Sandwich, roll, burger and wrap measures programs

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Background

In August and September 2010, FSANZ undertook a small program to determine current trends in the gross composition of commercially prepared and homemade sandwiches. In June and July 2012, a follow up program was conducted which focussed on wraps, kebabs/burritos, Subway subs and hamburgers. The data generated from these programs was used to validate the ingredient proportions used in recipe calculations for estimating nutrient profiles for these products consumed during the 2011-13 Australian Health Survey (AHS). The data was also used to assign a reasonable average mass to sandwich and wrap fillings reported during the AHS.

Sampling and preparation

Commercial sandwiches and rolls

FSANZ purchased 45 samples from a range of food outlets, including cafes, takeaway outlets, bakeries and kiosks to account for differences in individual preparation practices. Products were also purchased at varying times of day to take into account possible differences in the amount of fillings in peak service times. All samples were purchased in Canberra and Queanbeyan between 20 August and 2 September 2010.

Homemade sandwiches and rolls

In August 2010, volunteers from FSANZ were asked to provide either a pre-made sandwich from home on the day of the analysis, or to prepare a sample sandwich from a range of provided ingredients including several options for bread, meat, cheese, and salad.

Volunteers preparing the sample from provided ingredients were also asked if they would have added other fillings that were not provided. Additional fillings reported were also recorded with an estimate of their weight.

All products (both commercial and homemade) were weighed as a whole and then separated into their individual components and re-weighed. Other portion details were also recorded where appropriate e.g. the number of slices of tomato on the sandwich. Measures were collected for 15 separate ingredient foods.

Commercial hamburgers, wraps, burritos/kebab wraps and Subway subs

In June and July 2012, FSANZ purchased a range of additional products within the category of 'mixed dishes where bread is the major ingredient'. The range and number of products purchased are available in Table 1. All products were weighed as a whole and then separated into their individual components and re-weighed. Other portion details were also recorded where appropriate.

Table 1 Additional commercial products and number of samples

Results and key findings

For the complete set of results generated from this program refer to Attachment 1.

Comparison of commercial and homemade sandwiches

The average weight of each sandwich ingredient was reviewed to determine if there was a notable difference between commercial and homemade sandwiches. As shown in Table 2, for the majority of ingredients, the weight found on commercial sandwiches was higher than the weight found on homemade sandwiches. For these foods, separate measures were created to represent a commercial and homemade 'sandwich filling'. Some foods, such as barbecue chicken, were found in similar amounts on both commercial and homemade sandwiches. For these foods, the same measure was applied for a 'sandwich filling' regardless of the source.

The trend in higher weights for commercial fillings was reflected in the total sandwich weight, with commercial sandwiches made using sliced bread weighing 250 g on average, while homemade varieties weighed an average of 165 g.

Table 2 Categories of sandwiches and number of samples

Proportion of salad

The majority of sandwiches, rolls, burgers and wraps had a consistent proportion of salad (34%). The category with the lowest proportion of salad was hamburgers at 24%, while the highest was homemade sandwiches made with bread rolls at 44%. All other categories had a consistent proportion of salad ranging from 31-36%.

Table 3 Comparison of filling weights and proportions for commercial sandwiches and wraps

Updates to the food nutrient and measures database

FSANZ used the results to review its existing recipes and measures data for these products.

Results for both homemade and commercial sandwiches were used to derive weights for individual sandwich ingredients in the measures database. Results for hamburgers, wraps, burritos/kebab wraps and Subway subs were generally used to develop weights for the foods as a whole. This was accomplished by using the separated and averaged ingredient weights and recombining them using a recipe approach according to the make-up of the foods reported e.g. with or without cheese.

In addition, the following were updated:

• The proportion of bread to fillings in recipes for relevant products.
• The proportion of meat to salad in recipes for relevant products.
• The salad ingredients commonly included in recipes for takeaway sandwiches.

Conclusion

The results of the sandwich, roll, burger and wrap measures program have given FSANZ an improved level of confidence about the proportion of ingredients used to calculate nutrient profiles for these foods reported during the AHS and the quality of the sandwich filling measures captured in the food measures database.  

Measures for the total weight of foot long Subway subs in the measures database don't include salad as these ingredients were captured separately for the AHS.  Individual measures for a 'subway filling' of salad ingredients are available in the measures database.