Safety First

Until Subway starts enacting some food care changes, readers, it's up to us to keep our food clean and safe. I've thrown in a lot of tips for Subway customers with food allergies throughout this blog, but for the purpose of convenience, I've compiled a list. (Keep in mind that these tips aren't just for those with allergies; you can follow these tips if you just want a clean sandwich, too.)

• Be explicit about your food allergy; tell the workers what you're allergic to. Be clear.
• Ask the worker to wash the knife or get you a clean one. Rinsing the knife in cool water isn't enough; make sure they wash it with warm water and soap.
• Make sure the worker is wearing clean gloves. Ask to see them put the clean pair on.
• If your sandwich hangs off of the edge of the prep paper, make sure they clean the counter before preparing your sandwich.
• Check the food bins for bits of food that don't belong there. If something you're allergic to has dropped into another bin, avoid that ingredient or ask them to open a new package of it.
• And, finally, don't be afraid to be insistent. True, you might annoy the Subway worker a little bit. But avoiding a potentially fatal reaction is worth looking like a finicky customer.

As Lisa Cipriano Collins writes in her book, Caring for Your Child With Severe Food Allergies, "When considering which foods to eliminate based on the chance of cross-contamination, you will need to reactivate your common sense and use it constantly."

Collins provides the following list of allergic reaction symptoms:

"Feeling of anxiety or dread
Redness of skin and/or hives
Warmth and swelling of skin
Itching and/or swelling of lips, throat, and tongue
Itchy eyes, coughing, sneezing, hoarseness
Wheezing
Chest and throat tightness
Nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea
Shortness of breath
Increased heart rate
Loss of consciousness due to rapid and severe drop in blood pressure"

Hives






If you start to experience these symptoms, use your EpiPen (if you have one on-hand) and seek medical attention immediately.

May I Please Speak to the Manager?

With all of this talk about changes Subway needs to make, it occurred to me that I needed to do more than jabber on into the blogosphere and hope that someone would hear me. So I took the liberty of calling the three stores I noted as the three I visit most frequently, in the hopes that I could talk to the managers and get some insight into their own food sanitation procedures.

So I called the Irvine store, explained that I was a student doing a school project on Subway, and asked if I could chat with the manager for a few minutes about what kinds of food safety precautions Subway takes to avoid allergy attacks. The manager informed me that she was much, much too busy to talk to me--even for a few minutes-- until Saturday, which is conveniently after my project is due.

I called the Orange store and used the same explanation. The manager asked me to hold on for a moment and promptly disconnected the phone call.

So I called the Mission Viejo store, and explained that I was calling because my friend Mike has severe food allergies and I was concerned about bringing him there because of cross-contamination. Our conversation was brief-- this was during the lunch rush and she was eager to get off of the phone-- but here's an excerpt of what was said:

Me: "He's just really concerned because he says you guys don't clean your knives, it makes him afraid to eat there."
Manager: "No, we clean them."
Me: "In between each order?"
Manager: "No, we clean every two-- I don't know. We clean them."
Me: "If we came in, would you be able to wash the knife or get a new one for him?"
Manager: "Yeah, we could. If he asked then we would."
Me: "What about the gloves?"
Manager: "Yeah, everything. We could clean the knives and counters and get clean gloves for him. When are you coming in? Tomorrow? We'll do it for him."

The bottom line, bloggers? It's up to us to keep Subway accountable for their food handling practices. When I asked the manager if she could clean the knives between each order, she reiterated that she would if the customer asked. The managers don't seem to think cleanliness is a problem, but they're willing to accomodate those who do. Hopefully this blog-- which I intend to mail the link to to all three managers-- will convince them to step up their food safety procedures. But in the meantime, speak up; it seems to be the only way to help prevent a reaction.

Want a clean one of these? Looks like you'll have to speak up.

Are these people serious?

Throughout the course of this blog, I've talked a great deal about the need for Subway to be safe for those with severe food allergies. I mentioned briefly in my first post that I personally don't have food allergies severe enough to kill me; I'm very lucky that way. But there are people that do, and I sympathize with them. It's hard enough for me to cope with not eating dairy; I can't imagine what it would be like to live in fear every time you eat somewhere. Plus, allergies aside, unclean utensils and gloves are just plain gross.

But as much as I've talked about the need for Subway to be safe, and as much as I've mentioned other internet users with similar opinions, I have yet to talk about those opposed to Subway upping its food safety precautions. The reason why? Until today, I didn't even think that there was opposition. Who would be adverse to clean food?


Apparently, there are people out there on Facebook who are. In December of 2008, a Facebook user named Ben created a discussion thread on the Subway Facebook group called, "Okay, Subway! ENOUGH WITH THE KNIFE!" (http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=11918208594&topic=5951)


He started the thread by discussing pretty much the same things I've been saying throughout this post. There were 128 responses, including the following.

"i disagree. the food they cut through with the knife is going to be clean. and if people have allergies then too bad. the knife isn't going to spontaneously generate food that it's touched in the past. and if there that bad of allergies they shouldn't be in there around the food in the first place. And also using the knife helps things move faster and get ur food quicker and yum"

"i agree with Miranda. I work at a Subway in a relative small town, and there is no way to clean the damn knife in between each sub. You get back behind the counter and try to make 60 subs in decent time , with three people working. I can guarantee you wouldnt be able to do it. If you think the knife is dirty that dirty then you should prolly not eat ne other fast food. If you think the chicken u eat at KFC, MCD's, etc. hasnt been on the ground, touched by nastiness, etc. before the fryer, then you are very naive. Stop being a germaphobe and eat your five dollar sandwich"

"My store reciently broke the record for sales in a week by a store with + $100,000 :). If we had to change our gloves aftersandwich we would throw out roughly 10000 gloves a week thats 520000 gloves a year for just making sandwhichs not including making bread and all the other food. We would easily throw out 1000000 gloves a year and thats just my store, How many subways are there in the world??? MILLIONS!!!! So you are complaining about some gloves???"

"GERMAFOBES"


All I can say is... are these people serious? People with allergies should be careful when eating out, yes. But to ask those who suffer from allergies to refrain from eating at a national food franchise so the employees don't have to spend a few moments washing off a utensil is ridiculous. And while a knife won't "spontaneously generate" the food it has touched, it will have residue from whatever it touched on it. For some people, that's enough to kill them.

And as for the comment about the gloves, I ask: is someone's health-- or even their life-- not worth the cost of another pair of plastic gloves? Is keeping food clean really not worth a few extra cents per sandwich?

As customers, we're paying for food. Shouldn't it at least be clean?

A fresh pair is all it takes.

Michael

A friend of mine, Michael, suffers from severe food allergies. He is allergic to both dairy and soy, and has been hospitalized for near-fatal reactions three times in his life. When I mentioned the topic of my blog, he told me that he, too, had had an allergic reaction to a Subway sandwich. He agreed to share his story with me here.

Michael; let's pretend he's excited about our interview.

Q:So, when was this?
A: About a year ago, I'd say. My dad and I went to a Subway in Rancho Santa Margarita [where we live] to pick up dinner for the family.

Q: Did you order anything that could have given you a reaction?
A: No. I got a wrap, basically plain with meat. But my father ordered his sandwich before I did, and he got cheese and mayonnaise on his. I didn't pay attention to which utensils they used when they made my wrap. Maybe I should have, but I just figured they'd use a clean knife. It seems like pretty standard practice to use clean utensils.

Q: Then what happened?
A: We got home and I ate my wrap. After I was done, my gums started to go numb. That's one of my warning signs that I've eaten something I'm allergic to. After that my tongue started to go numb, which is usually warning sign #2. Sign #3 is when my throat starts to close up, and I obviously didn't want to get to that point, so I took an antihistamine and grabbed my EpiPen just in case it got any worse.

Q: Did it?
A: No, thank God. The antihistamine was enough to stop it. It wasn't until after my symptoms went away that I realized they had used the same knife to cut my sandwich as they had used on my father's. It made me pretty upset. I mean, how hard is it to grab a new knife?

Q: How do you feel about Subway now?
A: I still think it's delicious, but now I try to find other restaurants I can eat at if they're nearby. If I do go to Subway, I have to be really insistent that the employees use clean knives and gloves and stuff to make my sandwich. But again, I'm really hesitant to eat there. It's just not worth the worry.

Gluten Problems

Think this is safe? Think Again.

Today I stumbled across a "Celiac Disease and Gluten-Free" discussion forum, and the users brought up an aspect of cross-contamination I hadn't considered before: people with severe gluten problems are at risk of an allergic reaction as well. Even if the customer tries to steer clear of bread, ordering a sandwich instead, there's still a pretty good chance that some bread crumbs will fall into the salad, or that the knife or gloves used during preparation have touched bread. One user, RiceAddict, writes:

"There are only 2 fast food chains in my small town, McDonalds and Subway. Only a couple days after I was diagnosed I decided to try a salad at Subway. Not knowing then what I know now about cross-contamination I thought I was fine. In reality, they mixed the salad and chopped the veggies on the same surface used to prepare subs. They also used the same knife. I don't recall if the server changed plastic gloves or not, I'm doubting it. Now that I know more about what I am doing I don't go near there. Maybe tunafish or other locations have more gluten-free safe preparation, but I have to agree with others that it probably isn't the best choice for lunch."

Another user agreed, writing, "One of the things that was hardest to let go of was Subway salads. I loved them so much. Way too many bread crumbs everywhere though. I went in with new eyes and gave a good look at the preparation area, and after watching them make a couple sandwiches and watching how stuff just got flung everywhere I walked out, and haven't been back in a subway since." (http://www.celiac.com/gluten-free/lofiversion/index.php/t28697.html)


Several forum posters mentioned that they no longer eat at Subway because of this risk. That's right, managers: you're LOSING money because your employees won't watch out for stray bread crumbs.

Would You Like Pepto With That?

I was perusing the internet the other day, and I came across this account from a Subway customer.

"I called in an order: 2 BLT sandwiches no cheese on either add onions to one. When I got it home, I had 2 BACON sandwiches, no lettuce or tomato on either. When I called them to tell them, the said to "BRING IT BACK" and they will "fix it." Fine. It was brought back, and it was fixed, on your counter top...We have had a stomach bug running through our house for the last week, and by me returning the sandwich, having it placed on your countertop to be "fixed", Lord only knows who else is going to get sick from our contamination. Your employees have no sense of sanitary procedures." (http://www.planetfeedback.com/subway+(sandwich+shops)/employees/disgusting+experience+at+subway/313429)

Now, I know the customer should have told the Subway employees that they had a stomach bug. But when a customer returns a sandwich, it's obvious they've already handled it, so there's going to be bacteria on it regardless. How hard is it to wipe down the counter with some disinfectant? It would only have taken the employee a minute or two; who knows how many people got sick because that employee didn't take that minute.

Subway's New Side Order?

And the list goes on...

Today I probed a little deeper into the blogosphere to look for other potential contamination problems. What I found disgusted me.

• In August 2008, Subway stores in the UK and Ireland were responsible for a salmonella outbreak that killed one person and made 120 others sick. (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1043031/Sandwich-chain-Subway-linked-deadly-salmonella-outbreak.html)
• In July 2009, a Miami Beach Subway was cited for multiple health care violations including toxic items being improperly used, labeled or stored, unclean surfaces and utensils, poor food protection (as during storage or preparation,) and improper thawing of potentially hazardous food. There was no follow-up action to ensure that these problems had been fixed. (http://miami.everyblock.com/restaurant-inspections/by-date/2009/7/28/225097/)
• One user on a consumer feedback site, who is a vegetarian, reported in 2008 that he/she has had repeated problems with Subway employees not washing knives properly in between orders so that no meat remnants make it into her sandwich. (http://www.my3cents.com/showReview.cgi?id=45933)
  
• And, finally, the Irvine location-- the one where the employee didn't wash her knife properly for my order, the one one which sparked this whole blog-- was written up in April of 2007 for a cockroach infestation. That's right, cockroaches. All over my local Subway. (http://articles.latimes.com/2007/apr/01/local/me-ocfoodclosed1)

I realize that not all of these examples come from one of the three locations I'm concerned with. But if it can happen at one Subway, it can happen at any of them. Let's not wait for an Orange County-based salmonella outbreak to start taking this seriously.

Dorian Havers

A few days ago, I decided that the Vonder Meulens and I can't be the only ones who have come across cross-contamination in Subway's food. So I poked around on the internet a bit, and I came across a page on examiner.com written by Dorian Havers, a woman with severe food allergies who suffered an allergic reaction after eating subway.

Dorian Havers

She lists some of the potential hazards associated with Subway, as well as a few tips I haven't yet listed to help avoid a reaction. The full page can be found at:

http://www.examiner.com/x-636-Providence-Food-Allergy-Examiner~y2008m8d29-Subway-Youll-need-to-be-extra-careful-if-you-want-to-eat-fresh

I've taken the liberty of posting her list of potential hazards here...

• "All the foods are in open bins and any food could potentially drop into another bin."
• "Workers wear gloves while making sandwiches, but do not change them between orders. This is probably how I got sick."
• "The knives used to slice the sandwiches are not cleaned in-between sandwiches."
• "Breads containing cheese are baked with other breads. This is not a likely contaminant, but worth a mention."

She also mentions that, in addition to asking workers to change their gloves in between each order, customers with food allergies should ask workers to refrain from cutting their sandwich. Also, Havers mentions that customers should check Subway's nutritional info online.

Consequences

Emily Vonder Meulen

In my last post, I mentioned that cross-contamination from a Subway sandwich was already responsible for the death of a young girl, Emily Vonder Meulen. Emily suffered from a severe peanut allergy. In 2006, her mother took her shopping and bought her a Subway lunch at the mall's food court. Emily's sandwich, which her mother says she'd eaten "a hundred times before," had somehow gotten a few crumbs of a peanut butter cookie in it; the thirteen-year-old was dead less than 20 minutes later.

Her parents made an appearance on the Today Show to tell their story:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

This instance is completely unacceptable; it should never have happened. If the Subway employee had taken a few simple precautionary measures, like changing his or her gloves or preparing the sandwich farther away from the cookies, this girl would still be alive.

Children's Hospital Allergy Director Dr. Assa'ad told Cincinnati's WCPO (channel 9) just that."We feel the food handling practices are such that cross contamination is not considered," he said.

Subway managers, it's time for you to start considering them. Don't wait until this happens at your store to start making changes. Talk to your employees. Make them wash their knives and change their gloves. Better still-- print this allergy chart out and display it prominently in your store:

http://www.subway.com/subwayroot/MenuNutrition/Nutrition/pdf/AllergenChart.pdf

Keep potential allergens away from other food, watch for ingredients dropping into other food bins, and just be careful.


In other words: step it up, Subway!

The Reason We're Here

Dear Ezmerelda Ojeda, Pedro Gutierrez, and Chadra Guda,

Subway sandwiches are one of my favorite types of food; they taste great, you can customize them however you want, and they’re a relatively healthy fast food option. So a few weeks ago, when I went shopping with a friend and dinner time rolled around, I moseyed over to the shopping center’s Subway restaurant and got in line to order my food.

The man in front of me ordered the newest “Five-Dollar Footlong,” the Seafood Sensation, which is basically crab meat covered in what looks like mayonnaise. The worker used a nearby knife to spread the crab meat out evenly over the sandwich, then finished the man’s order and sent him to the cash register. When it came time for me to order my turkey sandwich, the woman picked up the same knife—without washing it—and proceeded to slice my bread.

Now, I’m rather disgusted by seafood, but I didn’t want to be a finicky customer, so instead of complaining I said, “Ma’am? I’m sorry, could you use a different knife? I’m allergic to crab and you just used that knife on his sandwich.”

The worker responded with an, “Uhhh… sure.” She then walked over to the sink and, instead of finding me a new knife, stuck the crab-covered knife under the cold water for less than five full seconds and wiped it off hastily with a paper towel. Then she got me a new roll and made my sandwich. I didn’t press the issue any further, but I left the restaurant feeling angry. True, I probably shouldn’t have made up an allergy, but what if I really was allergic to crab, like some members of my family are? The sandwich I was about to eat would surely give me a reaction.

My concern about Subway's cross-contamination isn't unfounded. In 2006, a thirteen-year-old girl named Emily Vonder Meulen died of an allergic reaction from the Subway sandwich she had eaten, which had somehow been cross-contaminated with a few crumbs of a peanut butter cookie.I have family and friends with food allergies, and the idea that one of them could suffer an allergic reaction-- and, for those with severe allergies, die-- from a sandwich like this girl did frightens me.

That's why I'm writing this letter to you now. You three manage the locations my friends, family and I frequent-- Misison Viejo, Irvine, and Orange. You have the power to make changes within your restaurant, to insist that employees wash knives thoroughly with soap after contact with potential allergens and that they change their gloves frequently to avoid cross-contamination. Subway needs to step up their health precautions, and it can happen one store at a time. Please make this a priority in your restaurants.

Sincerely,
Laura