Subway says it's removing chemical from bread.
NEW YORK (AP) — Subway says it's in the process of removing a chemical from its bread as part of an ongoing effort to improve its recipes.
The announcement comes after a popular food blogger launched a petition this week asking the sandwich chain to stop using the ingredient, called azodicarbonamide. A representative for Subway says the change was underway before the petition was launched, but did not immediately provide details on when it started or when it would be complete.
"The complete conversion to have this product out of the bread will be done soon," Subway said in a statement, without providing further details.
Vani Hari, who runs FoodBabe.com, has targeted other food companies including Kraft and Chick-fil-A for the chemicals in their products.
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/subway-says-its-removing-chemical-bread
Azodicarbonamide.
In the United States, azodicarbonamide has generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status and is allowed to be added to flour at levels up to 45 ppm.[8]
In the UK, the Health and Safety Executive has identified azodicarbonamide as a respiratory sensitizer (a possible cause of asthma) and determined that products should be labeled with "May cause sensitisation by inhalation."[9] The World Health Organization has linked azodicarbonamide to "respiratory issues, allergies and asthma." Britain, Europe, and Australia now ban its use in food.[10]
Toxicological studies of the reactions of azodicarbonamide show that it is rapidly converted in dough to biurea, which is a stable compound not decomposed upon cooking.[11
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azodicarbonamide