[News Space=Reporter seungwon lee] Controversy has arisen after the sandwich franchise Subway provided a 'lobster plate' as a free gift for some menu items in November, which was found to contain significantly more cadmium, a group 1 carcinogen, than the standard.

A detailed inspection by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) and the Gyeonggi Province Food and Drug Administration revealed that the cadmium concentration detected in the plates was 4.2-5.3㎍/㎠, exceeding the domestic standard (0.7㎍/㎠ or less) by more than six times. Subway officially acknowledged this on the 6th, immediately implemented a full recall, and requested that customers stop using the products for safety reasons.

The Risks and Health Effects of Cadmium

Cadmium is a Group 1 carcinogen classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) under the World Health Organization (WHO), and long-term exposure can cause various health problems, including kidney damage, decreased bone density, lung damage, and high blood pressure.

In particular, cadmium has a strong tendency to accumulate in the body, increasing the risk of toxicity with repeated exposure. If it enters the human body through plants and water, it can cause acute symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, gastritis, headache, and muscle pain. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has established a provisional tolerable daily intake (TDI) for cadmium and warns that continuous exposure increases the risk of chronic diseases such as circulatory system disorders and anemia.

Subway's Post-Response and Consumer Reaction

Subway takes this matter seriously and, on its official website, stated, "We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience and concern this may have caused." Furthermore, the company offered a sandwich voucher worth 8,000 won to customers who received the affected plates, and provided instructions on how to retrieve them via a notice on its website.

Subway announced plans to reorganize quality and safety management standards across its entire product line, strengthen management of its partner companies, expand regular sampling inspections, strengthen verification procedures with external accredited agencies, and enhance its pre-product verification process.

Consumer and SNS reactions

The quality controversy spread on social media, with photos and complaints like, "The lobster image was erased after washing the dishes," and "Printer ink was floating on the food." Some consumers criticized Subway, saying, "The free gift we were expecting turned out to be a health hazard," and "This raises serious questions about the franchise's quality control," expressing a loss of trust in Subway's response.

The cadmium contamination incident in Subway's lobster plates is expected to have major repercussions as it has shaken consumers' trust in the franchise brand's quality and safety management.

While the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and Subway's swift recall efforts contributed to minimizing damage, criticism is mounting that the brand's image needs to be restored and a thorough quality control system established.