Subway said it will stop using azodiacarbonamide, a chemical used in the production of foamed plastics like yoga mats and rubber-soled shoes, in its bread.
"We are already in the process of removing azodiacarbonamide as part of our bread improvement efforts despite the fact that it is USDA and FDA approved ingredient," the company said in a statement. "The complete conversion to have this product out of the bread will be done soon."
Subway was using the ingredient as a bread conditioner, to whiten the dough and allow bread to bake faster.
The movement to get rid of the chemical was fanned by Vani Hari, creator of the website foodbabe.com.
Hari started an online petition, chastising the company for using an ingredient in the U.S. that is banned in other countries.
"It's not supposed to be food or even eaten for that matter. And it's definitely not 'fresh,'" she said on her website. " We deserve the same safer food our friends get overseas."
But it is banned in the UK, Europe and Australia, where regulators say it may be linked to respiratory issues such as asthma.
"We are already in the process of removing azodiacarbonamide as part of our bread improvement efforts despite the fact that it is USDA and FDA approved ingredient," the company said in a statement. "The complete conversion to have this product out of the bread will be done soon."
Subway was using the ingredient as a bread conditioner, to whiten the dough and allow bread to bake faster.
The movement to get rid of the chemical was fanned by Vani Hari, creator of the website foodbabe.com.
Hari started an online petition, chastising the company for using an ingredient in the U.S. that is banned in other countries.
"It's not supposed to be food or even eaten for that matter. And it's definitely not 'fresh,'" she said on her website. " We deserve the same safer food our friends get overseas."
But it is banned in the UK, Europe and Australia, where regulators say it may be linked to respiratory issues such as asthma.