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