Subway Rolls Out Gold Standard Produce Program<b></b>

Milford, Connecticut-In an effort to help reduce the riskof food-borne illness, Subway Restaurants has rolled out its GoldStandard Produce Program for fresh lettuce, tomatoes and greenpeppers. The company's research and development department, inconjunction with the franchisee-owned Independent PurchasingCooperative, has organized a network of processors, packers andrepackers who use facilities that can produce or source freshproduce to the chain's written specifications.

In addition, an independent third-party auditor, PrimusLabs.com,will regularly inspect the facilities and their products. By theend of the year, all growers in the network and their operationalprocedures will be registered with the auditing firm.-Subway