New Subway Lawsuit Could Get You More Meat On Your Sandwiches

Subway might not be stacking their sandwiches with as much meat as they claim, according to a lawsuit filed in Brooklyn in federal court on Monday, October 28, 2024. The class action case alleges the real sandwiches have three times less meat than their advertised counterparts, which is "grossly misleading" for customers. In fact, Subway's sandwiches are mostly bread, according to the lawsuit, filed by Anna Tollison of Queens, New York. The complaint hinges on an advertisement for the fast food restaurant's Steak & Cheese sandwiches. Tollison claims she bought one for $7.61 and opened the sandwich to find 200% less meat than she'd seen in advertisements.

Citing New York consumer protection laws, Tollison is seeking damages for everyone in the state who purchased a Steak & Cheese sandwich over the past three years. In an interview with Reuters, Anthony Russo, Tollison's lawyer, said that the situation represents "an egregious example of the type of advertising we're trying to stop."

This isn't the first time Subway has been in the crosshairs for products not matching up with advertising. In 2013, the sandwich giant began combatting allegations that the chain's "footlong" sandwiches were not 12 inches long. That case was thrown out of the U.S. appeals court in 2017 after four years of legal action. In 2021, Subway was also sued in California under a lawsuit alleging the tuna they put in their sandwiches isn't real fish. The complaint cited 20 tuna samples taken from Subway establishments in Southern California, stating 19 of them contained protein from other animals like chicken, pork, or beef, but no tuna. That case was dismissed voluntarily this year by the plaintiff.

Subway isn't the only fast food chain that has been sued for skimping on ingredients, either. The law firm representing Anna Tollison has brought similar lawsuits against McDonalds, Wendy's, and Taco Bell, all of which were dismissed in 2023, per Reuters. Taco Bell has been accused of slinging meat that isn't really meat, a claim that was disproven last year. Legal action has been brewing from within the fast food industry as well, with McDonalds filing a lawsuit against beef suppliers earlier this month for needlessly increasing prices.