0:00:02 > 0:00:04There's a lot we don't know about the food on our plates.
0:00:04 > 0:00:08And the shops and the labels don't always tell you the whole story.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10Sometimes there's just too many offers
0:00:10 > 0:00:14and when you actually look at them, you're not really saving that much.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16Whether you're staying in or going out,
0:00:16 > 0:00:19you've told us that you can feel ripped off by the promises
0:00:19 > 0:00:23made for what you eat and, indeed, what you pay for it.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26If you buy six, it's cheaper.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29But I don't want to buy six, I want to buy one.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34From claims that don't stack up, to the secrets behind the packaging,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37we'll uncover the truth about Britain's food
0:00:37 > 0:00:41so you can be sure you're getting what you expect, at the right price.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47Your food, your money. This is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53Hello, and welcome to Rip-Off Britain, where, for this
0:00:53 > 0:00:57special series, we're looking into all things to do with food.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00And while sometimes it can be a bit tricky keeping across everything
0:01:00 > 0:01:03when we are eating at home, I think most of us will agree that
0:01:03 > 0:01:05things become a lot more complicated
0:01:05 > 0:01:08when we're eating out because, of course, that is when we're
0:01:08 > 0:01:11putting our trust and confidence into the hands of other people.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14And the truth is that some of the places we go to can leave us
0:01:14 > 0:01:16feeling really disappointed.
0:01:16 > 0:01:17Either because what they're serving
0:01:17 > 0:01:20isn't quite what we'd assumed or indeed hoped for,
0:01:20 > 0:01:23and we have some surprising examples of that coming up,
0:01:23 > 0:01:26or perhaps even because they are struggling with the absolute basics,
0:01:26 > 0:01:29in other words, keeping themselves and their surroundings clean
0:01:29 > 0:01:32so we're getting food that's safe as well as very tasty.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35Yes, because no-one wants to go out for something nice
0:01:35 > 0:01:38and come back with a dose of something nasty.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41So, today, we're going to be finding out exactly what's being done to
0:01:41 > 0:01:43make sure that the standards of hygiene
0:01:43 > 0:01:46where we eat are up to scratch.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Coming up... We've done our own test into restaurant cleanliness,
0:01:49 > 0:01:52so in which high street favourite
0:01:52 > 0:01:54did we find something very nasty indeed?
0:01:54 > 0:01:59There's faecal contamination either of the water that made the ice
0:01:59 > 0:02:01or the ice itself.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03And so it increases the risk of
0:02:03 > 0:02:06getting sick from consuming this ice.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09And burgers served pink may be all the rage,
0:02:09 > 0:02:11but are they safe to eat?
0:02:11 > 0:02:14If a burger hasn't been prepared and cooked safely,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17then the potential risk is that the inside of the burger
0:02:17 > 0:02:20could contain organisms such as E. Coli,
0:02:20 > 0:02:21which is potentially extremely
0:02:21 > 0:02:24dangerous and has been known to cause death.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31Whenever you go into a restaurant or a takeaway, you might have seen
0:02:31 > 0:02:35a bright green sticker about so long by so deep,
0:02:35 > 0:02:39displayed either on the door or the window, making it very clear
0:02:39 > 0:02:42what the food hygiene rating is of the place in which you plan to eat.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45In other words, it's a very helpful steer on
0:02:45 > 0:02:48whether the standards inside really are up to scratch.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50Or at least, it should be.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52But, in fact, though you might have assumed otherwise,
0:02:52 > 0:02:56restaurants are not obliged to display their rating.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59So any place that scored particularly badly
0:02:59 > 0:03:01doesn't have to tell you about it.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04Even though, chances are, you certainly would want to know.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07So, short of actually poking your head into the kitchen,
0:03:07 > 0:03:11how can you tell if a restaurant is as clean as a whistle?
0:03:11 > 0:03:12Or no such thing.
0:03:13 > 0:03:18With stickers to show if you're eating somewhere clean and safe,
0:03:18 > 0:03:20the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme was launched
0:03:20 > 0:03:22in most of the UK in 2010,
0:03:22 > 0:03:26although Scotland already had something similar.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29The idea is that any establishment that serves or provides food
0:03:29 > 0:03:32to the general public should be inspected
0:03:32 > 0:03:37and then given a rating, depending on how clean their premises are.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40So, for instance, if you get a five, which is the top rating,
0:03:40 > 0:03:42that means that you are very good.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45If you get zero, well, that indicates
0:03:45 > 0:03:50that your establishment is in need of urgent attention.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52But what exactly do these ratings mean?
0:03:54 > 0:03:57'Well, someone who knows the answer to that is John Thornhill.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00'His restaurant in central London has a rating of five,
0:04:00 > 0:04:02'so he must be doing something right.'
0:04:04 > 0:04:07So, how much notice did you get before the inspectors arrived?
0:04:07 > 0:04:10They don't give you any warning. I think that's absolutely right.
0:04:10 > 0:04:15In the end, the only way to try and achieve consistency, or at least to
0:04:15 > 0:04:19measure consistency, is to go when people don't necessarily expect it.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21'Restaurants are inspected by local authority
0:04:21 > 0:04:25'Environmental Health Officers, who are checking for a number of things.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28'How hygienically the food is handled -
0:04:28 > 0:04:29'in other words, the way it's
0:04:29 > 0:04:32'prepared, cooked, reheated, cooled, and stored.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35'And they'll look at the condition and structure of the building,
0:04:35 > 0:04:40'its cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation, and other facilities.'
0:04:40 > 0:04:43What are the extra problems that you've got?
0:04:43 > 0:04:46- Because the food looks stunning... - Thank you.- ..and it's colourful
0:04:46 > 0:04:48and it's wonderful, but it is all out on show.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50This is tuna, good example, can only be out for 30 minutes,
0:04:50 > 0:04:53because obviously, being fish, it will go off quite quickly.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56Whereas, if we look at something like ham,
0:04:56 > 0:04:58that can be out for a longer period of time.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02So, we have a system in the back here which controls every dish,
0:05:02 > 0:05:04knows when it was sent up, knows how long it can be out for, and alerts
0:05:04 > 0:05:07the staff when we need to send it down,
0:05:07 > 0:05:09if everything hasn't been sold at that point.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11How proud are you that you got a five rating?
0:05:11 > 0:05:13Very proud, because if I was walking past
0:05:13 > 0:05:15the window here, seeing this food on display,
0:05:15 > 0:05:18I'd think it looked visually very appetising, but I would
0:05:18 > 0:05:23want to know that it was going to be equally good in the consumption.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25But, unfortunately, not all restaurants are as
0:05:25 > 0:05:26thorough as this one.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30Our team has uncovered some pretty shocking statistics concerning
0:05:30 > 0:05:35food hygiene at establishments the length and breadth of the country.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39'At the time we checked, there were...
0:05:45 > 0:05:50'That's nearly 9% of all the premises inspected. Worse still...
0:05:53 > 0:05:56'..which means they need urgent improvement.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58'But finding out a restaurant's
0:05:58 > 0:06:00'score isn't always that straightforward.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04'I took a walk along a busy street in London's Soho,
0:06:04 > 0:06:07'with no less than 34 restaurants.'
0:06:07 > 0:06:12But only nine of them are displaying their Food Hygiene Rating,
0:06:12 > 0:06:14and that's because, by law,
0:06:14 > 0:06:18they don't have to put it in a prominent position.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20'In fact, only in Wales would they
0:06:20 > 0:06:23'be obliged to display their rating at all.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25'So I'm meeting Catriona Stewart,
0:06:25 > 0:06:28'who's head of the scheme for the Food Standards Agency,
0:06:28 > 0:06:30'to find out why such vitally
0:06:30 > 0:06:33'important information is not made obvious to customers.'
0:06:33 > 0:06:37Why should it not be made a legal requirement that they put
0:06:37 > 0:06:40that rating in a very prominent position,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43so that you can see what it is before you go into a restaurant?
0:06:43 > 0:06:45Well, actually, in Wales at the moment, it is
0:06:45 > 0:06:48already a requirement of law that businesses must
0:06:48 > 0:06:50put their ratings sticker - it's a very distinctive green
0:06:50 > 0:06:53and black sticker - they must put that in the window.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55But not in England.
0:06:55 > 0:07:00In England, the FSA, Food Standards Agency, we do favour that,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03and what we're doing at the moment is putting together
0:07:03 > 0:07:06the evidence to support the case for that,
0:07:06 > 0:07:10because it requires new legislation, and we need to be able to show
0:07:10 > 0:07:13that it doesn't have an additional burden on food businesses.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16We'll be putting that case to the Government,
0:07:16 > 0:07:19so that the Government can consider that and make a decision.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23So let's hope that it does soon become law that every
0:07:23 > 0:07:28food establishment and outlet really has to prominently display
0:07:28 > 0:07:29that hygiene rating.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33It would give us all a lot more confidence, wouldn't it?
0:07:33 > 0:07:37'In the meantime, if you're planning to eat out anywhere in the UK,
0:07:37 > 0:07:40'you can check the outlet's rating on the FSA website.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48'But amongst those scoring zero in recent inspections are branches
0:07:48 > 0:07:50'of some very big names indeed.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52'So, later in the programme, we'll be
0:07:52 > 0:07:55'seeing whether or not they've since cleaned up their act.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59'We did our own hygiene tests, and you'll be shocked by what we found.'
0:08:03 > 0:08:04As you know,
0:08:04 > 0:08:07when it comes to ordering a steak in a restaurant, choosing how you
0:08:07 > 0:08:11want it cooked - well done, medium or rare - is standard practice.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14But it's only recently that we started being offered the same
0:08:14 > 0:08:16choice with burgers.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19The rapid growth of the posh end of the burger market has
0:08:19 > 0:08:20coincided with both chefs
0:08:20 > 0:08:24and customers demanding more choice in how their meat is cooked.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26But that's not as simple as it sounds,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29and if you live in Scotland, you might need to take a trip over
0:08:29 > 0:08:34the border if your preference is for a burger that's pink in the middle.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37'These days, if you fancy a burger, the likes of McDonald's
0:08:37 > 0:08:40'and Burger King no longer dominate the market.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45'A multitude of premium burger chains have sprung up,
0:08:45 > 0:08:49'with the UK burger industry valued at over £3 billion.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51'And some customers have become
0:08:51 > 0:08:55'so selective about how they like their burger cooked.'
0:08:55 > 0:08:58Normally, when I have a burger, I like it quite well done,
0:08:58 > 0:09:01but I do like to still have it quite succulent and juicy
0:09:01 > 0:09:05and have all the flavours come through, not too dry.
0:09:05 > 0:09:06Probably medium rare.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09I think too much blood can put you off, maybe,
0:09:09 > 0:09:13or put some people off, and then too well done might be a bit dry.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17I don't like the blood, and I don't like the pink.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19I'd definitely get it well done.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22Usually, I like to have it quite rare.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25I just think it tastes better, I think it's juicier.
0:09:25 > 0:09:26I hate a dry burger.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32'But burgers served rare or pink are controversial, and that's
0:09:32 > 0:09:37'largely down to the way in which they're made and then cooked.'
0:09:37 > 0:09:40So, here we've got a burger and a piece of steak.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42Now, people often say, "What's the difference?
0:09:42 > 0:09:44"Why can't we cook them both rare?"
0:09:44 > 0:09:48And the reason is that, the piece of steak, if we cook it in the pan and
0:09:48 > 0:09:50sear it, then that means that we're going to be killing all
0:09:50 > 0:09:53the bacteria on the surface, but the inside is relatively clean.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56So that means you can actually serve a rare steak,
0:09:56 > 0:09:58knowing that you've killed the bacteria on the outside,
0:09:58 > 0:10:02and the inside is relatively clean anyway, so that's safe.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06But, of course, the burger is actually made up of a minced-up
0:10:06 > 0:10:09piece of this meat, which means that all the outside surface has been
0:10:09 > 0:10:11mixed up with the inside surface.
0:10:11 > 0:10:12So, effectively,
0:10:12 > 0:10:16you've got a lump of what I would call unclean meat, so
0:10:16 > 0:10:20if you only cook the outside of the burger, the inside may be unsafe.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24'Food safety guidelines say that restaurants,
0:10:24 > 0:10:25'just like us at home,
0:10:25 > 0:10:28'should cook burgers thoroughly to kill any bugs that may be
0:10:28 > 0:10:32'present, and that means to temperatures of at least
0:10:32 > 0:10:35'70 degrees, for a minimum of two minutes.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39'So, when some burger chain started offering their burgers rare,
0:10:39 > 0:10:42'food inspectors began to get very nervous.'
0:10:42 > 0:10:45If a burger hasn't been prepared and cooked safely,
0:10:45 > 0:10:49then the potential risk is that the inside of the burger could
0:10:49 > 0:10:53contain organisms such as E. Coli O157, which is potentially
0:10:53 > 0:10:55extremely dangerous,
0:10:55 > 0:10:57and has been known to cause death, and other awful
0:10:57 > 0:11:01things like haemolytic-uraemic syndrome, and can lead to paralysis.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04'Some local councils have been
0:11:04 > 0:11:07'so concerned about restaurants serving pink burgers, that
0:11:07 > 0:11:11'they've issued official notices to try and effectively stop their sale.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13'But the restaurants in question fought back.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16'For example, Davy's Wine Bar won its case against
0:11:16 > 0:11:18'Westminster Council, having
0:11:18 > 0:11:22'proved that its supply of meat was safe, and so were its burgers.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26'But in December 2015,
0:11:26 > 0:11:30'Portsmouth restaurant 6oz Burgers were told that, even though
0:11:30 > 0:11:33'there had no allegations of illness, it wasn't allowed to
0:11:33 > 0:11:37'serve its burgers pink, a decision that was upheld by the courts.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40'The Food Standards Agency has
0:11:40 > 0:11:42'since issued further guidance on the matter,
0:11:42 > 0:11:44'with advice on the warnings that restaurants should
0:11:44 > 0:11:47'put on their menus, and very strict rules on how
0:11:47 > 0:11:49'the burger meat is sourced.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52'And, although some experts think that this guidance isn't yet enough,
0:11:52 > 0:11:54'it's at least an acknowledgement of the growing
0:11:54 > 0:11:57'public appetite for this type of burger.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02'However, in Scotland, the official position is a little stricter,
0:12:02 > 0:12:06'and that's got some food lovers rather hot under the collar.'
0:12:06 > 0:12:09I really like burgers, but, in order for it to be good,
0:12:09 > 0:12:10it has to be pink.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13There's no point in paying over the odds for a burger if
0:12:13 > 0:12:17you're going to cremate it, and lose any of the good taste the meat has.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19It's got to be nice, juicy, and pink.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24'Although Emma McItin from Glasgow has a very clear preference as to
0:12:24 > 0:12:26'how she likes her burger cooked,
0:12:26 > 0:12:30'Food Standards Scotland considers rare too risky,
0:12:30 > 0:12:32'advising instead that the meat is thoroughly cooked,
0:12:32 > 0:12:36'so it's hard for Emma to find the type of burger that she likes.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39'And, whilst the Scottish authorities say that they're simply
0:12:39 > 0:12:40'putting safety first,
0:12:40 > 0:12:44'if, like Emma, you're a big fan of a pink gourmet burger,
0:12:44 > 0:12:48'living north of the border, you might feel slightly browned off.'
0:12:48 > 0:12:50There's a risk associated with all sorts of food,
0:12:50 > 0:12:53like raw shellfish, and even things like steak tartare.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57Consumers are educated, and we can make that decision ourselves.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02Now, it's not technically illegal for Scottish restaurants to
0:13:02 > 0:13:05serve burgers the way Emma likes them, and we've heard of some that
0:13:05 > 0:13:07do offer them "pink with a wink",
0:13:07 > 0:13:10that is - discreetly, at the customer's request.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12But if there was ever a food poisoning outbreak,
0:13:12 > 0:13:14those restaurants might be in trouble
0:13:14 > 0:13:17if they flouted the Scottish Government's guidance.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22'So we took Emma on a cross-border burger mission to England,
0:13:22 > 0:13:26'and 170 miles from home in Durham,
0:13:26 > 0:13:30'she's come to a place that prides itself on its pink burgers.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33'Sam has been running this restaurant for four years.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36'He's passionate about serving meat pink, and the menu makes it
0:13:36 > 0:13:40'very clear that the preference here is for burgers that are
0:13:40 > 0:13:43'pinkish, juicy, and dripping.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46'Not only is he convinced that his pink burgers taste better,
0:13:46 > 0:13:49'he thinks that they are safe as can be.'
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Obviously, as a professional in the industry, we deem it
0:13:52 > 0:13:53better to eat the burger pink.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56We have nothing against someone preferring their meat well done.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58It's just all down to personal preference,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01and we like to do what the customer wants, ultimately.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03- Hi, there, I'm Emma.- I'm Sam.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07'So, to demonstrate what checks he puts in place to cook the pink
0:14:07 > 0:14:10'burgers safely, Sam has invited Emma into the kitchen to help him
0:14:10 > 0:14:13'serve his tea-time rush of customers.'
0:14:13 > 0:14:16So, what controls do you have in place in order to serve
0:14:16 > 0:14:17a pink burger?
0:14:17 > 0:14:20I guess the first thing that we do ensure is
0:14:20 > 0:14:24the quality of the supplier itself, so we use a local butcher,
0:14:24 > 0:14:27we always do our own background checks on them.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30What sort of checks do you have in place once the meat is
0:14:30 > 0:14:31brought inside?
0:14:31 > 0:14:34Throughout the day, we will pick random products,
0:14:34 > 0:14:37get the temperatures, and record it, and we'll keep track of
0:14:37 > 0:14:38the records as well.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41Then if there was anything ever to go wrong with anyone,
0:14:41 > 0:14:43or if there was something wrong with the product itself,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46we'd be able to trace that from it being on a certain plate,
0:14:46 > 0:14:49right the way back to the source of the farm.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53'As Sam whips up both types of burger for Emma to taste,
0:14:53 > 0:14:55'it's clear that he's preaching to the converted.'
0:14:55 > 0:14:59So, if you like, we can do a taste test, so if I cut a piece off...
0:15:01 > 0:15:03This here being the rare.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11- Really juicy, beautiful. - And then this is your well done.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15Even the texture of the beef itself...
0:15:15 > 0:15:18It's really chewy, I'm getting no taste at all from it.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20Well, consumer choice is one thing,
0:15:20 > 0:15:23but food safety officers are concerned that not all
0:15:23 > 0:15:28chefs are as scrupulous as Sam, and that the wider trend for rarer
0:15:28 > 0:15:31burgers will inevitably lead to more people falling ill.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36And you can understand why the authorities might take
0:15:36 > 0:15:37a harder line in Scotland.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43In 1996, 496 people in Lanarkshire developed E. coli
0:15:43 > 0:15:47that was traced back to contaminated stewed beef.
0:15:47 > 0:15:4921 people died.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54And in 2014, another E. Coli outbreak infected
0:15:54 > 0:15:5622 people in Glasgow.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59The source this time was traced back to undercooked beef burgers
0:15:59 > 0:16:03from a fast food stall at the city's SSE Hydro stadium.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06In fact, in Scotland, proportionately,
0:16:06 > 0:16:07there have been three times as many
0:16:07 > 0:16:10cases of E. Coli poisoning as in the rest of the UK.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17When we contacted Food Standards Scotland on this point,
0:16:17 > 0:16:19it reiterated that while it does recommend
0:16:19 > 0:16:21that burgers are cooked thoroughly...
0:16:24 > 0:16:27..this is not a legal requirement,
0:16:27 > 0:16:31and there's no ban on the sale of rare burgers in Scotland.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33But it did stress that all restaurants are legally
0:16:33 > 0:16:36required to ensure that the food they serve is safe,
0:16:36 > 0:16:40so anywhere that chooses to serve rare burgers must ensure it has...
0:16:43 > 0:16:46It went on to say that when pink burgers aren't available,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49it doesn't mean that the quality of the product is inferior,
0:16:49 > 0:16:51simply that the business is...
0:16:57 > 0:17:02Meanwhile, the Food Standards Agency representing Wales, Northern Ireland
0:17:02 > 0:17:05and England told us it had issued new guidance to provide clarity,
0:17:05 > 0:17:10in light of the steadily increasing trend for rare burgers.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12It said that, while it doesn't have the same
0:17:12 > 0:17:13requirement as Scotland, that the
0:17:13 > 0:17:17meat should be thoroughly cooked, it's only acceptable for businesses
0:17:17 > 0:17:21to serve burgers pink if there are strict procedures in place.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24But as there's a greater chance that these burgers will contain
0:17:24 > 0:17:27harmful bacteria, compared with thoroughly cooked ones,
0:17:27 > 0:17:31it says the risks should be clearly communicated to vulnerable groups,
0:17:31 > 0:17:33for example children under five.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39And Dr Ackerley's advice for anyone more susceptible to
0:17:39 > 0:17:42illness would always be to stick with a well done burger.
0:17:42 > 0:17:47People really do not need a dose of food poisoning,
0:17:47 > 0:17:49however small it might be.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52Some of the other more robust members of society might shake
0:17:52 > 0:17:57it off, that isn't to say they will, and you don't know what is
0:17:57 > 0:18:01round the corner if you bite into something that is actually unsafe.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04For Emma, though, her preference for pink is a risk that she's
0:18:04 > 0:18:05prepared to take.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07I understand the low risk involved.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10Consumers should have that freedom of choice,
0:18:10 > 0:18:13and I'll still go out and get that pink burger.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22Have you noticed that the words restaurants use to describe
0:18:22 > 0:18:26the dishes on their menus have become a whole lot fancier?
0:18:31 > 0:18:34What on Earth does it all mean?
0:18:34 > 0:18:37And even if we understand those foreign words,
0:18:37 > 0:18:39how on Earth do we pronounce them?
0:18:39 > 0:18:42Well, Andrew Webb is an award-winning food journalist,
0:18:42 > 0:18:44who's spent years studying restaurant menus.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47He's as fed up as the rest of us, and he's got his own views
0:18:47 > 0:18:51on what some of the most frequently found terms really mean.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54First, let's have a look at some of the ridiculous terms chefs
0:18:54 > 0:18:56put on their menus to make things sound better,
0:18:56 > 0:18:58but you might not know what they mean.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02What else can it be fried in?
0:19:04 > 0:19:06A piece of chicken, boned out and filled.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08Essentially, a posh chicken Kiev.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14Spelt J-U-S. It's basically gravy, and not much of it, either.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18Simple, in everything but the price.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23Yes, and at three times the price.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26But it seems there's method, and profit, in this particular madness.
0:19:26 > 0:19:31The thing is, restaurants don't just use these terms to sound impressive.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35Research has shown that long descriptions and foreign words
0:19:35 > 0:19:38on menus actually make diners spend more on food.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42Well, what would you be tempted to pay more for - steak and chips,
0:19:42 > 0:19:46or locally sourced fork-tender feather blade steak,
0:19:46 > 0:19:48and triple cooked chips?
0:19:49 > 0:19:52And what could be better, and classier,
0:19:52 > 0:19:54than a soupcon of French on the menu?
0:19:54 > 0:19:57So let me translate some of the most popular terms.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02It's a good one this. It's basically a French pie.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05Essentially, a custard slice.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10As you and I would know it, a fritter.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15Basically, leek and potato soup, often served cold.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20The thing is, everything kind of sounds better in French.
0:20:20 > 0:20:25How about jambon de York, oeufs sur le plat et pommes frites?
0:20:27 > 0:20:29Or, ham, egg and chips to you and me.
0:20:30 > 0:20:31My best advice to you, is
0:20:31 > 0:20:35if you do see something on a menu you don't understand, just ask.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38The days of the snotty waiter are long gone.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41Staff are here to make you feel comfortable and at ease.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44And if they do help you out, remember to leave a tip.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54Earlier in the programme, we looked at the food hygiene ratings
0:20:54 > 0:20:57that you should be able to spot on the doors or windows of most
0:20:57 > 0:20:58restaurants and takeaways,
0:20:58 > 0:21:02and while you might hope that only a handful of places would get
0:21:02 > 0:21:05the lowest possible score, which is a zero,
0:21:05 > 0:21:08there are more than you would think.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12Indeed, the odd branch of some very big names are among them.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16'You'd expect any establishment that gets a damning zero hygiene rating
0:21:16 > 0:21:19'to do all it can to immediately put things right.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21'But to find out for sure,
0:21:21 > 0:21:23'we put it to the test.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26'Helping us out was medical microbiologist
0:21:26 > 0:21:29'Dr Margarita Gomez Escalada, from Leeds Beckett University.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32'She's an expert in the bacteria that lurk in restaurants,
0:21:32 > 0:21:36'and knows how crucial it is for premises to tackle them.'
0:21:36 > 0:21:39The food can be utilised by micro-organisms to grow,
0:21:39 > 0:21:43and obviously micro-organisms can potentially cause disease.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45What they can cause varies hugely.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48It can go from an upset stomach and diarrhoea,
0:21:48 > 0:21:50to extreme cases,
0:21:50 > 0:21:53the likes of salmonella has been reported to cause death.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58All the more reason for anywhere with a low hygiene score to
0:21:58 > 0:22:01address their issues right away.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04So we carried out some checks of our own at places
0:22:04 > 0:22:07which had recently rated zero in their official inspection
0:22:07 > 0:22:11to get a snapshot of whether standards had improved.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14And we chose branches of some of the best known names in the country,
0:22:14 > 0:22:18who you'd imagine might have the resources to raise their game.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21So we went to this Costa in Loughborough,
0:22:21 > 0:22:24Chicken Cottage in Hampstead,
0:22:24 > 0:22:28this Caffe Nero in Bath, the Wimpy in Basildon,
0:22:28 > 0:22:30and finally, this KFC in Birmingham.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34At each site, we took swabs from up to four of the key publicly
0:22:34 > 0:22:36accessible parts of the restaurant.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40We also asked for some ice or water in a take-away cup.
0:22:40 > 0:22:45And we sent all the samples to be analysed in Dr Gomez Escalada's lab.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49We tested tabletops, trays,
0:22:49 > 0:22:54self-service areas and the hand plates in the bathroom.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57And the reason we tested them is what someone would
0:22:57 > 0:23:00be exposed to.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03So, once the scientists had finished their tests,
0:23:03 > 0:23:05how did each place scrub up?
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Well, in our test, the Costa Coffee in Loughborough
0:23:08 > 0:23:11and the Wimpy in Basildon got a clean bill of health,
0:23:11 > 0:23:15and both have since been officially re-inspected.
0:23:15 > 0:23:20The Costa is now rating the maximum five and the Wimpy a four.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24This Finchley Road branch of Chicken Cottage also did well in our test.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28We sampled the tray, the table and the doorplate.
0:23:28 > 0:23:34We found the levels of hygiene at that establishment are acceptable.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38But just weeks later, it received another hygiene rating of zero,
0:23:38 > 0:23:40following an inspection in March.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44The premises are officially classed as high-priority
0:23:44 > 0:23:46and will be re-inspected every six months.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50The branch of Chicken Cottage told us
0:23:50 > 0:23:52that the inspection had taken place
0:23:52 > 0:23:56while remedial and emergency works were being carried out.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00But that these are now complete.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04The restaurant said it looks forward to...
0:24:07 > 0:24:10Meanwhile, back with our results, and Caffe Nero
0:24:10 > 0:24:14on the High Street in Bath wasn't totally squeaky clean.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18One thing that struck me when I was actually transferring
0:24:18 > 0:24:22the bacteria onto the plate is that the swabs were actually very dirty.
0:24:22 > 0:24:28And if I show you an example, this is the self-service area.
0:24:28 > 0:24:34And this is the swab, and if you can see, the swab is actually dirty.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37There was no evidence of dangerous bacteria
0:24:37 > 0:24:40but there were significant levels of other micro-organisms.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43In the self-service area, which is this plate,
0:24:43 > 0:24:46that's more than 500 colonies there.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49Hard to estimate, actually, there's so many.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52None of that should present any risk but Dr Gomez Escalada
0:24:52 > 0:24:54wasn't especially impressed.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58Because the levels of bacteria are so high,
0:24:58 > 0:25:02indicates that the levels of hygiene are not particularly great.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06When we put these findings to Caffe Nero, it told us that the
0:25:06 > 0:25:09issues that had led to its zero rating were...
0:25:12 > 0:25:14By bringing forward a planned refurbishment,
0:25:14 > 0:25:16they've already been addressed.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18And it pointed out that, since our visit,
0:25:18 > 0:25:20the branch has been re-inspected,
0:25:20 > 0:25:22and awarded the maximum rating of five.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28That leaves just this KFC in Birmingham's Martineau Place.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31Our tests on their tabletop, doorplate
0:25:31 > 0:25:33and self-service areas all came back clear.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37But the cup of ice that staff gave us was a different story.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41Our tests turned up what scientists call "faecal coliforms".
0:25:41 > 0:25:46The kind of bacteria, which, I'm afraid, are found in faeces.
0:25:46 > 0:25:51We found high levels of bacteria in the ice sample we got.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53The presence of faecal coliforms
0:25:53 > 0:25:56suggests that there's faecal contamination.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58And so it increases the risk
0:25:58 > 0:26:01of getting sick from consuming this ice.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04When we spoke to KFC,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07it told us that a re-inspection after our testing
0:26:07 > 0:26:09re-rated the restaurant with...
0:26:12 > 0:26:15And a further inspection after this report first went out,
0:26:15 > 0:26:17again gave the restaurant the top score.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20KFC went on to say it takes...
0:26:23 > 0:26:27With 97% of its restaurants scoring four or above,
0:26:27 > 0:26:29but even one with a zero rating...
0:26:32 > 0:26:35..so it worked with a specialist third-party consultant to get
0:26:35 > 0:26:36standards back up.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40As for our findings, it said while pleased to see from the
0:26:40 > 0:26:43tests that the restaurant was very clean, it was...
0:26:48 > 0:26:53It then undertook an urgent retraining programme on standards for...
0:26:55 > 0:26:59KFC went on to say that it's right behind the food hygiene rating scheme,
0:26:59 > 0:27:02which, it says, the public can trust.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05We also contacted the Food Standards Agency,
0:27:05 > 0:27:08which confirmed that businesses given ratings of zero or one
0:27:08 > 0:27:11must make urgent or major improvements,
0:27:11 > 0:27:14and if it's considered that there's an
0:27:14 > 0:27:18imminent risk to health, part or all of the business may be closed down.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23But if you're eating out and aren't sure if a place is up to scratch,
0:27:23 > 0:27:28well, perhaps it's safest to simply use your eyes and your nose.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30If it doesn't look good, then really,
0:27:30 > 0:27:32do they actually care about their customers?
0:27:32 > 0:27:34What's it like behind the scenes?
0:27:34 > 0:27:37Go in the toilets, see what it looks like in there.
0:27:37 > 0:27:38If they can't get that right,
0:27:38 > 0:27:41I'm sure they won't have got the kitchen right.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45Well, that's almost it from us for today,
0:27:45 > 0:27:47but, I don't know about you guys,
0:27:47 > 0:27:49but I have to say I was absolutely shocked to see
0:27:49 > 0:27:51just quite how many restaurants
0:27:51 > 0:27:54- and cafes scored that zero rating for cleanliness and hygiene.- Scary.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56It is, isn't it? And you know,
0:27:56 > 0:27:59while of course you can probably see why they're not going to want
0:27:59 > 0:28:02to be shouting that result from the rooftops, it's certainly
0:28:02 > 0:28:05information that I would want to know before venturing inside.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07I agree with you, Angela, it does seem ridiculous that
0:28:07 > 0:28:11such vital information doesn't have to be more clearly displayed.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13But whether it's the quality of the establishment,
0:28:13 > 0:28:16or the quality of what you're actually eating, let us know
0:28:16 > 0:28:19if things don't pass the muster the next time you eat out.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22And it could be your story we'll be looking at on future programmes.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25But in the meantime, thanks for joining us today
0:28:25 > 0:28:27and, wherever you're having your next meal,
0:28:27 > 0:28:30we hope it's a good one, a safe one, and a clean one.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34- True.- So, from all of us, goodbye. - Bye-bye.- Bye-bye.