Some of UK’s most popular sandwiches contain ‘alarmingly high’ levels of salt

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 study.

Action on Salt & Sugar analysed 546 sandwiches, wraps, rolls and baguettes sold in supermarkets and high street chains to find that one in 10 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, it found.

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.

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.

However, the wider picture was equally poor, with researchers finding 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 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.

The research found that sandwiches bought out-of-home (OOH) were generally saltier than those sold in supermarkets.

Published: 13/05/2026 by Radio NewsHub