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If you've ever been pregnant (or had chemotherapy: The two have similar side effects), you might know what it's like to have a smell that's your own particular bête noire. It might be eggs, or garlic, or coffee, or the reek of your spouse's morning breath. For me, it was the smell of Subway.
There is a Subway franchise in the hospital where I had my child, located right at the top of an escalator. As the escalator would rise to the level of the Subway, the smell would start right about the fourth or fifth stair: sweaty low-quality meat, limp vegetables, layers of old vinegar, and something else. A something that I couldn't define or pin down. Burning plastic? Melting rubber?
Whatever it was, it would leave me gasping with nausea on every visit, enough that I talked to other people about the Subway stink and found I wasn't alone. Not everyone perceives the horrible smell of Subway, distinct and distinctly more awful than that of other fast-food chains or delis, even crappy ones, but those who do find the smell nigh on unbearable. The question "What makes that awful reek?" has been the topic of well-attended discussions on Chowhound and MetaFilter, but to my knowledge, no one has ever produced a satisfactory answer.
Like many of the respondents to those threads, I think that the smell has something to do with the bread-baking. The smell seems to almost push itself out, wafting through the front doors each time they're opened, in a way that seems bread-baking-like to me. And Subway is constantly baking, with bread in frozen sticks thawed and cooked many times daily.
But despite polling numerous food scientists, I still haven't found an answer to the smell conundrum. Even a query to the usually infallible Monell Chemical Senses Center came to naught. Several scientists said they had never noticed an aroma, or couldn't see anything in the (creepily-full-of-multisyllabic-items) list of ingredients for Subway's breads that might account for off odors.
The only scientist even willing to speculate with me was Barry Swanson, a retired professor of food science who used to work for Washington State University. He thinks that the smell might be the odor of fatty acids released from the vegetable oils in the bread as it bakes.
"Fatty acids are volatile and may present many aromas depending on composition," Dr. Swanson said via email. "Short chain fatty acids result in undesirable aromas resembling everything from butter to smelly feet."
"Smelly feet" doesn't perfectly describe the odor either (there is a plasticlike quality, I just know it), but it's as close to an answer as I've been able to get. Any food scientists out there want to theorize?
Image source: Flickr member Vincent Desjardins under Creative Commons
I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO ATART FROM:(
I live in North Bergen, NJ, Hudson County and some 5 years ago I bought a condo in a brand new building. There was commercial space right underneath our condo unit which was empty and we were assured that no cooking involved businesses will rent the place; then came the Subway, some six months after our first owned condo a nightmare started. Only the concrete...+READ
I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO ATART FROM:(
I live in North Bergen, NJ, Hudson County and some 5 years ago I bought a condo in a brand new building. There was commercial space right underneath our condo unit which was empty and we were assured that no cooking involved businesses will rent the place; then came the Subway, some six months after our first owned condo a nightmare started. Only the concrete floor divides me from "the restaurant" but the fumes are unbearable. I never had respiratory problems in my life and since they moved in I have sinuses problem and often struggle to catch my breath because i get chocked from the smell-you can imagine how intense it is when you are right above it 24/7. I tried to keep all of my windows open for the longest time but the smell comes right back in. I tried to air-condition but the smell is coming through my air-conditioning units. The worst thing is in the mornings when i am sleeping in my bedroom and an abrupt wave of smell wakes me up piercing through my sinuses and causing breath shortages.
I decided few years ago to try to do something about it and I called North Bergen Health Department. The health inspector supposedly came and said it was up to standards but I say supposedly because the inspector refused to come to my apartment to check the matter and when i called the Health Department later, they did't have, or couldn't find the record of inspector's visit to the venue. I then went personally to NB town hall and complained about the unbearable fumes to the inspector in the building department because i thought maybe something is wrong with the ventilations or the way that building has been built. Again, no check, just reassurance that everything is perfectly fine. But it is not fine. I was told that Hudson County and NJ is just the most corrupted you can find in The States and that the interest of corporations is the first, no matter how deteriorating to health Subway fumes can be due to their ingredients in breads and practices in general. They signed a contract for 20 years. As soon as I get a chance I will be moving out of that apartment because I want to escape before developing asthma or something worse if there is anything worse than what I am going through right now.
My condo was just the beginning though. Since last year the fumes have spread throughout the whole building staircases and the 2nd floor intensively. I just can not believe something devastating and unhealthy, when it comes to the quality of food in Subway, can be legally allowed. People say it's New Jersey corruption; however, reading through the comments, it seems it's all over the world in the case of Subway "Restaurants":(-COLLAPSE
Wow! I'm not the biggest fan of Subway, but what a load of horror stories!! I have worked for 3 different Subway stores here in the UK and have never even HEARD of some of the "common practices" listed here, let alone witnessed them. I also find it shocking that people admit to working in such dirty stores without thinking "maybe I should clean this". To try to dispel a couple of myths on here;
...+READ
Wow! I'm not the biggest fan of Subway, but what a load of horror stories!! I have worked for 3 different Subway stores here in the UK and have never even HEARD of some of the "common practices" listed here, let alone witnessed them. I also find it shocking that people admit to working in such dirty stores without thinking "maybe I should clean this". To try to dispel a couple of myths on here;
1. The "forms" that the breads are baked in DO NOT burn. They are designed to be in the oven, and the bread is only cooked at 170degrees centigrade/300 fahrenheit- not exactly nuclear temperatures. The stores that I have worked in throw away any forms that are damaged or old. The reason? If they have holes, the bread sticks to the tray underneath and breaks when being "de-formed", which means it has to be thrown away. Therefore it is cheaper to buy new forms than to waste dozens of breads each day (common sense really).
2. If gloves are melted to the point that you can smell such a strong odour, then the staff would be in hideous pain. There are paddles to use to get the sandwiches out of the toaster, pain-free, which as well as reducing the risk of injury to the staff also reduce the chance of horrible smell.
3. The cambros that the meatballs are held in are changed more than once a week- it's every day in my store. Any left at the end of the day are thrown away.
4. The "proofbox" or proofer as it is actually called is cleaned every day. To not do it every day would be disgusting.
5. If it is chemicals on the salads that is the culprit (as many have suggested), then why does your local supermarket not smell the same? Supermarkets handle much, much larger quantities of fruit and veg than Subway and will likely use the same chemical preservatives. So whilst I agree that these preservatives are not the best thing in the world, they would not be limited to Subway stores, would they??
But to attempt to answer the original question..... My previous job was as a chef in an Italian restaurant and my uniform smelt so much worse- I think a lot of it is the herbs, specifically oregano. The amount of herbs on the top of the Herb and Cheese bread is quite literally nauseating. This is certainly the overwhelming smell I get whenever I arrive at work- a sickly, slightly bitter, burny-bready smell... and it's always when the herb breads have been in (particularly whilst proofing when the dough is still raw).-COLLAPSE
A commenter from another page:
At the Subway where I used to work, after the bread is removed from the "retarder"(called this because it has to thaw [frozen] before being baked), the rubber liners under each Subway bread roll is transferred to the oven on the aluminum trays with the wax paper. I have noticed after working there that the liners were never replaced, only on occasion. These same...+READ
A commenter from another page:
At the Subway where I used to work, after the bread is removed from the "retarder"(called this because it has to thaw [frozen] before being baked), the rubber liners under each Subway bread roll is transferred to the oven on the aluminum trays with the wax paper. I have noticed after working there that the liners were never replaced, only on occasion. These same flexible rubber liners are usually missing pieces and are burnt to a black crisp and this same rubber liner is baked into and with the bread. How much of that rubber/plastic is cooked within the bread and passed through the body? When I saw how this rubber liner was burnt, I stopped eating at Subway because working there and smelling the bread cooking with the liners, I could actually taste that liner realizing what the smell and taste that was very noticible. One doesn't notice that taste in the bread unless you see the two items together and smell the bread baking. Thank you for informing me of the Fructose, another reason I will not eat there. : )-COLLAPSE
This link from Natural News might explain the smell
http://www.naturalnews.com/022194.html
"None of Subway's breads are whole grain. Ammonium sulfate (a fertilizer) is also added."
I never go to Subway, so I can't comment on what it smells like inside...but I can tell you that everytime I drive by one, all I smell is burnt cheese...like, blocks away. I smell them before I see them.
Here's more (in a story that links to this post): http://www.foodrepublic.com/2011/12/07/whats-behind-subway-bread-smell
I have friends who are sandwich artists, and I believe it is the baking pans. Also, they say everytime they toast sandwiches in the oven, those cheap plastic gloves they wear pretty much melt to their fingers when they remove the sandwiches. That might also be contributing to the plastic-y smell.
Maybe it's that plastic-looking mesh screen they toast the subs on.
* teflon baking pans
I had the same discussion with some friends a long time ago. Glad to see I'm not alone in noticing the strange, distinct odor. The closest we could come to a consensus (which is similar to postitnoteboy's theory) was that it was the teflon backing pans pushed beyond their acceptable heat tolerances - hence the vague, plasticky smell that emanates from the ovens.
As if the smell weren't bad enough, have you ever noticed how the Subway employees put on those plastic gloves and then handle everything from the microwave to back counter while they're preparing a sandwich. Makes me wonder if the plastic gloves aren't more for their protection than the protection of the folks they're serving. Disgusting ......
This is so timely! I never go into a Subway, so I wasn't sure what smell you were talking about. A coworker brought a Subway sandwich into the office for her lunch last week, and the place reeked for the rest of the afternoon with a plastic=y, chemically, faux toasted bread smell. I wanted to hurl.
Oh my god, I thought it was just me! To me the smell seemed to have numerous components - a yeasty/ammonia smell, a bit of onion, some kind of chemical cleanser, a bit of a whif of overheated nonstick pan, definitely some old, overheated oil, a fermenting fruit/veg note and worst of all, the unmistakable odor of deli meats that have turned.
The combo of them all, although it doesn't actually...+READ
Oh my god, I thought it was just me! To me the smell seemed to have numerous components - a yeasty/ammonia smell, a bit of onion, some kind of chemical cleanser, a bit of a whif of overheated nonstick pan, definitely some old, overheated oil, a fermenting fruit/veg note and worst of all, the unmistakable odor of deli meats that have turned.
The combo of them all, although it doesn't actually smell anything like it, occasionally reminds me of that infamous "hot tub" odor. This suggests that the scientist in the article may be on the right track when he speculates about volatilized fatty acids - because those same things make emesis, stinky feet, rancid oils etc stink powerfully. They are at least responsible for the vaguely "fruity", rancid vomit like components.
I'm relieved to know it's not just in my head. The puzzling thing is that many years ago, like in the late 1980's, I don't remember Subway having that smell. Then I started to smell it here and there, usually in locations that were small and looked poorly cleaned, then it became ubiquitous. I don't eat there too often any more - not since the weekend where I saw green cold cuts at not one, not two, but three different locations in 2 days! (I left the first one and went to another location, which also had that problem, then went home in disgust. The next day I tried one more time at yet another location. I'll never forget the look on my hubby's face - even he could see the faintly iridescent green color on the meat!)
I will say the smell got noticeably worse when they started using bagged produce - even the freshest, most recently delivered to your market bags of salad greens, lettuces, cole slaw mix and lately baby carrots have a rank scent that cannot be washed out. Contributing that to the already nasty store smell didn't help Subway out, IMO.-COLLAPSE
I don't like the way Subway restaurants smell either, although I'm not nearly as repulsed and disgusted by it as some people are. I just don't eat there because I don't like the food.
All of the ingredients are sub-par: the vegetables are always a little bit slimy and wilting, the meats and cheeses taste like they come from the same people who supply prison kitchens, and the bread is -- as...+READ
I don't like the way Subway restaurants smell either, although I'm not nearly as repulsed and disgusted by it as some people are. I just don't eat there because I don't like the food.
All of the ingredients are sub-par: the vegetables are always a little bit slimy and wilting, the meats and cheeses taste like they come from the same people who supply prison kitchens, and the bread is -- as someone else said -- flavorless and squishy.
And I love soft, chewy bread. I don't like hard, crusty bread (it cuts up my mouth, for one thing). But Subway bread is just nasty. Bad texture and consistency, and no taste. I'd rather eat at Wendy's or Burger King or even McDonald's, any day. Their food may be more fattening, and just as artificial and processed, but at least it tastes good!
So for me, the smell is just one more thing contributing to my overall dislike of Subway. I only ever go in there for the cookies. Specifically, the peanut butter cookies. God, they're good, and it's so hard to find soft-baked peanut butter cookies. So, for me, the peanut butter cookies make up for the funky smell. They are Subway's only redeeming quality.-COLLAPSE
They don't all smell that way. Oviedo, Florida has one such example.
All the others, ok, most of the others smell bad because they don't crean up properly. They don't remove the drop litter from the floor before cleaning with disinfectant. The disinfectant mixes with the food stuffs on the floor and creates that peutrid flagrante delicto.
It's enough to mag a gaggot. :-(
I went into a Subway, placed my order and then the smell hit me. I was too embarrased to cancel my order, so I paid for the sandwich, walked to the garbage can and threw the sandwich in. I have never been back to a Subway. I actually like the Quick Chek subs and they bake their own bread. I have never noticed a smell in any of the Quick Chek's that I've been in.
I think it is the teflon sheet they cook the bread in/on. I think the off gassing from years of re-use accumulates within those restaurants. I wonder if they could test for the amount of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) also known as C8 or perfluorooctanoate in the air and the bread.
I am so glad to hear that I am not the only person who cannot stand to be within thirty feet of a Subway shop. I won't even go into the ice cream store that is next door to our local Subway for that very reason. I used to think it was the onions...but I don't think so anymore. I like the chemical theories. My son worked for Jimmy John's for quite a while, and a few times when I stopped by the...+READ
I am so glad to hear that I am not the only person who cannot stand to be within thirty feet of a Subway shop. I won't even go into the ice cream store that is next door to our local Subway for that very reason. I used to think it was the onions...but I don't think so anymore. I like the chemical theories. My son worked for Jimmy John's for quite a while, and a few times when I stopped by the shop where he worked I never noticed that smell....nor did I notice it on him if I saw him after work. Whatever it is, it seems to be unique to Subway....-COLLAPSE
Also all of their vegetables were coated with Potassium Benzoate as a preservative. I believe the only exception was the tomatoes.
Subway bread is full of added fragrance chemicals. It's supposed to make the outside of the store smell like fresh bread, but often after it's been built up after awhile it starts to smell rancid. I worked for Subway for awhile, and it's criminal how rarely they clean their proofboxes. A proofbox is where the bread is allowed to rise in a heated, moist contraption that looks similar to their...+READ
Subway bread is full of added fragrance chemicals. It's supposed to make the outside of the store smell like fresh bread, but often after it's been built up after awhile it starts to smell rancid. I worked for Subway for awhile, and it's criminal how rarely they clean their proofboxes. A proofbox is where the bread is allowed to rise in a heated, moist contraption that looks similar to their oven. Most proofboxes in other bakeries have a vinegar smell from the gases produced by the yeast and leavening agents in the bread, but since Subway cleans their proofboxes sporadically the proofbox ends up reeking to high heavens. Pair that with the bread parfum and you've got a recipe for stink. Also keep in mind they only have to change their Meatball pan every seven days, in the meantime they keep adding more meatballs and sauce to the same batch that's been cooled and re-heated all week. Many contributing factors. I'm sure anyone that's worked for Subway remembers going home smelling like bread and vomit (literally).-COLLAPSE
I was a flight attendant when food was still served back in the 1990's. The smell at Subway makes me absulutely nauseous. The smell is identical to the preservatives that were sprayed on the airline food we would serve and makes me want to vomit. When I had a sandwich my hubby brought home to me, I tasted it all the way through my sinuses- yuck. I remember I had to crawl in the meal cart...+READ
I was a flight attendant when food was still served back in the 1990's. The smell at Subway makes me absulutely nauseous. The smell is identical to the preservatives that were sprayed on the airline food we would serve and makes me want to vomit. When I had a sandwich my hubby brought home to me, I tasted it all the way through my sinuses- yuck. I remember I had to crawl in the meal cart sometimes to get to something at the very bottom and the smell was overwhelming.
So, that and the fact that they have somehow sponsored Michael Vick as athlete of the year equals to me never stepping foot in a Subway again. I am a card carrying member of the Jersey Mike's club.-COLLAPSE
I thought it was just me! Subway is rank. If I'm passing by one, I will, if possible, cross over to the other side of the street to avoid it - yet it still hangs heavy in the air. I cannot stand that awful combo of yeast, bleach and who knows what else. It's a stench unlike anything else I can think of. Ugh.
Every time I go to Subway I come out reeking like yeast from the bread...it's so bad that I've stopped eating there (despite $5 footlongs!).
I always thought the funky smell was slightly chemical. Maybe cleaning products? Like a bleachy type product to sterilize their equipment?
After reading many of the comments, I am amazed at how many people have had this experience...I have said this for years! Since their inception, the first time I stepped into a Subway, I thought it reeked. Now I read about this "silicone" they cook in an that really has me wondering. I really believe those of us who CAN smell the funk, are blessed with sensitive and possibly life-saving...+READ
After reading many of the comments, I am amazed at how many people have had this experience...I have said this for years! Since their inception, the first time I stepped into a Subway, I thought it reeked. Now I read about this "silicone" they cook in an that really has me wondering. I really believe those of us who CAN smell the funk, are blessed with sensitive and possibly life-saving olfactories - Thank The Gods - which we have developed as self-defense mechanisms. TRUST YOUR NOSE - YOUR NOSE KNOWS!!!
Sorry Subway! But you're icky!!-COLLAPSE
I know that funky stink you're talking about. It pervades the train station concourse in Stamford Conn. I think it's the so-called bread. Most people like the aroma of baking bread, so maybe Subway thinks this smell will draw in customers. But the "bread" has some volatile chemical funk to it that smells nothing like true bread.
I agree 100%. Everything there tastes the same... whether its the bread, the veggies, the soup or the cookies. My theory is that it is the "Natural Flavoring" (AKA MSG - visit this website for more detail http://www.truthinlabeling.org/nomsg.html) that major food chains and nearly every packaged food producer puts into their food.
Fascinating. Our nephew (lives with us) is a huge fan of that place (why? who knows) and I've always suspected he was hiding baked goods in his room. The smell is unbearable - like a humid closetful of bakery gone terribly wrong - and it sticks around FOREVER. Real bakery exhaust NEVER smells like that - even from a cheap bread factory like the old Wonderbread factory in NYC - when the trains...+READ
Fascinating. Our nephew (lives with us) is a huge fan of that place (why? who knows) and I've always suspected he was hiding baked goods in his room. The smell is unbearable - like a humid closetful of bakery gone terribly wrong - and it sticks around FOREVER. Real bakery exhaust NEVER smells like that - even from a cheap bread factory like the old Wonderbread factory in NYC - when the trains used to have windows which could actually open, it was a pleasure to go past that factory even in the thick of a NY summer.Subway? Blech.-COLLAPSE
we bake the bread in these silicone forms that smell like hot plastic cuz basically they are. also that mix of yeasty smell and yesterday's onion funk sticks to your clothes. BTW: when you cut open a pack of turkey it smells like straight fart and the ham smells like windex when opened.
Micheal Vick is not nor ever been a spokesman for Subway. Subway sponsored the athlete of the year award on BET and they picked him as their honoree. I have worked at/owned a Subway since 1987, way before flavored bread was introduced, and yes it is bread with the Parmesan oregano topping that smells. The plasticky component could be the sil-pat tray liners the bread is baked on, silicone. It...+READ
Micheal Vick is not nor ever been a spokesman for Subway. Subway sponsored the athlete of the year award on BET and they picked him as their honoree. I have worked at/owned a Subway since 1987, way before flavored bread was introduced, and yes it is bread with the Parmesan oregano topping that smells. The plasticky component could be the sil-pat tray liners the bread is baked on, silicone. It does linger, my bank says my money smells. I have many regular customers and most don't seem to mind but some do. It is not some mysterious spray we put in the air to lure you in(or away). I if your store is not well run and clean as mine is it will have multi-layers of stenches that are not representative of Subways in general. I have noticed that on the intertubes that Subway can be quite a polarizing topic, certainly there are higher quality places out there but haters gotta hate nonetheless.-COLLAPSE
I used to work at Subway in high school, and I wasn't allowed to wear the clothes I wore to work in the house. I had to take them off, put them in a plastic bag, and put them directly in the wash. It was nauseating! Now I find that if I stay longer than 5 minutes in a Subway I can't stand how badly I smell, and I have to shower/change.
My first real apartment as a grown up had a subway on the ground floor of the building. I lived on floor #11 and the smell could not be escaped. I have no ideas what it is, but it turns my stomach to this day!
If Subway sells "fresh baked bread", shouldn't their restaurants smell like actual bakeries?
I regularly bake my own scratch bread at home, and a strong part of that Subway odor is definitely the funk fermenting yeast. If you've ever been to a brewery you smell something not entirely unlike the Subway smell. Not exactly the same thing, but it's in the same family of odors.
But at Subway,...+READ
If Subway sells "fresh baked bread", shouldn't their restaurants smell like actual bakeries?
I regularly bake my own scratch bread at home, and a strong part of that Subway odor is definitely the funk fermenting yeast. If you've ever been to a brewery you smell something not entirely unlike the Subway smell. Not exactly the same thing, but it's in the same family of odors.
But at Subway, there are several other layers of nauseating complexity to the stink that I have never been able to pinpoint.
Adding insult to injury-- did you notice that it sticks to your clothes after you leave?
Mr Taster-COLLAPSE
I know the smell you are speaking of and I have always thought it was a combo of raw onions and bleach.
Keywords: Hospital + childbirth experience + hypersensitivity to smells = basic human psychology
You are missing the forest for the trees.
Sure, Subway smells funny to you, I can dig that ... but don't make it out to be more than what it is - a purposeful Subway marketing tool where they bake and let out smells on purpose to draw customers in to the store. Unfortunately, it has the opposite...+READ
Keywords: Hospital + childbirth experience + hypersensitivity to smells = basic human psychology
You are missing the forest for the trees.
Sure, Subway smells funny to you, I can dig that ... but don't make it out to be more than what it is - a purposeful Subway marketing tool where they bake and let out smells on purpose to draw customers in to the store. Unfortunately, it has the opposite intended reaction from you.-COLLAPSE
When I first read about the phenomenon I admit I thought people were real busy hating on Subway. After all, I drive by one every day on the way to work and never smelled anything. Then when I was in Durango, CO, we were walking down the street and I smelled this horrible smell coming out of a breezeway between buildings- and then the next store was a Subway. I was amazed. I've smelled it since,...+READ
When I first read about the phenomenon I admit I thought people were real busy hating on Subway. After all, I drive by one every day on the way to work and never smelled anything. Then when I was in Durango, CO, we were walking down the street and I smelled this horrible smell coming out of a breezeway between buildings- and then the next store was a Subway. I was amazed. I've smelled it since, not at Subway but at a local grocery bakery, which thankfully stopped after a couple of weeks. Somebody suggested that it might be dough conditioners, maybe so, but I really recoil from that smell since the first time I got a real noseful of it.
Not only that, lots of prepackaged lettuces have something in it (a preservative for crunchiness, I imagine) that smells like formaldehyde to me- not what I want for lunch.-COLLAPSE
I definitely understand what you're talking about. Although I don't reach the same level of nausea as the author I also feel like Subways have an unpleasant odor. I admit to being a pack a day smoker, but many people that know me have remarked on my incredible sense of smell. My sister, who is a life-long non-smoker is phenomenal. She can smell stuff that no one else can.Getting back to the...+READ
I definitely understand what you're talking about. Although I don't reach the same level of nausea as the author I also feel like Subways have an unpleasant odor. I admit to being a pack a day smoker, but many people that know me have remarked on my incredible sense of smell. My sister, who is a life-long non-smoker is phenomenal. She can smell stuff that no one else can.Getting back to the Subway issue, it's also a smell that I find at Wal-Marts, even the ones that don't have Subway franchises. It's almost a butter-like odor. I sometimes wonder if it's the same smell that many Asian people are said to associate with Europeans/Americans supposedly because of the higher fat content and dairy intake in most European derived cooking?-COLLAPSE
My one-and-only memory was of going to the first Subway that opened in N.E. Philadelphia in the late 1980s. The sandwich assembler took small hunks of chicken and added them to the sandwich before microwaving it for about 20 seconds. All was fine until discovering that the chicken was raw. Not undercooked but RAW.A phone call to HQ got me a coupon for a free one of the same. Never went back.
If...+READ
My one-and-only memory was of going to the first Subway that opened in N.E. Philadelphia in the late 1980s. The sandwich assembler took small hunks of chicken and added them to the sandwich before microwaving it for about 20 seconds. All was fine until discovering that the chicken was raw. Not undercooked but RAW.A phone call to HQ got me a coupon for a free one of the same. Never went back.
If this is exemplary of how they train their cooking staff, sanitation must be even less skilled. Yuck!No wonder they stink. (Any Subway execs have the nerve to chime in here?)-COLLAPSE
The last time I ate at a Subway it was one right by work. I remember thinking the lettuce was limp and the meat tasted like cardboard. I ate about 1/3 of it and couldn't stand it anymore. I threw it away. Needless to say I can't bring myself to eat there anymore.
Jimmy Johns has the same horrible smell & so does 5 Guys. I think it's oil & rotting lettuce. Dibellas subs does not quite smell so bad & they bake bread too.
We had an open campus during high school and there was a Subway within walking distance. I could smell for the rest of the day who had been in a Subway restaurant, and I was not the only one. They STANK, and I to this day cannot stand Subway or the stench from Subway. It was just bizarre that the smell of Subway would linger on those who spent their time eating in the restaurant. Blech, forever! >...+READ
We had an open campus during high school and there was a Subway within walking distance. I could smell for the rest of the day who had been in a Subway restaurant, and I was not the only one. They STANK, and I to this day cannot stand Subway or the stench from Subway. It was just bizarre that the smell of Subway would linger on those who spent their time eating in the restaurant. Blech, forever! >:P-COLLAPSE
The smell of Subway makes me want to hurl. I can even smell it on someone who has been in the store. I got food poisoning from a Subway....and along with the food poisoning came a H.Pylori bacterial infection. After being ill for 14 mths after the initial food poisoning and a weight loss of 20 lbs.....I now know how "Jarod" lost all the weight!!
I agree, and I've eaten a lot of Subway for work lunches (sometimes it's the only thing around) and now it makes me sick just walking by!
It is totally the bread. It's a sweet yeasty smell that is so disgusting. I don't mind the smell of regular bakeries. On the contrary, they are yummy... But Subway is a sick sticky smell that makes me feel as if I'm being suffocated by raw bread dough. And I've never been pregnant or had chemo.
I have always attributed the mysterious smell to the preservative the company/vendor must put on the lettuce. If you taste just the lettuce, it does not taste the way a regular head of iceburg lettuce tastes. The smell is similar to the funky smell in the air of the shop. MHOP
Oh my gosh! This is too funny!!! I thought I was the only one who felt this way about Subway!! It all started when I was pregnant and worked in a mall that had a Subway in the food court. I still gag everytime I go to that mall and everytime I pass a subway and get a whiff of that strange smell. I have never had a smell affect me so badly...I always thought that was so odd.
perhaps it is because they employ an animal abuser and sociopath like Michael Vick as a apokesperson for their products. I wouldn't set foot in these places for that reason alone, but this is an additional detail that makes sense to me. What he did to innocent animals is sickening enough, and the stench people have described is more than enough to turn my stomach twice. I am sure that part of the...+READ
perhaps it is because they employ an animal abuser and sociopath like Michael Vick as a apokesperson for their products. I wouldn't set foot in these places for that reason alone, but this is an additional detail that makes sense to me. What he did to innocent animals is sickening enough, and the stench people have described is more than enough to turn my stomach twice. I am sure that part of the Subway stench comes from their connection to this sub-human, which, if the physical odor isn't enough to keep folks away from their crappy food, the unforgettable mental images of the tortures he inflicted on animals should cinch it.-COLLAPSE
Oh man, this is such a great topic. A few years ago, my bro and I went on a ski trip in CO. The Christy Lodge had a Subway in the building - as well as several indoor hottubs. The smell of the Subway mingled with that chemically pool and B.O. smell of the indoor hottubs to create literally one of the worst smells of all time. The humidity caused by the indoor hot tubs made the air thick and...+READ
Oh man, this is such a great topic. A few years ago, my bro and I went on a ski trip in CO. The Christy Lodge had a Subway in the building - as well as several indoor hottubs. The smell of the Subway mingled with that chemically pool and B.O. smell of the indoor hottubs to create literally one of the worst smells of all time. The humidity caused by the indoor hot tubs made the air thick and heavy, magnifying the awfulness of the smell.
We ran, carrying all our gear, from the door of the room to the outside every morning to avoid it. And to top it all off, there were no elevators/escalators near our room in the Lodge - so it was full sprint with ski gear from the third floor.
To this day, we call the place Christy Lodge Fat Camp because between the running with all the gear, and appetite-killing nausea from the smell, we both lost about 10 lbs on the trip.-COLLAPSE
I know that smell! Sometimes I think it's like the smell of nonstick cookware when it gets really hot.... and that is GROSS to think of eating that.
I think it's a combination of yeast and some sort of pyrazine or other Maillard reaction product. It's possible that the smell is deliberately introduced into the air as a sort of advertising. Pyrazines are incredibly strong-smelling materials.
They must call it "Subway" because it smells like one. Yuck! (and I'm not pregnant or on chemo)
When I lived in one of the dodgiest & dirtiest neighbourhoods in Toronto, the one thing that truly made the air foul was Subway once it moved in. Evil bread.
No wonder no scientist will comment. You have to reproduce the compound and it's treatment, or recreate the experiment if you will, to get any meaningful results.
Smells like baking bread...with waaaaay too many ingredients. REAL bread has a blessedly short list ;)
Whether they're amped up psychologically by emotional-memory displacement or association with a prior olfactory experience, "bad" smells are often in the nose of the subjective beholder. Vile to one person, benign or even pleasant to others. At the risk of seeming sexist, I've observed that women seem hypersensitive to olfactory stimuli and judgmentally inclined toward negative impressions. For...+READ
Whether they're amped up psychologically by emotional-memory displacement or association with a prior olfactory experience, "bad" smells are often in the nose of the subjective beholder. Vile to one person, benign or even pleasant to others. At the risk of seeming sexist, I've observed that women seem hypersensitive to olfactory stimuli and judgmentally inclined toward negative impressions. For my money, it's Subway's pervasive "baking bread" aromas that annoy Ms. Slaton.-COLLAPSE
This subject has been explored before;
http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=why+does+subways+restaurant+smell+&oq=why+does+subways+restaurant+smell+&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=21725l21725l0l22021l1l1l0l0l0l0l153l153l0.1l1l0
I live in paris, and subway smells the same (and its gross.) I used to work at gamestop in the states, and we were next to a subway which always made our store smell too. I then noticed many subways and gamestops are situated next to each other. must be more than coincidence.
its the horsemeat. i had a friend live above it and it reeked so bad i refused to go up to her apartment.
katz deli or any other reputable place always smells like heaven.
I just find the "had chemotherapy" analogy very strange, I am sure the having cancer and enduring the treatment. Where they use the most harmful substance know to man. Is much different then the smell of a toasting BMT or the pain that accompanies creation.
I am reasonably confident that what you are smelling is Jared Fogler's soul.
It's the bread and particularly the parmesan bread that you smell. I don't find it unpleasant.
it's got to be the bread, my wife refuses to eat in there. When I used to eat in there I would point out the rotten spinach and the spoiled lettuce, but the servers would only say they sell it so fast most people don't notice.....that's when I used to eat in there...
Irresponsible of Chow.com to publish an unbalanced article like this.
I hate their bread, so that must be what causes the terrible smell. Luckily, I don't have to deal with Subway very often.
Perhaps it's an interaction between the fatty acids and the silicone moulds the bread is baked in? That may account for the more synthetic or plastic smell you detect. Unfortunately for your cause, I love the smell of Subway, but then again I've always been an odd duck.
Ugh - I can't go near a Subway for the very same reason. It's nauseating because the restaurants constantly smell like someone has been spewing the contents of their stomach into the ventilation system.
I am convinced it's their parmesan/oregano bread, because the last time a friend bought me one for lunch, I was sick for the rest of the day and a combination of the smell and taste stayed in...+READ
Ugh - I can't go near a Subway for the very same reason. It's nauseating because the restaurants constantly smell like someone has been spewing the contents of their stomach into the ventilation system.
I am convinced it's their parmesan/oregano bread, because the last time a friend bought me one for lunch, I was sick for the rest of the day and a combination of the smell and taste stayed in my nostrils and throat until the next morning. It was the exact same smell that permeates the stores.-COLLAPSE
It's the bread! You're so right! Other low-quality-ingredient sandwich places don't have the same reek. It's this awful yeasty, smelly foot, and yes, chemically smell. I hope someone chimes in with a plausible answer....
I hate the Subway smell! I have decided it is the "cheese" and Italian seasoning they put on their breads. It is just a hideous smell!
Contributing to the smell is how they reheat meat for each sandwich they make, every time I have been there each portion goes into a microwave while it is still in plastic.... releasing melted plastic onto food, & into the air...That is what I noticed the last time there.
I had to stop a few places on St Paddys Day and my bank, which is next to a Subway, was one. As soon as I walked in, I said, what are you boiling corned beef and cabbage in the back. It was overwhelming. They said, oh that's from next door, and acted like it wasn't a big deal. But it was disgusting! Like stinky overcooked cabbage.
Wow!! Here, I thought that I was the only one sickened by the awful stench of the Subway. We have one in the hospital where I work and it makes me gag every time I am even on the same floor.
Thanks for starting this discussion. I thought I was the only one.
I definitely agree with Manda. It's definitely a sour stench (at least that's how it smells in the Subway down my street - and it's tucked inside a tiny gas station to boot). I've noticed that the Subway closest to me wreaks like fresh acidic vomit the minute you step through the door (sorry for the crude description but that's...+READ
Thanks for starting this discussion. I thought I was the only one.
I definitely agree with Manda. It's definitely a sour stench (at least that's how it smells in the Subway down my street - and it's tucked inside a tiny gas station to boot). I've noticed that the Subway closest to me wreaks like fresh acidic vomit the minute you step through the door (sorry for the crude description but that's really how it smells); however, I have been to other Subways at different times of the day and they never had that distinct smell. Maybe if the Subway locations are in crammed, urban small spaces people may notice this smell more. I bet the people who say they "love the Subway smell" are frequenting locations that are larger and therefore the "bad smell" has dissipated. But I hate to admit, when I'm in a bind I will cave and get a 6" chicken teriyaki on whole wheat... which I hear isn't even "healthy" bread anyways... maybe that's the topic of another discussion :)-COLLAPSE
Strange....I LOVE the smell of Subway. Smells like fresh bread to me.
Could the plasticy smell be coming from the silcon-like things that hold the loaves of bread when in the oven? I know I have some silcon cupcake pans that I quit using because they smell like burnt plastic.
I am so relieved to read this. I walk by a Subway on most days, and I have to hold my breath on the way by. I'm also pretty sure it has to do with the bread. The closest I've been able to come to a description is the smell of canned mushrooms.
The fatty acids theory is interesting. A food scientist who was doing research on butter rancidity once told me that rancidity isn't a result of...+READ
I am so relieved to read this. I walk by a Subway on most days, and I have to hold my breath on the way by. I'm also pretty sure it has to do with the bread. The closest I've been able to come to a description is the smell of canned mushrooms.
The fatty acids theory is interesting. A food scientist who was doing research on butter rancidity once told me that rancidity isn't a result of contamination, but a chemical reaction. By fooling around with the chemicals involved, they had managed to create a whole range of rancidity odours, including one he described as "fruit punch"!-COLLAPSE
Mercy, I've never been in close enough contact with a Subway to notice its smell. But anything they're doing that's ominous enough to counteract the smell of baking bread (an aroma that usually makes strong men weep with desire) has to be pretty awful.
Thanks for the warning.
P.S. Quiznos and Potbelly are even worse...
We just had a Subway open on the front of our office building. The stench comes up the elevator! We think it might be chemicals used on the veggies to keep them fresh plus yeast farts and baking funk.
Ive worked as a baker and I have never smelled anything close to the stench of Subway in the kitchen. I assumed that it was the fryers that hadn't been cleaned.
I can't go into a Subway restaurant just because of the smell. I've found other people who think so too.
Thank you.
I always thought they brushed some sort of oil on the bread when they baked it, and the oil burnt. I agree that maybe it's rancid dough.
I've always thought it smelled like rotten iceberg lettuce. I find it nauseating, but my husband doesn't smell it at all. I've never eaten at Subway but there is one next door to our neighborhood Blockbuster. The smell has completely permeated that store as well. Thank God for Netflix.
No one ever believes why I don't eat Subway - it's the baking bread smell that smells off to me as well. Definitely sour (and not in a good way) and chemical. Thank goodness I'm not alone in thinking Subway smells rank.
I used to have the same response to Mrs.Fields cookies. At the time, I ate a very healthy, no sugar or additive diet which I think made me hyper-sensitive to chemically smells. The burning fat speculation makes sense to me.
I love the smell of Subway!
I know precisely what you mean about an ODOR. There are a few stores, that upon entering, the stench is similar to vomit and totally overpowering. It amazes me that some people actually decide to eat anything from there.
Pamela_T: How old are you? They've only started toasting subs in the past (5?) years. That unique smell has been with Subway for a lot, LOT longer.
The smell keeps me away, too.
At least I don't have to go to a florist any more, I can find all the precious flowers I'll ever need right here in this comments thread.
I've been trying to tell my husband for years that 1.I don't like the food at Subway and 2. The smell of Subway makes me feel sick - I love a good sandwhich for lunch but I always go with the Mc Chicken Meal anyday rather then do a Subway! Enough said
I haven't been inside a Subway in years, but I recall that they used to keep the ice cream scoops and spreader utensils that they use to portion tuna/chicken/seafood salads in container of water that wasn't changed very frequently. When not in use, those utensils were swimming in a lukewarm milky broth of tuna/chicken/seafood juice. I think I now understand how Jerrod lost all that weight.
A...+READ
I haven't been inside a Subway in years, but I recall that they used to keep the ice cream scoops and spreader utensils that they use to portion tuna/chicken/seafood salads in container of water that wasn't changed very frequently. When not in use, those utensils were swimming in a lukewarm milky broth of tuna/chicken/seafood juice. I think I now understand how Jerrod lost all that weight.
A large super-mart near me has a shared Subway/Pizza Hut concession inside, and it smells like the anus of hell.-COLLAPSE
and mcdonalds smells like stanky vajayjay and grease. so does burger king. and white castle. all those make your ass fat places. i step in no fast food places but blimpies and subway. i like my nice shape and healthy kids. america is such a fat place. 8 out of 10 people we saw last night were fat. we were at an amusement park and i decided to start counting. not just chubby. fat. pay attention...+READ
and mcdonalds smells like stanky vajayjay and grease. so does burger king. and white castle. all those make your ass fat places. i step in no fast food places but blimpies and subway. i like my nice shape and healthy kids. america is such a fat place. 8 out of 10 people we saw last night were fat. we were at an amusement park and i decided to start counting. not just chubby. fat. pay attention people. you are blowing up your kids.-COLLAPSE
i think it smells like mushroom soup
I'm so glad to read this! I have the same problem with Dunkin Donuts. I've always assumed that it's the cleaning products, but whatever it is, it's doomed me to a life of drive-through windows.
Subway sucks!
I wouldn't eat at Subway, but I do love the smell ... Whenever I go into a HomeDepot I always think Mmmmm, Then I come to my senses .. and go to the Deli on the way home :-)
Ugh, that takes me back. My boyfriend in college briefly worked at Subway (15+ years ago) and I still associate that stench with being stone cold broke. To this day I will not eat Subway.
Is it possible (I speculate without knowing the ingredients) that the bread contains something like margarine? A petroleum product not unlike plastic? The repeated baking of the bread creating a residue on the walls of the oven and in the exhaust hood that wafts out during baking?
When I tell my family that I won't eat subway because I can't stand the smell they think I am nuts. Thank you for validating my craziness. I still won't eat subway...
I worked, managed and owned Subways for nearly 10 years. I'm thankful everyday that I don't have to come home with that distinctive smell on me. It was so bad that my car smelled just from travelling with my uniform. I can tell you that the smell is about 90% bread. The other 10% is a mixture of onions, cold cuts and roast beef (the smelliest meats of all). Unless you're in a poorly run Subway it...+READ
I worked, managed and owned Subways for nearly 10 years. I'm thankful everyday that I don't have to come home with that distinctive smell on me. It was so bad that my car smelled just from travelling with my uniform. I can tell you that the smell is about 90% bread. The other 10% is a mixture of onions, cold cuts and roast beef (the smelliest meats of all). Unless you're in a poorly run Subway it would not be the smell of rotting vegetables. And I can defnitely tell you that it's not the paper that they toast the bread on because this smell existed long before the addition of the high-speed toaster ovens. The bread smell is mostly the result of proofing - a process that involves placing thawed bread sticks in a humidity chamber. This process causes the sticks to rise. Proofing is the longest part of the process, usually taking upwards of an hour. There is a distinctive smell that comes from the proofer; a combination of steel, bread ingredients and moisture that culminates in a potent emination. Since most Subways are baking almost constantly, the proofer is almost always on. Therefore, the smell is constant, even if there's no bread in the proofer!-COLLAPSE
Not only is the stench of Subway restaurants rank, I could always tell when my staff had eaten there for lunch because they would reek for hours. You could smell it as soon as you'd enter the room - and I worked in a commercial photo lab, which has its own lovely stench! Always thought it was creepy the way the smell would linger on clothes and hair for hours...
It does seem like there's a huge split from people who have to hold their breath when walking by a Subway (I've never been inside one), and those who have no idea what (we're) talking about. Could we figure out if there's some common olfactory thread operating with those who can't stand it vs. those who don't mind or even love it. (I'm pretty repelled by the smell of mustard and pretzels, just to...+READ
It does seem like there's a huge split from people who have to hold their breath when walking by a Subway (I've never been inside one), and those who have no idea what (we're) talking about. Could we figure out if there's some common olfactory thread operating with those who can't stand it vs. those who don't mind or even love it. (I'm pretty repelled by the smell of mustard and pretzels, just to throw a couple out there.) I have to think it's gonna stay a mystery, since we probably need to hear from a Subway employee, but they would have to be "blind" to the smell if they could last a day there.-COLLAPSE
I think they pump in a "fake bread" smell to make people think they're actually baking bread, not finishing parbaked foam. I'm in the hate category.
What about the theory that it's a designed scent created to lure people in who smell "food or bread". It's very strong and a distinct minority hates it, but many think it means "let's eat!"
Hahah I completely understand your hatred for the smell! Its the only reason I didn't step into a Subway until I was 20 years old! I'm a Food Science major and when I finish my degree, I'll be sure to research the issue and get back to you, might even make a good subject for a thesis one day!
Herne & dcolon13...I agree with both of you..I happen to love Subway..I've never noticed a "smell"..it's just all the different foods & breads in one place- That's all..It's just like going to a bar & smelling all the liquors, beer & mixers they have in one place..now that's what I call "nasty"..The sandwiches & breads are good for a quick, inexpensive meal..What's all the fuss about?...+READ
Herne & dcolon13...I agree with both of you..I happen to love Subway..I've never noticed a "smell"..it's just all the different foods & breads in one place- That's all..It's just like going to a bar & smelling all the liquors, beer & mixers they have in one place..now that's what I call "nasty"..The sandwiches & breads are good for a quick, inexpensive meal..What's all the fuss about? Joyce..Please don't go near a Subway again..LOL-COLLAPSE
I'm pretty certain that the smell comes from the paper that they toast the bread on. When they make a sandwich and you request that it be toasted, they put the meat and cheese on, and then put the sandwich on paper that can go in the oven with out igniting. Definitely some scary and nasty smelling chemicals are released as the paper turns slightly brown but remains relatively cool. I would bet...+READ
I'm pretty certain that the smell comes from the paper that they toast the bread on. When they make a sandwich and you request that it be toasted, they put the meat and cheese on, and then put the sandwich on paper that can go in the oven with out igniting. Definitely some scary and nasty smelling chemicals are released as the paper turns slightly brown but remains relatively cool. I would bet money on it that this is the source of the nauseating smell that never goes away.-COLLAPSE
Oh, so happy to know I am not alone, even if not pregnant or likely to be! It is an repellant olfactory gauntlet I have to run in the food court every morning on the way to my favorite coffee shop. I am thinking of reporting it to the building management as an environmental hazard.
It's the odor of rancid bread dough, unique to Subway. They bake that glutinous, stale dough in convection ovens that are vented outside. It is a nasty aroma and a fair indicator of the overall unwholesomeness of their product.
It's nothing to do with the baking bread. It is the smell of the onions. The stores are never free of the onions sitting ready for sandwich prep. The stores' "odor" is simply always like that of "stale" onions. Try leaving a few slices of onion out in your kitchen...see if you can replicate the odor.
Subway has always smelled like a locker room to me. I think it's that they place frozen bread dough into their oven; the oven bakes the dough at way too low a temperature to create a crackly crust, and the time this dough remains in the "defrosting temperature before it's baked" zone is excessive. That theoretically drives off moisture and unbaked bread components into the airspace. Yuk.
The "awful smell" is probably coming from the numerous sanitization products used throughout the franchises. Their odor is horrid together, yet tolerable if only one is used. It did rob the place of it's "fresh baked bread" aroma.
I read an article recently about amonium sulfate being an ingredient in Subway bread. It is used in fertilizer, as a flame retardant, and sadly as a food additive. You can read about it on Wikipedia and see the ingredient list on Subway's website. I don't know much about chemistry but this just seems plain wrong to me. I no longer eat there. The smell of food contributes to a large percentage of...+READ
I read an article recently about amonium sulfate being an ingredient in Subway bread. It is used in fertilizer, as a flame retardant, and sadly as a food additive. You can read about it on Wikipedia and see the ingredient list on Subway's website. I don't know much about chemistry but this just seems plain wrong to me. I no longer eat there. The smell of food contributes to a large percentage of taste. In this case that doesn't make for a very appetizing sandwich.-COLLAPSE
I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. It's disgusting.
But you're right, it's not smelly feet. It's the dentist. You know that smell of plaque being scraped off your teeth? That's the exact smell of Subway.
The odd thing is, up until a few years ago, Subway didn't smell that way. It used to smell like actual breadbaking, and the wafting aroma drew in customers. Now the smell is so bad I...+READ
I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. It's disgusting.
But you're right, it's not smelly feet. It's the dentist. You know that smell of plaque being scraped off your teeth? That's the exact smell of Subway.
The odd thing is, up until a few years ago, Subway didn't smell that way. It used to smell like actual breadbaking, and the wafting aroma drew in customers. Now the smell is so bad I can't bear to be near a Subway.-COLLAPSE
It's not the trays or anything else. It's the bread. Let me explain.
Twenty-some years ago I lived in an apartment in Prospect Heights and had a job where I usually came home around 3 or 4 in the morning. The stench as I walked across Atlantic Ave. from the subway (train, not restaurant!) was incredible. Truly stomach-turning. I asked my neighbors what factory was spewing out such a foul odor...+READ
It's not the trays or anything else. It's the bread. Let me explain.
Twenty-some years ago I lived in an apartment in Prospect Heights and had a job where I usually came home around 3 or 4 in the morning. The stench as I walked across Atlantic Ave. from the subway (train, not restaurant!) was incredible. Truly stomach-turning. I asked my neighbors what factory was spewing out such a foul odor and they told me it was the ITALIAN BREAD FACTORY and I was coming home just in time to catch the smell of their bread baking early in the morning before they shipped out the loaves to delis around NYC - the ones you can buy for a dollar wrapped in paper, made fresh every day. Of course I thought they were having me on. How could that awful smell be the smell of fresh bread baking in the oven, one of the best smells in the world? And of course they were not kidding. That awful stench really WAS the smell of Italian loaves baking in a commercial bakery. Which additives cause the smell, I can't tell you. But having encountered it a number of times since then from local Italian bakeries that produce these loaves, I can tell you that this bad smell is consistent. It's still kind of shocking to me, but it's true.
Subway stinks BECAUSE they bake their deli loaves fresh on site every day. The only way to change it would be to use pre-made bread, or a simpler, superior kind of bread (just flour, water, and salt).
Subways stink BECAUSE they bake their bread fresh each day.-COLLAPSE
Looking at those looooooong lists of ingredients, my son asked what "silicon dioxide" is, so we looked it up. When he saw what it is, he said, "No wonder they're called 'SANDwiches'!"
I can't go into a Subway without my gag reflex being activated by this smell. On a roadtrip, the only gas station for miles around also had a Subway, and I had to hold my breath to go in to use the restroom. It's associated with the bread, but it smells like pesticide to me.
Don't really need salt or oil either- those are options.
It could be those silicone trays they bake the bread in. When you said burning plastic or melting rubber, I instantly thought of those trays. They get used over and over again, ad infinitum, and they might be providing that tell-tale stench that typically has nothing to do with bread baking. Just a thought.
It makes no sense to me that a sub shop has such awful bread. Sandwiches are their business! You'd think that bread quality would be really important, and good bread is so easy to make, and you really only need 5 ingredients, flour, water, yeast, oil, and salt, not 25, most of which are not even food.
I totally know what you mean! Every Subway has that smell. I assumed it was the bread but it's definitely not the normal mmmm delicious can't-wait-to-eat-it fresh baked bread smell.
I wonder if because the Subway was in a hospital if other smells are combining to create this stench. As for the plastic smell, I would guess that it is actually from a piece of equipment (The soup heater, the toaster, the bread oven, the refrigerator motor) that is giving off that smell.
Funny, but I've always loved the smell of Subway. In fact, before reading this article I figured they "vented" it intentionally to draw people into the restaurant; that people are actually disgusted by it is news to me. Go figure.
thanks for the list of subway's bread ingredients. some of those additives are banned in other nations for food use. yay FDA. subway isn't the only sandwich chain to be using these additives by the way.
I feel the same way about the smell. I always thought it was the cut onions sitting all day emanating the yucky stench....
I agree, its the bread. I bake bread frequently, and my bread always fills the house with a delicious aroma. But their bread kinda stinks. I am assuming that it is an additive they add to or coat the bread with to stabilize it so it keeps longer in dough form. Just looked and its chock full of chemicals. Heres the white bread (note: Mineral oil? Wow) ITALIAN (WHITE) BREAD Enriched flour (wheat...+READ
I agree, its the bread. I bake bread frequently, and my bread always fills the house with a delicious aroma. But their bread kinda stinks. I am assuming that it is an additive they add to or coat the bread with to stabilize it so it keeps longer in dough form. Just looked and its chock full of chemicals. Heres the white bread (note: Mineral oil? Wow) ITALIAN (WHITE) BREAD Enriched flour (wheat flour, barley malt, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, sugar, contains less than 2% of the following: soybean oil, fermented wheat flour, yeast, salt, wheat protein isolate, wheat gluten, dough conditioners (acetylated tartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides, ammonium sulfate, calcium sulfate, ascorbic acid, azodicarbonamide, potassium iodate, amylase [enzymes]), sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate, lactic acid, sulfites, mineral oil.
Heres the multigrain: 9-GRAIN WHEAT Enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, barley malt, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, yeast, high fructose corn syrup, whole wheat flour, wheat gluten, contains 2% or less of the following: oat fiber, soybean oil, salt, wheat bran, rolled wheat, rye nuggets, dough conditioners (DATEM, sodium stearoyl lactylate), yeast nutrients (calcium sulfate, ammonium sulfate), degermed yellow corn meal, rolled oats, rye flakes, caramel color, triticale flakes, parboiled brown rice, refinery syrup, honey, barley flakes, flaxseed, millet, sorghum flour, azodiacarbonamide, natural flavor (maltodextrin, natural flavor, silicon dioxide, lactic acid).
Interestingly, azodiacarbonamide is an ingredient in plastic foams. It seems to induce asthma and allergies. It degrades at 248 Fahrenheit. Interesting that it degrades as the bread is baked. I wonder what it degrades into...and if that accounts for the plastic like smell everyone is talking about. Hmmm...-COLLAPSE
Every chain strives to be consistant. I have to say Subway is successful in acheiving that goal. I thought I was the only person that did not take pleasure in eating "fresh", and could not bear the aroma.
I always catch the unmistakeable aroma of rancid low quality oil. The reusable plastic squeeze bottles you see there are the worst for oil storage. Once you get that rancid smell in the plastic the only remedy is disposal, which of course a profit driven fast food company doesn't budget for.
Not a food scientist, but I know the smell you're talking about and it also makes me gag. It suggested to me something brined gone bad -- something with the acrid volatility of vinegar carrying something else along with it.
I don't know what's with this topic but Subway has always smelled fine to me.
I never understood the point of Subway baking bread on the premises. It would be one thing if the bread was great, but in fact it is some of the worst sandwich bread I have ever tasted--squishy and flavorless. Every little sandwich shop in every bus and train terminal in Europe has sandwiches with better bread than Subway, and those places sure as heck don't bake it on premises. No, it's baked by...+READ
I never understood the point of Subway baking bread on the premises. It would be one thing if the bread was great, but in fact it is some of the worst sandwich bread I have ever tasted--squishy and flavorless. Every little sandwich shop in every bus and train terminal in Europe has sandwiches with better bread than Subway, and those places sure as heck don't bake it on premises. No, it's baked by actual bakers who know what they're doing. The worst part about Subway sandwiches is that awful, squishy bread. Yuck!-COLLAPSE
Wow, I always thought the Subways here in Australia smelled bad too -to the point where I used to cross the road to pass it, or hold my breath. Glad it's not just me!
No, no, see, I worked at Subway long before they introduced the Italian herb and cheese bread, so it's got nothing to do with that. The smell is a combination of all the food they offer there: the onions, the meat, cheese, veggies, the bread baking. When you turn all of that into a chain that has to regulate their product so it all tastes the same, scary processing ensues. And yes, iceburg...+READ
No, no, see, I worked at Subway long before they introduced the Italian herb and cheese bread, so it's got nothing to do with that. The smell is a combination of all the food they offer there: the onions, the meat, cheese, veggies, the bread baking. When you turn all of that into a chain that has to regulate their product so it all tastes the same, scary processing ensues. And yes, iceburg lettuce smells bad because it comes in a BAG. Already chopped up. I was working there when they switched from fresh, sliced there at the store lettuce, to bagged stuff and I hated it. Bagged lettuce smells terrible.-COLLAPSE
It's the bread, definitely. God, I hate that bread! I'm from the NYC-Jersey-Philly area and the idea of a hoagie on a soft squishy roll is just anathema to me. There needs to be some chew or crust to the bread! (ok, rant done.)
Thanks for the info WFD...the stuff smelled horrible though...glad I don't have to worry about it!
I think many sandwich chains are guilty of this - Subway, Quiznos, Blimpie, etc. all make me nauseous. Thank you all for validating my feelings. I too thought it was just me.
Baker's ammonia has been used for centuries, and is still used these days in the leavening of crackers, etc. It's not the same as household ammonia. No reason to be horrified.
I live in Italy and have seen bakers add baker's ammonia to their bread batch as a leavening agent (saying it's a normal practice).......they say it is harmless since it is supposed to dissipate in the baking process........I was horrified
There's a franchise on the ground floor of a medical building I am a frequent visitor to, and I can't help but think it has something to do with yeast in the bread?
oldunc, I definitely agree iceberg has a smell. A bad smell!
rmarcoux, I just know it's the bread. The smell isn't just like a low-level reek inside, it actually comes out of the place in waves and you can smell it from far away. Do you agree with me it's like plastic?
Don't know about Subway specifically, but there is a smell that hangs around most low grade eateries that seems to center around, of all things, iceberg lettuce- don't know how they manage to make this rather innocuous substance reek so- trade secrets, I suppose.
My pregnancy made everything smell bad make me ill. Later, as a teen, my son worked at a Subway and for months, my car retained the smell. It's been a few years, but even when congested, I can still conjure it up.
lenorelenore, I'm dyslexic. That's actually a word, so it slipped through my checks of what I'd written. I probably even reread the article and still read it as "aromatherapy", thought 'that's weird' and posted.
Subway was my first job and the reek of that place didn't leave my uniform even after numerous washes and airing out on the deck. We determined back then that it was the fake parmesan in the Italian Herbs and Cheese mix combined with the little frozen bread loaves that would stink once the tray got pulled out of the "proofer", a glass box of sorts with an old tray of water sitting in the bottom...+READ
Subway was my first job and the reek of that place didn't leave my uniform even after numerous washes and airing out on the deck. We determined back then that it was the fake parmesan in the Italian Herbs and Cheese mix combined with the little frozen bread loaves that would stink once the tray got pulled out of the "proofer", a glass box of sorts with an old tray of water sitting in the bottom of it. The intense humidity in there combined with the fake cheese and preservative-ladden bread emitted an intense, very unpleasant smell!-COLLAPSE
to blitherypoop--i like your "aromatherapy" when you meant "chemotherapy"--if only.....
I've always thought Subway had a weird smell, so you're not alone. I assumed it was the bread.
Oh my gosh, I thought that smell only bugged me! It smells like butt crack. There, I said it. Butt crack Subway!
amen! i always think it smells like burned pizza/plastic cheese. and it lingers in your clothes. for awhile i couldn't believe i kept having the bad luck of being there shortly after something burned. yuck.
A friend of mine who worked at Subway says it had a lot to do with the "italian herbs" falling off the bread and burning at the bottom of the bake oven.
I've always thought it was the combo of the stench of lunch meat and the tang of pickled items. I've never been pregnant or had aromatherapy, but I have a stupidly sensitive stomach and strong sense of smell. Bad combo. As much as I love hard cheeses, the smell of a counter full of them has sent me running for fresh air many times.