Subway footlongs must measure at least 12 inches, says judge
US sandwich group Subway has promised that its ‘footlong' sandwiches will now measure a full 12 inches across all its US shops, after a judge ruled they must.
A settlement from a judge last week told Subway that it must guarantee that for at least four years, the "footlongs" - advertised as such on menus - must measure at least 12 inches.
The news comes from the company's Facebook page, and follows years of criticism against the brand, whose footlong sandwiches were often revealed to measure 11 inches or less.
In 2013, a photo posted on Facebook by a disgruntled Australian customer prompted an investigation by the New York Post, which found that four out of seven footlong orders in New York actually measured less than 12 inches.
Franchisees will now be made to measure the rolls before serving, despite the fact that each roll is made from identical frozen bread sticks, which are then thawed, kneaded, stretched, and baked on-site, reported UK Business Insider.
In a general statement, Subway responded: "We have already taken steps to ensure each guest receives the footlong or six-inch sandwich they order."
Thomas Zimmerman, a lawyer for the 10 plaintiffs who brought the case against Subway and who did not receive any monetary damages beyond $500 (£357) each in legal fees, said: "It was difficult to prove monetary damages, because everybody ate the evidence."
Subway operates 44,589 stores in 111 countries worldwide, including 2,310 open locations in the UK and Ireland, most of which are franchisees.
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