Subway Canada's newly launched SubDog, a footlong all-beef hot dog served on the chain's signature bread, has drawn attention online not for its size but for its appearance.
A video shared to X by @WallStreetApes featuring a food blogger's review of the product questioned the hot dog's dark color and ingredients.
Subway launched hot dogs called the SubDog and people are noticing it looks very unappetizing and the color seems very dark
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) June 29, 2026
I looked up the ingredients. They are:
“Beef, water, corn syrup solids, modified corn starch, salt, potassium lactate, sodium phosphate, sodium diacetate,… pic.twitter.com/EmUVBcLvx5
The X account responded to the food blogger's question by listing the SubDog's ingredients as beef, water, corn syrup solids, modified corn starch, salt, potassium lactate, sodium phosphate, sodium diacetate, dextrose, sodium erythorbate, garlic powder, spice extractives, sodium nitrite, and smoke.
They singled out sodium nitrite as the ingredient of greatest concern, citing its link to nitrosamine formation and processed meat's association with cancer risk.
Most processed meat is cured with curing salt, and the nitrite in that curing salt can lead to nitrosamine formation in the intestinal tract, compounds that are known carcinogens because they can react with DNA, according to the Science Media Centre.
Sodium nitrite curing also prevents the growth of Clostridium botulinum bacteria in processed meat products, a food safety function the additive serves alongside its role in color and preservation.
Reactions to the SubDog's appearance ranged from confused to skeptical. "Why is it GRAY?? 🤣🤣," one commenter wrote. "Costco has had this down for decades and Subway can't handle it."
A second commenter described a personal, unrelated reaction to Subway's meat products. "Subway bacon triggered my COVID loss of taste," the commenter wrote. "For two years all meat tasted horrible and my mind would think of human flesh."
The original food blogger said it tasted good but indicated she would not order it again, saying, "Not for me."
Subway bacon triggered my COVID loss of taste. For two years all meat tasted horrible and my mind would think of human flesh.
— Errnerner (@AALM1tch) June 29, 2026
A third commenter drew a pop-culture comparison. "In my opinion, Subway's deli meat leaves a lot to be desired," the commenter wrote. "When I see the meats and other ingredients going into their sandwiches, it reminds me of that old movie Soylent Green."
Subway has not issued a public response to criticism of the product's color or ingredient list.
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the identity of the food blogger featured in the original video or confirm the exact ingredient list cited by @WallStreetApes against Subway's official nutritional disclosures. The details above reflect the account as shared on X by @WallStreetApes and Science Media Centre.
