Subway chemical used as a bleaching agent in the companys sandwich bread will be removed, a week after a petition organized by a popular food blogger called for its removal. The Subway chemical is a plastic additive also found in shoe rubber and yoga mats.

What sort of ingredients do you expect in your sandwich bread? Flour, yeast, and maybe a few whole grains are probably the first things that come to mind. A chemical found in yoga mats is likely not, which led to a major publicity nightmare for Subway this week.

Staff writer/editor

Schuyler Velasco is a writer and editor for the Monitor's business desk. She writes about consumer issues, sports, and the occasional sandwich.

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The global sandwich chain said Thursday that it would be removing such a chemical from its bread, a week after a petition called for its removal. The petition was organized by Vani Hari, a popular food blogger who runs the website Foodbabe.com. The chemical, called azodicarbonamide, is a plastic additive used as a bleaching agent in Subways bread and used in other products to increase elasticity. Azodicarbonamide is legal in the US and Canada, and deemed safe by the Food and Drug Administration. But the World Health Organization has warned of a link between the chemical and certain medical issues, and Subway does not use it in bread sold in its European and Australian locations.

Azodicarbonamide is the same chemical used to make yoga mats and shoe rubber this is not eating fresh! Ms. Hari wrote last week in a blog post, which also linked to a petition urging Subway to stop using the chemical in North America. The post was widely shared on Twitter and Facebook, and the petition has over 68,000 signatures to date.

Subway says that it was in the process of removing the chemical before Haris post went viral. "We are already in the process of removing Azodiacarbonamide as part of our bread improvement efforts despite the fact that it is USDA and FDA approved ingredient," the company said in a press statement. The complete conversion to have this product out of the bread will be done soon." Subway wouldnt reveal how much Azodiacarbonamide was used in the breads production.

Subway is the biggest sandwich chain in the world, with more locations worldwide than McDonalds. Being viewed as a fresher, healthier option than its fast food competitors is key to its brand, and something that it has been very successfully cultivating both in the United States and abroad. The chains advertising mainly features Olympians and other high-profile athletes, like speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno and NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III. Subway has a partnership with the American Heart Association and recently pledged to join Michelle Obamas Partnership for a Healthy America campaign.

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Subway chemical, also in yoga mats, removed from sandwich bread

How do Miranda Kerr and Gisele Bndchen fit yoga in around motherhood and a career? They do it at home, says The Ishy founder Jane Kersel. With these top tips, you can do it too

BY Rachael Dove | 06 February 2014

Why do yoga at home? Practising a yoga routine at home needs demystifying: so many of my students are worried about posing incorrectly, or think that a routine should always be 90 minutes long. Yoga is not about nailing that perfect pose, it's about getting out of your head and into your body. The more bite-sized chunks of mindfulness you can fit in a day, the better. Practising a routine in a class or a busy gym can often make it harder to concentrate on you. At home you have the opportunity to connect with the rhythm of your body and centre your thoughts inwards. Try and do a routine everyday, but - don't be critical; If you can't practise in the morning, find a moment that suits better.

Prepare a space Always take your outside shoes off when you enter your home to maintain a pure and clean energy. Buy a mat to give your routine and body a level of respect. Unfold it in a relaxing space such as a spare room or bathroom (water promotes relaxation) and avoid putting it in busy or working spaces like your office or the lounge. Take a shower when you get in from a stressful day at work to psychologically mark the end of your working day. Light a candle, play soft music or massage in some body oil to evoke your senses, which connects mind to body and calms the nervous system.

Morning routine When you wake up, stretch in your bed to iron out aches and strains from sleeping. Take your pillows away and lie flat on your back with the soles of your feet on your mattress and your knees bent. Lift one leg into the air, wrap your hands around it and straighten it as much as you can, keeping your back flat. Hold for 10 long breaths and swap to the other leg. Next, start with both legs straight then bring your right knee towards your chest. Holding on to it with your left hand, roll your knee over to your left hand side. Hold for 10 breaths and repeat. Sit up, crossed legged and, for five minutes, be aware of the noise in your head. Let thoughts of your forthcoming agenda slip away whilst you relax in the present moment.

Miranda Kerr's yoga-inspired Instagram photo, posted in November (PHOTO: @mirandakerr)

Breathing routine Cold weather, driving and sitting at a computer screen cause a closed body posture with a collapsed chest and shallow breathing. The key to doing yoga at home is choosing poses that open your lungs and your body, which are the antithesis of bad posture. For instance, the horse pose (feet placed wide apart with bent knees. Check poses online at yogajournal.com) encourages deep breathing and the circulation of blood, which gives you a dose of energy. Start by holding your hands together at your heart. As you inhale take your arms out to the side as if you are welcoming a long lost friend. On exhale, bring your arms back to your heart. Repeat 10 of these arm movements breathing from the base of your lungs.

Stretching routine During the 11th exhale of the horse pose forward-bend to the floor keeping your knees bent. As you inhale, lift your chest (so that it looks like a flat table top) and fold back down towards your legs as you exhale. Inhale and roll up into a standing position. Repeat this five times. On your last exhale, instead of rolling up, step your feet back and put your hands on the floor into the downward dog pose. Stretch your back out as you inhale and exhale. From there, inhale and bring your right foot up to your hands, into a lunge with your hands either side of your foot. This stretches your hip flexors which get very tight when sat at a desk and can cause lower back pain. From the lunge place your back knee on the floor and bring your hands to your heart. Inhale and circle them towards the ceiling and down by your side. Go back into downward dog and repeat with the left leg. This routine is brilliant for those who have never done yoga before, as it does not rely on flexibility.

Energy routine If you are going out in the evening after a tiring day and need a burst of energy, or if you been travelling and are jet lagged, try the viparita karani pose. Lie close to a wall and flick your legs up so that your hips and back are flat on the floor (the flexibility of your back and hamstrings will dictate how close you get to the wall). This inversion circulates static blood from your feet to your heart to give you a feeling of renewed energy. It's excellent for stretching out an achy back, too.

Evening routine At the end of the day, instead of trying to relax by watching television, get into bed. Lie in the corpse pose (flat on your back) and close your eyes. Watch all the anxiety from your day unfolding, and your thoughts float away like clouds. Unhook from the pushing energies that tell you to wake up in the morning, or go into work when you feel unwell. Breathe deeply and accept any chatter in your head. Give your body quiet time to achieve the feeling of true relaxation.

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How to do yoga at home

Subway says it is removing from its bread a chemical reportedly found in Yoga mats, following a petition pressuring it to nix the ingredient.

We are already in the process of removing azodicarbonamide from our bread as part of our bread improvement process, Subway said on Facebook on Wednesday, responding to angry comments. While the ingredient is approved by the USDA and FDA, it will be removed from all our breads soon,

More than 66,000 people have signed a petition on the popular food blog foodbabe.com to remove the chemical, which is used only in North American restaurants and is said to be found in yoga mats and shoe rubber.

A Subway representative told the Associated Press that the process began before the petition, but did not say when it will be complete. The complete conversion to have this product out of the bread will be done soon, Subway said in a statement.

See a video from the petition here:

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Subway Will Drop Yoga Mat Chemical From Bread