Most people are probably unaware, but the bread that is prepared at Subway has a chemical in it that has been used as a dough conditioner. It may be hard to believe, but the same chemical is also used in yoga mats, shoe rubber, and leather.

Subway’s sandwiches were famously used to make Jared Fogle lose weight, and they certainly do not want to have an unhealthy image of the company floating around. It seems safe to say that something that is used in such things as yoga mats and shoe rubber should not be digested in the human body.

As a fast food chain that prides itself on being a healthier option than the others, Subway has agreed to adjust their bread making process, and their bread will no longer contain a chemical called Azodiacarbonamide. The chemical supposedly makes the bread whiter and puffier.

In relation to the chemical-filled Subway bread, the fast food chain recently released a statement that said “We are already in the process of removing Azodiacarbonamide as part of our bread improvement efforts despite the fact that it is USDA and FDA approved ingredient. The complete conversion to have this product out of the bread will be done soon.”

The American population has been made aware of this fact thanks to Vani Hari, a blogger and food activist, She blogs under the name “Food Babe,” and is the writer for the website FoodBabe.com. After making people aware of the chemical, and how she felt about its use, Hari’s petition was able to get over 67,000 signatures. A petition of this size easily gained the attention of Subway and has forced a change in the methods of making their sandwich breads.

Hari also made an interesting point when talking about the types of chemicals that are often used in the food industry, and said “When you look at the ingredients, if you can’t spell it or pronounce it, you probably shouldn’t eat it.”

She was made aware of a visit to Subway from Michelle Obama in Washington D.C., and decided to enlighten the public about the danger that could exist when eating Subway bread. The First Lady was there to commend the chain for joining her healthy eating initiative, which meant pledging to have nutritious foods on its kids menu. As with several other chemicals, Azodiacarbonamide is banned in the UK, Europe, and Australia, although it is USDA and FDA approved.

Subway caught using dough conditioner in their bread, the same stuff that makes shoes and yoga mats. Eat fresh?

— ◈Nameless◈ (@NamelessUnited) February 12, 2014

88,000 ppl sign petition asking @SUBWAY to remove additive from bread. Why not make a real difference? Ask them to remove the meat.

— Ginny Kisch Messina (@TheVeganRD) February 14, 2014

Of course, Subway bread is not the only thing in fast food chains that includes this potentially dangerous chemical. It can also be found in items sold at Starbucks, McDonald’s, Burger King, Dunkin’ Donuts, and many other chains. Will any of the others follow suit?

Image via Youtube