A new study by Action on Salt & Sugar has revealed that many popular shop-bought sandwiches in the UK contain alarmingly high levels of salt. The worst offender identified was Gail’s Smoked Chicken Caesar Club, which contains 6.88g of salt—more than five McDonald’s cheeseburgers and exceeding the daily recommended limit of 6g for adults.
The analysis of 546 sandwiches, wraps, rolls, and baguettes from supermarkets and high street chains found that one in ten exceed both salt and calorie health targets. Nearly half (44 per cent) would carry a red warning for salt on front-of-pack labelling, while almost a third (32 per cent) deliver half or more of an adult’s daily salt limit in a single serving.
Other high-salt products include Gail’s Smoked Salmon Bagel with Schmear and Pickled Pink Onions (4.2g), Paul’s Rosette Cheese Salami Gherkin (4.19g), and Pret A Manger’s Ham & Greve Baguette (3.85g). Tesco’s Fully Loaded Hot Honey Halloumi, Falafel and Pickled Slaw (3.78g) and Sainsbury’s Kitchen Deli Pastrami, Cheddar Cheese & Gherkin Mustard Mayo (3.67g) also contain more salt than 12 bags of ready salted crisps.
The research highlighted significant variation in salt content among similar products, showing that reformulation is possible. For example, Pret A Manger’s Chicken Salad Sandwich contains 2.22g of salt, while Greggs’ Roast Chicken Salad Sandwich has just 1.1g. Lower-salt options include Subway’s Veggie Delite Sub (0.60g) and Pret’s Avo, Olive & Toms Half Baguette (0.82g).
Action on Salt & Sugar criticised the government’s voluntary approach to improving food quality, calling it a failure. Sonia Pombo, head of research and impact at the charity, said: “Most people choose sandwiches for lunch for their simplicity, convenience and affordability. But what they’re actually eating is a hidden salt bomb.”
