Gail's Smoked Chicken Caesar Club Sandwich Exceeds Daily Salt Limit

A smoked chicken Caesar club sandwich from Gail's bakery contains 6.88 grams of salt, more than the 6 grams adults should consume daily, according to campaigners.

Action on Salt & Sugar, which tested 546 sandwiches, called the salt levels alarming and said buyers face a hidden health risk with every lunch purchase. The group, based at Queen Mary University of London, found more than one in 10 sandwiches surpassed government salt targets. Some 44 percent would require a red warning label for high salt content.

Excess salt raises blood pressure, a condition known as the silent killer because it increases risks of heart attacks and strokes.

Gail's sandwich led the list, but others also carried high salt. A Gail's smoked salmon bagel had 4.2 grams, Paul's rosette cheese salami gherkin 4.19 grams, and Pret A Manger's ham and grevé baguette 3.85 grams.

Sonia Pombo of Action on Salt & Sugar said people pick sandwiches for simplicity, convenience and affordability, but they often get a full day's salt between two slices of bread. She called it unacceptable that some companies sell sandwiches exceeding the daily adult limit in one item.

The group noted high salt is not inevitable. Pret A Manger's chicken sandwich has 2.22 grams, while a similar Greggs version contains 1.1 grams. Sainsbury's all-day breakfast sandwich holds salt to 1.54 grams, compared to 2.65 grams in M&S's.

Action on Salt & Sugar urged shoppers to check labels but pressed the government to act. It said salt reduction efforts lag as focus shifts to obesity, and voluntary targets for food makers have failed.

Dr. Pauline Swift, a consultant nephrologist and the group's chair, said salt reduction offers one of the quickest, cheapest and most effective ways to boost public health, yet progress has stalled.