Subway to Remove Yoga Mat Chemical in Bread

SUBWAY, the famed American fast food restaurant chain announced on Thursday that it would remove a certain ingredient found in its breads. The ingredient is used to increase elasticity in everything from yoga mats to shoe rubber.

Popular food blogger and health activist Vani Hari started a petition on Tuesday on her blog Food Babe, asking Subway to cut the ingredient from its products. “It’s not supposed to be food or even eaten for that matter. And it’s definitely not ‘fresh.’ We deserve the same safer food our friends get overseas.”

Termed as azodiacarbonamide, it is used in the bread-making process as a dough conditioner to whiten the dough and allow it to bake faster. The chemical is banned in the U.K., Europe and Australia because it causes respiratory issues like asthma, health officials said. A representative for Subway said that the change was underway before the petition came out. The company has not disclosed when the chemical would be completely removed from its bread.

Infoeditor