Bruce Horovitz

USA TODAY

Some 185 of the estimated 1,700 Subway stores in Great Britain and Ireland have eliminated ham and bacon from their menus in response to requests from Muslim consumers.

The world's largest sandwich chain said in a statement that after strong interest from its Muslim customers, these locations

have introduced "halal meat" as a replacement, which is prepared under strict Islamic rules.

As Subway has spread geographically across diverse populations, back in 2007 the chain put in place a program "to ensure that the population demographic is taken into account when new story openings are considered," the company said, in a statement.

There are currently no plans for stores serving halal meat in the U.S. market, a spokesperson says.

Muslims are forbidden from eating any non-halal food and meat from pigs, and Subway said customers can identify those stores selling halal food by the special "All meats are Halal" sign, displayed in the participating restaurants. The signs are on menu panels, nutritional information panels and front windows of the store.

Special meats made with non-pork products -- such as turkey ham -- are being sold instead.

Under Islamic law, pork is forbidden and while other meat can be eaten, it must be sourced, slaughtered and processed according to very strict rules.

Subway said all halal meat served in its branches has come from animals that were stunned before being slaughtered.