Posh sandwich has more salt than nearly five cheeseburgers

"Gail's has been approached for comment. Too much salt leads to high blood pressure, which is known as "the silent killer" as it raises the risk of heart attacks and stroke. Action on Salt & Sugar, based at Queen Mary University of London, found more than one in 10 sandwiches exceeded government salt targets and 44% would have to carry a red warning label on the packet due to their salt content."

"Their smoked chicken Caesar club contains 6.88g of salt - more than the limit of 6g of salt that adults are recommended to stick to in a day. Action on Salt & Sugar, which analysed 546 sandwiches, said it was "alarming" how much salt was in them and that people should not be exposed to a "hidden health risk every time they buy lunch"."

"It said Gail's smoked chicken Caesar club also had over 1,000 calories and 90% of an adult's daily saturated fat intake. But while it topped the salt charts, the campaign group said other sandwiches were also "loaded with dangerously high levels of hidden salt". Other salty sarnies highlighted by the report included a Gail's smoked salmon bagel containing 4.2g of salt, Paul's rosette cheese salami gherkin containing 4.19g of salt, and Pret A Manger's ham & greve baguette with 3.85g."

"Sonia Pombo from Action on Salt & Sugar said people chose sandwiches 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". She said it was "frankly unacceptable that some companies continue to sell sandwiches that exceed an adult's daily limit in one go". The campaign group said high levels of salt were not inevitable, comparing a Pret A Manager chicken sandwich that contained 2.22g of salt with a similar one from Greggs that had only 1.1g."

A smoked chicken Caesar club sandwich from Gail’s contains 6.88g of salt, exceeding the 6g daily limit recommended for adults. Action on Salt & Sugar analyzed 546 sandwiches and said the results were alarming, with more than one in 10 exceeding government salt targets. The group reported that 44% of sandwiches would require red warning labels due to salt content. Excess salt contributes to high blood pressure, described as the silent killer that increases the risk of heart attacks and stroke. The same Gail’s sandwich also contains over 1,000 calories and 90% of an adult’s daily saturated fat intake. Other sandwiches listed also contain high salt levels, and the group argued that high salt is not inevitable when comparable products contain much less.

Read at www.bbc.com