SUBWAY ADOPTS STRINGENT PRODUCE-SAFETY PROGRAM

ROBERT VOSBURGH

MILFORD, Conn. -- Subway Restaurants has announced new sourcing protocols for fresh vegetable ingredients, mandating compliance for the chain's restaurants in the United States and Canada, and suppliers, by February 2001.

Under the Gold Standard Produce Program, the chain's research and development department, in conjunction with the franchisee-owned Independent Purchasing Cooperative, has drafted product specifications for iceberg lettuce, tomatoes and green peppers, and organized a network of processors, packers and repackers who pass inspections by an independent third-party auditor.

"Never before have we had the ability to audit down to field level and trace product to its source," said Rick Buttner, Subway research & development supervisor of quality control. "By consolidating our purchasing efforts, Subway will become the largest user of mature green tomatoes and the second largest user of iceberg lettuce in the food-service industry."

The quick-service sandwich chain developed the program in response to statistics showing fresh produce is increasingly the source of food-borne illness.

"Since fresh produce is being implicated more often in cases of food-borne illnesses, this gives us the opportunity to further tighten our specs and put strict limitations on where produce used in Subway restaurants can be obtained," he said.

Subway appointed PrimusLabs.com, Santa Maria, Calif., to inspect the facilities and their products. By the end of the year, all growers in the network and their operational procedures will be registered with the auditing firm, officials said.