Subway to test GF roll and brownie in TX

rpf1007 · Joined: 13 Feb 2008 Posts: 959 Location: Toronto, Canada

Definitely not surprising- but a recipe for disaster.
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Rachel

ostrich · Joined: 30 Mar 2006 Posts: 5404 Location: Nebraska

FWIW I don't expect the guy/gal working behind the counter to be much help. Most of the Subway workers around here are teenage kids. They could give a rat's behind about you and your food issues.

That being said, I agree with her. I wouldn't have gotten a sandwich either. Is there some way we can pester Subway about their "GF" sandwiches? This is a disaster waiting to happen to some GF newbie.
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aklap · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 12530 Location: WI, USA

I'd venture to guess they have a FB page. Or contacting corp. office.
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Al

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

Nor_TX · Joined: 21 Jan 2010 Posts: 35 Location: Dallas, Texas

Ok I stand corrected I went by Subway to pick up 2 gluten free brownies and had to stand in line behind 2 people who were both picking up more than one regular type of sub each. I watched two different servers while they were making the subs.

The same thing happened each time. They would slice the bun and flip open the bread to start filling it and crumbs flew into the meat and vegetable containers. I just stood there and watched as these crumbs sat on top of the fillings.

When it was my turn I just got the brownies because they come pre-packaged and totally safe - gluten free, dairy free and parve (no dairy at all). I had no problems with the brownies that night, but I believe if I had ordered a gf sub, I would have gotten the ham and tomatoes with little bread crumbs on them.

Sooo, I stand corrected about the feasability of adding Subway to my gluten free list of local places to eat. I would not get a sandwich, but I will still get the brownies, once in a while. They are 1.99 each but very tasty and even my husband likes them.

I bow in acquiescence to everyone who were doubtful Embarassed

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aklap · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 12530 Location: WI, USA

I don't think anyone is really happy that "we were right". I think people like it when restaurants succeed being able to provide safe meals. It gives us one more option for our social lives.

IMO, Subway hasn't thought this thing all the way thru. They only have 1/2 of the equation. I have to wonder if they consulted any members of the GF community about this before hand. I think most people on this board were of the same opinion on how this would shake out. After reading many of the comments on various Facebook pages and blogs...I had to shake my head in wonderment as to the number people that appeared not to be phased by the CC issues. Perhaps Subway spoke to a few of the "more liberal" GF'ers out there...

Rolling Eyes

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Al

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

Kathie · Joined: 27 Jan 2006 Posts: 1371 Location: Florida

It concerns me when a company goes off half baked like this. Because as a community we are not partaking in their experiment do they get that it's because of CC issues and not because there aren't enough people who want to eat gluten free in a Restaurant?

It kind of reminds me of Starbucks and the GF lemon cake fiasco. They sure didn't last long, but really it wasn't because it wasn't tasty that I wouldn't eat it, it was because it was terribly unhealthy, really high calories, fat and cholesterol, and because they never had any thawed and so you had to either eat it frozen (which was pretty good Wink

) or wait till it thawed out.

Another not well planned out idea that bit the dust. I would hate to think that these high profile failures give an impression that we are not a viable market to cater to.
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teacherpat · Joined: 02 Aug 2009 Posts: 462 Location: PDX

(off topic) I miss those things. I ate about 800 of those Starbucks cakes while I was at the Cleveland Clinic. Got to where they would see me coming and get a pile out of the freezer. Laughing

Home-Based-Mom · Joined: 12 Aug 2008 Posts: 697 Location: California

IMHO, the dropped crumbs are not the only problem. When the person making the sandwich handles the meat, veggies, and condiments with the same (gloved or not) hands that are handling the NFG bread, the entire containers of meat, veggies, and condiments have become contaminated.

Either Subway never did focus groups with the truly knowledgeable gluten sensitive, didn't believe or understand that yes they would have to be that careful, or thought they could get away with it.
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celiacmaine-iac · Joined: 19 Dec 2007 Posts: 2131 Location: Maine

A chart that shows the breakdown of people who purchase GF food products also shows the percentage of said people who strictly adhere to the GF diet (11%). This chart was created by Hartman Salt, who apparently study food trends. I'm sure the restaurant industry looks at things like this, and I can see how it would be easy to come to the conclusion that CC is not a huge issue, since (according to the chart) only 5% of people eat GF because of dx'd CD, and only 11% of all people who eat GF are strict about it. The thing that will jump out at you is that 61% of GF people are only serious about it 0-25% of the time. It would be easy for an uninformed person or company to infer from those stats that the super-strict GF people are being overly cautious.

So, with profit being the motive, it is not surprising that uninformed companies are jumping on the GF bandwagon with absolutely no idea what they are doing. Personally, if I eat out I much prefer a restaurant that has a GF menu because of close personal experience with CD and its challenges, i.e. a family or staff member with the disease. While there are exceptions to every rule, I have found that those restaurants are the ones that provide the safest meal that I can enjoy with confidence.
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aklap · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 12530 Location: WI, USA

Here's another review - one more favorable...

http://tastyeatsathome.wordpress.com/2011/03/06/gluten-free-at-subway/

I'm sure it'll be like any of the chains that have GF offerings - knowledge and execution varies between location.
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Al

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

celiacmaine-iac · Joined: 19 Dec 2007 Posts: 2131 Location: Maine

From what I could infer from that blog post there is still the issue of using toppings from shared bins. If hands (gloved or not) have handled wheat rolls, and then dipped into communal toppings at any point prior to making a GF sandwich, that "GF" sandwich is contaminated with gluten because the toppings are CC'd. It doesn't matter if someone handles your bread like they are "carrying a small infant." IMO, unless Subway finds a way to separate toppings for GF sandwiches there is no safe sandwich to be had there.
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Steph

aklap · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 12530 Location: WI, USA