Upscale sandwich contains salt amount exceeding daily recommended limit
A recent analysis by Action on Salt & Sugar has revealed that an upscale sandwich contains a salt amount exceeding that found in almost five McDonald’s cheeseburgers. The smoked chicken Caesar club sandwich from the upmarket bakery Gail’s contains 6.88 grams of salt, surpassing the recommended daily limit of 6 grams for adults.
High salt levels in popular sandwiches
Action on Salt & Sugar examined 546 sandwiches and found that more than one in ten exceeded government salt targets. Additionally, 44% of the sandwiches would require a red warning label due to their high salt content. The Gail’s smoked chicken Caesar club also contains over 1,000 calories and 90% of an adult’s daily saturated fat intake.
Other sandwiches with high salt levels highlighted in the report include:
- Gail’s smoked salmon bagel with 4.2 grams of salt
- Paul’s rosette cheese salami gherkin with 4.19 grams of salt
- Pret A Manger’s ham & grevé baguette with 3.85 grams of salt
Health concerns and calls for action
Excessive salt intake is linked to high blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Sonia Pombo from Action on Salt & Sugar emphasized that people often choose sandwiches for convenience and affordability but may unknowingly consume a full day’s worth of salt in one meal. She described it as “frankly unacceptable” that some companies sell sandwiches exceeding the daily salt limit in a single serving.
The campaign group also pointed out that high salt content is not unavoidable. For example, a Pret A Manger chicken sandwich contains 2.22 grams of salt, while a similar sandwich from Greggs has only 1.1 grams. Similarly, Sainsbury’s all-day breakfast sandwich contains 1.54 grams of salt compared to 2.65 grams in the M&S version.
With an estimated 11.5 billion sandwiches consumed annually in the UK, Action on Salt & Sugar urged consumers to check salt content on packaging. However, the group stressed that government intervention is necessary, criticizing voluntary salt reduction targets as ineffective. Dr Pauline Swift, chair of Action on Salt & Sugar, stated that salt reduction is a quick, cheap, and effective way to improve public health, but progress has stalled.
Dell Stanford, a senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, advised that while occasional shop-bought sandwiches are fine, consumers should look for options with less salt and saturated fat, and ideally those containing lean protein and more fibre.
