What Kind of Turkey Does Subway Use in 2024? Meeting Consumer Demands for Fresh, Natural Deli Turkey
Over the past few years, Subway has simplified its turkey breast ingredient list, responding to shifting preferences for fresher, minimally processed deli meats. As of 2023, Subway‘s oven-roasted turkey contains just four ingredients:
- Turkey breast meat
- Water
- Sea salt
- Natural flavors
This contrasts with earlier recipes that added dextrose, soybean oil, and other fillers – ingredients consumers now try to avoid.
Shifting Preferences Towards Natural, Minimally Processed Deli Turkey
Market research shows that freshness, minimal processing, and no antibiotics are now the most important purchasing factors for consumers buying deli turkey meat.
Organic and free-range turkey sales have grown over 15% by volume since 2019, outpacing conventional turkey. And more than 60% of consumers report actively checking labels for unwanted ingredients.
In alignment with these preferences, Subway introduced the current oven-roasted turkey recipe in 2021. As of 2023, no fillers, preservatives or ingredients besides turkey breast meat, salt, and natural flavors are included.
| Year | Oven-Roasted Turkey Ingredients |
|---|---|
| Before 2021 | Turkey breast meat, water, dextrose, salt, carrageenan, sodium phosphate, soybean oil |
| 2021 – Present | Turkey breast meat, water, sea salt, natural flavors |
Food Safety First: Why Subway Discards Leftover Turkey Daily
Proper storage and cooling procedures are vital for deli meats from a food safety perspective.
Listeria outbreaks linked to contaminated deli turkey sickened nearly 40 people between 2016 and 2019. Mishandling, such as allowing meats to remain too warm for too long, contributes to Listeria growth.
To prevent this food safety risk, Subway discards any leftover turkey on a daily basis. They also follow first in, first out procedures to ensure turkey sandwiches contain only the freshest sliced meat.
Estimating Subway‘s Turkey Supply Chain
While Subway does not disclose its specific turkey supplier, the leading processors like Butterball, Jennie-O, Cargill and Perdue likely represent their vendor base.
These four companies collectively account for over 60% retail turkey market share. Subway‘s alignment to minimally processed, all-natural turkey suggests contracting with a major producer focused on this premium segment.
I suspect they source finished deli meats through a national distributor like Gordon Food Service (GFS) versus directly from processors. This allows for consistent, reliable supply chain scale. However, it potentially limits just how specialized the turkey source is.
Consumer Preferences Continue Pushing Food Chains Towards Premium, Natural Ingredients
The rising consumer demand for fresh, minimally processed deli meats shows no signs of slowing. Chains like Subway are listening, simplifying recipes to align with the premium, natural trend.
In doing so, Subway retains relevance while also potentially commanding slightly higher price points for perceived quality upgrades. Ultimately, the consumer wins with transparency and choice.
The days of highly processed, artificial deli meats are waning. Companies will continually reformulate with health in mind or risk losing market share to proactive competitors.
