Ireland Supreme Court Rules That the Starch Used in Subway Sandwiches Is Too Sugary to Meet the Definition of “Bread”

When we’re looking for “healthy” fast food options, we often think of Subway. Considering that the sandwiches and salads are made to order and easy to customize to fit your health and nutrition goals, you would think it would be a safe place to eat when you’re on a diet.

Apparently, you need to think carefully about ordering a sandwich from Subway if you’re watching your sugar intake. The amount of sugar in Subway’s bread exceeds the amount for it to be considered “bread,” at least according to Ireland’s Supreme Court.

Subway franchise owner Bookfinders in Galway wanted a tax refund, but it didn’t work out the way the company expected. The New York Post reports that under the Value-Added Tax Act of 1972, a company can be taxed zero percent for selling certain products sold in Ireland, but these products must meet certain qualifications. For example, in order to be considered “bread,” the sugar and fat in the item must be no more than 2% of the weight of the flour in the item’s dough. Subway’s bread did not meet this qualification. In fact, the bread has as much sugar in it as an Oreo cookie.

Watch the video below to learn more about why Subway’s bread is not considered bread by Ireland’s Supreme Court.

 

As we’re processing this information, we’re picturing ourselves eating a Subway sandwich and thinking that we never noticed the bread tasting particularly sweet, just really good. I guess now we know the sugary secret.

If you have ever baked homemade bread, you probably know that most sandwich bread contains little to no sugar. Usually only quick breads that are intended to be sweet contain a lot of sugar. Sweet breads often taste more like muffins than sandwich bread.

Does it surprise you that the bread in a sandwich from Subway contains as much sugar as an Oreo cookie? Will this ruling by Ireland’s Supreme Court have any impact on whether or not you eat at Subway?