0:00:02 > 0:00:05There's a lot we don't know about the food on our plates.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08And the shops and the labels don't always tell you the whole story.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13I think they encourage you to buy more than you need
0:00:13 > 0:00:15and that causes a lot of waste.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18Whether you're staying in or going out, you've told us you can
0:00:18 > 0:00:21feel ripped off by the promises made about what you eat,
0:00:21 > 0:00:23and what you pay for it.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25How do you know that it's half price?
0:00:25 > 0:00:27So what they've done,
0:00:27 > 0:00:29they've bumped the price up and then knocked it down.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33From claims that don't stack up
0:00:33 > 0:00:35to the secrets behind the packaging,
0:00:35 > 0:00:37we'll uncover the truth about Britain's food,
0:00:37 > 0:00:40so you can be sure you are getting what you expect -
0:00:40 > 0:00:42at the right price!
0:00:42 > 0:00:44Your food. Your money.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46This is Rip Off Britain.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54Hello and welcome to a special series of Rip Off Britain,
0:00:54 > 0:00:57investigating the truth about something that's a huge part
0:00:57 > 0:01:01of every household's spending, and that's food.
0:01:01 > 0:01:02But when it comes to what we eat,
0:01:02 > 0:01:05it's not just what we pay for it that we mind about.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09Just as important is what's in it, and where it's come from.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12But when you think about it - the journey of our raw ingredients
0:01:12 > 0:01:15before they ever arrive on our plates can be much more complicated
0:01:15 > 0:01:17than you'd ever imagine, whether that's because
0:01:17 > 0:01:21they've come from thousands of miles away or literally just up the road.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23But you may not always get all the information
0:01:23 > 0:01:26you need to know from whoever's selling them,
0:01:26 > 0:01:29or indeed from what it says on the label or the packet.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32But you know however far our food has travelled, any gaps
0:01:32 > 0:01:36in the detail of where it's come from can lead to serious problems.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39So at the root of all the stories we're going to be investigating
0:01:39 > 0:01:43today is how much we know about where our food started out,
0:01:43 > 0:01:46and what that means for its price, and even for its safety.
0:01:46 > 0:01:51And we'll also be discovering why it is that near identical words
0:01:51 > 0:01:53on the packaging can mean very different things
0:01:53 > 0:01:55when it comes to what's actually inside.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01Coming up, how an illegal trade in food foraged from the forest
0:02:01 > 0:02:04could mean it's poisonous mushrooms that end up on your plates.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08We probably take around 200 calls each year from doctors,
0:02:08 > 0:02:11nurses and paramedics about suspected poisoning with fungi.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14With so many sheep in British fields,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17why do we still buy in thousands of tonnes of lamb from New Zealand?
0:02:17 > 0:02:21From June till January, you know, there really is no need then.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24At that time we have a plentiful supply and it's a good,
0:02:24 > 0:02:28healthy, wholesome product at the best possible price.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32And the dairy farmer going back to the past as he battles to
0:02:32 > 0:02:33save his business.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36But is what he's selling safe?
0:02:36 > 0:02:38Come and try some unpasteurised milk!
0:02:38 > 0:02:40Raw milk straight from the farm!
0:02:45 > 0:02:49You only have to turn on the latest TV cookery show these days to find
0:02:49 > 0:02:53a celebrity chef who's talking about how important it is that the food
0:02:53 > 0:02:58that we eat is seasonal, fresh, and that we know where it comes from.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01And if it comes from nearby, then all the better.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04But it does seem that there's one particular food where the
0:03:04 > 0:03:06demand for it to be fresh,
0:03:06 > 0:03:10seasonal and locally sourced could cause more harm than good.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12And that's mushrooms.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Now, the best mushrooms are considered a real delicacy
0:03:15 > 0:03:17and may well be priced accordingly.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20But there are fears that not every mushroom that
0:03:20 > 0:03:24finds its way from the forest onto the market, or indeed a restaurant
0:03:24 > 0:03:28menu, has been picked by someone who really knows what they're doing.
0:03:28 > 0:03:33And if they've mistaken a delicious mushroom for a deadly one,
0:03:33 > 0:03:35the repercussions could be lethal.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Sara Cadbury is on the hunt for a tasty treat.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45Ooh, there's some puff balls.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50They're busy releasing their spores. Look at that.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Wow, look at that! That's impressive.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57She's looking to see which of the mushrooms
0:03:57 > 0:04:00she finds could make a tasty treat.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02And the ancient woodland of the New Forest in Hampshire
0:04:02 > 0:04:04is the perfect spot to find them.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08Very common, grows on most kinds of wood.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12Pretty thing.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15And there's never been a better time to forage,
0:04:15 > 0:04:18with many well-known chefs extolling the culinary benefits
0:04:18 > 0:04:21of picking your own tasty fungi.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25But it's not just the taste that makes these specimens so precious.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28With more and more restaurants serving up the delicacy,
0:04:28 > 0:04:31these forest fungi have also become very valuable.
0:04:31 > 0:04:36The mushrooms are definitely sold on to the London restaurants,
0:04:36 > 0:04:40where they are advertised as a freshly picked New Forest
0:04:40 > 0:04:43mushrooms, and then can command, really, a very good price.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48Wild, locally picked mushrooms can sell for anywhere between
0:04:48 > 0:04:50£20 and £50 a kilo.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54But Sara, who's a member of a local group that monitors the forest
0:04:54 > 0:04:57mushrooms, is worried that during the peak foraging season
0:04:57 > 0:05:01from September to November, the forest is attracting not just those
0:05:01 > 0:05:04who want to sample the fungi for themselves,
0:05:04 > 0:05:07but also those who want to cash in.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11People have come in minibuses, and they walk line abreast through
0:05:11 > 0:05:15the woods and then that minibus will pick them up sort of a mile
0:05:15 > 0:05:17away the other side of the wood.
0:05:17 > 0:05:23And they will have picked pounds and pounds and pounds of fungi,
0:05:23 > 0:05:26which is a very valuable haul.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29But it's not just the damage to the forest that this mass-scale
0:05:29 > 0:05:33foraging is causing. If the people picking them and may be going on to
0:05:33 > 0:05:37sell them to markets or restaurants, have mistaken a poisonous mushroom
0:05:37 > 0:05:41for an edible one, the consequences can be disastrous.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45Well, I just noticed this - it's definitely not an edible mushroom
0:05:45 > 0:05:47although it probably wouldn't poison you,
0:05:47 > 0:05:50but it would give you a stomach upset, but this is
0:05:50 > 0:05:54the sort of thing that could be collected by commercial pickers.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58And the authorities around forests where these fungi flourish
0:05:58 > 0:06:01are worried about where they could end up next.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04They fear poisonous mushrooms could end up being sold on to
0:06:04 > 0:06:08restaurants or find their way into our own kitchens.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11So they're determined to stop that happening.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14You know there's nothing quite like the smell of a newly picked
0:06:14 > 0:06:16fungi or mushroom.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18It really is quite exceptional.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22And providing in the New Forrest I wasn't to pick more than 1.5 kilos,
0:06:22 > 0:06:24I'd be well within the law.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27But here in Epping Forest, which is right on the edge
0:06:27 > 0:06:31of the City of London, it is absolutely illegal
0:06:31 > 0:06:33and has been for centuries.
0:06:33 > 0:06:38But more recently, foraging for fungi, for mushroom
0:06:38 > 0:06:43has become such a huge problem that they now have forest keepers
0:06:43 > 0:06:47who patrol the whole forest and uphold the bylaws.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51And if you took anything out of the forest, you'd be prosecuted.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56Last year, Epping Forest prosecuted 20 people for illegal
0:06:56 > 0:06:58mushroom foraging.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02Nick Baker, the senior forest keeper, patrols the area.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04So how big has the problem become?
0:07:04 > 0:07:07It's been a really big problem.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10Last year, we had issues with car parks that normally only
0:07:10 > 0:07:15have four or five cars, had 40 cars in. It was as obvious as that.
0:07:15 > 0:07:20And people were going out and just disappearing in large groups,
0:07:20 > 0:07:23just picking whatever they found, some edible, some inedible.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26On one Saturday alone, I confiscated 50 kilos.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30And that was just a very small percentage of what we were losing.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34Morning patrols like this one are a way of clamping down
0:07:34 > 0:07:39and protecting the 1,600 species of fungi that grow in the forest.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41Well, we have increased patrolling in areas
0:07:41 > 0:07:43where we know they're going to be.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45We will take them to court and will prosecute them
0:07:45 > 0:07:47under the Epping Forest Act.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49And it's not an insignificant amount.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51It's £200 maximum fine,
0:07:51 > 0:07:55and with adds to that cost, you're looking at £300-£400.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59With names like 'the destroying angel', 'panther cap', 'death cap',
0:07:59 > 0:08:02it doesn't take me to you tell you there are some
0:08:02 > 0:08:07mushrooms and fungi in British woodland that are best avoided.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10But when you've got individuals who are foraging and sweeping up
0:08:10 > 0:08:13everything in sight because all they're interested in is the money
0:08:13 > 0:08:18they can make from mushrooms, how can we be sure they have the
0:08:18 > 0:08:21knowledge to be able to distinguish
0:08:21 > 0:08:25between the delicious and the downright dangerous?
0:08:27 > 0:08:31Ecologist DR Jeremy Dagley also works in Epping Forrest
0:08:31 > 0:08:34and sees the hazards that illegal foraging can pose.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36So how experienced do you need to be to be able to
0:08:36 > 0:08:39differentiate between the safe and the killers?
0:08:39 > 0:08:41You really do need to know your stuff.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43You need to know the varieties and variations.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45And if you're putting them in a bag together
0:08:45 > 0:08:49and they're breaking up, you can't be sure which bits you've got.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52And to the untrained, foraging eye, searching for the right
0:08:52 > 0:08:55mushrooms to eat can be tricky.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57So what have you found there, Jeremy?
0:08:57 > 0:08:59You get these fungi that help sustain the beech tree
0:08:59 > 0:09:00and actually feed it.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04But they're a species that include edible ones and non-edible ones,
0:09:04 > 0:09:06even toxic ones.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09And the one you're holding there will make you very ill.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11You can see they're breaking up.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15So again, in a large polythene bag, you'll have all of these bits mixed
0:09:15 > 0:09:18in together and you're never going be able to distinguish, are you?
0:09:18 > 0:09:19- No.- Unless you are a real expert.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24And if you get sick, unless you know the species of mushroom
0:09:24 > 0:09:28you've eaten, it can be hard to know how to treat the poisoning.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30Dr John Thompson is the director
0:09:30 > 0:09:33of The National Poisons Information Service in Cardiff.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39We probably take around 200 calls each year from doctors,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42nurses, paramedics about suspected poisoning with fungi.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46And about ten times that, a couple thousand enquiries on our online
0:09:46 > 0:09:50database each year from people who think they may have been poisoned.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54The service's busiest time coincides with the peak of the mushroom
0:09:54 > 0:09:55foraging season.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57If you eat a mushroom that's poisonous,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00there's several different types of poisoning that can happen.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02The most common thing is gastrointestinal disturbance.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05You'll feel nauseated, you might vomit, you might have some tummy
0:10:05 > 0:10:09trouble, and for most mushrooms, that's all that's going to happen.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12Unfortunately, for some of the more toxic mushrooms,
0:10:12 > 0:10:16you can then go on to develop either liver failure or kidney failure.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22So, if you're tempted by foraged mushrooms,
0:10:22 > 0:10:24the best advice is simple...
0:10:24 > 0:10:26Make sure you know what you're doing.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28If you don't know what it is, don't eat it.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31If you're buying mushrooms, you need to buy them from a reliable,
0:10:31 > 0:10:32reputable source.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Now where would we be without milk?
0:10:42 > 0:10:44Here in the UK, we buy over
0:10:44 > 0:10:46five billion litres of the stuff every year.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48And in case you're interested,
0:10:48 > 0:10:53that's enough to fill 4,500 swimming pools.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57But with supermarkets waging price wars over the cost of a pinta,
0:10:57 > 0:11:01dairy farmers are left increasingly upset by the dwindling amount
0:11:01 > 0:11:03the stores are paying them for their milk.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06So it's perhaps no wonder that some of those farmers are turning
0:11:06 > 0:11:10to new ways to make extra income from their herds.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13But one solution that's been growing in popularity,
0:11:13 > 0:11:17especially at farmers' markets, has caused a bit of a stir,
0:11:17 > 0:11:19even though it's the most traditional type of milk you
0:11:19 > 0:11:21could possibly get.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26It's one of the most hard-fought battlegrounds in the countryside
0:11:26 > 0:11:29and it's made headlines again this year.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32On one side of the dairy wars - the supermarkets,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35determined to sell the white stuff as cheaply as possible.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38On the other - the farmers who say they've been
0:11:38 > 0:11:42backed into a corner and forced to sell their milk at a loss.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48It's been a long-running battle that's forced some dairy farmers
0:11:48 > 0:11:52to give up, sell their herds, and close their farms for good -
0:11:52 > 0:11:55a difficult decision that Sussex farmer Stephen Hook
0:11:55 > 0:11:57has faced in the past.
0:11:58 > 0:11:59We were struggling.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02We were being paid, effectively by the supermarkets,
0:12:02 > 0:12:06below the cost of production or at the cost of production, and you can
0:12:06 > 0:12:10bear that for a short time but for it to be going for years and years.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13But rather than shut up shop, in 2007,
0:12:13 > 0:12:16Stephen took the decision to transform his business by
0:12:16 > 0:12:20finding a brand-new market for one very old-fashioned kind of milk -
0:12:20 > 0:12:22one that brings in eight times as much money
0:12:22 > 0:12:25as the milk he used to sell.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28Come and try some unpasteurised milk!
0:12:28 > 0:12:29Raw milk straight from the farm!
0:12:29 > 0:12:32Half-pint glass only £1!
0:12:32 > 0:12:34Yes, Stephen's selling
0:12:34 > 0:12:37the most back-to-basics dairy product there is -
0:12:37 > 0:12:38raw milk.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40Milked yesterday afternoon.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44Most milk is pasteurised before it's put on sale.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48But raw milk has a much quicker journey from cow to container.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51Go on, get up. Get up, go on.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57In fact, it goes through three filters before it's chilled
0:12:57 > 0:12:59and sold to the public.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01Fans of raw milk say it's fresher,
0:13:01 > 0:13:04tastier and healthier than the regular pasteurised kind.
0:13:06 > 0:13:11It's a very, very fast chilling and filtering process immediately
0:13:11 > 0:13:14after the cows milked to really capture that freshness.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19But raw milk has its critics too.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23When milk is pasteurised, any nasties inside are wiped out.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26But raw milk never goes through that process.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29So some say there is a real risk of harmful pathogens
0:13:29 > 0:13:31and bacteria still being present.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33To protect against that, Stephen
0:13:33 > 0:13:36and other raw milk farmers like him work hard to make sure
0:13:36 > 0:13:42the milking parlour is kept as clean as any other food preparation area.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46We do our absolute best to produce clean milk week in, week out.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49We've never had a case of food poisoning in the seven years
0:13:49 > 0:13:52that we've been selling raw milk.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55But I cannot say that there is not a risk with raw milk.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00Similarly, I cannot say there's no risk with any food.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02Of course, it might be easier
0:14:02 > 0:14:06if the cows respected the clean standards that Stephen likes
0:14:06 > 0:14:08to keep in the milking parlour.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10We are dealing with live animals.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13They will come into the milking parlour
0:14:13 > 0:14:15and sometimes do what animals do.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18So whatever's going on in the milking parlour,
0:14:18 > 0:14:22the key moment is ensuring that the teat is clean
0:14:22 > 0:14:26and that it's a clean unit, you should produce clean milk.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28And Stephen regularly sends samples of milk, butter
0:14:28 > 0:14:32and cream to be tested to make sure it's fit for human consumption.
0:14:34 > 0:14:35We test our milk every week
0:14:35 > 0:14:39so we know what our pathogen levels are,
0:14:39 > 0:14:41and if we've got good results,
0:14:41 > 0:14:45we don't sit back and think we've cracked it.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48We've just got to keep on top of it the whole time.
0:14:48 > 0:14:49Never be complacent.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54But however high the standards, raw milk
0:14:54 > 0:14:58is still a controversial product, even at a local farmers' market.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00I wouldn't want to drink raw milk
0:15:00 > 0:15:03because of the bacteria in there because it hasn't been pasteurised.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05It's completely natural, straight from the cow,
0:15:05 > 0:15:08straight into a cup then...what's the problem?
0:15:08 > 0:15:11I'm very happy to try it, I eat cheese the whole time and frankly
0:15:11 > 0:15:16you pick up more on the underground than you would drinking raw milk.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20And it's attitudes like that which in 2011 led to Stephen
0:15:20 > 0:15:23installing a raw milk vending machine in Selfridges'
0:15:23 > 0:15:25flagship London store.
0:15:25 > 0:15:26People loved it.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30Every time somebody put coins into the machine,
0:15:30 > 0:15:31opened the cupboard door,
0:15:31 > 0:15:34held their bottle up to the nozzle and pressed the button
0:15:34 > 0:15:38and saw milk going into their bottle, they smiled. Every time.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41The machine was a big hit, but two years later,
0:15:41 > 0:15:44Stephen reluctantly agreed to remove it after
0:15:44 > 0:15:48the Food Standards Agency argued that the sale of raw drinking milk
0:15:48 > 0:15:51from retail outlets was a breach of food hygiene laws.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56But those rules haven't stopped raw milk becoming ever more popular,
0:15:56 > 0:16:00thanks in part to endorsements from celebrity chefs and food writers,
0:16:00 > 0:16:02all of which of course only stoked
0:16:02 > 0:16:05the fires of controversy even more, with recent reports linking
0:16:05 > 0:16:09raw milk with cases of E coli poisoning in children.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11It's incidents like these,
0:16:11 > 0:16:14which led The Food Standards Agency to re-evaluate the rules around
0:16:14 > 0:16:18the sale of raw milk in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21Some are calling for an outright ban as there has been in Scotland
0:16:21 > 0:16:23for more than 30 years.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26The incidents and frequency of outbreaks
0:16:26 > 0:16:28related to raw drinking milk,
0:16:28 > 0:16:32that's becoming increasingly rare over the past couple of decades.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35But that's not to say there is no risk,
0:16:35 > 0:16:39and actually in autumn of 2014, there were three separate incidents
0:16:39 > 0:16:44involving of handful of cases of E coli 0157 that
0:16:44 > 0:16:47were potentially linked to consumption of raw drinking milk.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49So the risks are still there.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53What the current controls are designed to do is to balance
0:16:53 > 0:16:57management of the public health risks and maintaining consumer choice,
0:16:57 > 0:16:59and that's what we're doing at the moment.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02Despite the risks,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05Stephen thinks a total ban would be an overreaction.
0:17:05 > 0:17:10If raw milk was banned I would still sell raw milk.
0:17:10 > 0:17:11Now that might sound a bit shocking
0:17:11 > 0:17:14because I'm going to be breaking the law.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18All other food has got risk,
0:17:18 > 0:17:21and the FSA seem to accept the risk with other food.
0:17:21 > 0:17:27But they seem to not have any tolerance of risk with raw milk.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30So for now at least, Stephen is determined to keep selling
0:17:30 > 0:17:33raw milk to whoever wants to buy it.
0:17:37 > 0:17:38Still to come on Rip Off Britain...
0:17:38 > 0:17:40Are we being told porkies
0:17:40 > 0:17:43when it comes to how the pigs whose meat we eat were reared?
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Or is the truth simply that what it says on the label
0:17:46 > 0:17:48doesn't mean what you think?
0:17:48 > 0:17:51They sell a product that the public come along and buy
0:17:51 > 0:17:54because they feel that, "Oh, it's outdoor bred.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56"It must be living outdoors. It's had a happy life,"
0:17:56 > 0:17:58when that is not actually the case.
0:18:00 > 0:18:01And they look harmless enough,
0:18:01 > 0:18:05but what secrets could these innocent-looking foods be hiding?
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Now you might expect that the food that's been shipped or flown
0:18:12 > 0:18:15halfway across the globe is going to cost an awful lot more
0:18:15 > 0:18:18than the equivalent from your own doorstep.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20But that's not always the case, particularly
0:18:20 > 0:18:24when it comes to one of Britain's favourite foods - lamb.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27For some reason, meat that may not have travelled all
0:18:27 > 0:18:30that far from, say from a farm somewhere in Britain,
0:18:30 > 0:18:33is going to often cost a good bit more than the stuff
0:18:33 > 0:18:36that comes from a lot further afield.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39So I've been trying to find out why.
0:18:41 > 0:18:46Every year, more than 16 million lambs are born in the UK.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50But despite that plentiful supply, annually, we still import
0:18:50 > 0:18:54more than 60,000 tonnes of lamb all the way from...
0:18:54 > 0:18:57New Zealand. Now when you're out shopping, you may not bother
0:18:57 > 0:19:00to spend too much time examining the labels on the food you're
0:19:00 > 0:19:06buying, but British lamb like this, which just came from a few
0:19:06 > 0:19:09miles down the road from where I am now in Wales, has to
0:19:09 > 0:19:14compete for supermarket shelf space with New Zealand lamb like this,
0:19:14 > 0:19:19which has travelled 11,000 miles from the other side of the world.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23Even at the peak of the British lamb season,
0:19:23 > 0:19:27when UK farms produce more lamb than at any other time of the year,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30we still import the stuff halfway around the planet.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33And though prices do vary,
0:19:33 > 0:19:35the New Zealand lamb will usually cost around the same,
0:19:35 > 0:19:37or sometimes even less
0:19:37 > 0:19:40than the lamb that's been born and bred in Britain.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44I wanted to find out how that could possibly be the case,
0:19:44 > 0:19:47so I've come to John Davies' farm in the Brecon Beacons.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51It's home to 1,000-strong flock of prime Welsh sheep, and when I
0:19:51 > 0:19:55went to visit in October, it was one of the busiest periods of the year.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58That is some view, John. I have to say, look at all those sheep.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01The hills are alive with the sound of bleating. We are surrounded
0:20:01 > 0:20:06by so many sheep, why are we importing so much New Zealand lamb?
0:20:06 > 0:20:09Well, I don't know. It's a little frustrating especially
0:20:09 > 0:20:11during the times of peak production.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15From June till January, you know, there really is no need then.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19At that time, we have a plentiful supply and it's a good, healthy,
0:20:19 > 0:20:21wholesome product at the best possible price.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25So are you saying that in season, when British lamb is plentiful,
0:20:25 > 0:20:27that the price is comparable with
0:20:27 > 0:20:29that of the imported New Zealand lamb.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31Well, we are actually cheaper at the present time
0:20:31 > 0:20:33and the wholesalers can't buy New Zealand lamb cheaper than what
0:20:33 > 0:20:36they can buy British at the present time.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38But John, like lots of other farmers,
0:20:38 > 0:20:42is worried that the cheaper British lamb prices in peak season
0:20:42 > 0:20:46may not always be passed on to the consumer.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49It's disappointing to us when on farm lamb is 40 pence a kilo
0:20:49 > 0:20:54cheaper, and to the consumer it's actually 27 pence a kilo
0:20:54 > 0:20:58more expensive. We want to see the price coming down then in the store.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02We compared the price of lamb from Britain and New Zealand at two of
0:21:02 > 0:21:06the major supermarkets that stocked them both at the peak of the season.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10And at the time we checked, in November, the costs didn't
0:21:10 > 0:21:14quite reflect the abundance of cheap British lamb that you might expect.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17At Asda, British and New Zealand legs of lamb were the same
0:21:17 > 0:21:20price all month - £7 a kilo,
0:21:20 > 0:21:23even though the New Zealand ones had flown halfway around the world.
0:21:23 > 0:21:28But at Tesco, an offer on lamb leg steaks from New Zealand meant
0:21:28 > 0:21:33buying two packs of the imported lamb worked out £1.66 per kilo -
0:21:33 > 0:21:36cheaper than buying the home-grown stuff.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40And even without that offer, the store's British and New Zealand
0:21:40 > 0:21:43lamb steaks would have cost exactly the same for the first three weeks
0:21:43 > 0:21:47of the month, despite the distance the foreign ones had travelled.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51Pricing like this has landed supermarkets
0:21:51 > 0:21:53in hot water in the past,
0:21:53 > 0:21:57with Welsh farmers protesting that the pricing of their lamb is unfair
0:21:57 > 0:22:00and they've complained to the stores that ran promotional offers
0:22:00 > 0:22:04on New Zealand lamb at the height of the British lamb season.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08So how can it be that lamb flown from so far away can
0:22:08 > 0:22:12compete on price with the meat from so much closer to home?
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Well, put simply, it's because New Zealand has so many sheep!
0:22:18 > 0:22:23John's 1,000-strong flock may sound like an awful lot of sheep,
0:22:23 > 0:22:28and actually it is compared with most UK farms,
0:22:28 > 0:22:33but when it comes to numbers, then New Zealand sheep farmers
0:22:33 > 0:22:36really do have the edge on their British counterparts.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43There's a staggering 29 million sheep in New Zealand.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46And to find out more, we set up an online chat with
0:22:46 > 0:22:48the head of their farmers' union.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51Rick, can you explain to me the economics of this
0:22:51 > 0:22:56and how it is that New Zealand sheep farmers are able to send lamb
0:22:56 > 0:23:0211,000 miles to British supermarkets and still make it pay?
0:23:02 > 0:23:04It's a combination of a number of things.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06One of things is very good genetics.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10There's been a lot of work done in New Zealand on sheep genetics.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13The other big factor is our climate.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17We can graze our sheep outdoors all year round,
0:23:17 > 0:23:20and so it's very low cost.
0:23:20 > 0:23:26And very, very good grass clover pastures and low labour inputs
0:23:26 > 0:23:30is probably the key.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34UK shoppers were first introduced to New Zealand lamb in the 1950s,
0:23:34 > 0:23:37and there then followed a decades-long marketing campaign
0:23:37 > 0:23:40to convince us that their lamb was better than ours.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44New Zealand lamb shoulder meat is always delicious.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47And to the despair of British sheep farmers,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50that's a message that some consumers have swallowed.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53But it's not all bad news for UK farmers.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56In recent years, the amount of New Zealand lamb we've imported
0:23:56 > 0:23:58has declined by almost a fifth,
0:23:58 > 0:24:02thanks in part to supermarkets like Sainsbury's, Aldi and Lidl
0:24:02 > 0:24:06pledging to stock only British lamb at the peak of the season.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10And for a number of years, Morrisons has gone one step further, getting
0:24:10 > 0:24:15the majority of it's lamb from British farmers all year round.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17Because we work directly with the farmers they know us,
0:24:17 > 0:24:19they're used to working with us,
0:24:19 > 0:24:22they put aside some of their stock so we can buy lamb later or
0:24:22 > 0:24:24even late lamb, or we can buy hoggets, which is a year-old lamb.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26It's good for us, we get British lamb all year round.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29It's good for them, they get a more stable income across the year.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31How can you make it economically viable?
0:24:31 > 0:24:33Morrisons is a bit different from other supermarkets
0:24:33 > 0:24:35cos we're a food manufacturer as well.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37People think you can only use certain cuts of lamb,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40you can only use a lamb leg and that's the only bit people go for.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42That's not true at all. There's a huge range of it,
0:24:42 > 0:24:45but I think that sometimes people don't recognise that. We try
0:24:45 > 0:24:48and use the full carcass cos it's good for sustainability and
0:24:48 > 0:24:52there's some really great things you can do with different parts of lamb.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54We asked Tesco and Asda
0:24:54 > 0:24:58whether they have any plans to follow other supermarkets
0:24:58 > 0:25:01in stocking just British lamb at the peak of the season.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03Tesco told us it sells...
0:25:06 > 0:25:08And when it's in season, "most of the lamb"
0:25:08 > 0:25:10on their shelves is British.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15And when we asked Asda how British and New Zealand lamb could be
0:25:15 > 0:25:19priced identically at the height of the British season, it said
0:25:19 > 0:25:23that where its meat comes from "has no influence" on price.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25They simply...
0:25:28 > 0:25:32Asda went on to say that it does stock lamb from Wales, Scotland
0:25:32 > 0:25:34and Northern Ireland all year round,
0:25:34 > 0:25:38but that the store simply has to import some lamb from New Zealand,
0:25:38 > 0:25:40because British consumers eat...
0:25:43 > 0:25:45And there...
0:25:49 > 0:25:52So it seems that one key to making British lamb cheaper
0:25:52 > 0:25:55could be for us to eat a wider variety of cuts.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00And that's a passion for this Michelin star-winning chef.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03Stephen Terry insists on using local Welsh lamb
0:26:03 > 0:26:06in his Abergavenny restaurant.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08And not just the popular cuts of meat,
0:26:08 > 0:26:12but the ones that British farmers often struggle to sell at home
0:26:12 > 0:26:14and have to export overseas.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19Less popular ones are the ones being exported, are the neck -
0:26:19 > 0:26:20in France it's very popular.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22- Lots of meat on it too. - Yeah, it's good.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24It comes down further as you can see as well.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28And this part here is what would be called a belly on a pork,
0:26:28 > 0:26:30but on a lamb it's referred to as a breast.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33It's not utilised as much as it should be and it can save you money.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37So give me a few ideas then of how we can get better value
0:26:37 > 0:26:40out of all of these cuts, maybe the more popular
0:26:40 > 0:26:42and familiar ones as well as the less familiar ones.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45Well, for me, it's about slow-cooking
0:26:45 > 0:26:49because people associate a leg or a shoulder of lamb really with a
0:26:49 > 0:26:54Sunday roast, whereas you can slow-cook a shoulder or a leg
0:26:54 > 0:26:56throughout the day for your evening meal
0:26:56 > 0:26:59any day of the week for a mid-week meal.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02Well, there's only one way to find out if Stephen's right.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08I have to put my hand up and admit
0:27:08 > 0:27:11I love to cook and I love to eat.
0:27:11 > 0:27:17I have never before eaten or cooked lamb breast,
0:27:17 > 0:27:20but that is absolutely delicious.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23That's definitely going to be on the menu from now on.
0:27:25 > 0:27:30So it took just one meal to convert me to those cheaper cuts of lamb.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34Admittedly, I did have Michelin-starred help,
0:27:34 > 0:27:35but even without Stephen there,
0:27:35 > 0:27:38this is definitely something I'll be trying at home.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43And while that alone may not be the answer that British sheep
0:27:43 > 0:27:47farmers are after, it's definitely moving one step closer to the day
0:27:47 > 0:27:49when it's perhaps British lamb
0:27:49 > 0:27:52that will be filling the supermarket shelves.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00Now, as an island with a pretty wet and not-so-warm climate,
0:28:00 > 0:28:03we need to buy in a lot of what we like to eat from overseas.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06But while we import from all over the planet,
0:28:06 > 0:28:09some of the food coming through our ports and airports
0:28:09 > 0:28:13might not have been treated with the same strict safety standards
0:28:13 > 0:28:16as it would have if it had been produced here in the UK.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19So it could pose a serious risk if it were to go on sale.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24Whether it's rice from India,
0:28:24 > 0:28:27nuts from Brazil or tuna from the Seychelles,
0:28:27 > 0:28:28almost a fifth of the food
0:28:28 > 0:28:33we eat in the UK every year is brought in from outside Europe.
0:28:33 > 0:28:37And that means it may not always have been grown, farmed or made
0:28:37 > 0:28:40in the same way as if it had come from the UK.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44Even so, everything that's sold here - wherever it's come from -
0:28:44 > 0:28:47has to meet the same standards for hygiene, cleanliness,
0:28:47 > 0:28:52additives and chemicals as anything that is grown or made here.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56Jon Griffin and his team at Kent Scientific are one of ten UK
0:28:56 > 0:28:59local authority labs charged with inspecting the food and drink
0:28:59 > 0:29:02we import from abroad, and intercepting anything
0:29:02 > 0:29:06that might be dangerous before it ends up in our trolleys.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08So, John, you're bringing me a few goodies, are you?
0:29:08 > 0:29:11Yes. I'm bringing you a trolley of a selection of foods, which have
0:29:11 > 0:29:14been listed with some potential issues in terms of their safety.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16So you want to poison me really?
0:29:16 > 0:29:18I'm going to test you more than anything else
0:29:18 > 0:29:21to see whether you would know what the problems are.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23The EU has some of the most stringent food
0:29:23 > 0:29:25restrictions in the world.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28And while of course most of the food we import from outside Europe
0:29:28 > 0:29:31succeeds in meeting them, some of it doesn't,
0:29:31 > 0:29:34often because it contains banned additives,
0:29:34 > 0:29:36or the additives are at dangerously high levels.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41It's fruit and veg that we buy in more than anything else -
0:29:41 > 0:29:44£9 billion worth in 2013.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48But in a recent shipment of apricots like these from Turkey,
0:29:48 > 0:29:52John's team found dangerous levels of an artificial additive.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56The problem with the apricots, and whether you know this or not,
0:29:56 > 0:29:59they do have a preservative, especially when they're this colour.
0:29:59 > 0:30:01Do you mean a natural preservative?
0:30:01 > 0:30:04- It's not a natural preservative, it's an artificial additive.- OK.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07And that's called sulphur dioxide. And sulphur dioxide is also
0:30:07 > 0:30:11an allergen, so at too high levels it can cause problems,
0:30:11 > 0:30:15especially for people who have got breathing problems such as asthma.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17So how high were the levels?
0:30:17 > 0:30:20Well, the levels were certainly in excess of 2,000 parts per million,
0:30:20 > 0:30:23- which is a lot in terms of an additive level.- Wow!
0:30:25 > 0:30:28The apricots had far more sulphur dioxide than the EU allows,
0:30:28 > 0:30:31so if they had made it on sale, they could have had serious
0:30:31 > 0:30:35implications for anybody with breathing difficulties.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39Laboratories like this do random spot checks on shipments of food
0:30:39 > 0:30:41coming into ports right across the country,
0:30:41 > 0:30:44and if just one of those tests finds something
0:30:44 > 0:30:47that breaks the rules, then everything from that supplier might
0:30:47 > 0:30:52have to be checked until they can prove they've cleaned up their act.
0:30:52 > 0:30:53The tests can also show
0:30:53 > 0:30:57if food has somehow been contaminated thanks to poor hygiene,
0:30:57 > 0:31:01as was the case with a recent shipment of sesame seeds like these.
0:31:01 > 0:31:03These have come from India,
0:31:03 > 0:31:06and the issues with sesame seeds have been more to do with hygiene,
0:31:06 > 0:31:09so they're finding bacteria, especially salmonella.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11Because of bad handling?
0:31:11 > 0:31:13Bad handling, obviously the source of salmonella is animals,
0:31:13 > 0:31:16so, yes, it's probably down to poor hygiene.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19These are monkey nuts, nuts in shells from Brazil,
0:31:19 > 0:31:23and these have been found to have higher levels of aflatoxin in them.
0:31:23 > 0:31:28If they're stored poorly in a high climate, high humidity, moulds
0:31:28 > 0:31:31can grow, and if the moulds grow and mature, then the toxins will form.
0:31:31 > 0:31:35If the sesame seeds or monkey nuts hadn't been seized and stopped
0:31:35 > 0:31:38from going on sale, the food poisoning they could have caused
0:31:38 > 0:31:42wouldn't have been detected until someone fell ill after eating them.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45So would all these foods that you've talked about so far,
0:31:45 > 0:31:47would they therefore be taken off the shelves?
0:31:47 > 0:31:50They would be stopped at source. If they've come in through imports,
0:31:50 > 0:31:53they would be stopped and rejected and either destroyed
0:31:53 > 0:31:55or exported back. Once they find a problem, then
0:31:55 > 0:31:58there will be a routine stop on that product until that problem goes away.
0:32:00 > 0:32:04And it's not just shipments from one bad supplier that might be affected.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07In some cases, all products originating from a particular area
0:32:07 > 0:32:12may have extra inspections to be sure there isn't a wider problem.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15At the moment, there are around 40 products on an EU-wide
0:32:15 > 0:32:18list of imports that are given these additional checks
0:32:18 > 0:32:21because of problems in the past.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25These include half of all melons coming to the UK from Nigeria,
0:32:25 > 0:32:28and half of all basmati rice from Pakistan.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31Jon's confident that everything possible is being done
0:32:31 > 0:32:35to stop toxic imports from hitting the shelves.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38The final warning is they have been identified as having problems.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40They are not on the shelves at the moment.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42They did not get past import.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44But, the important thing is just to stay vigilant
0:32:44 > 0:32:47and we will keep weeding them out as they come through.
0:32:47 > 0:32:48We won't be nibbling on these things, will we?
0:32:48 > 0:32:50No, definitely not on those ones.
0:32:55 > 0:32:59With so many products competing for space on the supermarket shelf,
0:32:59 > 0:33:03the labels on food have to work really hard to grab our attention
0:33:03 > 0:33:07and convince us to buy one product rather than another.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10When buying meat, many of us want the reassurance
0:33:10 > 0:33:13that the animals have been treated well,
0:33:13 > 0:33:16so we might look for a label that puts across that message.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19But when we looked behind some of the labels that might lead
0:33:19 > 0:33:22you to think an animal has had a healthy
0:33:22 > 0:33:26and happy outdoor upbringing, we discovered the truth was not
0:33:26 > 0:33:29always what the marketing might lead you to believe.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34Sausages, mm. Bacon, yum!
0:33:34 > 0:33:36The traditional British fry-up
0:33:36 > 0:33:39is the favourite breakfast of many of us.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43But how often do we stop to think about where that meat comes from?
0:33:43 > 0:33:47Research shows that half of us say we're worried about animal welfare,
0:33:47 > 0:33:50and sales of so-called ethical food and drink
0:33:50 > 0:33:52have more than tripled in the past 15 years.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00But when it comes to pork, it isn't always easy to understand how
0:34:00 > 0:34:03exactly the pigs, the meat comes from, are reared.
0:34:03 > 0:34:07Packets can come with a bewildering array of descriptions like
0:34:07 > 0:34:10'free-range', 'outdoor reared' and 'outdoor bred',
0:34:10 > 0:34:14all designed to showcase the meat's welfare credentials.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17But would you know what those terms actually mean?
0:34:17 > 0:34:21We set up a stall in Bury Market, to see how many passing shoppers
0:34:21 > 0:34:24could tell us the difference between them.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27Outdoor reared, I'm not too sure about that.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30- It's similar to outdoor bred. - It is, isn't it?
0:34:30 > 0:34:32It's confusing.
0:34:32 > 0:34:37I think outdoor reared means the pig spends most of its life outside.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41Well, it all seems like the same thing, free-range,
0:34:41 > 0:34:43outdoor bred, all outdoors.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48You too might assume that use of the word 'outdoor'
0:34:48 > 0:34:51means that the pigs spent most of their time outside.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54But in fact, it's not that simple.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56Iain O'Reilly's family has farmed these Lancashire
0:34:56 > 0:34:58hills for 500 years.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00His pigs are organic,
0:35:00 > 0:35:03which means they spend at least 80% of their lives outside.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08But that's not typically the case with pigs that are called
0:35:08 > 0:35:11'outdoor bred' or 'outdoor reared',
0:35:11 > 0:35:14which is why Iain thinks the terms are confusing,
0:35:14 > 0:35:17because pigs described that way probably won't have spent
0:35:17 > 0:35:20as much of their lives outdoors as you might assume.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24Outdoor bred means that pigs are born outdoors,
0:35:24 > 0:35:27so the sow gives birth outdoors, when they're weaned
0:35:27 > 0:35:32they come back inside, so that can take place about four weeks of age.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35That means outdoor bred pigs can spend
0:35:35 > 0:35:38up to 80% of their lives inside.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43Pigs described as outdoor reared do get some more time outside,
0:35:43 > 0:35:45but again, not as much as you might expect.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50Outdoor reared actually means they've got to spend half
0:35:50 > 0:35:54of their life outdoors, but half of its life has been spent inside.
0:35:55 > 0:36:00It was concern on this point that in 2010 led to adverts by Waitrose for
0:36:00 > 0:36:04their outdoor bred pork being banned because it was claimed people
0:36:04 > 0:36:08might be assume the pigs spent their entire life outdoors.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13Now in fact Waitrose is a store that has unusually high welfare
0:36:13 > 0:36:16standards when it comes to pigs.
0:36:16 > 0:36:21It told us all its pork, bacon and ham - even its cheapest products -
0:36:21 > 0:36:24comes from British outdoor bred or outdoor reared pigs,
0:36:24 > 0:36:26and customers can be confident...
0:36:29 > 0:36:33It added that its pork is sourced only from its own farmers,
0:36:33 > 0:36:36all of whom are RSPCA Freedom Food accredited,
0:36:36 > 0:36:39and that while the pigs that move inside live in bright,
0:36:39 > 0:36:41airy straw-bedded barns,
0:36:41 > 0:36:44the sows remain living outside for their entire life.
0:36:47 > 0:36:49But as far as Iain's concerned,
0:36:49 > 0:36:53right across the industry, the terms 'outdoor bred' and 'outdoor reared'
0:36:53 > 0:36:56are being used in a way that's confusing for customers.
0:36:56 > 0:37:01What the terms do very well is they sell a product that
0:37:01 > 0:37:04the public come along and buy because they feel that,
0:37:04 > 0:37:06"Oh, it's outdoor bred. It must be living outdoors.
0:37:06 > 0:37:10"It's had a happy life. It's foraging, it's rooting around
0:37:10 > 0:37:13"and digging up acorns and all sorts,"
0:37:13 > 0:37:16when that is not actually the case.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19The terms are quite misleading really.
0:37:19 > 0:37:24In fact, only around 2% of Britain's pigs are truly free-range,
0:37:24 > 0:37:27spending the majority of their lives outside.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30Much of that free-range meat is sold directly by the farmers
0:37:30 > 0:37:32or through butchers and restaurants,
0:37:32 > 0:37:36although there are big name stores that sell it, particularly Waitrose.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39But, on a typical supermarket shop elsewhere,
0:37:39 > 0:37:41you're more likely to be choosing between pork that's
0:37:41 > 0:37:46labelled as outdoor reared, outdoor bred, or indeed that doesn't give
0:37:46 > 0:37:50any clue as to what amount of time the pig might have spent outdoors.
0:37:53 > 0:37:58A recent survey found that 83% of people asked would like to see
0:37:58 > 0:38:01the method of farming clearly marked on the front of their meat.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04And after being flummoxed by what the labels we showed them
0:38:04 > 0:38:08actually meant, some of those shoppers we met in Bury might agree.
0:38:08 > 0:38:12When they say outdoors, you expect them to be outdoors,
0:38:12 > 0:38:15not in, like, sheds and all that.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17Basically, it's misleading.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20They breed them outside and then bring them in.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23It should be explained a lot better.
0:38:24 > 0:38:28Well, in 2010, most of the big supermarkets signed up to
0:38:28 > 0:38:31a code of practice supposed to do just that.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34In particular, the big stores agreed to explain on their packaging more
0:38:34 > 0:38:39detail of how outdoor bred or reared pigs are farmed so that customers
0:38:39 > 0:38:42wouldn't assume they'd spent more time outdoors than they had.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45And they agreed that where possible, this information
0:38:45 > 0:38:48would be in the same field of vision on the label
0:38:48 > 0:38:51as terms such as 'outdoor bred'.
0:38:51 > 0:38:55But fast forward to today and when we went round the supermarkets
0:38:55 > 0:38:58looking for that kind of labelling, we couldn't always find it.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03We went round branches of the four main supermarkets
0:39:03 > 0:39:07in Manchester looking for any prepacked, own-label meats
0:39:07 > 0:39:10described as outdoor bred or outdoor reared.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12And while some did have the information to clarify
0:39:12 > 0:39:14what that meant, others didn't.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19For example, in the Sainsbury's we went to,
0:39:19 > 0:39:22it was there on the label of the outdoor bred bacon and sausages,
0:39:22 > 0:39:26but not on the outdoor reared loin steak.
0:39:26 > 0:39:28Similarly, at a nearby Tesco,
0:39:28 > 0:39:31the label on the outdoor bred bacon explained what the term meant,
0:39:31 > 0:39:35but there was no such information on the outdoor reared pork chops.
0:39:36 > 0:39:41At Asda, we could only find on that day two own-label outdoor bred
0:39:41 > 0:39:44or reared pork products, and neither of them
0:39:44 > 0:39:47included the additional farming information on the label.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51But at Morrisons, both the two outdoor bred pork items
0:39:51 > 0:39:54we found did have the detail of what that term meant.
0:39:57 > 0:39:59When we asked the stores why their products didn't always
0:39:59 > 0:40:02display the information they'd agreed to put there,
0:40:02 > 0:40:06Tesco and Sainsbury's both said that while their labelling...
0:40:07 > 0:40:11..and includes voluntary information they've signed up to...
0:40:16 > 0:40:19They stressed that when they can't fit it on the label,
0:40:19 > 0:40:22detailed information on their farming and welfare standards
0:40:22 > 0:40:24is available online.
0:40:27 > 0:40:31Meanwhile, Asda said the vast majority of its pork does have...
0:40:34 > 0:40:36But it agreed there seem to "some inaccuracies"
0:40:36 > 0:40:39in the products we saw, which it's looking into.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45We also spoke to DEFRA, the government agency responsible
0:40:45 > 0:40:47for setting the labelling guidelines,
0:40:47 > 0:40:51who reiterated how important it is that the information on the label
0:40:51 > 0:40:54is accurate, telling us it was...
0:40:59 > 0:41:01..so shoppers can...
0:41:08 > 0:41:10And for some of the shoppers we met in Bury Market,
0:41:10 > 0:41:13it seems that can't come soon enough.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16Because a few of them were still surprised to discover
0:41:16 > 0:41:18the use of the word 'outdoor'
0:41:18 > 0:41:22doesn't necessarily mean a pig has spent its whole life outdoors.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25It is confusing for, I would say, most people.
0:41:25 > 0:41:30Outdoor bred means the same. You imagine it to be outdoor bred,
0:41:30 > 0:41:33outside till they're actually killed.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35Very, very misleading on packages.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45Here at Rip Off Britain, we're always ready to investigate
0:41:45 > 0:41:47more of your stories on any subject.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52Confused over your bills or just trying to wade through
0:41:52 > 0:41:53never-ending small print?
0:41:54 > 0:41:57You can write to us at...
0:42:06 > 0:42:08Or send us an e-mail to...
0:42:12 > 0:42:16The Rip Off team is ready and waiting to investigate your stories.
0:42:19 > 0:42:20Well, as we've seen today,
0:42:20 > 0:42:23it's really important that we know the full background
0:42:23 > 0:42:24of the food we eat -
0:42:24 > 0:42:28where it's from, how it was made, and exactly what's in it.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30It's certainly reassuring to see how many people
0:42:30 > 0:42:34and organisations there are finding all that out on our behalf,
0:42:34 > 0:42:38but it really does pay to understand some of it ourselves, especially
0:42:38 > 0:42:42when the words on the label may not always mean quite what you think!
0:42:42 > 0:42:45But these days, of course, some people are much more bothered about
0:42:45 > 0:42:48whether they're getting fresh local ingredients than perhaps
0:42:48 > 0:42:52they were in the past, which is why so many menus outline in great
0:42:52 > 0:42:55detail where absolutely everything's come from.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57And thankfully, the cases of them getting it wrong,
0:42:57 > 0:43:01as they could with those foraged mushrooms, are few and far between.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04So perhaps it's no wonder that when things do go wrong with our food
0:43:04 > 0:43:06it can make national headlines,
0:43:06 > 0:43:10so we do really have to rely on those people who are responsible
0:43:10 > 0:43:14for checking that everything we buy is safe and as it should be.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17Well, I'm afraid that's all we have time for today,
0:43:17 > 0:43:20but we'll be back to investigate more stories very soon, so please
0:43:20 > 0:43:24do keep sending them in to is on any topic of course, not just food.
0:43:24 > 0:43:26We really do love receiving them.
0:43:26 > 0:43:28But in the meantime, from everyone on the team...
0:43:28 > 0:43:30- Bye-bye.- Bye-bye!- Bye.