Subway’s “Eat Fresh” motto may soon ring a little more sincere. The company announced last week that it will be removing azodicarbonamide, a chemical commonly used in yoga mats and other rubber products, from its bread. Subway uses the additive as a bread conditioner, to increase its elasticity, to whiten the dough, and allow for faster baking.
The decision by of the world’s biggest bread bakers (according to USA Today) came after a petition by food blogger Vani Hari asked the sandwich chain to remove the chemical from its bread; her petition received more than 58,000 signatures. Hari, who runs FoodBabe.com, noted that Subway doesn’t use azodicarbanmide in the UK, EU, or Australia, where it is already banned due to research that links the chemical to asthma and other respiratory issues.
My first thought when I heard the news was, “Oh, is that what makes Subway shops smell weird?” According to a Gothamist report, yes, “The Smell” is linked to azodicarbonamide. While Subway has always admitted that the scent comes from its bread (the company’s “Global Baking Technologist has said, “We are proud of the smell.”), it’s not yet clear if it’s azodicarbonamide or some other preservative, or Subway’s baking process that’s causing that awful, unnatural odor. This 2011 Chow article on “The Smell” talked to a retired food science professor, who believes the scent “might be the odor of fatty acids released from the vegetable oils in the bread as it bakes.” I guess we’ll just have to smell for ourselves once Subway starts rolling out its new breads. You won’t even have to eat there to find out; just stand by the door as its being opened and wait to see if that signature stank wafts out.
Image by JaBB via Flickr
