Subway has built its business by positioning itself as a healthier alternative to the typical fast food outlet. Now the chain is looking to up the ante with the announcement it will reduce sodium in its Fresh Fit sandwich line by 28 percent versus 2009 levels. Subway also said that sodium would be cut by 15 percent on the rest of its sandwiches.
"We felt it was important to take this leadership role in terms of sodium reduction," said Tony Pace, Subway franchisee advertising fund chief marketing officer. "This is another manifestation of Subway's mission to provide consumers with an abundance of made-to-order, flavorful and nutritious choices that they'll enjoy eating."
The announced reductions by Subway were part of the company's commitment to the National Salt Reduction Initiative (NSRI). The sandwich chain has met 2012 sodium benchmarks for the NSRI and said it would meet goals set for 2014.
"It's great to see large companies like Subway reducing sodium levels," Michael Jacobson, executive director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, told USA Today. "Hopefully, this won't be the end of the journey for Subway. They should try to bring it down by 50 percent."