Many of the UK’s most popular shop-bought sandwiches contain “alarmingly high” levels of salt, with one particular offering found to have more sodium than almost five McDonald’s cheeseburgers, a new study has revealed.
Action on Salt & Sugar, a leading health campaign group, analysed 546 sandwiches, wraps, rolls, and baguettes sold across supermarkets and high street chains. Their findings indicate that one in 10 of these lunch options exceed both salt and calorie health targets.
Almost half (44 per cent) would carry a red or “high” salt warning on their front-of-pack labelling, while nearly a third (32 per cent) deliver half or more of an adult’s maximum daily salt limit in a single serving.
The charity stated that these findings “laid bare the scale of hidden salt in everyday lunch choices” and exposed the “failure” of the government’s voluntary approach to improving food’s nutritional quality.
The “worst offender” identified was the Smoked Chicken Caesar Club sold by upmarket cafe chain Gail’s, which contained a “staggering” 6.88g of salt. This amount is equivalent to nearly 10 rashers of bacon or five McDonald’s cheeseburgers. UK health guidelines recommend adults consume no more than 6g of salt a day – roughly one level teaspoon.
Furthermore, this sandwich also packed 1,067 calories and 90 per cent of an adult’s maximum daily saturated fat limit, while providing only 20 per cent of the recommended fibre intake.
The wider picture was equally concerning. Researchers found that a third of sandwiches surveyed would receive a red warning for saturated fat, and more than one in seven were simultaneously high in fat, saturated fat, and salt.
Almost all sandwiches (97 per cent) failed to provide even a third of the daily recommended fibre intake. A quarter of the sandwiches (25 per cent) are classified as “less healthy” under the current 2004/5 Nutrient Profiling Model, which restricts how and where they can be promoted to shoppers. The research also highlighted that sandwiches bought out-of-home (OOH) were generally saltier than those sold in supermarkets.
Among other high-salt culprits were Gail’s Smoked Salmon Bagel with Schmear and Pickled Pink Onions (4.2g of salt), Paul’s Rosette Cheese Salami Gherkin (4.19g), and Pret A Manger’s Ham & Greve Baguette (3.85g).
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.
However, Action on Salt & Sugar also found significant differences in the salt content of similar sandwiches and fillings, demonstrating that reformulation is possible. For instance, Pret A Manger’s Chicken Salad Sandwich contained 2.22g of salt, while Greggs’ Roast Chicken Salad Sandwich had half as much again with 1.1g.
Similarly, an M&S All Day Breakfast Sandwich contained 2.65g of salt, compared with 1.54g in Sainsbury’s All Day Breakfast Sandwich.
Several lower-salt products were highlighted as examples of successful reformulation, 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.
Companies like Pollen + Grace, The Gym Kitchen, and Urban Rajah were praised for meeting calorie and salt reduction targets across all their surveyed products, avoiding red warning labels, and not being classified as high in fat, sugar, or salt (HFSS).
Among retailers, Asda and Lidl achieved full compliance with salt targets for sandwiches, while Starbucks and Greggs provided the lowest average salt levels in the OOH sector, with full compliance for both salt and calorie targets.
Studies suggest that UK adults consume an average of 8.4g of salt a day, 40 per cent above the maximum limit, with much of it hidden in processed, pre-packed, and out-of-home foods like sandwiches. Excessive salt intake 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, commented: “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.”
