SUBWAY® restaurants provides update on menu transformation and new Canadian sourcing initiatives

Sandwich chain on its way to removing artificial colours, flavours and preservatives from the menu by 2017

TORONTO, Sept. 20, 2016 /CNW/ - SUBWAY^® restaurants made a bold commitment to remove all artificial colours, flavours and preservatives by 2017. To date, SUBWAY^® Canada has removed artificial colours, flavours and preservatives from 28 menu items, adding turkey, chicken and roast beef to its growing roster of toppings, soups and proteins that contain the 'free from' claim.

SUBWAY^® restaurants has also strengthened its commitment to investing in Canadian agriculture across the country. Introducing Canadian-raised ham, turkey and shaved steak, SUBWAY^® is committed to sourcing all roast beef, chicken and meatballs from Canadian producers by the end of the year. The sandwich shops also provide home-grown produce across Canada, where possible. During peak harvest seasons: Western Canada guests are able to enjoy British Columbia-grown cucumbers, guests in Ontario can add cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes and onions from the Green Belt region and guests in Quebec can add local green peppers.

"At SUBWAY^® we treat each day as an opportunity to improve, innovate and be better than yesterday," says Kathleen Bell, Director of National Marketing, SUBWAY^® restaurants Canada. "From our long-standing sodium reduction initiative to the removal of high-fructose corn syrup in 2014, SUBWAY^® has consistently worked to better our menu offerings to meet the needs of our guests. The removal of artificial colours, flavours and preservatives and our move to source local ingredients where possible is the natural continuation of SUBWAY^® Canada's unwavering commitment to wellness."

State of the Sandwich:

• 1998: Full list of nutritional information for the main menu debuts
  
  
• 2000: "8 under 6 menu," featuring eight sandwiches under six grams of fat, launches
  
  
• 2008: Trans fats are removed from all menu items
  
  
• 2009: Sodium reduction initiative begins (to date the restaurant has reduced sodium by 30 per cent across their lunch and dinner offerings)
  
  
• 2014: Simpler bread recipes rolled out
  
  
  • High fructose corn syrup removed from all SUBWAY^® products
    
    
  • Quebec green peppers arrive in Quebec restaurants during peak harvest season
    
    
• 2015: Baby spinach added as core offering
  
  
  • Pickles and banana peppers with no artificial colours arrive in restaurants
    
    
  • Canadian prime rib and steak are free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives
    
    
  • All breads (including flatbreads) contain no artificial colours or flavours
    
    
• 2016: Canadian turkey and roast beef with "free from" claims introduced
  
  
  • Meatballs, chicken strips, and omelette recipes revised to meet "free from" commitment
    
    
  • Guests in Ontario can enjoy home-grown cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes and onions during peak harvest season
    
    
  • British Columbia cucumbers served in restaurants during peak harvest season

For more information about SUBWAY^® Canada and its commitment to providing quality menu offerings, visit www.subway.com; join SUBWAY^® Canada's online community at www.facebook.com/SubwayCanada or follow @SUBWAYCanada

About SUBWAY^® restaurants

Guests in 112 countries have easy access to a fresh line-up of vegetables for their made-to-order sandwiches and salads at any of the more than 44,000 franchised locations. The company, founded 50 years-ago by then 17-year-old Fred DeLuca and family-friend Dr. Peter Buck, is still a family-owned business with thousands of dedicated franchisees/entrepreneurs in neighborhoods around the world, providing easy access to vegetables, detailed nutrition, dietary, and healthy lifestyle information. This has been a priority for the SUBWAY^® restaurants chain for many years. To learn more information about us, visit www.SUBWAY.com, like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/SUBWAYCanada and follow us on https://twitter.com/SUBWAYCanada

SUBWAY^® is a Registered Trademark of Subway IP Inc. ©2016 Subway IP Inc.

SOURCE SUBWAY RESTAURANTS

Katie MacKay, Veritas Communications, [email protected], [phone]