Subway removes ham and bacon from nearly 200 UK stores

[FiB3R]

Offers halal meat only after 'strong demand' from Muslims

• 185 branches across UK and Ireland now sell halal-only meat
• Halal refers to objects or actions permissible under Islamic law
• Pork is forbidden and while other meat can be eaten, it must be sourced, slaughtered and processed according to strict rules
• Subway said all halal meat served in its branches has come from animals that were stunned before being slaughtered
• Halal-only menu is in response to 'strong demand' from Muslim customers

Fast food giant Subway has removed ham and bacon from almost 200 outlets, and switched to halal meat alternatives in an attempt to please its Muslim customers.

It has confirmed turkey ham and turkey rashers will be used instead in 185 of its stores, where all the meat will now be prepared according to halal rules.

The chain, which has around 1,500 outlets across the UK, explained its decision by saying it had to balance animal welfare concerns with 'the views of religious communities'.

 

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Seems a lot of people are not best pleased

[Raa]

Seems a lot of people are not best pleased

And others are.

Remember Murphy's golden rule : The person with the gold makes the rules.

[FloatingFatMan]

Animal welfare concerns must always override barbaric religious rituals.

Stunning an animal before slaughtering is not halal, as far as I'm aware. It's meant to be fully awake and aware its throat is being cut.  :x

 

If they want to pander to a minority population, that's their choice. Just as mine will be to no longer buy my lunch there.

[FiB3R]

And others are.

Remember Murphy's golden rule : The person with the gold makes the rules.

I guess time will tell, who has the most gold.

[BajiRav]

WTF? Do only Muslims eat at Subway in the UK?

[Blackhearted]

So, annoy the majority just to please a few? Sounds kind of dumb.

[Nick H. Supervisor]

Seems a lot of people are not best pleased

I can see why. Why don't they offer ham and bacon, and have the other meat be halal? If you are a muslim that has chosen to not eat ham and bacon then it should be your responsibility to avoid it. Why are you denying me in the process?

[TheElite]

Did anyone bother to read the article?

 

This change only affects 185 stores in over 1500. It actually makes sense to sell halal meat in places where Muslims are a large customer base. However, as Nick pointed out, why not sell halal turkey in shops where non-halal turkey is also sold? Risk of contamination? Cost? Only the franchisees can best answer this.

 

I also find it funny that I did a Google search and I didn't find this story in any "mainstream" newspapers apart from the Daily Fail. It was posted on sites such as Stormfront and JihadWatch. :laugh:

[GrayW]

Animal welfare concerns must always override barbaric religious rituals.

Stunning an animal before slaughtering is not halal, as far as I'm aware. It's meant to be fully awake and aware its throat is being cut.  :x

 

I understand that people must have their own beliefs and way of life, but the practice is just utterly senseless and barbaric and should not be allowed.

 

So, annoy the majority just to please a few? Sounds kind of dumb.

 

Unfortunately it's the way the UK (and probably many other countries) is these days. It's getting completely out of hand in my opinion, but hey, there you go.

[psreloaded]

To me this has never made sense. In India, Subway stopped serving ham and bacon a long time back for this same reason.

 

This reduces the choice for people who do eat ham or bacon like me. They could have just made a halal only counter in the same shop like they do for vegetarian subs here and served everything separately. This truly is getting out of hand.

[Hum]

As per my orders. :p

[psreloaded]

WTF? Do only Muslims eat at Subway in the UK?

My point exactly.

[leesmithg]

Jews were here hundreds of years before Islamics so why didn't they do it sooner?

 

Pandering to minorities sucks.

 

Subway will report soon the closing of each and everyone of their outlets.

 

Halal is the same as Kosher, so with the E.U. looking to ban it, what ill they then do? 

 

Also not eating pork is a personal choice has nothing to do with religion.

 

I know Muslims and Jews that drink and eat pork.

[Dick Montage]

This is the most misreported news item of the week.

 

It is NOT to do with a supposed "demand" from the Muslim community.

 

It IS to do with this:

 

* Subway is a franchise, as such any store can stock any items they want from a range

* Each store is managed by a local manager

* Some areas clearly will not sell as many pork-based foods due to higher local Muslim populations

* Currently some stores are using two suppliers, one for Halal meat and one for more traditionally slaughtered meats

 

As such, if the pork is not selling well, you look at the cost of stocking it.  You also factor in the cost of using two suppliers when one would suffice.

 

But no, people have to bend this to be a racial issue don't they.

 

######ing hate how ignorant and blinkered people are at times!

[TheElite]

^ Well said!

 

It's just plain old capitalism.

[Dick Montage]

Really tired of ignorant people who are happy to wallow in their own ignorance.  Happy to share racially motivated crap without even thinking of the underlying issues or motives.

[compl3x]

This is not doubt a financial decision. You cater to whomever is going to help you make a profit. Like it or not companies have a right to sell whatever they like. We could debate the religious idiocy of banning some foods and not others, but that is besides the point.

[Dick Montage]

Thank you compl3x!  The argument of religion here is thoroughly moot. 

[theyarecomingforyou]

This is the most misreported news item of the week.

 

It is NOT to do with a supposed "demand" from the Muslim community.

 

It IS to do with this:

 

* Subway is a franchise, as such any store can stock any items they want from a range

* Each store is managed by a local manager

* Some areas clearly will not sell as many pork-based foods due to higher local Muslim populations

* Currently some stores are using two suppliers, one for Halal meat and one for more traditionally slaughtered meats

 

As such, if the pork is not selling well, you look at the cost of stocking it.  You also factor in the cost of using two suppliers when one would suffice.

 

But no, people have to bend this to be a racial issue don't they.

I used to manage a top-performing Subway store and can tell you that while managers have some discretion in the products they stock most of the decisions are determined by the franchisee. Even area managers have little influence in the product line (or at least that was the case in the company I worked for). Then there is the corporate policy, as stores are required to stock most items - only a few items are optional (BBQ ribs, Temptation and sweetcorn at that time). Franchisees aren't allowed to drop any of the main product lines, even if they are selling poorly.

 

The only way stores can drop ham and bacon is by being designated as a Halal store. It's a business decision, pure and simple. Muslims are less likely to eat in Subway if the store isn't Halal but few non-Muslims will stop eating there if the store is. The only way this will change is if these stores are boycotted.

[Dick Montage]

It's a business decision, pure and simple. Muslims are less likely to eat in Subway if the store isn't Halal but few non-Muslims will stop eating there if the store is.

 

As will have been factored into the decision.  Again, it's financial - pure and simple.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

It would be better if they just gave the choice rather than removing products off the line. There's no compromising with religion though it's either our way or no other way, but on you go if it is kept to high muslim populated areas.

[Dick Montage]

It would be better if they just gave the choice rather than removing products off the line.

 

This would not yield the cost benefits.

[Semtex]

[Dick Montage]

Debating religious practices of animal slaughter is not racism. Debating stores choosing to sell this product over others is not racism.  People who cry "racist" at every single bit of criticism, is stupidity.

 

People who subscribe to the view that this decision is racially motivated and not a financial ones, and then forward it around thus propagating racial tension - they are the stupid ones.

 

Halal procedures (once again for the hard of reading) are not the issue here.

[compl3x]

The accusation of racism when criticising Islam seem to be a pretty cynical tactic to quash criticism of the religion.