As one of the world’s largest submarine sandwich franchises, Subway offers customers a variety of meat choices to customize their subs. A popular option is crispy bacon, available in topping portions or full strips. But due to food safety concerns, many patrons wonder – is Subway’s bacon pre-cooked or raw before serving?
Why Pre-Cooking Matters
Pork is one of the top foods prone to harboring dangerous bacteria and parasites. Consuming undercooked or raw pork can lead to foodborne illnesses like trichinosis which can cause severe abdominal pain, nausea vomiting, and diarrhea. Proper cooking is crucial to kill any potential pathogens.
For franchises like Subway serving millions daily pre-cooking meats like bacon before final assembly adds an important layer of protection against food poisoning outbreaks. But Subway’s preparation process remains unclear.
Is Subway’s Bacon Fully Cooked?
According to Subway’s online ingredients information, their bacon appears to arrive at stores pre-cooked:
- Cured and smoked pork belly
- Water
- Salt
- Sugar
- Sodium phosphate
- Sodium erythorbate
- Sodium nitrite
The first ingredient listed is “cured and smoked pork belly” – implying the bacon is already cured and smoked, a form of pre-cooking, before reaching Subway locations.
However, some users on Reddit claim raw bacon is cooked daily inside stores:
“Raw bacon comes frozen in packs. We thaw it in the cooler overnight and then cook it in the turbo chef oven.”
This suggests at least some preparation and cooking may happen on-site rather than bacon arriving completely pre-cooked.
Potential Raw Bacon Health Risks
If Subway stores are indeed cooking bacon from raw, frozen packs daily, what risks could exist?
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Bacteria – Raw pork may contain Salmonella, E. Coli, Staphylococcus aureus and other bacteria that can multiply if not fully cooked to proper internal temperatures.
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Parasites – Raw pork can harbor worms like trichinella spiralis that survive freezing but are killed through cooking above 137°F.
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Cross-contamination – Improper handling of raw bacon can spread bacteria to other ingredients and surfaces in store kitchens.
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Inconsistent cooking – Franchise locations may apply heat inconsistently, leaving raw spots with active bacteria.
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Time/temperature control – Even if cooked to proper temperature, letting bacon sit at unsafe temps allows bacteria to regrow.
Employees also warn on Reddit that bacon is not always cooked sufficiently due to time pressures:
“We only cook it for like 40 seconds because of rush times.”
Food Safety Precautions
To minimize food poisoning risks associated with raw pork, Subway should implement food safety protocols such as:
- Source pre-cooked bacon, validated as pathogen-free.
- Provide adequate staffing levels to avoid rushing proper cooking.
- Follow precise time/temp cooking standards – at least 145°F internally.
- Prevent cross-contamination with separate prep tools, surfaces, and gloves.
- Monitor temperatures diligently, especially during busy rushes.
- Train staff extensively on hand hygiene, surface sanitizing, and contamination risks.
Without proper oversight, fatal pathogens flourish, multiplying by the millions in just hours.
Signs of Undercooked Bacon
Customers uneasy about raw bacon risks can watch for these signs their bacon may be undercooked:
- Glistening, shiny appearance signaling retained moisture.
- Soft, rubbery texture instead of crispy crunch.
- Reddish-pink color instead of browned edges.
- Limp, pliable rather than brittle consistency.
If uncertain your bacon was cooked sufficiently from raw meat, request a freshly made sandwich or consider other pre-cooked meat toppings like chicken strips or meatballs.
Customer Right to Know
Ultimately, Subway customers have a right to know exactly how their food is handled and prepared. Ambiguity around raw vs pre-cooked ingredients enables secrecy and leaves patrons vulnerable to health hazards.
Subway should clarify their process by answering key questions like:
- Does raw bacon arrive frozen to locations?
- Is bacon thawed and cooked from raw meat on-site daily?
- What are the minimum time and temperature standards for cooking bacon?
- How is cross-contamination of raw meat prevented?
With transparency, customers can make informed choices to protect their health. Subway owes its customers that peace of mind. After all, eating raw bacon strips may make for viral TikTok stunts – but it’s no joke for public safety.
