Salty sarnies. Credit: www.realbreadcampaign.org CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0
Salty supermarket sandwiches slammed
New report finds 44% of supermarket and high street sandwiches are high in salt.
Sustain alliance member Action on Salt & Sugar has published the results of a new survey of 546 sandwiches, wraps, rolls and baguettes sold in supermarkets and high street chains.
- 44% of the products passed the ‘high’ salt red traffic light warning for front of pack labelling.
- 1 in 4 of the sandwiches are classed as ‘less healthy’ under high fat, salt and sugar (HFFS) rules.
- 32 products contained 50% or more of an adult’s guideline daily maximum amount (6g) of salt in a single serving.
The announcement of the report said the ‘worst offender is GAIL’s Smoked Chicken Caesar Club, packing more salt than nearly five McDonald's cheeseburgers.’
The authors say the report: ‘lays bare the scale of hidden salt in everyday lunch choices and exposes the failure of the Government’s voluntary approach to improve the nutritional quality of foods available to us.’
Sonia Pombo, Head of Research and Impact at Action on Salt & Sugar, said: ‘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.’
Real Bread Campaign coordinator Chris Young said: ‘while large manufacturers have made progress in reducing salt levels, some still need to go further and faster. We echo Action on Salt & Sugar’s call for the Government and businesses to step up to the plate.’
Some sandwiches from cafes, bakeries and coffee shops were saltier than supermarket options but many lacked clear nutrition labelling, leaving people unaware of how much salt they’re eating.
The Real Bread Campaign has long urged bakeries of all types and sizes to reduce the amount of salt they use.
Salt Awareness Week 2026 runs until 17 May.
Real Bread Campaign: Finding and sharing ways to make bread better for us, our communities and planet.
Sustain
The Green House
244-254 Cambridge Heath Road
London E2 9DA
020 3559 6777
sustain@sustainweb.org
Sustain advocates food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve the working and living environment, promote equity and enrich society and culture.
© Sustain 2026
Registered charity (no. 1018643)
Data privacy & cookies
Icons by Icons8
