Test: Subway's Chicken Has Only 50% Chicken DNA

According to a Canadian study

By Michael Harthorne, Newser Staff

Posted Feb 28, 2017 7:24 PM CST

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Subway's Chicken Has Only 50% Chicken DNA — A chicken breast sandwich from a Subway restaurant in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Here's an unappetizing number: Only about half the DNA in the chicken used in Subway sandwiches actually comes from a chicken, at least according to one analysis. A DNA researcher says that number, obviously, should be 100%. The CBC did a DNA analysis of chicken from various fast-food chains in Canada and found most contained close to 100% chicken DNA—except for Subway.

Subway's oven-roasted chicken contained 53.6% chicken DNA; its chicken strips had only 42.8%. The rest was soy DNA. Researchers were so shocked they tested the Subway chicken twice. In a statement, Subway Canada disagrees with the results and claims its chicken is "100% white meat" with 1% or less of soy. It says it's going to "look into this again with our supplier." (Read more Subway stories.)