People are only just realising how pre-packaged sandwiches are really made – and they’re vowing never to eat them again

• The conversation sparked over a YouTube video from How It’s Made
• People are horrified with some vowing to never eat pre-made sandwiches again
• READ MORE: People are just discovering what the wax on lemons is made from

Whether you’re a fan of a chicken salad or an egg mayonnaise, a sandwich is such a convenient option to grab for lunch. 

However, people are only just finding out how their pre-packaged meal is made, with some people saying they’ve been put off for life.

The conversation was sparked by a YouTube video from How It’s Made – showing the whole behind the scenes process in an American factory, from assembling the ingredients to packaging for shelves.

The video opens by explaining that retaliers ‘specify which ingredients they want in their sandwich order and the factory sets up the assembly lines accordingly.’

There are two main ways pre-packaged sandwiches are made, depending on what the customer asks for.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=8rWmRxvUnS8%3Frel%3D0%26start%3D103

Method 1: Manual and machine 

The first way is a mix of both manual labour and machinery. Step one is for a worker to ‘align fresh bread into an automated machine. While doing so, they visually inspect the slices and remove any with holes or other flaws.

Next, the machine takes over for now and ‘separates the slices in the loaf, then an internal roller spreads melted butter.’

It then drives the buttered slices face up onto the belt that moves through the production line, where an automated depositor squirts on mayonnaise. 

An automated depositor squirts on the quantity and type of mayonnaise the customer requested

After this, it’s back to the workers as they manually lay on the more specific ingredients such as cold cuts or grated cheddar cheese

People were shocked to find the workers in the video were not wearing gloves as they handled the sandwiches

After this, it’s back to the workers as they manually lay on the more specific ingredients such as cold cuts or grated cheddar cheese.

People were shocked to find the workers in the video were not wearing gloves as they handled the sandwiches.

The video continues to explain that ‘in the prep area, workers load logs of ham into a slicer. The retail customer specifies the size and weight of the slices it wants in the sandwich and the slicer is programmed accordingly.’

The slices then go off to the assembly line where workers add them to the sandwiches, again, with no gloves in this video.

Finally, they close up the sandwiches and stack them in piles of two.

The belt then brings the sandwiches  to a mechanised cutter – the stacked halves on each side get packaged together as one sandwich.

The video continues to explain that ‘in the prep area, workers load logs of ham into a slicer. The customer specifies the size and weight of the slices it wants in the sandwich and the slicer is programmed accordingly’

Method two: Machine only 

Another way is to make products on a fully-automated assembly line, with no manual labour, which is best when high quantities are needed. 

A robot suctions up bread slices and places them on a moving belt.

Positioning plates then descend and adjust the slices so they’ll be perfectly centered under the nozzles which dispense the sandwich ingredients.

In the video, we see egg salad sandwiches as an example. A nozzle deposits a set quantity of chopped egg with mayonnaise on every second slice.

The other way is often used for sandwich varieties produced in the highest quantities

In the video, we see egg salad sandwiches as an example – a nozzle deposits a set quantity of chopped egg with mayonnaise on every second slice

A robot suctions up bread slices and places them on a moving belt

At the next station, robotic arms lined with suction cups grab the next slices and flip them over onto the filled slices. 

Next, an ultrasonic knife slices the sandwiches in two, using vibrations produced by high frequency sound waves.

Robotic arms pick up half of each sandwich, spin it around and stack it onto the other half.

A robot grabs four finished sandwiches at a time and puts them in triangular plastic trays which then move onto the sealing and labelling stations.

Back on the semi automated assembly line, workers finally stack the sandwiches manually and place them in individual plastic lined cardboard packages.

A conveyer belt brings them to a machine, which pushes down the top flap and heat seals it shut. 

The video explains that ‘the sandwiches hit store shelves within 12 hours of production and stay fresh for an additional three days, after which the sandwich company removes the unsold ones while making its daily delivery of new ones.’

Back on the semi automated assembly line, workers finally stack the sandwiches manually and place them in individual plastic lined cardboard packages

The explainer video has reached almost 8,000 views and over 1,200 comments

The explainer video has reached almost 8,000 views and over 1,200 comments.

However, the comments were not all positive.

People were horrified after watching, with one person writing ‘as someone who works in a school kitchen, it’s blowing my mind to see these workers handling food that will go out to millions without any form of glove.’

Again, noticing the lack of gloves, another commenter joked ‘I love how her wedding band touches every sandwich she makes.’

Even people who work in the same industry were shocked at what they saw.

Over three-hundred others also liked the comment, with someone jokingly replying ‘felt a tiny pang of betrayal when I saw that’

Someone who used to work in a sandwich factory said that it was ‘absolutely horrible.’

‘Not only because of how chaotic it is but also the unfair pay. Just imagine those pre packed sandwiches each touched by at least a dozen hands before getting in your mouth.’

Another worker added ‘as someone who worked at a small convenience store/gas station, they DO use food safety gloves and change them frequently.

‘I don’t know why the company in this video doesn’t, that’s a super huge health hazard that you literally learn about on the first day of food handling and prep.’

Others claimed the video has put them off, with one viewer writing ‘It’s been years since I’ve bought a premade sandwich and after seeing this I can confidently say it will be many more years to come before I buy another.’

Another added ‘Thank you for this video. No more eating packaged sandwiches!’

Although, the lack of gloves wasn’t the only shocking revelation – someone else commented: ‘My biggest take away is that the two halves in the pack aren’t from the same sandwich’ with a mind-blown emoji.

More than three hundred others also liked the comment, with someone jokingly replying: ‘Felt a tiny pang of betrayal when I saw that.’

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