Subway is the largest fast food chain in the world with over 40,000 locations, best known for its made-to-order sub sandwiches piled high with fresh meats and toppings. But have you ever wondered where all that meat actually comes from? As a curious consumer myself, I dug deep to uncover the truth about Subway‘s meat sourcing. What I found was a complex supply chain involving multiple suppliers, a commitment to more sustainable and humane practices, and even a few myths debunked along the way.
Subway‘s Vast Meat Supply Chain
To keep its tens of thousands of franchised locations stocked with fresh meats, Subway has built a vast, multifaceted supply chain spanning the globe. According to a report from the Bloomberg Intelligence Group, Subway purchases roughly 268 million pounds of chicken, 141 million pounds of turkey, 22 million pounds of steak, and 19 million pounds of ham each year to satisfy its customers‘ cravings.
Sourcing such enormous quantities of meat requires a carefully orchestrated network of suppliers, distributors, and logistics providers. Subway works with over 100 different meat suppliers worldwide, ranging from massive multinational corporations to smaller regional producers. These suppliers must adhere to strict quality and safety standards set by Subway, as well as all relevant government regulations.
From the suppliers, meats are shipped to Subway‘s regional distribution centers, which then deliver the products to individual franchise locations. This hub-and-spoke model allows Subway to efficiently transport meats while maintaining freshness and quality control. In North America alone, Subway operates 21 distribution centers that supply its franchisees.
Benefits and Challenges of a Distributed Supplier Network
One advantage of Subway‘s distributed supplier network is that it allows the company to source meats from producers close to its final point of sale, reducing transportation time and costs. This can help ensure that meats are as fresh as possible when they reach the customer. Sourcing from multiple suppliers also helps Subway avoid overreliance on any single producer, mitigating potential supply chain disruptions.
However, managing such a large and complex supplier network also comes with challenges. Ensuring consistent quality and safety standards across hundreds of suppliers requires robust oversight and frequent auditing. Subway has faced criticism in the past for alleged inconsistencies in its food safety practices, such as a 2019 lawsuit claiming that its chicken contained less than 50% actual chicken DNA (a claim that Subway vehemently denied).
Subway‘s franchise model can add an additional layer of complexity to its meat sourcing. While Subway sets overall standards and negotiates contracts with suppliers, individual franchisees are responsible for ordering and managing their own meat inventory. This decentralized approach can make it more difficult to track and control the flow of meat products from supplier to sandwich.
The Evolution of Subway‘s Meat Sourcing
Subway‘s meat sourcing practices have not remained static over the years. As consumer preferences and expectations have shifted, the chain has made notable changes to the types of meat it offers and the way those meats are produced.
One major shift has been Subway‘s move towards serving more antibiotic-free meats. In 2015, Subway began transitioning to chicken raised without antibiotics, and has since committed to eliminating antibiotics from its entire meat supply by 2025. This policy change was driven in part by growing public concern over the overuse of antibiotics in animal agriculture and its contribution to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Subway is not alone in this shift. Many of its competitors, including McDonald‘s, KFC, and Taco Bell have also pledged to reduce or eliminate antibiotics in their meat supply chains. However, Subway‘s timeline for going fully antibiotic-free across all meats is among the most aggressive in the fast food industry.
Another key evolution has been Subway‘s increasing focus on animal welfare. In 2012, Subway committed to eliminating controversial gestation crates (used to confine pregnant pigs) from its pork supply by 2022. The company has also worked with suppliers to improve housing conditions for egg-laying hens and to ensure more humane slaughter practices.
While Subway has made progress on animal welfare, it has at times lagged behind other chains. For example, Burger King pledged to eliminate gestation crates a full decade before Subway, and brands like Shake Shack have built their identities around using only hormone and antibiotic-free, humanely-raised meats.
Expert Perspective and Future Outlook
As a retail and consumer expert, I believe Subway‘s meat sourcing practices reflect a fast food industry in flux. Consumer demand for transparency, sustainability, and ethics in food production has never been higher, pushing chains like Subway to rethink longstanding practices and supplier relationships.
The transition to antibiotic-free, humanely-raised meats is a positive step, but also an immense logistical challenge for a chain of Subway‘s size. Maintaining adequate supply, consistent quality, and competitive pricing will require ongoing collaboration and innovation with suppliers. As Subway franchisee Don Fertman explained in a 2019 interview with QSR Magazine, "We have to work closely with our suppliers to make sure we have the right quantities in the right places at the right times."
Looking ahead, I expect Subway‘s meat sourcing to continue prioritizing customer preferences for taste, health, and ethics-driven value. Emerging technologies like blockchain and DNA testing could help Subway further optimize and trace its meat supply, ensuring greater accountability from farm to sandwich.
At the same time, shifting consumer tastes will likely drive ongoing changes to Subway‘s meat offerings. The rapid rise of plant-based meat alternatives, for instance, could push Subway to expand options for flexitarian and vegan diners (the chain has already tested products like Beyond Meatball Marinara subs in select markets).
As Subway CEO John Chidsey told Restaurant Business in 2020, "We have to stay on top of consumer trends. If you look at younger consumers, they are more socially conscious, and they want to know where the food comes from. I don‘t see that changing."
The Bottom Line
At the end of the day, Subway‘s meat supply is a complex operation involving numerous suppliers and a vast, international network of franchised locations. While the company has work to do in improving the transparency and sustainability of its sourcing from farm to sandwich, it has made significant strides in recent years towards offering healthier, more responsibly-produced meats.
As a discerning Subway customer, the best thing you can do is educate yourself about where your food comes from and what goes into it. Don‘t hesitate to ask questions of your local Subway staff or reach out to the company directly to voice your concerns and keep them accountable. The more we push for higher standards and vote with our dollars, the more chains like Subway will be motivated to do better by our food supply and our planet.
