Subway Is Ditching Its Pre-Sliced Meat To Go Even Fresher

Starting in 1965, Subway has become a popular alternative to the greasy fried meal options that are so prominent in fast food chains around the world. With an emphasis on healthier living and boasting fresh ingredients and soft baked buns made in-house, Subway has grown to over 37,000 restaurants in over 100 countries, as per the chain's website. However, the sandwich chain is not without its controversies. In 2020, an Irish court deemed that the company's fresh-baked buns contain too much sugar to actually be considered bread, and in 2021 a class action lawsuit was filed calling out Subway's claims of "100% tuna" when purportedly no tuna DNA was discovered in Subway's tuna sandwiches advertised as such, according to Daily Mail.

Amidst the claims and controversies as well as seeking a sale of the company for upwards of $10 billion — according to Financial Post — Subway still strives to find ways to improve their process to offer their customers fresher options prepared by their very own sandwich artists. The most recent changes involve how the chain will be handling their sliced meats. With an array of choices from Italian salami, Black Forest ham, and turkey, these cuts have been among the mainstay ingredients for their signature 6-inch or foot-long sandwiches. Let's see what the major changes will be and how they may affect the company and more importantly, your next visit.

The unmistakable scent of baked bread is automatically alluring in a Subway restaurant, causing those taste buds to work overtime before you've glanced at the menu. These fresh baked goods are almost expected from a company that boasts a reenergized lifestyle with healthier alternatives. However, unlike a traditional deli or even supermarket sandwich counter, you won't find a meat slicer delicately shaving deliciously prepared meats on your regular Subway subs. Instead, the norm has been for employees — or sandwich artists — to slap on pre-sliced deli delights which may seem a little out of place with the rest of the illusion of freshly arranged items.

However, in an effort to revamp the image and keep up with the competition, Subway has announced that it intends to have all of its restaurants incorporate in-store meat slicers, and will begin with select locations starting in the summer of 2023, according to Restaurant Business. The machines will be made by Bizerba in Germany and will be designed to be automatic so that employees can just set the machine and let it do the work. This move aims to cut the added costs of having the meats pre-sliced before they reach each franchise which will save store owners money. Plus, there is room for more options of uncut meats which are more readily available. Each slicer will be front and center in full view of the consumer so the process can be witnessed.