When you go to a restaurant – fast food or otherwise – and order tuna, what do you expect to eat? This is not a trick question. Of course, you expect to eat tuna. That’s exactly what Subway customers expect when they purchase Subway’s tuna subs. According to two women in California, Subway’s tuna sandwiches contain anything but tuna, and now they’re filing a lawsuit against the company because of it. (1)
Lawsuit Says Subway’s Tuna Subs Aren’t Made From Real Tuna
Karen Dhanowa and Nilima Amin of Northern California have hired Lanier Law Firm to help them in their crusade against Subway’s tuna sandwiches. The two women claim that contrary to what the fast-food sandwich chain says, the subs contain absolutely no tuna whatsoever. (1)
They are claiming that based on independent lab tests on subs from locations around the state, Subway’s tuna sandwiches are made from “a mixture of various concoctions that do not constitute tuna, yet have been blended together by defendants to imitate the appearance of tuna.” Their attorneys have so far not said what exactly those ingredients are. (1)
They are suing the company for (1):
- Fraud
- Intentional misrepresentation
- Unjust enrichment
They claim they were tricked into purchasing food from them containing the ingredients they reasonably thought would be based on labeling, packaging, and advertising. (1)
They also claim that Subway saves vast amounts of money by charging a premium for their tuna sandwiches but using cheap, non-tuna ingredients to make them. (1)
“Consumers are consistently misled into purchasing the products for the commonly known and/or advertised benefits and characteristics of tuna when in fact no such benefits could be had, given that the products are in fact devoid of tuna,” they wrote in the lawsuit. (1)
The Lawsuit
The plaintiffs are seeking (1):
- Compensatory and punitive damages
- Attorney’s fees
- For the company to stop misrepresenting their tuna sandwiches
- Surrender all profits from the tuna subs since the start date noted on the suit
The pair and their attorneys hope to make this case into a class-action lawsuit, which would open the case up to thousands of Subway customers in California who purchased a tuna sub after January 21, 2017. (1)
Subway’s Response
Naturally, the fast-food giant is not happy about the claims the women are making and have outright refuted them. This comes not long after Ireland’s Supreme Court ruled that Subway’s bread did not meet the country’s definition of proper bread. (1)
“Tuna is one of our most popular sandwiches. Our restaurants receive pure tuna, mix it with mayonnaise and serve on a freshly made sandwich to our guests,” said Katia Noll, senior director for global food safety and quality at Subway. (1)
She goes on to say that all this lawsuit does is damage the livelihoods of Subway’s franchisees in California.
“Given the facts, the lawsuit constitutes a reckless and improper attack on Subway’s brand and goodwill, and on the livelihood of its California franchisees. Indeed, there is no basis in law or fact for the plaintiffs’ claims, which are frivolous and are being pursued without adequate investigation.” (1)
According to Noll, the Lanier Law Firm has been targeting the food industry for quite some time in an attempt to make a name for themselves in that space. If they do not drop the accusations, Subway will fight back to defend the quality of its products and protect its franchise owners. (1)
Repairing Their Reputation
In an effort to publicly fight back against the claims against their tuna, Subway has released some clever advertising as well as a 15% promo for online purchases of Subway’s tuna subs using the code “ITSREAL”. (2)
They also tweeted about it and responded to many customer’s tweets questioning whether or not Subway is telling the truth. (2)
The current status of the lawsuit is unknown as we wait for further information on the court’s decisions. (2)
Keep Reading: Woman’s Twitter Thread Breaks Down How She Scammed A Scammer Back
References
- “Subway’s tuna is not tuna, but a ‘mixture of various concoctions,’ a lawsuit alleges.’ Washington Post. Tim Carman. January 27, 2021.
- “Subway offers ‘ITSREAL’ deal on tuna subs following fake fish allegations.” Today. Chrissy Callahan. February 2, 2021.