Subway Fights Back Against Fake Chicken Claims: 'It's 100 Percent Wrong'

Earlier this week we published a shocking story, based on DNA results from an investigation published by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, allegedly proving that Subway's chicken is actually made from 50 percent soy filler. Now the sandwich chain is fighting back.

"The stunningly flawed test by Marketplace is a tremendous disservice to our customers," Suzanne Greco, Subway president and chief executive, told The Washington Post in a media statement. "The allegation that our chicken is only 50 percent chicken is 100 percent wrong."

Subway has demanded that the report be retracted.

To back up its claims, Subway went about creating its own DNA tests in collaboration with two independent research labs, which found that soy content was less than 10 parts per million, or slightly under one percent — a far cry from the "50 percent chicken, 50 percent soy" claims in the original study. But the CBC still stands by its initial results.

"DNA tests do not lie (especially when conducted multiple times), and anyone with access to a DNA laboratory could perform these tests," Benjamin Bohrer, a food scientist at the University of Guelph and meat processing expert, told the CBC. "Either make your chicken truly a marinated, seasoned chicken or embrace your products for what they are and tell your customers about your agenda. Consumers want to know the story of their food, so be transparent."