Unless you’ve been hiding under a gluten-free rock, by now you’ve heard about Subway customers who are enraged, simply enraged, to the point of suing, that their so-called Footlong sandwiches are measuring only 11 or 11.5 inches. But while some might point to an evil corporate conspiracy at work, one ex-sandwich artist says we should probably relax, as the amount of ingredients in each sandwich should be the same.

Even though you might be getting just one less bite of bread, Nick writes that he understands people feel they’re not getting what they’re paying for. He says he can shed some light on the matter to try and set our minds at ease.

Rather than worry about that mouthful of bread, it’s all about how the ingredients are regulated. If that’s on the up-and-up, well, you’re getting all the ingredients you pay for. It’s important to note that this particular worker is not currently employed by Subway, and each location may have different guidelines. The point is, there are guidelines. Probably.

Most ingredients in the subs are regulated. Bread, meat, and some of the vegetables all have specific proportions that SHOULD be followed according to Subway’s policy (I’m not sure whether it is at a corporate or local level though).

People will notice the most obvious cases for this. Such as, 2 grilled chicken patties for a 12″ grilled chicken sub. Going further though, there are supposed to be 4 slices of tomatoes per 12″, 8 olive pieces per 12″ (ridiculous, i know), etc.

Meat is the same way. For example (all 12″ sizes):
Turkey club: 6 slices
Ham: 8 slices
Pizza sub: 8 slices of pepperoni

The list goes on…

In terms of bread: They come as a frozen stick of dough, all the same size. They are thawed out and then an employee will roll them out into the trays that they are baked in. During baking, these will expand to their full size. It is not a precise affair by any means.

My point is this: whether your Sub is 11″ or 12″, you should be getting the same amount of ingredients. I would highly doubt this is a tactic to cheat the customer… at least not at a corporate level.

While we’re sure the outcry against shortened sandwiches will go on, it’s at least good to know that in theory, if all the fillings are present, all you’re missing out on is a little bit of carbs.

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