It might look like bread, and even taste like bread, but Subway's sandwiches aren't actually made with bread. Not, at least, according to the Irish Supreme Court. In fact, the Court takes it one step further: Subway's bread isn't even considered a staple food.
Apparently, it comes down to the amount of sugar Subway uses to make their "bread."
From The Guardian:
The ruling came after an appeal brought before the court by Subway franchisee Bookfinders Ltd. The case rested on whether the bread for Subway's sandwiches counts as a staple food and therefore is VAT-exempt.
The bread's sugar content – five times the qualifying limit under the act – means that it falls outside of the legal definition of a staple food. The ruling included white and wholegrain bread. The definition serves to differentiate bread from other baked goods.
"The argument depends on the acceptance of the prior contention that the Subway heated sandwich contains 'bread' as defined, and therefore can be said to be food for the purposes of the Second Schedule rather than confectionary. Since that argument has been rejected, this subsidiary argument must fail," the court ruled. The appeal was dismissed.
Now the question is, without bread, are Subway's sandwiches actually sandwiches?
Image: Crisco 1492 CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
