Cost is the most important factor for consumers when choosing a sandwich at lunchtime, a new survey by YouGov has found.

Commissioned by the RSPCA to mark British Sandwich Week, the results showed 51% of adults polled considered the issue of animal welfare important when buying food in general, but the figure dropped to around 11% when it came to the choice of sandwich fillings. Cost (60%), flavour (52%) and appearance (39%) were cited as the key factors in the decision-making process.

Over 2,000 adults were surveyed last month, with 64% of respondents stating that it took them less than one minute to choose their sandwich from a shop display. Full-time students were the most ethically conscious when it came to buying lunchtime sandwiches, with 16% considering the use of higher-welfare products, compared to 11% of workers.

The RSPCA launched a new campaign, ’Fairer Fillings’, to coincide with British Sandwich Week, from 16-21 May, aimed at encouraging consumers to think about the conditions the animals have lived in, when considering the filling in their sandwiches. "Buying a sandwich with a Fairer Filling can be a challenge. We need our shops to provide more animal welfare-friendly sandwiches," said Eloise Shavelar, RSPCA farm animal campaign manager.