If you thought you were indulging in a healthy chicken sandwich at Subway, you might want to reconsider your order. It seems that when you ask for chicken, you might just be getting a mix of chicken and… soy?
Matt Jenkins, a researcher at Trent University in Ontario, Canada, took it upon himself to investigate the chicken content in various fast food sandwiches, including those from Subway, McDonald’s, and Chipotle. This exploration was part of a segment for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s show “Marketplace,” where they literally tested the DNA of the chicken. Talk about forensic food science!
In a standard piece of raw chicken from the grocery store, you’d expect to see 100% chicken DNA. Not too much to ask, right? However, once that chicken goes through cooking or processing, the percentage usually drops. For instance, the DNA analysis revealed that McDonald’s Country Chicken sandwich boasted 84.9% chicken DNA, while Wendy’s Grilled Chicken sandwich came in at 88.5%. But Subway’s results were far less impressive. Their Oven Roasted Chicken sandwich had only 53.6% chicken DNA, and their chicken strips? A mere 42.8%. The rest? Soy.
These astonishing findings prompted Jenkins’ lab to conduct further tests on additional sandwiches and the results remained consistent—around 50% chicken DNA in the Oven Roasted Chicken and about 40% in the strips. We’re not food critics here, but we do expect when we order chicken, it should be, well, mostly chicken. And if it’s not, we at least hope it comes from the good parts!
Now, before you start throwing your sandwiches in the trash, it’s worth noting that this report hasn’t been peer-reviewed or published in a scientific journal, according to the Washington Post. Subway has firmly denied the findings, claiming, “Our chicken strips and oven roasted chicken contain 1% or less of soy protein. All of our chicken items are made from 100% white meat chicken.” They even insisted on a retraction of the CBC’s claims. So, who do you believe?
Regardless of who’s right, this kind of study raises eyebrows about what we’re really consuming. It makes you wonder what else is lurking in our food. I mean, should we start side-eyeing our carrots too? For now, this unproven yet concerning information might just steer us toward those meatless fast food options. But if we discover that the veggies in the Veggie Delight are only half vegetables, we may need to rethink our entire approach to fast food!
Summary:
A study revealed that Subway’s chicken sandwiches might contain significantly less chicken DNA than expected, with a mix of soy. While Subway denies the claims, the findings raise concerns about food transparency. For those interested in home insemination, you can check out more about the process at this link. Additionally, for a comprehensive guide on the subject, visit here. You can also find great insights on the topic of artificial insemination here.