Whether you’re a fan of chicken salad or egg mayonnaise, a sandwich is such a convenient option for lunch.
However, people are barely finding out how their prepackaged meal is made, with some people saying they have been pushed away for life.
The conversation was sparked by a YouTube video of How it’s made – showing the entire behind-the-scenes process at an American factory, from assembling ingredients to packaging for shelves.
The video opens by explaining that retailers “specify the ingredients they want in their sandwich order and the factory sets up the assembly lines accordingly.”
There are two main ways to make prepackaged sandwiches, depending on customer demand.
Method 1: manual and machine
The first is a mixture of manual labor and machines. The first step is for a worker to “line up the fresh bread in an automated machine”. In doing so, they visually inspect the slices and discard any that have holes or other defects.
Then the machine takes over for now and “separates the slices into the bread, then an internal roller spreads the melted butter.”
It then drags the buttered slices face up onto the belt as it moves through the production line, where an automated depositor squirts mayonnaise.
An automated depositor squirts the amount and type of mayonnaise requested by the customer
After that, it’s the turn of the workers to manually deposit the more specific ingredients such as charcuterie or grated cheddar.
People were shocked to find the workers in the video weren’t wearing gloves when handling the sandwiches
After that, it’s the turn of the workers to manually deposit the more specific ingredients such as charcuterie or grated cheddar.
People were shocked to find that the video workers weren’t wearing gloves when handling the sandwiches.
The video goes on to explain that “in the prep area, workers are loading logs of ham into a slicer.” The retail customer specifies the size and weight of the slices they want in the sandwich and the slicer is programmed accordingly.
The slices then go to the assembly line where workers add them to the sandwiches, again, without gloves in this video.
Finally, they close the sandwiches and stack them in pairs.
The band then brings the sandwiches to a mechanized cutter – the stacked halves on either side are wrapped together as a single sandwich.
The video goes on to explain that “in the prep area, workers are loading logs of ham into a slicer.” The customer specifies the size and weight of the slices they want in the sandwich and the slicer is programmed accordingly’
Second method: Machine only
Another way is to manufacture products on a fully automated assembly line, without manual labor, which is preferable when large quantities are needed.
A robot sucks up the slices of bread and places them on a conveyor belt.
The positioning plates then move down and adjust the slices so that they are 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 defined amount of chopped egg with mayonnaise on every second slice.
The other route is often used for sandwich varieties produced in large quantities
In the video we see egg salad sandwiches as an example – a nozzle drops a set amount of chopped eggs with mayonnaise on every second slice
A robot sucks up slices of bread and places them on a conveyor belt
At the next station, robotic arms lined with suction cups grab the next slices and flip them over the filled slices.
Then an ultrasonic knife cuts the sandwiches in half, using vibrations produced by high-frequency sound waves.
Robotic arms pick up half of each sandwich, spin it around and stack it on top of the other half.
A robot picks up four finished sandwiches at a time and places them into triangular plastic trays which then move to the sealing and labeling stations.
Back on the semi-automated assembly line, workers finally stack the sandwiches manually and place them in individual plastic-lined cardboard packages.
A conveyor belt brings them to a machine, which lowers the top flap and heat seals it.
The video explains that “sandwiches arrive in stores within 12 hours of production and stay fresh for an additional three days, after which the sandwich company removes unsold ones while delivering new ones daily.”
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 nearly 8,000 views and over 1,200 comments
The explainer video has reached nearly 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 I am blown away to see these workers handling food that will go into the millions without any form of glove’.
Again noticing the lack of gloves, another commenter joked, “Love how her wedding ring touches every sandwich she makes.”
Even people working in the same industry were shocked by what they saw.
Over three hundred other people also liked the comment, with one joking ‘I felt a little stab of betrayal when I saw this’
Someone who worked in a sandwich factory said it was “absolutely awful”.
“Not only because of the chaos, but also the unfair pay. Imagine those pre-packaged sandwiches each being touched by at least a dozen hands before entering your mouth.
Another worker added “as someone who worked in a small convenience store/gas station they USE food safety gloves and change them frequently.
“I don’t know why the company in this video doesn’t, it’s a super huge health hazard that you literally discover on day one of food handling and preparation.”
Others claimed the video put them off, with one viewer writing “It’s been years since I’ve purchased a pre-made sandwich and after seeing this I can confidently say it will be many more years to come before buying another.
Another added ‘Thank you for this video. No more eating wrapped sandwiches!’
Although the lack of gloves wasn’t the only shocking revelation – someone else commented, “My biggest takeaway is that the two halves of the pack aren’t from the same sandwich” with a jaw-dropping emoji.
Over three hundred other people also liked the comment, with one jokingly replying, “I felt a little stab of betrayal when I saw that.”
