A quarter of sandwiches potentially harmful

SANDWICHES could be packing more than your favourite filling, with those stored incorrectly offering an extra special ingredient – potentially lethal bacteria.

More than a quarter of pre-packed sandwiches included in a food safety study were found to have been kept at temperatures that promote the growth of harmful bacteria which can result in food poisoning.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) tested 948 pre-packed sandwiches from retailers and caterers across the country and discovered that 29% were stored or displayed at temperatures higher than 5C.