Skip to content

New Lawsuit Alleges Subway's Tuna Contains "Absolutely No Tuna"

The ingredient was purportedly tested and found to contain no fish.

After receiving a ruling last year that their sandwich bread isn't even actual bread, fast-food chain Subway is being taken to court again. But this time, it's about their tuna.

According to The Washington Post, the chain is being sued for fraud and misrepresentation, among other things, because of the main ingredient in their tuna sandwiches. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges that Subway's tuna, which is advertised as a blend of flaked tuna and creamy mayo, is actually anything but. It goes on to say that the ingredient is in fact "a mixture of various concoctions that do not constitute tuna, yet have been blended together by defendants to imitate the appearance of tuna." (Related: The Saddest Restaurant Closures In Your State.)

The allegation is purportedly based on independent lab tests of multiple samples of the chain's tuna obtained from restaurant locations in California. The attorney for the plaintiffs told The Washington Post, "We found that the ingredients were not tuna and not fish," but declined to clarify what ingredients have been found in the concoction.

The two plaintiffs are residents of Alameda County in the Bay Area, but the attorneys on the case hope to turn this into a class action lawsuit, which would open the suit up to thousands of Subway customers who have purchased a tuna sandwich from Subway locations in California since 2017.

Subway has responded to the allegations, calling them baseless and claiming the lawsuit is nothing more than a "reckless attack" on their brand.

"There simply is no truth to the allegations in the complaint that was filed in California. Subway delivers 100 percent cooked tuna to its restaurants, which is mixed with mayonnaise and used in freshly made sandwiches, wraps and salads that are served to and enjoyed by our guests," the response said.

Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter to get the latest restaurant news delivered straight to your inbox.

Mura Dominko
Mura is ETNT's Executive Editor, leading the coverage of America's favorite restaurant chains, grocery stores, and viral food moments. Read more about Mura