Some of the UK’s most popular shop-bought sandwiches contain “alarmingly high” levels of salt, with one containing more than almost five McDonald’s cheeseburgers, according to a new study by Action on Salt & Sugar.
Study Findings
The charity analysed 546 sandwiches, wraps, rolls, and baguettes sold in supermarkets and high street chains. It found that one in ten exceed the salt and calorie health targets. Almost half (44%) would carry a red or “high” salt warning on their front-of-pack labelling, while 32 deliver half or more of an adult’s maximum daily limit in a single serving.
Action on Salt & Sugar said the findings laid bare the scale of hidden salt in everyday lunch choices and exposed the “failure” of the Government’s voluntary approach to improving the nutritional quality of food.
Worst Offender
The charity named the Smoked Chicken Caesar Club sold by upmarket cafe chain Gail’s as the “worst offender”, finding that it contained a “staggering” 6.88g of salt, equivalent to nearly 10 rashers of bacon or five McDonald’s cheeseburgers. Adults should consume no more than 6g of salt a day – or around one level teaspoon – according to UK health guidelines.
Furthermore, the sandwich also contains 1,067 calories and 90% of an adult’s maximum daily saturated fat limit, while providing only 20% of an adult’s recommended fibre intake, the study found.
Wider Picture
The research found that a third of sandwiches surveyed would receive a red warning on front-of-pack labelling for saturated fat, and more than one in seven were high in fat, saturated fat, and salt simultaneously. Almost all the sandwiches surveyed (97%) failed to provide even a third of the daily recommended fibre intake. A quarter of the sandwiches (25%) are classified as “less healthy” under the current 2004/5 Nutrient Profiling Model, limiting how and where they can be promoted to shoppers.
Out-of-Home vs Supermarkets
The research found that sandwiches bought out-of-home (OOH) were generally saltier than those sold in supermarkets. Among the poorest performers were Gail’s Smoked Salmon Bagel with Schmear and Pickled Pink Onions containing 4.2g of salt, and Paul’s Rosette Cheese Salami Gherkin, containing 4.19g of salt. This was followed by Pret A Manger’s Ham & Greve Baguette with 3.85g per serving.
Other products particularly high in salt included Tesco’s Fully Loaded Hot Honey Halloumi, Falafel and Pickled Slaw at 3.78g, Tootoomoo’s Sriracha Pork Sando at 3.67g, and Sainsbury’s Kitchen Deli Pastrami, Cheddar Cheese & Gherkin Mustard Mayo at 3.67g – all containing more salt than 12 standard bags of ready salted crisps.
Variation and Reformulation
However, Action on Salt & Sugar found wide differences in the salt content of similar sandwiches. For example, Pret A Manger’s Chicken Salad Sandwich contained 2.22g of salt, while Greggs’ Roast Chicken Salad Sandwich contained half as much again with 1.1g of salt. Similarly, an M&S All Day Breakfast Sandwich contained 2.65g of salt, compared with 1.54g in Sainsbury’s All Day Breakfast Sandwich.
The charity said several lower-salt products showed that reformulation was “both possible and practical”, including Subway’s Veggie Delite Sub with just 0.60g of salt, Pret A Manger’s Avo, Olive & Toms Half Baguette at 0.82g, Caffe Nero’s Chicken, Tomato & Basil Hot Wrap at 1.08g, and Greggs’ Tuna Mayonnaise & Cucumber Sandwich at 1.1g per serving.
Positive Examples
There were also “clear examples of companies getting it right”, including every product surveyed from Pollen + Grace, The Gym Kitchen, and Urban Rajah, which all met calorie and salt reduction targets, had no red warning labels on front of pack, and none of their sandwiches were classed as high in fat, sugar or salt (HFSS). Among retailers, Asda and Lidl achieved full compliance to the salt targets for sandwiches, and Starbucks and Greggs provided the lowest average salt levels in the OOH sector, with full compliance with the salt and calorie targets.
Public Health Impact
Studies suggest that UK adults consume 8.4g of salt a day on average, 40% above the maximum limit, with much of it hidden in processed, pre-packed and out-of-home foods such as sandwiches. Too much salt raises blood pressure, a leading cause of stroke and a major driver of heart and kidney disease. Consumers buy 11.5 billion sandwiches across the UK every year.
Sonia Pombo, head of research and impact at Action on Salt & Sugar, said: “Most people choose sandwiches for lunch for their simplicity, convenience and affordability. But what they’re actually eating can be a full day’s worth of salt hidden between two slices of bread.
“More than 20 years after the first set of salt reduction targets were introduced, it’s frankly unacceptable that some companies continue to sell sandwiches that exceed an adult’s daily limit in one go.
“Voluntary action has been allowed to drift for too long, and the result is a food environment that continues to put public health at risk. The Government must now step in with tough, mandatory measures, because leaving this to industry goodwill has clearly failed.”
