0:00:02 > 0:00:05There's a lot we don't know about the food on our plates.
0:00:05 > 0:00:10And 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 > 0:00:14And that causes a lot of waste.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17Whether you're staying in, or going out,
0:00:17 > 0:00:21you've told us you can feel ripped off by the promises made
0:00:21 > 0:00:23for what you eat and what you pay for it.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26How do you know that it's half price? Right.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28So what they've done, they've bumped the price up
0:00:28 > 0:00:30and they've knocked it down.
0:00:30 > 0:00:35From claims that don't stack up, to the secrets behind the packaging,
0:00:35 > 0:00:38we'll uncover the truth about Britain's food
0:00:38 > 0:00:42so you can be sure you're getting what you expect, at the right price.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45Your food. Your money.
0:00:45 > 0:00:46This is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53Hello and welcome to Rip-Off Britain,
0:00:53 > 0:00:56where this series we're investigating some of the questions
0:00:56 > 0:00:58and problems that you've sent us to do with food.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00Which, of course, is an area where not everything
0:01:00 > 0:01:02is always quite as it seems.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05And, of course, there is absolutely no shortage of controversies
0:01:05 > 0:01:09and arguments about what we should or should not be having.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12And, let's face it, every day seems to bring with it
0:01:12 > 0:01:15a new scare story or a scientific study.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18Sometimes totally contradicting what has been said in the past.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22You know, we can end up spending as much time talking about our food
0:01:22 > 0:01:24as actually eating it.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26And it can be really frustrating trying to make sense
0:01:26 > 0:01:28of all the information that's out there,
0:01:28 > 0:01:30which, of course, is where we come in.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32Indeed it is because today we'll be finding out more
0:01:32 > 0:01:35about some of the food, drinks and ingredients
0:01:35 > 0:01:37that have made the headlines or caused controversy.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41So get ready for some surprises as we find the truth.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43It isn't always what you expected.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48Coming up, the energy drinks that pack a powerful punch.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51Why the experts, schools and parents all worry
0:01:51 > 0:01:53about just how many of them kids are knocking back.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55I really don't think you should be drinking them.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58You know, do you know how much caffeine there is in this?
0:01:58 > 0:02:01It really can't be good for you.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05And the toxic chemicals routinely used to grow our fruit and veg.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08We'll test just how many are still there by the time we buy them.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12I go around the supermarket and I see the vegetables
0:02:12 > 0:02:15and the fruit and I wonder what's been put on that
0:02:15 > 0:02:17to make it look so perfect. And I do feel nervous about it.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23Now, let's talk energy drinks.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26They boast exotic-sounding ingredients like guarana,
0:02:26 > 0:02:30or taurine. They promise to make you more alert,
0:02:30 > 0:02:33to increase concentration and, of course, to boost your energy.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36And that's mainly because they're made with caffeine,
0:02:36 > 0:02:37lots of caffeine.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Which probably isn't a problem for most adults
0:02:40 > 0:02:44but could be for kids, some of whom are drinking a lot more
0:02:44 > 0:02:48of these powerful drinks than anyone would say is safe.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53If you buy into their high-adrenaline ad campaigns,
0:02:53 > 0:02:55energy drinks are designed to give that extra boost
0:02:55 > 0:02:58to anyone who's into extreme sports,
0:02:58 > 0:03:01loud music and a fast-paced lifestyle.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04In short, they're marketed as pretty cool,
0:03:04 > 0:03:06which is one reason why these drinks have become such a hit
0:03:06 > 0:03:08with another group too.
0:03:12 > 0:03:1415-year-old Corin Skinner, from Galloway,
0:03:14 > 0:03:18is especially keen on this one - Monster.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21Much to the frustration of mum Susan.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24So, Corin, what do you find so attractive about this stuff?
0:03:24 > 0:03:26It's like a cool kid thing to drink.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30- Is it?- Yeah.- And are most of your friends using this stuff as well?
0:03:30 > 0:03:31Nobody really thinks it's bad though,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34you don't think about that, you're just thinking about,
0:03:34 > 0:03:36"Oh, I've got my five cans of energy drink."
0:03:36 > 0:03:39People like to brag about it, like, "Oh, I've got..."
0:03:39 > 0:03:42- So you drink five cans in one evening?- No, not me.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Corin started drinking energy drinks when he was 12.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50And, like many of his friends, soon started having several cans a week.
0:03:50 > 0:03:55There was this one time when I was in town, when I had about four
0:03:55 > 0:03:58and...I just kind of felt sick afterwards.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03Along with thousands of other teenagers with spending money
0:04:03 > 0:04:07burning a hole in their pocket, Corin bought his energy drinks
0:04:07 > 0:04:08when out with his friends.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12So Susan initially had little idea that he was drinking them.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17I started to worry a bit when I found underneath the bed,
0:04:17 > 0:04:20along with all the usual sweet wrappers,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22one or two of these cans of high-energy drinks.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26I had some concerns about him being able to get these
0:04:26 > 0:04:28and drink them without my control.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31When you stay up to two o'clock in the morning,
0:04:31 > 0:04:34- playing your games, you want to do this stuff and drink it?- Yeah.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36I really don't think you should be drinking them.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38You know, do you know how much caffeine there is in this?
0:04:38 > 0:04:41It really can't be good for you.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45Corin's can of choice, Monster, is the third bestselling brand
0:04:45 > 0:04:46of energy drink in the UK.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49Like three others in the top five,
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Red Bull, Relentless and Rockstar,
0:04:51 > 0:04:55every 100ml of Monster contains 32mg of caffeine.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01The same as just under half a shot of espresso.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05Market leader Red Bull has in the past been criticised
0:05:05 > 0:05:07for its caffeine levels.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09But the cans of relatively new kids on the block,
0:05:09 > 0:05:12Monster, Rockstar and Relentless,
0:05:12 > 0:05:16are twice as big as a typical-sized Red Bull.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20Which means each 500ml can of these three drinks
0:05:20 > 0:05:24packs in the same amount of caffeine as two shots of espresso.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27There's no official recommendation for how much caffeine
0:05:27 > 0:05:30is safe to consume every day, but it's generally agreed that adults
0:05:30 > 0:05:33shouldn't have more than 400mg,
0:05:33 > 0:05:35that's about ten cans of cola,
0:05:35 > 0:05:39or around two and a half cans of these energy drinks.
0:05:40 > 0:05:41But for children,
0:05:41 > 0:05:44it's around 150mg per day,
0:05:44 > 0:05:46less than one can of these
0:05:46 > 0:05:48monster-sized energy drinks.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52And, from what we've heard, an awful lot of kids don't stop at one.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Too much caffeine can lead to palpitations,
0:05:55 > 0:05:57heart problems and headaches.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00But combined with the sugar in the drinks,
0:06:00 > 0:06:02it has also another effect,
0:06:02 > 0:06:04one that some people might think is positive.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07Yeah, I like energy drinks because of the buzz that you get
0:06:07 > 0:06:09but after a while, it starts to wear down.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12I used to consume about two to three a day
0:06:12 > 0:06:14and then I had to give them up.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18This school in Haydock, on Merseyside,
0:06:18 > 0:06:21banned all energy drinks in 2014
0:06:21 > 0:06:25after both staff and students raised concerns about the effects that
0:06:25 > 0:06:29it was feared they could be having on some of the pupils' behaviour.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31The children actually came to me and said,
0:06:31 > 0:06:34"We think that we ought to do something about this."
0:06:34 > 0:06:37I gave the children a one-week amnesty,
0:06:37 > 0:06:40where we warned them, took the drinks away
0:06:40 > 0:06:41and gave them back at the end of the day.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44And now, sadly, they get poured down the sink.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48Here today, I have no doubt that there'll be one or two children
0:06:48 > 0:06:51who have possibly secreted the odd can or bottle
0:06:51 > 0:06:54in their pocket, at the bottom of their bag or whatever.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57But now they know that this will be enforced.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00And though she can't prove it's entirely down to the ban,
0:07:00 > 0:07:04Dee is convinced that a year after pouring away all those confiscated
0:07:04 > 0:07:08energy drinks, it has had a dramatic effect right across the school.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10Detentions over a 12-month period
0:07:10 > 0:07:14fell by over 40% from the beginning of the year,
0:07:14 > 0:07:17before the ban, till the end of the year
0:07:17 > 0:07:18after it had established itself.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21Concentration is better, the school is calmer,
0:07:21 > 0:07:23children move between lessons in a calm way.
0:07:23 > 0:07:28Not that they were bad to start with but every little helps.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32The views of the pupils themselves are a little mixed.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34I think it was quite a good thing to do to ban them
0:07:34 > 0:07:37but...I don't think they should, like, take them off them
0:07:37 > 0:07:39and pour it down the drain.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41They should wait till after school to give it you.
0:07:41 > 0:07:46And it's not just pupils at the school who are under prohibition.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48Oh, you can't drink that here!
0:07:48 > 0:07:50Oh, sorry... Sorry, I didn't realise.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53I'll have that.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57In December 2014, the Food Standards Agency introduced rules
0:07:57 > 0:08:00forcing manufacturers of drinks with a caffeine content
0:08:00 > 0:08:05of over 150mg per litre to make that clear on the can.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09Along with a warning explicitly stating that they are not suitable
0:08:09 > 0:08:13for children, or for pregnant or breast-feeding women.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16And it's their advertising campaigns that have led to concerns
0:08:16 > 0:08:20from some that these drinks are being particularly targeted
0:08:20 > 0:08:21at young people.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23Children are attracted by the names
0:08:23 > 0:08:27that come out from some of these energy drinks.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31Monster? Is that something that appeals to 20, 30-year-olds?
0:08:31 > 0:08:35Or does it appeal to somebody who's 13, 14, 12?
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Er, they're very keen when they see that.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43Branding expert Gary Davies also believes that the popularity
0:08:43 > 0:08:47of some of these drinks with young people is not accidental.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50If you look at the websites of some of these companies,
0:08:50 > 0:08:53one in particular, the Monster brand,
0:08:53 > 0:08:59have an associated website that refers to The Monster Army.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01And this is a bit of promotion by the company,
0:09:01 > 0:09:04which is targeting, in their words,
0:09:04 > 0:09:08"Athletes from the age of 13 to 21."
0:09:08 > 0:09:11And they're encouraging young athletes to apply, basically,
0:09:11 > 0:09:14for sponsorship. That means that you are deliberately targeting
0:09:14 > 0:09:1713-year-olds with your product.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20And, personally, I think that's totally unacceptable.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23But Monster isn't alone in linking its brand to activities
0:09:23 > 0:09:26that are popular with teenagers.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28Rockstar, sold by British company Barr,
0:09:28 > 0:09:32supports professional alternative sports including BMX,
0:09:32 > 0:09:34skating and wakeboarding.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37And while Relentless, which is made by Coca-Cola,
0:09:37 > 0:09:40and Red Bull both have campaigns that are linked to either
0:09:40 > 0:09:43gaming, music or extreme sports, Gary is in no doubt
0:09:43 > 0:09:47that these too are likely to appeal to a younger market.
0:09:47 > 0:09:52But for him, it's American-brand Monster that sets itself apart.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54Because while there are certainly no laws stopping
0:09:54 > 0:09:59its Monster Army promotion actively engaging with 13-year-olds,
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Gary thinks the drink's high caffeine levels
0:10:02 > 0:10:04makes that inappropriate.
0:10:04 > 0:10:09Where a company deliberately targets, in this case, 13-year-olds,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12then I think it's something that we have to put our hands up and say,
0:10:12 > 0:10:16"Well, that's wrong, that should be stopped."
0:10:16 > 0:10:20But Monster Energy rejects such criticisms,
0:10:20 > 0:10:21stressing that it...
0:10:23 > 0:10:26And, indeed, from its launch in 2002,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29explicitly stated on the can that the drink is not recommended
0:10:29 > 0:10:33for them, the first energy drink to do so.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36It says the product is mainly consumed by young males
0:10:36 > 0:10:39aged 18 to 34, so the brand initiatives and image
0:10:39 > 0:10:40are aimed at them.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43However, it says there's no problem for children
0:10:43 > 0:10:48who choose to consume the drink. And while its Monster Army promotion...
0:10:50 > 0:10:54..without its support, talented athletes would not have been able
0:10:54 > 0:10:58to develop their potential, or turn professional.
0:10:58 > 0:10:59It added that...
0:11:05 > 0:11:08The makers of those other high-caffeine drinks,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Relentless and Rockstar, stressed that they follow
0:11:11 > 0:11:15an industry code of practice, which states that they should not market
0:11:15 > 0:11:18or advertise to under-16s.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20They told us that their products...
0:11:24 > 0:11:27Red Bull chose to let the industry body,
0:11:27 > 0:11:31the British Soft Drinks Association, speak on its behalf.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34The Association, which sets the relevant codes of practice,
0:11:34 > 0:11:36told us that...
0:11:44 > 0:11:47Even so, some people have called for a total ban
0:11:47 > 0:11:50on children buying these kinds of energy drinks.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53Because, as it stands, there's no limit on who can buy them
0:11:53 > 0:11:56or how many they can buy.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59Later in the programme, we'll see how much of a problem that really is
0:11:59 > 0:12:02and hear why the government's school dinners advisor
0:12:02 > 0:12:05believes that an age limit on selling these drinks
0:12:05 > 0:12:06would be a very good idea.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13Now, when you shop for your fruit and veg,
0:12:13 > 0:12:16how much thought do you ever put into what pesticides
0:12:16 > 0:12:17might have been used on them?
0:12:17 > 0:12:20And whether there could be any traces still lurking
0:12:20 > 0:12:24under the shiny skin of your apples or indeed, inside your lovely leeks.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Well, British farmers have used pesticides for decades
0:12:27 > 0:12:31but there are those who remain very sceptical about using them at all.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33And would even question whether they're safe.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36So to find out if there is anything to worry about
0:12:36 > 0:12:39or whether pesticides really are the key to keeping prices low
0:12:39 > 0:12:42and the quality high, we've done a test.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45And I must tell you, the results are quite surprising.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53As the supermarket wars continue apace, one of the key battlegrounds
0:12:53 > 0:12:57remains the fresh fruit and veg aisle.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00Here, products from all over the world jostle for position
0:13:00 > 0:13:03and most shoppers will be looking for the freshest, the juiciest
0:13:03 > 0:13:07and most attractive specimens they can spy on the shelves.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Take the humble apple, for example.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14How many times have we taken a minute or two, or maybe even longer,
0:13:14 > 0:13:16searching amongst all the apples to make sure they don't have any
0:13:16 > 0:13:19blemishes or bruises, hoping that they'll stay fresh
0:13:19 > 0:13:22that little bit longer in the fruit bowl at home?
0:13:22 > 0:13:23I know I certainly have!
0:13:25 > 0:13:27In order to get those perfect-looking specimens,
0:13:27 > 0:13:32many commercial orchards spray their apples up to 18 times a year
0:13:32 > 0:13:35with over 30 different active substances.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39From fungicides and insecticides to herbicides and growth regulators.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42And that's what concerns Janet White from Kent.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45Worried about the chemicals that had been used on the produce
0:13:45 > 0:13:48in her weekly shop, Janet took matters into her own hands
0:13:48 > 0:13:51and now, instead of buying all her fruit and veg,
0:13:51 > 0:13:55she grows most of it, without pesticides, on this very allotment.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57I grow these because they're easy to grow.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00I don't really have to worry about any of the nasties,
0:14:00 > 0:14:03- I don't need to put pesticides on them.- And they don't attract slugs?
0:14:03 > 0:14:06- There we go.- And are you scared of pesticides?
0:14:06 > 0:14:09I'm not really 100% comfortable with them.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12I think there's so many things on food that we buy
0:14:12 > 0:14:14that we have no control over.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18I go round the supermarket and I see the vegetables and the fruit
0:14:18 > 0:14:22and I wonder what's been put on that to make it look so perfect.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25- And I do feel nervous about it...- Is that a really big worry for you?
0:14:25 > 0:14:27It's a worry, they import so much from abroad
0:14:27 > 0:14:31and I have absolutely even less of an idea of what might be put on...
0:14:31 > 0:14:34on fruit or veg that's imported.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38So I just feel...I'd rather know what I was eating, where I can.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44Pesticides protect plants from pests such as bugs and weeds,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47so that more of a farm's crop flourishes and can be sold.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49Pesticides might kill the bugs and weeds
0:14:49 > 0:14:52but their use is so strictly regulated in Europe
0:14:52 > 0:14:55that they shouldn't cause any harm to humans
0:14:55 > 0:14:58because all that should be left on any fruit or veg
0:14:58 > 0:15:00are minute traces or residues.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04But even a small residue is enough to worry some people.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07Campaigners Pesticide Action Network UK
0:15:07 > 0:15:11have linked pesticide residues on foods to health risks
0:15:11 > 0:15:14ranging from a hormonal imbalance to cancer.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16And they're very worried that the number of foods sold
0:15:16 > 0:15:19with residues present is increasing.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22Using government figures, they found that 46%
0:15:22 > 0:15:25of fresh vegetables and fruit, such as grapes and apples,
0:15:25 > 0:15:30contained residues very much up from 25% in 2003.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33So we thought that we'd do a little experiment of our own
0:15:33 > 0:15:35and go to a nearby laboratory.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37What we'd thought we'd do is to take some of the produce
0:15:37 > 0:15:40that Janet has grown really naturally,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43alongside the equivalent from a supermarket
0:15:43 > 0:15:46and we'll test it all for pesticide residue.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50Well, Janet, I see you've been busy digging out. Marvellous.
0:15:50 > 0:15:51So, what have you got?
0:15:51 > 0:15:55Right, we've got some leeks, a lovely baby squash,
0:15:55 > 0:15:59some raspberries, some potatoes, a lovely beetroot,
0:15:59 > 0:16:03- parsnip and a cabbage.- You did well. - We did very well.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Well, I'm looking forward to taking this lot now to the laboratory
0:16:05 > 0:16:08- and I bet you'll be interested in the results.- I can't wait.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11- Thanks, Janet, you've been terrific. - Thank you, Gloria.- Thank you.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15And it's here, not too far away from Janet's allotment,
0:16:15 > 0:16:17that we sent our samples.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21Kent Scientific is one of six local authority labs in England
0:16:21 > 0:16:23which help police food safety.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26The team tests around 4,000 food samples a year
0:16:26 > 0:16:31for all kinds of safety concerns including pesticide residues.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34The importance really is because pesticides are contaminants
0:16:34 > 0:16:37and we just need to control and ensure that the levels in there
0:16:37 > 0:16:40aren't going to cause any problems if you eat the food.
0:16:40 > 0:16:41What do pesticides do to your body?
0:16:41 > 0:16:44They can do a range of things cos they've got a range
0:16:44 > 0:16:48of chemical structures, but in the worst case, they're cancer causing.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51So, that's what we need to ensure we control.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54So is it OK to have a certain level of pesticides?
0:16:54 > 0:16:57Yes, I mean, as long as that pesticide is below
0:16:57 > 0:16:59its maximum allowed level, then it's fine.
0:16:59 > 0:17:04It's there not as a safety level but it's there as a trigger level
0:17:04 > 0:17:06and anything above that, there'd be concerns.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10Jon not only tests food for sale in our shops
0:17:10 > 0:17:14but also produce arriving from abroad at UK ports.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16And because these imports aren't subject
0:17:16 > 0:17:17to the same tight regulations
0:17:17 > 0:17:20as food grown in Europe, it's more likely that they could be
0:17:20 > 0:17:24breaking the rules on pesticide residue levels.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27Do you often find that a lot of the stuff you test
0:17:27 > 0:17:31- breaks that legal requirement?- Yeah, I mean, we do fail products.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34A number of products that we've come across lately
0:17:34 > 0:17:37have been rejected just because of high levels of pesticides present.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40We've been looking at products coming in from Africa
0:17:40 > 0:17:43and these have been dried products, things like dry beans.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46They had a particular residue in there, which was cancer causing
0:17:46 > 0:17:48and it was well above its maximum residue level.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51- Oh, that's scary, isn't it?- You're talking about hundreds of times
0:17:51 > 0:17:53- above its maximum residue level. - Hundreds above?
0:17:53 > 0:17:56Hundreds of times above its maximum residue level.
0:17:56 > 0:17:57And they were rejected outright.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00They won't even come into the food chain.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04But what about our own test?
0:18:04 > 0:18:07Pitting Janet's allotment samples against their supermarket cousins,
0:18:07 > 0:18:12to see what traces of pesticides Jon can find.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15From Janet's haul he tested her raspberries,
0:18:15 > 0:18:16cabbage,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19squash and potatoes.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23And for each of those, we matched them up with equivalent produce
0:18:23 > 0:18:26bought from the supermarket nearest to Janet's allotment.
0:18:26 > 0:18:31Obviously, Janet was very keen to find out Jon's results in person.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33You'll be pleased to know that the four samples from your allotment
0:18:33 > 0:18:37- did not contain one single pesticide residue.- Thank goodness.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39- So, I can claim to be organic.- You can certainly,
0:18:39 > 0:18:42- in terms of the pesticide analysis. - Oh, I'm really pleased.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44Really, really pleased.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47That result is what Janet expected.
0:18:47 > 0:18:48But what about the supermarket produce?
0:18:48 > 0:18:51The stuff she avoids cos she's worried about how many
0:18:51 > 0:18:54pesticide traces might still be on it.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57None of the produce we tested was organic,
0:18:57 > 0:19:00so pesticides will have been used when they were grown.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03But did any trace of those pesticides remain?
0:19:03 > 0:19:06Of the four supermarket samples, only one of them actually contains
0:19:06 > 0:19:09- a single residue...- Really?- ..which is quite pleasing
0:19:09 > 0:19:12in the sense of supermarket foods as well.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15The sample that contained the residue was the raspberries
0:19:15 > 0:19:17and, in fact, the residue that we found was below
0:19:17 > 0:19:20its maximum residue level. In fact, it was only a tenth
0:19:20 > 0:19:23- of its maximum residue level. So... - And that's acceptable?
0:19:23 > 0:19:26- That's more than acceptable.- Now, you see that proves a certain point,
0:19:26 > 0:19:30doesn't it? Because, if you're saying that three out of the four
0:19:30 > 0:19:33actually were free of pesticide from the supermarket,
0:19:33 > 0:19:36it does beg the question, is it worth all this effort
0:19:36 > 0:19:39in an allotment and growing organic, if in essence
0:19:39 > 0:19:41you can pick it up at the supermarket?
0:19:41 > 0:19:43I think the difference is that if you grow them yourself,
0:19:43 > 0:19:45- you know what you're putting in there.- Yeah.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47- And you should have a lot more confidence.- I do.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50And the flavour is always so much better and you get so much pleasure
0:19:50 > 0:19:52- out of the hard work that you've done as well.- It's true.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55Are you surprised though about the results of the supermarket ones?
0:19:55 > 0:19:59I am cos I suppose we have this kind of fear that, you know,
0:19:59 > 0:20:01- supermarket, bad...- Yeah, yeah.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04- ..home-grown, good.- That's right.- And now I feel quite comfortable...- Yeah.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06..buying in the supermarket.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09And, clearly, there's no reason why she shouldn't.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12The government body that sets the limits on pesticide use
0:20:12 > 0:20:14is confident that there's nothing to worry about.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18Stressing that the residue levels found in most fruit and veg
0:20:18 > 0:20:19approved to be sold in the EU
0:20:19 > 0:20:23are too small to be any threat to human health.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25Having tested a range of products certainly from within
0:20:25 > 0:20:29the European Union, we tend to find not that many problems.
0:20:29 > 0:20:30So if you do encounter one,
0:20:30 > 0:20:33the chances are, the level is not particularly high.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35So I... it hasn't swayed me from moving,
0:20:35 > 0:20:40certainly from routine non-organic produce to organic, no.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42Some people would find that quite surprising.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46Well, I mean, perhaps so but I think if you do wash before you eat them,
0:20:46 > 0:20:49I think, essentially, you're reducing that risk.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52So having spent some time in the lab,
0:20:52 > 0:20:55I would have to say that it's very reassuring
0:20:55 > 0:20:58to know that professionals like Jon are constantly testing,
0:20:58 > 0:21:01to keep the levels of pesticide below the legal limit.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04But what have I learnt personally from my day-to-day life?
0:21:04 > 0:21:07Well, on one level I've learnt not to be too strung up
0:21:07 > 0:21:12about organic versus non-organic because, as indeed Jon said,
0:21:12 > 0:21:14thorough washing of fruit and veg actually takes care
0:21:14 > 0:21:16of most pesticides.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19I'll tell you something, in the future, I will be very diligent
0:21:19 > 0:21:21about how I prepare my food at home,
0:21:21 > 0:21:26and for once, this apple has been very well washed.
0:21:26 > 0:21:27Mmm.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32Still to come on Rip-Off Britain.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35If sugar really is as bad for us as some people say,
0:21:35 > 0:21:38then which of the alternatives are any better?
0:21:38 > 0:21:41With a lot of these, sort of, natural sugar alternatives,
0:21:41 > 0:21:44there's an awful lot of bold health claims out there,
0:21:44 > 0:21:47which people are prepared to pay a lot of money for.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50And it makes me really angry, in a way, to see that.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58You know, these days, sugar has become something of a dirty word.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01In the space of just a few years, sugar's star has fallen
0:22:01 > 0:22:05and a host of alternatives have been rushed on to the market.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07The makers of these low-calorie sweeteners are desperate
0:22:07 > 0:22:09to convince us that, thanks to them,
0:22:09 > 0:22:13we can all have our cake and eat it.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16But are these sugar substitutes all that they seem?
0:22:16 > 0:22:19Well, to find out, we've put five of the most popular
0:22:19 > 0:22:21to our own bake-off test.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26It's been a crucial part of our diet and our cooking for donkey's years.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29But recently sugar has become so controversial
0:22:29 > 0:22:33you'd be forgiven for thinking it was public enemy number one.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36We're always being told we consume too much
0:22:36 > 0:22:40and some scientists say it's a direct cause of the obesity crisis.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43But if you want to cut down on sugar without missing out
0:22:43 > 0:22:47on that lovely sweet taste, what can you use instead?
0:22:47 > 0:22:49Some of the alternatives to sugar have themselves
0:22:49 > 0:22:51been just as controversial.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54So if, like Nicola Tott from Stockport,
0:22:54 > 0:22:57you're looking for a balanced diet that's not heavy on sugar
0:22:57 > 0:23:00or artificial sweeteners, the choices are limited.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02And while she's keen to keep her family healthy,
0:23:02 > 0:23:06they've all got very clear ideas about what they want to eat.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09We try and buy fresh food where possible
0:23:09 > 0:23:12but generally it's not that easy, especially if you're busy
0:23:12 > 0:23:17and the kids generally don't want to wait for me to cook a long meal.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21They'll only eat things that are generally bright in colour
0:23:21 > 0:23:24and that are tasty, like sugary things.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29Nicola's keen to limit how much sugar is in her children's diet
0:23:29 > 0:23:33but doesn't really know what to replace it with.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36I don't know much about alternatives but I'd definitely be interested
0:23:36 > 0:23:39to find out more about it. If there was something out there that was
0:23:39 > 0:23:42sweet but really healthy and natural, then I think every parent
0:23:42 > 0:23:45would be really interested in it.
0:23:45 > 0:23:50Alternatives to sugar are widely available in every supermarket,
0:23:50 > 0:23:52some of them are natural, some of them are not.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54Either way, if the makers are to be believed,
0:23:54 > 0:23:58then their products are just what Nicola is looking for.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00You two, tea's ready.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03But can they really do the same job as sugar?
0:24:03 > 0:24:07Not just in terms of taste but in the cooking, too?
0:24:07 > 0:24:10To find out, we asked professional cake maker Trudi Combey
0:24:10 > 0:24:13to put five of the most widely available sugar alternatives
0:24:13 > 0:24:16to the test, with a little help from Nicola.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18And we'll see how each of them performs
0:24:18 > 0:24:22when they're used instead of sugar in a simple recipe.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24We're just going to use a basic shortbread.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27That's cos there's hardly any ingredients in it
0:24:27 > 0:24:29and you need a little bit of sweetness
0:24:29 > 0:24:32and there won't be much to mask that sweetness.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35And it should give us a good taste test to see whether it...
0:24:35 > 0:24:38actually, they do taste differently.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40Four of Trudi and Nicola's shortbreads will be made
0:24:40 > 0:24:44with products now being touted as natural alternatives to sugar.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48And one with an artificial sweetener that's been around for decades
0:24:48 > 0:24:52and itself has had its fair share of controversy - aspartame.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55You could just grease that and that if you want with those.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57Among our natural sweeteners is one with the backing
0:24:57 > 0:25:00of the biggest soft drinks company in the world.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02Up to 300 times as sweet as sugar,
0:25:02 > 0:25:05stevia has already joined the mainstream
0:25:05 > 0:25:08after being used in Coca-Cola's newest variety,
0:25:08 > 0:25:12reducing the calories in one can from 139 to 89.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14It's very grainy.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19We're also testing xylitol, a natural sweetener
0:25:19 > 0:25:22that occurs in fruit and vegetables.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24It's not quite the new kid on the block,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27having been used in chewing gum for years.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31- Which cutter do you want to use for the...- Er, the stars.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35- The star?- Yeah.- And our third natural sweetener is agave nectar,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38widely touted as a healthy sweetener
0:25:38 > 0:25:42and championed by celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45- Oh, a nice sloppy mess, that one. Can you see that one?- Yeah.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48But the best known of the products we're testing
0:25:48 > 0:25:51is the one that's probably already in our cupboard - honey.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55Lots of us have been using it as an alternative to sugar for years.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58And now one of Britain's most famous cereals has swapped
0:25:58 > 0:26:01at least some of its sugar for honey too.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05- BOTH:- Sugar Puffs, Sugar Puffs, up, honey-coated puffs in a milky bath.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09In 2014, the manufacturers of Sugar Puffs announced
0:26:09 > 0:26:11that they were going to reduce the sugar content
0:26:11 > 0:26:15and replace some of it with honey and change the name too.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17Manufacturers Halo Foods told us
0:26:17 > 0:26:21they've been cutting the cereal's sugar content for years
0:26:21 > 0:26:24and it now has a third less than it did 10 years ago,
0:26:24 > 0:26:26which they say makes it significantly healthier.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29It isn't the only breakfast cereal that makes a big deal
0:26:29 > 0:26:33about getting at least some of its sweetness from honey.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37But is honey, or indeed any of our natural alternatives,
0:26:37 > 0:26:39a healthier option than sugar?
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Well, Trudi and Nicola are testing them all out in their shortbreads.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46We asked Tanya Haffner, from the British Dietetic Association,
0:26:46 > 0:26:50whether these substitutes are really the key to replacing sugar for good.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53With a lot of these sort of natural sugar alternatives,
0:26:53 > 0:26:56there's an awful lot of bold health claims out there on the market,
0:26:56 > 0:26:59which people are prepared to pay a lot of money for.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03And it makes me really sort of angry in a way to see that.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07We've seen a lot of manufacturers recently
0:27:07 > 0:27:11starting to use honey, for example, instead of sugar
0:27:11 > 0:27:15in some of the products and this really ties in with the fact that
0:27:15 > 0:27:19consumers are really looking for something that is more natural
0:27:19 > 0:27:21but we've got to be really careful with this term cos natural
0:27:21 > 0:27:24does not always mean that it's good for you
0:27:24 > 0:27:26and honey is a prime example of that.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30It's got the same chemical structure as table sugar,
0:27:30 > 0:27:33so it's treated by the body in exactly the same way.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36So no difference in terms of its effect on your health.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40And if honey isn't the altogether healthier sweetener
0:27:40 > 0:27:44some people might have hoped, Tanya says the celebrity favourite
0:27:44 > 0:27:47agave nectar may not be a better choice than sugar either.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49Sorry, Gwyneth!
0:27:49 > 0:27:52In the agave you've got a higher fructose content
0:27:52 > 0:27:56and that has been reported to be more beneficial
0:27:56 > 0:27:59for your blood sugar levels but in actual fact,
0:27:59 > 0:28:01we have no evidence for that.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05So, in my mind, as dieticians, we would say it's no different
0:28:05 > 0:28:08from table sugar, in terms of your health.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11Tanya is slightly more positive about xylitol,
0:28:11 > 0:28:15which, despite its chemical sounding name, is natural.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18This is xylitol, it's an extract from a plant,
0:28:18 > 0:28:23it's not calorie free, it's got 30% less calories than table sugar,
0:28:23 > 0:28:24so slightly better.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27It's also slightly more slowly absorbed into the bloodstream,
0:28:27 > 0:28:29which is a good thing.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33But what does our dietician make of stevia,
0:28:33 > 0:28:35which sounds too good to be true?
0:28:35 > 0:28:38It has virtually zero calories and is completely natural.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42It's 200 to 300 times sweeter than table sugar,
0:28:42 > 0:28:45so we only need to use a very small amount.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48It can be used in cooking, so it's stable, for example,
0:28:48 > 0:28:51in baking and cooking, which some of the other
0:28:51 > 0:28:53low-calorie sweeteners are not.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58But some people have found stevia leaves a bitter aftertaste,
0:28:58 > 0:29:01which is why manufacturers like Coca-Cola choose to blend it
0:29:01 > 0:29:03with a lower level of sugar.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06Meaning although stevia itself is calorie free,
0:29:06 > 0:29:08the products it's in may not be.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12So, it seems all these natural alternatives
0:29:12 > 0:29:14have their pros and cons.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17We'll be looking more closely at the artificial sweetener
0:29:17 > 0:29:20used in our baking test - aspartame, later in the programme.
0:29:20 > 0:29:24But the only real way to find the sugar substitute that's right for you
0:29:24 > 0:29:28is to taste it. So back in Stockport, Trudi and Nicola are ready
0:29:28 > 0:29:31to take their shortbreads out of the oven and do just that.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33Oh! They smell good.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37As far as they're concerned, neither the xylitol or the agave nectar
0:29:37 > 0:29:39make good shortbread.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41That was horrid and that was horrid.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44The shortbread with the artifical sweetener - aspartame,
0:29:44 > 0:29:46doesn't do so well either.
0:29:46 > 0:29:48That was very sweet.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51And the shortbread made with the honey...
0:29:51 > 0:29:54That one's just horrid and doughy.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58Which means that by far the most successful sugar-free shortbread
0:29:58 > 0:29:59was the one made with stevia.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02I think the stevia was my favourite.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05In baking, in baking terms,
0:30:05 > 0:30:07it resembled the sugar the most.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09It's a pleasant taste.
0:30:09 > 0:30:14It's not quite...the same taste as the sugar,
0:30:14 > 0:30:16but it isn't an unpleasant one.
0:30:16 > 0:30:20I would say the stevia was my favourite as well.
0:30:20 > 0:30:22It tasted quite sweet,
0:30:22 > 0:30:25not as sweet as the sugar, but still sweet enough.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30Now, of course, our experiment was highly subjective.
0:30:30 > 0:30:31And used in other ways,
0:30:31 > 0:30:34or with a bit more practice and tweaking of the recipe,
0:30:34 > 0:30:37all these sugar alternatives could do a useful job.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40And Nicola's already thinking of other ways she could use them.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44We do have, like, Greek yogurt with a honey.
0:30:44 > 0:30:48So perhaps a Greek yogurt with fruit and the stevia could work.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50They'd probably eat that.
0:30:50 > 0:30:55And, possibly, I would consider using stevia in a cup of tea.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59It's unlikely any of these alternatives
0:30:59 > 0:31:02could ever replace sugar entirely
0:31:02 > 0:31:04and, indeed, Sugar Nutrition UK,
0:31:04 > 0:31:06the group that represents the sugar industry,
0:31:06 > 0:31:07would say they don't need to.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10It told us that table sugar is just as natural
0:31:10 > 0:31:12as the alternatives we tested,
0:31:12 > 0:31:15adding that all of these are comprised of glucose,
0:31:15 > 0:31:17fructose or sucrose,
0:31:17 > 0:31:19and "the body does not differentiate
0:31:19 > 0:31:22"between any of these different types of sugar."
0:31:22 > 0:31:23It went on to stress that...
0:31:30 > 0:31:33What's more, it says government figures show
0:31:33 > 0:31:34that over the last decade...
0:31:48 > 0:31:51But if you are worried about your sugar consumption,
0:31:51 > 0:31:53rather than cut it out completely,
0:31:53 > 0:31:56the advice from the British Dietetic Association
0:31:56 > 0:32:00is to gradually reduce the amount you take in.
0:32:00 > 0:32:01I've done it within my family.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03You start to reduce it really gradually
0:32:03 > 0:32:05and your taste buds get used to that.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08But don't use some of the natural alternatives,
0:32:08 > 0:32:10like agave syrup,
0:32:10 > 0:32:12believing that they're going to be beneficial to your health
0:32:12 > 0:32:14or have less calories, because they don't.
0:32:14 > 0:32:15And, in buying those,
0:32:15 > 0:32:17the only difference to you will be on your purse,
0:32:17 > 0:32:19where you'll be paying more money for them.
0:32:26 > 0:32:30Next, more on those controversial caffeine-fuelled energy drinks.
0:32:30 > 0:32:32You know, after just one can,
0:32:32 > 0:32:34young people who knock back the bigger varieties
0:32:34 > 0:32:36that now dominate the market,
0:32:36 > 0:32:38will be right up to the limit of how much caffeine
0:32:38 > 0:32:41it's generally recommended that they should consume in a day.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44But, of course, many of them don't just stop with the one.
0:32:44 > 0:32:46So, how responsible are the shops
0:32:46 > 0:32:49when it comes to selling such powerful drinks
0:32:49 > 0:32:50to their younger customers?
0:32:50 > 0:32:52Well, we went shopping to find out.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58Earlier in the programme, we met 15-year-old Corin Skinner,
0:32:58 > 0:33:00who, like many of his friends,
0:33:00 > 0:33:02used to be an avid drinker of energy drinks
0:33:02 > 0:33:05such as Monster, Relentless and Rockstar.
0:33:05 > 0:33:09There was this one time when I was in town when I had about four,
0:33:09 > 0:33:12and I just kind of felt sick afterwards.
0:33:12 > 0:33:14It just does something to you.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18Corin has now cut down to just one or two energy drinks a month,
0:33:18 > 0:33:21but his mum is not sure she's even happy with that.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23So you're not really drinking it any more, are you?
0:33:23 > 0:33:26No, I might have one today when I go to town.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28I've not had one in about a month or so.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31I'm worried about my son and other children.
0:33:31 > 0:33:33You can just imagine being a teacher
0:33:33 > 0:33:35having to teach a crowd of kids after lunch
0:33:35 > 0:33:37when they've all had a couple of energy drinks,
0:33:37 > 0:33:39that must be nightmare-ish.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43I started drinking energy drinks when I was 12,
0:33:43 > 0:33:47and...I just thought it was kind of cool to drink them
0:33:47 > 0:33:51because my friends, they all drank them.
0:33:51 > 0:33:55The big-brand energy drinks typically cost around a pound a can.
0:33:55 > 0:34:00But with some own-label energy drinks costing as little as 35p,
0:34:00 > 0:34:01they're well within the reach of those
0:34:01 > 0:34:04with even the smallest pocket money allowance.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07Sometimes, energy drinks are even cheaper than water.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10You can buy bottled water for 80p,
0:34:10 > 0:34:12which is much more expensive.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15Cans like those that Corin and his friends would drink
0:34:15 > 0:34:18each contain the maximum daily amount of caffeine
0:34:18 > 0:34:20generally recommended for a child.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23So, it's because some kids may buy three or even four in a day
0:34:23 > 0:34:26that Susan thinks there should be tighter controls
0:34:26 > 0:34:27on how they're sold.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30I think they should be regulated like alcohol.
0:34:30 > 0:34:34And, you know, I don't think 15, 16-year-old kids
0:34:34 > 0:34:37are capable of making the informed judgments
0:34:37 > 0:34:40about the effects that the ingredients of these drinks
0:34:40 > 0:34:41can have on them.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45So I think they should be regulated and they shouldn't be sold to them.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48The government's school dinners advisor John Vincent
0:34:48 > 0:34:51also believes that energy drinks high in caffeine
0:34:51 > 0:34:54should not be so easily available to children.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57There is some evidence that, for sports people, for sports teams,
0:34:57 > 0:35:00a lot of caffeine consumed before a match
0:35:00 > 0:35:03can actually have a beneficial effect on performance.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06However, when it comes to children and the amount that they're consuming
0:35:06 > 0:35:09and the way they're consuming energy drinks in schools,
0:35:09 > 0:35:10they're very damaging.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12The combination of caffeine and sugar in these drinks
0:35:12 > 0:35:16is causing all sorts of havoc to behaviour and to health,
0:35:16 > 0:35:18and we think children need to be protected.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21First step is to encourage all head teachers
0:35:21 > 0:35:24to follow the lead of those head teachers
0:35:24 > 0:35:28who've banned the consumption of energy drinks in their schools.
0:35:28 > 0:35:30The second thing, I believe,
0:35:30 > 0:35:33is that retailers should not sell these drinks
0:35:33 > 0:35:35to children under 16 years old.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39The British Soft Drinks Association, which represents
0:35:39 > 0:35:43the companies behind Relentless, Red Bull, Monster and Rockstar
0:35:43 > 0:35:47recommends high-caffeine drinks should not be marketed at under-16s,
0:35:47 > 0:35:50and suggests, "on a precautionary basis,"
0:35:50 > 0:35:52that they're not consumed by them.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56But they don't go far as saying they shouldn't be sold to them,
0:35:56 > 0:35:59telling us there's no reason why that should be the case
0:35:59 > 0:36:01when the drinks at most high street coffee chains
0:36:01 > 0:36:03contain "the same or more caffeine."
0:36:06 > 0:36:08Meanwhile, new laws mean that
0:36:08 > 0:36:11the latest cans of all of these high-caffeine energy drinks
0:36:11 > 0:36:13will have to carry a clear warning,
0:36:13 > 0:36:16stressing they are not suitable for children.
0:36:16 > 0:36:18But it may take a while for all the old cans
0:36:18 > 0:36:20to work their way off the shelves.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23And, certainly, when we checked a few shops in Manchester
0:36:23 > 0:36:25several weeks after the new rules came in,
0:36:25 > 0:36:28we couldn't find any cans of Relentless, Rockstar,
0:36:28 > 0:36:30Monster or Red Bull
0:36:30 > 0:36:31that yet had the new labels.
0:36:33 > 0:36:34But as it stands,
0:36:34 > 0:36:36whether they've got the warnings or not,
0:36:36 > 0:36:39there's nothing to stop shops selling energy drinks
0:36:39 > 0:36:41to children and young people.
0:36:41 > 0:36:43Unless, of course, they choose not to.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47We sent the 13-year-old son of one of our production team
0:36:47 > 0:36:50into five shops in the same part of Manchester
0:36:50 > 0:36:52to buy some of the higher-strength energy drinks,
0:36:52 > 0:36:54to see if any of them asked his age,
0:36:54 > 0:36:57or showed any concerns about him buying them.
0:36:57 > 0:36:58None of them did.
0:36:58 > 0:37:00Although one did make it clear to us
0:37:00 > 0:37:03that they would not have sold the drinks to anyone under 11.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06But there is one shop nearby that goes further.
0:37:06 > 0:37:10Newsagent Sam Ulhaq has put his own voluntary ban in place,
0:37:10 > 0:37:14and says he won't sell energy drinks to anyone under 16.
0:37:15 > 0:37:19There's nothing...written down to say whether,
0:37:19 > 0:37:21how old they've got to be,
0:37:21 > 0:37:24and I feel a moral duty, obligation,
0:37:24 > 0:37:26not to sell them to under-16s
0:37:26 > 0:37:28for the sake of a few pennies.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30It makes my conscience a bit clearer,
0:37:30 > 0:37:33I'm not being a part of any harm to a child.
0:37:33 > 0:37:38I think, in the long run, there has to be a standard age limit
0:37:38 > 0:37:41because something is going get out of hand.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43We contacted the companies behind
0:37:43 > 0:37:45Relentless, Rockstar, Red Bull and Monster.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49The ones that replied made it clear that
0:37:49 > 0:37:52they didn't feel any sort of ban on selling to children was needed,
0:37:52 > 0:37:56telling us that their drinks are marketed responsibly, and...
0:38:00 > 0:38:02They reiterated that the labels make clear
0:38:02 > 0:38:03both the caffeine levels
0:38:03 > 0:38:07and that these are products that are not recommended for children.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10Some of them pointed out that they do have cans
0:38:10 > 0:38:11with smaller servings available,
0:38:11 > 0:38:15while insisting, as the British Soft Drinks Association also did,
0:38:15 > 0:38:18that there's as much, or more, caffeine to be found
0:38:18 > 0:38:21in coffee shops on every high street.
0:38:21 > 0:38:25As for Corin, he does still enjoy the occasional energy drink...
0:38:25 > 0:38:28but nothing like as often as he used to.
0:38:28 > 0:38:29I don't drink them as much.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32I might drink them, like, once a month, but that's it,
0:38:32 > 0:38:35I won't have much more because it's just a bit stupid.
0:38:40 > 0:38:41Now, earlier in the programme,
0:38:41 > 0:38:45we saw how some alternatives to sugar fared in a shortbread recipe.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47Most of them were natural sweeteners,
0:38:47 > 0:38:49like honey or agave nectar.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51But one of them was artificial,
0:38:51 > 0:38:52and it's been around for a while.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55It's widely used in all sorts of food and drink,
0:38:55 > 0:38:58but aspartame hasn't always had the best press.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01And it's ended up with a reputation that, according to some,
0:39:01 > 0:39:02it may not deserve.
0:39:05 > 0:39:07Scare stories about aspartame
0:39:07 > 0:39:09have seen the sweetener blamed for everything
0:39:09 > 0:39:11from allergies and premature births,
0:39:11 > 0:39:13to cancer and liver damage.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16But should we really be so scared of it?
0:39:16 > 0:39:19Aspartame is one of our most common sweeteners.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22It's found in literally thousands of products,
0:39:22 > 0:39:25in drinks, in artificial sweeteners that we find,
0:39:25 > 0:39:29and it's something that is about 200 times sweeter than sugar.
0:39:30 > 0:39:34But with aspartame, it can be very hard to separate fact from fiction,
0:39:34 > 0:39:36especially when many of the scare stories
0:39:36 > 0:39:39seem to come from reputable scientific sources.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44The early sweeteners, like saccharine,
0:39:44 > 0:39:47did produce some results that were worrying.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50They were fed in very large quantities to rats
0:39:50 > 0:39:52and did cause a form of cancer.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54But the fact is almost anything,
0:39:54 > 0:39:56if you feed it to rats in very large quantities,
0:39:56 > 0:39:57will cause cancer.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00If we were to try to reproduce that in human beings
0:40:00 > 0:40:02we would literally have to go up to hundreds,
0:40:02 > 0:40:04if not even, say, a thousand cans of drink,
0:40:04 > 0:40:06to have the equivalent amount
0:40:06 > 0:40:09and that just isn't going to happen.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14Because aspartame is artificial,
0:40:14 > 0:40:18there have been concerns about the way it changes in the body
0:40:18 > 0:40:20creating potentially toxic by-products.
0:40:20 > 0:40:23But Brian says this is a problem with many foods,
0:40:23 > 0:40:25and the levels of toxin are tiny.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28When we eat things, our stomachs break them down
0:40:28 > 0:40:30and produce different chemicals.
0:40:30 > 0:40:32And in the case of aspartame,
0:40:32 > 0:40:35it is a poison, it is not good for you,
0:40:35 > 0:40:38but the fact is, it only produces a very small quantity,
0:40:38 > 0:40:40and plenty of other things we eat do as well.
0:40:40 > 0:40:44Tomatoes, for instance, will produce more methanol than does aspartame.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46Our body can cope with that level of toxin,
0:40:46 > 0:40:48it isn't a problem.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50It seems that however reputable the studies
0:40:50 > 0:40:53showing aspartame can have some ill effects,
0:40:53 > 0:40:55the problem with nearly all of them
0:40:55 > 0:40:58is that they either relied on huge doses of the sweetener,
0:40:58 > 0:41:02or were one-off studies that didn't show the same result again.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05Back in 2010, a study in Denmark did find that
0:41:05 > 0:41:09women who drank three cans of low-calorie fizzy drink a day
0:41:09 > 0:41:11could have premature births.
0:41:11 > 0:41:16But the fact is that this has been repeated several times since
0:41:16 > 0:41:19and, every time, no effect has been discovered.
0:41:19 > 0:41:24So this is again something where a single study has produced a problem.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26In fact, there isn't one.
0:41:27 > 0:41:29The European Food Safety Authority,
0:41:29 > 0:41:32as well as our own Food Standards Agency,
0:41:32 > 0:41:35have declared that aspartame is entirely safe
0:41:35 > 0:41:37at the levels we actually eat it,
0:41:37 > 0:41:40including for children and pregnant women.
0:41:40 > 0:41:42In the end, it's like anything else,
0:41:42 > 0:41:43in moderation it's fine,
0:41:43 > 0:41:44you just don't want to overdo it.
0:41:54 > 0:41:56Here at Rip-Off Britain,
0:41:56 > 0:41:59we're always ready to investigate more of your stories
0:41:59 > 0:42:00on any subject.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02You can write to us at...
0:42:10 > 0:42:12Or you can send us an e-mail to...
0:42:16 > 0:42:19Remember that The Rip-Off team is ready and waiting
0:42:19 > 0:42:21to investigate your stories.
0:42:25 > 0:42:27Well, as we've seen today,
0:42:27 > 0:42:29it isn't always easy to get the whole picture
0:42:29 > 0:42:31about the foods that we eat.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33Indeed, some of the information that's around
0:42:33 > 0:42:34may not even be the full story,
0:42:34 > 0:42:37and yet, that top line may have stuck in our minds
0:42:37 > 0:42:39so vividly over time
0:42:39 > 0:42:42that it just becomes something that we assume is definitely true,
0:42:42 > 0:42:45- when, in fact, that might not be the case at all.- Totally.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48But, you know, the one that surprised me probably most of all
0:42:48 > 0:42:50was the test that we did on those pesticides,
0:42:50 > 0:42:52because we've become so used to people telling us
0:42:52 > 0:42:56that supermarket fruit and veg is absolutely covered in chemicals,
0:42:56 > 0:42:59- that you end up believing that it's true.- You do.
0:42:59 > 0:43:00And yet, when we went to the lab,
0:43:00 > 0:43:03there really wasn't much difference between all the produce
0:43:03 > 0:43:06that had been grown with pesticides and the ones that hadn't.
0:43:06 > 0:43:08Well, I'm sure we'll all continue to get
0:43:08 > 0:43:11conflicting reports on what's safe to eat
0:43:11 > 0:43:12for many years to come.
0:43:12 > 0:43:14So, if there's anything you'd like us to investigate,
0:43:14 > 0:43:16or even debunk,
0:43:16 > 0:43:17then let us know.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22..is, as ever, the easiest way to get in touch.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24And we'll be back to get our teeth
0:43:24 > 0:43:26into more of your food stories very soon.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29- So, till then, from all of us here, goodbye.- Bye-bye.- Bye-bye.