Subway removes pork from stores after 'strong demand' from Muslims

[Jesus Malverde]

Around 200 branches of Subway have cut ham and bacon from their menus, serving halal meat in response to calls from their Muslim customers.

The sandwich chain said 'following a strong demand from our Muslim customers', 185 stores in the UK and Ireland have introduced the meat, which is prepared under strict Islamic rules.

In Arabic the word halal means 'permitted' or 'lawful' and defines anything that is allowed or lawful according to the Qur'an.

It is often used to indicate food - particularly meat - has been prepared in accordance with Muslim principles and techniques.

Read More: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2616576/Subway-removes-ham-pork-nearly-200-stores-strong-demand-Muslims-eat-Halal-meat.html

[LuvNewcastle]

1. Fundies have something new to boycott.

I heard that Disney boycott didn't go so well.

[brooklynite]

2. ...whereas other fun dies pressuring them to change their menu is an improvement?

[MohRokTah]

3. If a large number of customers were Jewish

Would it not be a wise business decision to serve Kosher meats?

Of course, cheese on sandwiches in that case would also be forbidden, but you get the point.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

35. "If a large number of customers were Jewish."

If the store is making a market appeal that would be one thing.

[LuvNewcastle]

9. I think it's just responding to customer demand.

I'm sure Subway could care less about religious restrictions, they just see a way to cash in on a certain market. A very significant number of their customer base in Britain and Ireland must be Muslim, otherwise they wouldn't be changing anything.

[NuclearDem]

10. It's a private business adjusting its practices in some stores to meet demands of some consumers.

Otherwise known as SHARIA!!!11!!1!!eleventy

[azurnoir]

86. it's sharia? would that be militant sharia, creeping sharia, or customer base sharia?

Besides it's not like there are not about 1600 other subways in the UK and Ireland (the number surprised me)

http://www.subway.com/subwayroot/exploreourworld.aspx

[Orrex]

37. Yeah! And how dare McDonalds market its Fillet o' Fish during Lent!

[azurnoir]

87. How dare McDonalds market fillet of fish(?) at any time :)

ever peel the breading off of one of those?

[Orrex]

89. I thought that was a scab

Not very fishish, whatever it is.

[azurnoir]

90. or maybe this guy

[seveneyes]

7. Fundies

Some fundies are favored, and their bigoted actions overlooked more than others.

[LuvNewcastle]

12. Believe me when I say that I don't "favor" Muslim fundies.

It's one thing to change a menu to respond to the desires of customers. Now, if they were demanding that Subway fire all it's gay employees or only hire Muslims or something similar to that, then that would be something entirely different. But it appears to me that a huge number of Subway's customers in that region must be Muslim, so I think they're just cashing in on that market.

[Violet_Crumble]

17. Muslims who eat Halal are no more fundie than Jews who eat Kosher...

But I'm curious to know what religion you think fundies are favoured in, and who they're favoured by...

[Capt. Obvious]

24. I know the answer

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

14. I've been boycotting Subway for quite some time.

They kept using Michael Vick as a spokesman even after he was found to be murdering dogs.

[LuvNewcastle]

18. That, at least, makes sense.

I don't know who they're trying to appeal to by having him as a spokesman. Seems they could afford someone far less tainted to hawk their food.

[pangaia]

33. I don't boycott Subway.

I just don't like their product or the smell of the place.
Plus 2 doors down is a much better sub/pizza shop - Pontillo's.

[Violet_Crumble]

59. Subway smells funny in the US too??

I'm in Australia, and I hate the smell. That plus the food being crap keeps me away from there unless there's no other option available and I'm about to start chewing my arm off to stave off starvation

[pangaia]

80. Part of the smell is poorly made and improperly stored sour dough.

The rest of the smell... who knows..

[get the red out]

36. That makes it even worse!

Though it might just attract some of the new customers they are looking for.

[Coventina]

43. Seriously? I had no idea!

Thanks for the info.

Boycotting as of now!!!

[Eleanors38]

62. When in Gainesville, try Hogan's Heroes. Hot-pressed!

[Capt. Obvious]

4. I call bullshit

Daily Mail is the only source for this story and it's not even a story about Subway removing pork. The entire story is about Muslims and their eating habits as defined by the Quran.

I'm sure Pam Gellar will be all over this though.

[chrisa]

6. +1 - Waiting to see this confirmed from another source

Daily Mail is a rag that purposefully lights flames with their stories.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

15. Take the link to subway.uk in the comment just below.

We would like to assure you that all the meats at the "Halal" Subway stores are certified Halal meats. Ham and Bacon products have been substituted by "Turkey Ham" and "Turkey Rashers". None of our Halal certified meats at Halal Subway stores contain pork and none of our standard meat products are being sold at Halal Subway stores.

So it looks like it's real, and in the 'Halal' subways, no meat other than 'Halal' meat is being sold at all.

[Capt. Obvious]

21. From the Subway link

Do all SUBWAY® stores serve Halal meats?
No. Only a limited number of SUBWAY® stores serve Certified Halal meats. For a list of participating stores please contact: [e-mail] or go to the store finder at www.subway.com

Sensational!
Chain restaurant trying to cater to its customers.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

81. Well, you're living up to your username.

Since if you actually read my comment all the way, I specifically noted 'In the halal subways', which indicates that it's only in certain subways.

Nor do I have any particular problem with stores catering to their chosen customers.

[Violet_Crumble]

22. There's Kosher Subways in the US that don't serve pork...

In 2006, the first kosher Subway restaurant in the United States opened, in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. Subway spokesman Jared Fogle attended the opening. A press release stated, "With slight modifications, such as no pork-based products, and the use of soy-based cheese product, the menu is virtually identical to that of any other Subway restaurant."[20]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subway_(restaurant)

[whistler162]

46. Only about 4 left after 2012

unless the franchisees opened more.

[Violet_Crumble]

50. I'm not sure what yr point is n/t

[Eleanors38]

63. So, when a store goes Kosher or Halal, it must pro forma drop pork at the same store?

[msanthrope]

67. Yes. nt

[Eleanors38]

70. Does site-based prohibition include indy, sit-down restaurants?

IOW, can I go into Juarez's Mexican Food and order Kosher or Halal, while the table next to me can order a green chili, shredded, smoked pork omelet?

[msanthrope]

71. No. Not if the food products are coming out of the same kitchen. nt

[comrade snarky]

84. Soy-based cheese product?

That's a sin against my savior, Cheesus.

[Jesus Malverde]

8. It's obvious captain...

http://www.subway.co.uk/menu/halal.aspx

The whole story is about religious fundamentalists who hate BACON and other pork products.

[Violet_Crumble]

16. Do you have the same issue with Kosher food? n/t

[Capt. Obvious]

23. I like how the Mail just copied and pasted

Subway:

What is Halal?
In Arabic, the word Halal means "permitted" or "lawful" and defines anything that is allowed or lawful according to the Qur'an.

Daily Mail:

In Arabic the word halal means 'permitted' or 'lawful' and defines anything that is allowed or lawful according to the Qur'an.

[azurnoir]

88. Not BS at all, I also don't see the outrage there are around 1800 Subways in the UK/Ireland

IMO Subway is going by its customer base at those stores

McDonald's in India don't serve beef but they do have several paneer burgers

http://www.mcdonaldsindia.com/images/Nutrition-Information.pdf

[dipsydoodle]

5. RIP

[alarimer]

11. I'm going to take this with a grain of salt because it is the Daily Mail

But if true, did it ever occur to these assholes that OTHER people eat there too and they have no damn right to dictate to others because of their silly religion?

Don't like ham or bacon? DON"T FUCKING EAT IT!

You don't live in your own little dictatorship.

[Luminous Animal]

38. Perhaps you can contact Subway and tell the company how you feel about Kosher

Subways in the U.S.

[NuclearDem]

42. Right, because no other Subways in the UK are serving pork.

Dictatorship!

Some Subways offer Kosher meat in the US. OMG ZOGGITY ZOG ZOG!

[Nevernose]

73. Normally I would agree with you

But I'm sure that Subway did the math: does losing ham and bacon at 200 stores in Muslim communities outweighed by bringing in more Muslim customers?

I do get pissed at the YouTube videos of religious fanatics, from all religions wandering the streets of Western nations and trying to enforce their religious rules on others

[Niceguy1]

13. catering to fundies

I hope it hurts their bottom line..

[Capt. Obvious]

25. Expanding customer base

always hurts the bottom line.

[MO_Moderate]

27. Yep

[ucrdem]

19. Might also have to do with the price of pork bellies

Evidently there's a diarrhea virus going around that's doing a lot of damage to swine herds and sending the price of pork up so this might be an excuse for using cheaper substitutes.

[Bluenorthwest]

20. The Subway in my old neighborhood in L.A. was Kosher, all the products

that were usually pork were in fact made of turkey. Subway at one point had a few such locations, not sure if they still do. Not sure why this would be a big deal to anyone....

[Violet_Crumble]

26. It's probably a big deal for the same reason Vegemite being Halal certified was...

It's not about dietary requirements or inclusiveness to some, but all about Muslims. Here's an example...

Vege spite spreads


VEGEMITE has gone halal in a bid by food giant Kraft to make the national "treasure" available to Muslim Australians.

The label on Australia's most famous spread has changed in recent months to include halal certification in a move some have described as "ridiculous" political correctness.

<snip>

Muslim leaders have congratulated Kraft for introducing the labels, but Family Council of Victoria secretary Bill Muehlenberg questioned the company's motives.

"This is a private company trying to make money," Mr Muehlenberg said. "I don't think they care a rip about offending the tastebuds of Muslims.

"Why do we have to keep bending over backwards to please minority groups? There are only 300,000 Muslims in Australia out of 22 million people, which is a very small percentage.

"Of course, there's a case for making allowances for different cultures, but aren't we getting a bit carried away with political correctness here? It's ridiculous."

Mr Muehlenberg feared the halal labelling was also a sign of "Islamisation" of western countries.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/vege-spite-spreads/story-e6frf7jo-1225822877705

[muriel_volestrangler]

28. That's about 10% of the outlets, FWIW

Wednesday 22 January 2014

There are currently more than 1,700 Subway outlets in the UK and Ireland, all independently owned and operated as franchises of the US brand. Last year there were 150 store openings. Subway said the stores currently provided work to more than 8,600 people.

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/jan/22/subway-to-double-outlets-uk-ireland

[dembotoz]

29. every now and then you see articles on how menus at fast food chains are different in different

places

always find them interesting

i would imagine a mickey ds in china or japan or france for that matter would have some different menu items.

i really do not have a problem with that

[NuclearDem]

45. Or McD's not serving beef in India.

DICTATORSHIP I TELL YOU

[VanillaRhapsody]

65. All they serve is Filet Mcfish and McChicken sandwiches?

Poor Mayor McCheese and the Hamburgler!!!

[frylock]

85. like the Royale with Cheese?

[get the red out]

30. I would not eat at Subway

were I a citizen of those countries, never again.

This is sickening, bowing down to religious extremists in fear. I am sick of it with the Christians in this country.

[Violet_Crumble]

31. Do you find it sickening that the US has some Kosher subways?

Or is that somehow different?

[get the red out]

32. Of course

I don't like bowing down to the fear of religion.

[Violet_Crumble]

34. I don't get it. halal and kosher meat tastes the same as normal meat...

'The fear of religion' is in reality fast food chains making their product so it can be eaten by everyone. Meat's meat to most of us. Unless someone's an anti-Semite or an Islamophobe, it's not like they're going to choke eating Halal or Kosher products...

Me, I'd draw the line at a vegetarian McDonalds!

on edit: D'oh!

http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/would-you-like-tofu-with-that-mcdonalds-to-open-first-vegetarian-outlet-20120905-25d51.html

[get the red out]

39. I have a LOT of issues

with bowing down to extremist Christianity in this country.

Is that ok with you? Or am I a 'phobe since I feel the same about all religious fundamentalists?

As my line at the bottom states "I am NOT a good liberal".

[Violet_Crumble]

47. Since when have Muslims or Jews eating Kosher or Halal been fundamentalists?

And this isn't about Christianity. The OP was about Muslims...

[get the red out]

51. Common attack methods

Claim my attempt to say I feel the same about all religions is not the topic, the problem REALLY is that Muslims are in the mix. I can be mad at Christians over things, but never certain religions.

Sorry, I don't buy that. I get mad at all religions at some time or another.

[Violet_Crumble]

56. I don't really give a shit what you think of any religion..

I'm an atheist, and that's all that matters to me.

I'm not sure why yr mad at Muslims or Jews about Subways attempts to produce food they can eat. It's kind of as strange as some people here who got mad because Vegemite has a Halal certification. Apparently that word must make food taste different, though having tasted it, I can't tell the difference...

[Hippo_Tron]

82. Orthodox Jews do tend to be fundies and many have joined the Christian right

That being said, there are still a number of liberal Jews who observe these dietary restrictions.

[Capt. Obvious]

53. person

[Luminous Animal]

40. So, are you ready to start a boycott over the Kosher Subways in the U.S.?

NO KOSHER SUBWAYS! NO KOSHER SUBWAYS!

[get the red out]

48. Now that I know about them

And the fact that they kept Michael Vick as a spokesman after his crimes were known (which I found out about), I don't have to eat there.

I don't "organize boycotts" I simply decide where I, personally, will or will not eat.

[whistler162]

41. There are what 4 or less kosher Subways?

http://yeahthatskosher.com/2011/09/the-remaining-kosher-subway-restaurants-in-the-u-s/

[Violet_Crumble]

44. So? Not sure what difference that makes....

Those restaurants are doing exactly the same thing as what the ones in the UK are doing...

[Capt. Obvious]

52. I'm trying to find out how many Halal subways there are

The Mail says 200.

Subway says only a handful whatever that equates to.

[Violet_Crumble]

57. I think they've kicked it off with 184...

And if it goes the same way as Kosher ones in the US, the numbers will dwindle over the years. I guess it all depends on the demographics where the stores are, and whether they advertise them properly and stuff...

[Eleanors38]

66. Can a store be both Kosher AND Halal?

[CJCRANE]

74. Apparently muslims can eat kosher food.

"For most Muslim sects, kosher is a subset of halal; accordingly, Muslims can generally eat kosher food, but Jews cannot eat all halal food".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_Islamic_and_Jewish_dietary_laws

[Eleanors38]

91. Then there is the Ital diet of Rastafarians which discourages

all meats except scaled sea fish. I've seen restaurants advertise ital dishes, but I don't know think the whole menu had to conform to the diet. Rastas have told me that if the diet is not available, then eat what you must as you have to live. Makes sense.

[LanternWaste]

55. Or simply bowing to market pressures and evolving demographics..

"This is sickening, bowing down to religious extremists..."

Or simply bowing to market pressures and evolving demographics... however, I certainly wouldn't want to stand in the way of this, your most righteous rage.

[get the red out]

61. "Righteous rage"

Why are opinions others disagree with always called "rage"?

Mine is simply an opinion you don't agree with. Rage is something that will keep me up at night. Not eating a shitty sub sandwich won't keep me up at night.

[NuclearDem]

58. Oh give me a break.

If this were over Subway ordering its female employees cover up, you'd have a point.

But it's not. I don't particularly care about Kosher or Halal, but where's the damn harm in a restaurant catering to their customers' dietary restrictions?

[Shoulders of Giants]

49. Can't they just keep the pork seperated from everything else?

[Capt. Obvious]

54. That doesn't help them

Islamify us.

[MineralMan]

60. It sounds like they're selectively altering the menu

to adapt to the wishes of local patrons. As the story said, it's not all Subways that are doing this. Where Islamic populations make up a sizable portion of the customers in a place, a sensible restaurant will consider adjusting the menu to suit that customer base. It's called smart business. If halal meat improves business at those locations, then it was a good business decision.

I'm not sure what the problem is, really. It's a business decision.

I live in St. Paul, MN. Here, and in Minneapolis, we have a substantial population of Muslims. In neighborhoods where many of them live, there are halal markets and other businesses that specifically cater to that population. It sounds to me as though you're just pissed off that Muslims don't eat pork products. I see that you are in Japan. Do the Subways in Japan have exactly the same menu as those in the United States? I'm guessing that they do not. Successful businesses adjust to meet the expectation of their customers.

[treestar]

64. That's up to them as far as their customers

If they are in an area with mostly Muslims, it's a business decision that could make sense.

[Capt. Obvious]

68. BREAKING NEWS

In 2008 subway opened two stores that serve Halal meat only.
One Store in Cheetham hill the other in Levenshulme both in Manchester.
In accordance with Sharia law these stores no longer serve pork, bacon or ham, we believe this discriminates against non-Muslim customers

Halal: Is the Ritual Slaughter of animals in accordance with Islamic/Sharia law- for consumption by Muslims!

The aim of this group is to persuade Subway to offer all its customers the freedom to choose whether they eat Ritually Slaughtered meat or traditionally prepared meat. As well as the choice of bacon for the traditional breakfast butty.

The only way we can achieve this is enough people support our campaign.
Our campaign will include.

AN IMMEDIATE BOYCOTT OF ALL SUBWAY STORES: to start a boycott of all subway stores until subway provides freedom of choice at these 2 stores

A PETITION TOO BE DELIVERED TO SUBWAY CEO: collect a substantial amount of signatures to be presented to the CEO of subway

PERSONAL LETTER OF CONCERN. Shortly we will post a template of a letter of concern that every individual member of the group should complete and mail to subway, this letter can be sent on a monthly basis to achieve maximum effect, until freedom of choice is put in place at the 2 stores

Our intention is not to deprive the Muslim customers the right to halal products.

BUT we must be free to decide what we want to eat.

Boycott Subway Home Page

http://boycottsubway.webs.com/

[closeupready]

69. Source: Daily Fail. Not believing this for one minute. Morons may, though.

[muriel_volestrangler]

78. You posted that 'morons' comment several hours after someone posted the link to Subway

Here it is again - perhaps, being so far up the thread, you forgot what it said before calling people who believe the report 'morons':

http://www.subway.co.uk/menu/halal.aspx

[Tikki]

72. Bet you some of these franchise owners are Muslim, also.

And the majority of those customers are Muslim. Don't like the food there? Go elsewhere.


Tikki

[LeftishBrit]

75. This is the Daily Mail, don't forget

They will do anything to imply that the Evil Immigrants are taking over.

I suspect that the stores are just providing what sells in their communities.

[JHB]

76. Following "strong demand' is not the same as 'caving to demands'

Back in my bad old days as a pizza delivery guy for a certain national chain, I was working the phones and one customer asked me if the sausage had pork. It was "beef sausage", so I said no. A little nag in the back of my head moved me to check the boxes of it in the walk-in fridge. Sure enough, there was a "may contain" disclaimer that included pork. I called her back, apologized for the error, and she modified the order to leave off the sausage.

In other words, the customer couldn't rely on the ingredients to be "permitted"by their dietary restrictions. If given a choice, they would patronize a business that they could rely on to accommodate their dietary restrictions.

From what I can tell, Subway is just catering to the customer base in areas with significant muslim populations.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

77. Hey, if they don't want bacon, more power to them. That leaves more for me =) nt

[Vashta Nerada]

79. And the religionists strike again.

[RedCappedBandit]

92. I don't have a problem with that per se..

Also, I don't see why they wouldn't just serve their normal items AND whatever else there is demand for. That would seem to be the most inclusive option.