Subway — Ethics Grade D+

Subway receives an overall ethics grade of D+ (38/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Retail. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 25
• privacy: 80
• consumer: 30
• environment: 45
• humanRights: 50

Documented incidents (3)

• Tuna DNA Dispute (medium, 2021) — A high-profile lawsuit alleged that Subway's tuna sandwiches contained 'no trace' of actual tuna DNA, instead mixed with various other animal ingredients. While Subway defended its product quality, the case raised significant transparency concerns.
• Systemic Wage Violations (high, 2014) — Department of Labor investigations found that over 300 Subway franchisees violated the Fair Labor Standards Act, resulting in widespread underpayment of employees. Subway was identified as the brand with the most labor violations in the fast food sector.
• Soy in Chicken Investigation (medium, 2017) — A CBC Marketplace investigation using DNA testing claimed that Subway's grilled chicken contained only ~50% chicken DNA, with the rest coming from soy and other fillers. Subway sued for defamation but the court dismissed the case.

Documented good deeds

• Antibiotic-Free Chicken Commitment — Transitioned to a supply chain in the U.S. that uses only chicken raised without antibiotics, aiming for higher food safety standards.

Ethical alternatives

• Panera Bread — Recognized for better animal welfare standards and cleaner ingredient transparency.