The BSA has responded to Channel 5's new consumer show Shop Smart Save Money and their investigation into under-filled sandwiches.
The Channel 5 TV show analysed information on 30 sandwich packets and undertook an investigation to see if the amount of filling in the sandwich matched the promise on the packet. It concluded that 14 out of the 30 sandwiches checked were underfilled.
BSA Director, Jim Winship commented on the investigation:
"It's disappointing that the information presented in this survey is somewhat misleading – sandwiches are hand made and just as you get with a product made by a chef in a restaurant there can be small variations in the volumes of ingredients between one product and the next. That’s human nature. What this survey demonstrates is that on average the declared ingredient weights are pretty accurate which, given that we make some 4 billion sandwiches a year, is remarkably good.
"The fact that 16 of the 30 sandwiches tested were exactly right or over filled underlines this.
"What does not seem to have been taken into account in this survey is the different price points and markets these products are being made for. Just as in other things, you cannot compare an extra filled Rolls Royce with a budget mini.
"To compare "value" based on percentage of total weight is also misleading. For example reducing bread thickness and the quantity of other ingredients would reduce total weight and according to this survey present better value because of an increase relative to the total weight. Not a good measure!
"We all want different things from our food and retailers cater towards their various set of customers. Reducing salt, fat and calories in our food is very much on the public agenda. If a sandwich is reformulated to have little less than another yet still tastes great, is that really of a lower value to us?"