Who really speaks for the sandwich consumer?

Sandwich manufacturers sandwiched between regulation and pressure groups

There is growing evidence that consumers are voting with their feet against attempts to force them to eat more healthily and there are real dangers that attempts to make changes happen too quickly will fail, according to information released for British Sandwich Week by The British Sandwich Association.

In a statement, the Association says that while it supports moves to encourage consumers to eat more healthily, there is growing evidence that people are rejecting foods where substantial cuts have been made in the salt and fat content, and where recipe formulation is perceived to have had an unacceptable impact flavour, in favour of other less healthy ranges.

"Sandwiches are one of the healthiest choices in the convenience food market," says the Association. "There is growing evidence that by trying to force people to change their diets too quickly, and without taking the full picture into account, Government Agencies are simply chasing them towards less healthy choices. The benefits of the nutritional value of a sandwich generally outweigh the negative effects of salt and fat intake, especially when you look at the kind of food consumers choose as an alternative."

As evidence of the problem, the Association says that complaints have increased about the blandness of sandwiches and ready meals where salt has been reduced substantially. Indeed, one manufacturer reports a 275% increase in the number of complaints about the poor quality and taste of products since salt levels were reduced from 3g to 2g, with the levels of complaints increasing in line with salt reduction.

Data collected at point of sale also shows that there has been an 11.7% reduction in the value of the low fat/low calorie/low salt segment of the market, against a 15.1% increase in the premium sector where reductions have not been made.

In the sandwich bar sector there are also reports that where salt has been reduced in ingredients, more consumers are asking for salt to be added when sandwiches are made up.

"All the evidence suggests that if we try to force change too quickly, consumers will reject the very products they should be eating for a healthy diet," says Jim Winship, Director of The British Sandwich Association. "The fact is that it takes time for consumer palates to adapt to changes.

"There is no point in setting unrealistic targets for the food industry to achieve if consumers simply transfer their loyalty to less healthy alternatives."

The British Sandwich Association is particularly concerned that Government bodies, such as The Food Standards Agency, sometimes appear to pay too much heed to small and unrepresentative consumer lobby groups at the expense of the solid evidence from consumers.

"Unfortunately the food industry is always painted as being the ogre of the piece, particularly by some of the consumer groups," says Jim Winship. "But, the fact is that the industry depends wholly on the support of its consumers to survive and spends millions every year on research to monitor the habits and trends of those buying products so that it can get this right.

"Every year some 20 million people walk into retailer outlets and buy two billion sandwiches - what they buy is probably a better barometer than anything to current consumer attitudes and we should all be taking note of this.

"As an industry we have absolutely no issue with encouraging consumers to eat more healthily by reducing the fat and salt levels in sandwiches, but we are concerned that this should be achieved sensibly and at a pace that is realistic. There is no quick fix.

"Change will come through a process of educating consumers, reducing salt and fat levels at a pace that people’s palates can cope with, and by working with groups such as doctors to get the message over to those at most risk from being over weight.

"Sandwiches are now one of the main meal occasions in the day for most people and we are committed as an industry to achieving an average salt level of below 2 grammes per serving by a steady process of reduction. Some sandwiches, where the ingredients are naturally high in salt, will never achieve this goal because high salt and fat is part of their make-up. The traditional bacon butty, for example, is always likely to be higher in salt content than the average sandwich.

"We need to work together to achieve these goals and should not be forced into setting unrealistic targets by consumer pressure groups that are not mainstream and do not base their arguments on the real facts that come back from consumers.

"As an industry, we employ market researchers who gather data from some 5,000 consumers every week about their sandwich purchases. We are very happy to share some of this information with the Food Standards Agency and to work with them to achieve long term solutions.

"The great thing about sandwiches is that they are uniquely adaptable and we have no issues with creating ‘good for you’ ranges that meet all the objectives for a healthy diet, provided that this is done at a pace that consumers will buy into."

There is real concern among many in the food industry that consumer lobby groups are being given too much credence and that their agendas are not always in line with either reality or public opinion. Some who represent minority views latch onto issues because they make headlines rather than basing their approach on informed opinion.

"We need to work together to achieve change," says Jim Winship. "While everyone’s views should be heard, sense should dictate the pace of change and we should all pay heed to what the consumer is actually saying.

"Failure to do this not only means that consumers will reject all our efforts but everyone will lose. Not only will the Government agencies lose face if their goals are not achieved, but food suppliers will find themselves in the awkward situation of being sandwiched between complying with the goals and the commercial realities of consumers voting with their feet. This is not what any of us wants."