 10y agoSubway has become the supplier of subs at the lowest cost. What this means is that bean counters dictate what the subs contain. It's never top line products and they add fillers where ever they can without killing the flavor 100%. It's not a surprise that they use soy. It's just unfortunate that they have to get to this point. I don't know if it's universal but my local subway has reduced the diameter of the bread rolls. Yes, they are 12 inches in length but they are smaller over all. Another cost cutting step that will eventually hurt them.
- salesguy222 10y agoIt's not unfortunate when you think of all the chickens that are needlessly slaughtered to appeal to people's unhealthy dietary laziness ^.^
- WillPostForFood 10y agoThey'd have to kill twice as many if it was 100% chicken.
- salesguy222 10y agoWhich is why it is fortunate that they use soy :) personally i wish it was 0% chicken of course
- maxerickson 10y agoIf you are gonna complain, you should complain that they are needlessly hatched, caged and slaughtered. If we weren't eating them, we'd also stop growing them.
- andai 10y agoI feel like you have a point in there somewhere. Would you like to share it?
- 10y ago
- Drumlin 10y agoI've only been to a Subway outlet once and was amazed by how much of it was processed meat - a relative said the same recently. Go into a good independent sandwich shop and all the meat will be unprocessed (except where expected) and you get more options like unusual cheeses. Subway has taken what was already a fast food (the sandwich) and made it even more generic.
- WillPostForFood 10y agoIn a good independent sandwich shop, you'll get a much better sandwich, with higher quality bread, and meat, but the meat is still going to be processed. Salami, ham, prosciutto, bacon, mortadella, pastrami, sausage, are all processed meats by definition. Most chicken and turkey will be processed/cured/flavored as well. You might occasionally find a sandwich shop that has a whole roast turkey or pig they'll slice, but it is uncommon.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- CydeWeys 10y agoI'm not going to get a processed chicken breast sandwich at a local shop, but apparently that's all that Subway sells.
- WillPostForFood 10y agoI guarantee you there are at least some processed chicken options at a local shop. Even an upscale one might have something like Boar's Head maple glazed. http://boarshead.com/products/chicken http://boarshead.com/products/chicken
- Drumlin 10y agoWhen I say 'processed', I mean meat like ham or beef - stuff that I would expect to be real meat, but instead it's sliced from what I guess you could call a mold of reformed scraps. I have no real problem with it but it struck me as unusual given how much sandwich shops charge for their food.
- Preemo 10y agoI'm amazed so many people are fine with the other ingredient being soy; I could go on for hours as to why that's among the worst things to be substituted with. -95% of soy in the US is GMO, lacking any genetic variance and little make-up of microorganisms (good bacteria.) -It's also a horrible source of fats, and more in particular the omega-6 to 3 ratio is incredibly hostile to basic function on the cellular level. There's also next to zero amino acids. (Think cancer risk, immune diseases, hormone disruption.) -It's basically a carbohydrate. Considering a significant number of most of these soy-containing foods are carbs to begin with, it's just another contributor to our diabetes/obesity, cancer and most importantly, MENTAL HEALTH health epidemics. (Mental health pertaining too the poorly balanced diets, poor fats and lack of good gut microflora.) It's alright to look at these foods as an once-in-a-while treat, but when you consider that nearly every processed food item is 'enhanced' with soy to make it cheaper and still some-what satiating is a concerning thought to just have these every so often. Rice's from Uncle Ben's, Kraft peanut butter, margerines and nearly all processed meats and cheeses contain significant amounts of soy("Vegetable Oils." This is the current state of food created by the lobbyist-run FDA and various companies like Monsanto controlling the market for their own greed under the excuse of 'feeding the growing population.'
- andrewprock 10y agoWhat would your preferred chicken substitute be? None of the bullets you list seems like a credible reason to not use soy. GMOs are perfectly healthy, as are carbohydrates. Lacking fat isn't a big deal either. I suppose you might suggest there are healthier alternatives, but chief among those alternatives would be to not eat at a fast food joint.
- WillPostForFood 10y agoI agree with you about GMO, however a better substitute for soy would be more chicken. Also, lacking fat is a big deal when it is substituted for carbs, and you are on a low carb high fat diet.
- arrogantrobot 10y agoWhat are you implying about the GMO nature of soy? Does that make it worse than non-GMO soy? Also, what do you mean "lacking any genetic variance"?
- elchief 10y agoWell at least they got rid of the yoga-mat compound azodicarbonamide in the bread
- anonemouse145 10y agoThey also use the industrial solvent h2o!
- isaac_is_goat 10y agoSubway chicken is absolute garbage. When my Gardein Vegan mock-chicken (made of mostly soy, no less!) tastes better than their "actual chicken", there's a problem.
- dopeboy 10y agoI've stopped buying their chicken. Now I know why. Instead, I'll buy a veggie sandwich and bake a chicken breast myself.
- sersi 10y agoJust an anecdote. I used to love chicken as a kid but lived in the countryside and my parents used to buy free range chicken at the next door farmer. I then came to the US to study 10 years ago, ate a chicken sandwich in a subway, got sick and since then I can't eat any kind of chicken without being disgusted. So, yes, it doesn't surprise me.
- musesum 10y agoWould rather have my chicken vat grown. Will try any cloned meat up to by not including "Wendy Meat" (as per Rudy Rucker's novel Freeware)
- jhwhite 10y agoWhen I do go to Subway I get the roasted chicken sandwich. Doubt I'll be doing that anymore. I wish they had tested Chick-Fil-A.
- smsm42 10y agoWell, soy is not the worst it could be. If it doesn't affect the taste too much, I wouldn't actually mind it. OTOH, I've eaten in some vegetarian places which make faux chicken, faux beef, faux shrimp etc. which taste pretty much like (at least some variations of) the real thing. As a meat lover, I was surprised how close they are to the real thing, I now believe with some effort at least most of the common meat usage can be substituted away. Of course, there's still a difference - they are not as good as a real quality juicy steak - but they are closer than I thought they could be. Another thing - I'm not sure I understand what "50 percent chicken DNA" means. It can't be literally DNA - specifically DNA is a minuscule percentage of the overall cell mass. Do they mean of all DNA samples 50% are chicken DNA and another 50% is other DNA? That'd ignore all ingredients that don't have DNA at all. Or do they mean 50% of the whole piece is chicken cells which are identified by their DNA, and another 50% of the mass is something else? I'd very much like to know what exactly they tested and how.
- stagbeetle 10y ago> soy is not the worst it could be If you're only eating one chicken sandwich. However, if consumers turn a blind eye to this, it sets an unhealthy precedent. As a large consumption of soy has been associated with decreased testosterone. If more and more business start toeing the regulation lines and only putting in as much real meat as legally needed, filling the rest in with soy, it might start an epidemic.
- smsm42 10y ago> large consumption of soy has been associated with decreased testosterone. From what I was reading, some studies did find it, but these studies used massive amounts of soy not likely to be encountered in every day diet. And also there's this: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0015028209009662 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0015028209... Clinical studies show no effects of soy protein or isoflavones on reproductive hormones in men: results of a meta-analysis So I would say talking about epidemic is premature.
- xexers 10y agoYou should be more concerned about dairy: http://www.livestrong.com/article/554285-does-milk-raise-estrogen-in-men/ http://www.livestrong.com/article/554285-does-milk-raise-est...
- ashildr 10y ago> only about half chicken DNA. Maybe I'm a little dense here, but that reads very strange to me and does not seem to make any sense. A burger made of 50g chicken and 50g poly styrene would still contain 100% chicken DNA. How much DNA (in what metrics?) does a gram of chicken contain compared to a gram of soy?
- bootloop 10y agoThis is a strange question. A plant is made out of cells containing DNA, an animal is made out of cells containing a different DNA. Polystyrene isn't made out of cells so it does not contain any DNA. So basically of all cells found it was 50% soy, 50% chicken.
- LoonyBalloony 10y agoReminds me when Taco bell had to call their meat "b33f" until they added more meat to their meat.
- mrfusion 10y agoThink about it. If this tastes ok it might be a really easy way for everyone to become 50% vegetarian with no effort.
- hueving 10y agoImplying that meat eaters eat a diet composed 100% of meat.
- tomcam 10y agoThis is actually excellent news. If you're vegan, just eat half the sandwich and you're still OK!
- ChuckMcM 10y agoIts interesting that corporate had a different notion. So perhaps down on the line somewhere, someone is mixing in big bags of tofu into the chicken parts grinder and boosting their profit by selling it as 100% chicken. At least one of the Parmesan/sawdust suppliers was the culprit (that and lax oversight by the buyer). Always a challenge when the fitness test becomes 'cost' rather than 'quality' how many things can be snuck in there.
- andrewclunn 10y agoWhy would you mislead me Jared? I trusted you!
- Coincoin 10y agoDoes 50% chicken DNA means it's proportionally made of 50% chicken? I would be very surprised if DNA concentration was in any way proportional to actual volume or weight concentration, especially if you compare plant DNA to animal DNA.
- Noumenon72 10y agoMost plants have duplicated sets of chromosomes. Wheat has five times as many genes as humans, for example. Also, meat is made of striated muscle cells and those are huge. Though they are multinucleated so I don't know which ends up being more dense in DNA.
- horsecaptin 10y agoReminds me of Chris Porter's routine about Taco Bell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuBGPylPVIU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuBGPylPVIU
- kevin2r 10y agoAnd you need a DNA test to know this, just by how it looks isn't comparable with a real piece of chicken meat.
- shmerl 10y agoThe title reminds me the scene in Demolition Man.
- Proven 10y agoIt was over 50%, so technically still chicken (considering no one does 100%)
- WildUtah 10y agoRecipe inspired by Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Lots of hinting that fast food demons were eating people, but the eldritch secret of the Doublemeat Palace episode (2001) was that the Doublemeat Medley sandwich contained no meat whatsoever.
- _Codemonkeyism 10y agoOne is reminded of the "The Wing or the Thigh" scene in the food factory.
- averagewall 10y ago50% of the DNA is soy doesn't mean 50% of the mass of food is soy or 50% of the volume is soy. It could be that the DNA is the major part of the soy that's included while the chicken has all sorts of non-DNA components like the rest of the cells and fat. This story is quite inconclusive and that result could mean anything.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- ArtDev 10y agoWhen I used to eat at Subway, I liked that the meat was mostly soy. It is very obvious. But then I got bad food poisoning at a Subway, and the weird Subway "bread" smell makes me gag still to this day.