Ch. 11 - Developing and Managing Products

Subway Deveoloping Two New Gluten-Free Menu Items: Bread and Brownie

        Subway is testing two new gluten-free menu items. The fast food chain will conduct the trial starting at stores in Dallas and Tyler, Tex. The baked goods will arrive pre-packaged and individually wrapped, and workers will be trained on how to cut them using a pre-wrapped knife to avoid cross contamination.
On the surface, this could be good news for people with celiac disease and gluten intolerance, since options for gluten-free meals in fast food restaurants, while growing, are still pretty limited.
But it also could be a nightmare of cross contamination --I used to eat in Subway frequently pre-diagnosis, and all the sandwich ingredients, plus the preparation area, usually were covered in bread crumbs.
I honestly don't see how they could make a safe gluten-free sandwich at Subway without getting all fresh ingredients from the back. But I applaud them for trying, and I truly hope they come up with a way to handle it that will work.

How does the SUBWAY® brand ensure food safety in its restaurants?

        All SUBWAY® restaurants follow our “Gold Standard” policies regarding prepared food and produce manufacturing and inspection specifications. All franchises are provided with information on proper food handling procedures in order to properly train their crew members.
Food is prepared fresh daily and temperatures are monitored regularly. Gloves are required to be worn during all food handling procedures.

 

        Also, the American Heart Association’s (AHA) heart-check mark that has been on grocery-store products for 17 years is now extending to the restaurant industry, with a certain sandwich chain paving the way. Last year, Subway became the first restaurant chain to participate in the AHA’s Heart-Check Meal Certification program, a two-year pilot program in which menu items that meet the required nutritional criteria can display the AHA’s Heart-Check mark.