Analyzing the ingredients in processed food may prove at times to be tricky — and nasty, too.
Several food analyses in the past have yielded surprising, sometimes unpleasant, results such as human DNA found in vegetarian burger.
How about finding that Starbucks allegedly put insect coloring to its fast-selling strawberry drinks? Or reports of rat meat for mutton?
The same could be said of the recent DNA lab analysis on Subway meat, which showed that there is less chicken than expected in its chicken meat products.
Plant Or Chicken? Subway Fires Back
Subway called the lab test conducted by Canadian Broadcasting Corp's MarketPlace on its chicken meat as "stunningly flawed" and a "tremendous disservice to our customers."
"The allegation that our chicken is only 50 percent chicken is 100 percent wrong," read Subway president and chief executive Suzanne Greco's statement issued on Thursday, March 2, which blasted Canadian TV show's Marketplace.
The Marketplace research alleged that chicken meat and strips of Subway chicken in Canada are 50 percent chicken and in some instances more than 50 percent soy. It also noted that samples from McDonald's and Tim Horton's did not yield high plant DNA content.
The Subway response came with the release of the results of the study commissioned by the company following the Marketplace report. Two laboratories, Maxxam Analytics in Canada and Florida's Elisa Technologies, were hired to conduct the tests on chicken samples from Canada.
After the tests were conducted, Subway said the plant DNA (soy protein) is below 1 percent of the sample.
"These findings are consistent with the low levels of soy protein that we add with the spices and marinade to help keep the products moist and flavourful," Subway in its statement said.
Subway demands that Marketplace retract its statements.
Marketplace Stands By Its Reports
The Canadian TV show, however, stands by its reports by publicly posting the lab test results.
It said it stands by its findings which were summed up in part as follows, "Subway had a much higher plant DNA percentage than the other samples."
An expert, meanwhile, has this something to say about restructured (processed foods) such as Subway foods.
Ben Bohrer, a food scientist at the University of Guelph, said processed foods are made of ground meat mixed with other ingredients to extend their shelf life. The process also enhances the tastes of these products while making them affordable.
