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.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Sometimes when you have these offers on in the supermarket,
0:00:11 > 0:00:13you think you're getting a good deal.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16But if you're actually throwing it away it's not a good deal.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20Whether you're staying in or going out, you've told us you can
0:00:20 > 0:00:23feel ripped off by the promises made for what you eat.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25And what you pay for it.
0:00:25 > 0:00:26What really winds me up, I suppose,
0:00:26 > 0:00:28is the price of so-called healthy food
0:00:28 > 0:00:30compared with the unhealthy stuff.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32The unhealthy stuff seems to be so much cheaper.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36From claims that don't stack up to the secrets behind the packaging,
0:00:36 > 0:00:39we'll uncover the truth about Britain's food
0:00:39 > 0:00:42so you can be sure you're getting what you expect, at the right price.
0:00:44 > 0:00:49Your food, your money, this is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54Hello, and welcome to Rip-Off Britain
0:00:54 > 0:00:56where once again, we're lifting the lid on
0:00:56 > 0:00:58what you need to know about food.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01And today, we're exposing the secrets of
0:01:01 > 0:01:03some everyday favourites that perhaps you haven't really
0:01:03 > 0:01:05given a second thought to.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08But after you've seen today's programme, I bet you will.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10And that's because a number of you have asked us
0:01:10 > 0:01:14to take a much closer look at some well-known foods that may not
0:01:14 > 0:01:16be everything that you've assumed.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18At least when it comes to what's inside them.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21And of course, a few of the products that you've contacted us
0:01:21 > 0:01:24about may cost a little more than some of the cheaper alternatives.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27So we'll be trying to find out what you're actually getting
0:01:27 > 0:01:29to justify paying the extra money.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32So, as we get to the bottom of whether you really do always
0:01:32 > 0:01:33get what you pay for,
0:01:33 > 0:01:37hopefully you'll pick up a few tips that may well save you some money.
0:01:38 > 0:01:39Coming up...
0:01:39 > 0:01:42Why the rules that protect a Cornish pasty could put
0:01:42 > 0:01:45this cheesemaker out of business.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47It is very frustrating.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51It can happen just like that and it's totally out of your control.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54So, so, it's a difficult thing to get used to.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57And have you switched sugar for honey?
0:01:57 > 0:02:00Find out if it's really any better for you.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02A lot of people use honey in favour of sugar cos
0:02:02 > 0:02:04they think it's a lot better.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06Honey does have some nutritional value to it,
0:02:06 > 0:02:09but it's not as great as people tend to think.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15After spending decades in the culinary
0:02:15 > 0:02:17and nutritional wilderness,
0:02:17 > 0:02:20copping the blame for everything from heart disease to
0:02:20 > 0:02:23high cholesterol, many people are delighted to say that butter
0:02:23 > 0:02:24is back on the menu.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28And being honest, in our house it never really went away.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30But when is butter not quite butter?
0:02:30 > 0:02:33That's the question one viewer asked after noticing what
0:02:33 > 0:02:36he thought was the real deal was actually nothing of the kind.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38And he wanted to find out why.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42Ah, butter.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45It's natural, tastes great, and for generations,
0:02:45 > 0:02:47was a staple of every family kitchen.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51From our morning toast to our tea-time cakes...
0:02:51 > 0:02:54Here you are. It's butter too. Real butter.
0:02:55 > 0:02:56Mm. Wonderful.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59Only butter tastes like butter.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02But as the health-conscious 1980s dawned,
0:03:02 > 0:03:05butter went firmly out of fashion,
0:03:05 > 0:03:08as the saturated fat it contained was linked to heart disease.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12For years we had a love affair.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16Then we found out the butter we loved had cholesterol.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19We were all told that not only was modern margarine
0:03:19 > 0:03:23better for us, but it would spread straight from the fridge as well.
0:03:25 > 0:03:26But over the years,
0:03:26 > 0:03:28butter has battled its way back into our hearts.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32And in 2015, the original warnings made about it were found
0:03:32 > 0:03:34to have been based on flawed data,
0:03:34 > 0:03:38therefore cementing its place in our hearts once and for all.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41And by now, a range of new products sought to prove that you could
0:03:41 > 0:03:45still get that buttery taste and spread it straight from the fridge.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49They look like butter. Their names sound like they are butter.
0:03:49 > 0:03:50But they are not.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54Rip-Off Britain viewer John Lomax from Preston wasn't happy
0:03:54 > 0:03:58when he realised that that was the case with the one that he'd bought.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01I thought, "Oh, butter."
0:04:01 > 0:04:04But when I looked at the list of ingredients
0:04:04 > 0:04:09I found that it only has about 20% butter content.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11And that shocked me.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15Although John had assumed from the name it was butter,
0:04:15 > 0:04:19Tesco's Butterpak only contains 26% of butter.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22The rest is mainly oils and water.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25I thought that they couldn't do that.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30They are pulling the wool over our eyes.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33In fact, Tesco isn't pulling the wool over anybody's eyes.
0:04:33 > 0:04:38The store didn't comment on John's concern but its Butterpak is
0:04:38 > 0:04:41clearly labelled as a spread and not as a butter.
0:04:41 > 0:04:46And spreads don't need to contain as much butter as the real thing.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48The law says that true butter
0:04:48 > 0:04:52has to contain between 80% and 90% milk fat.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56So when it comes to buying spreads or butter, always check the label
0:04:56 > 0:05:00as spreads only usually contain butter as one of the ingredients.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04But when you have spreads being produced by some of the best-known
0:05:04 > 0:05:07butter manufacturers, often under the same name
0:05:07 > 0:05:10and with their buttery taste being the main selling point,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13it's easy for the shopper to get very confused.
0:05:13 > 0:05:14So would you know how much butter
0:05:14 > 0:05:17some of the best known spreads contain?
0:05:17 > 0:05:20Let's have a bit of a guessing game, then.
0:05:20 > 0:05:21Here we have Anchor.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23Which is a very popular-selling one.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25- I'd say 80%.- 80%.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28- 54%.- Is it?- 54.
0:05:28 > 0:05:29And this one?
0:05:31 > 0:05:34- 60.- 26.- My goodness!
0:05:34 > 0:05:36- I use that one.- You do? OK, you like the taste?
0:05:36 > 0:05:38I like proper butter.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42Would you be surprised then to know that only 64% of butter?
0:05:42 > 0:05:43..butter, is it? Yeah.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47I knew it wasn't all butter because when you get the blocks,
0:05:47 > 0:05:49- you can't spread them in winter. - No, it's true.- Mm.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51What do you think that one would be?
0:05:53 > 0:05:56- Butter.- Butter.- Mostly butter. - Mostly butter? OK.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59- In actual fact, it's only 33%.- Oh, right.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02- So are you surprised at that? - Yes, I am.- Yeah.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04We contacted some of the brand leaders
0:06:04 > 0:06:06in the world of buttery spreads.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10Arla Foods, which makes the spreadable versions of Lurpak
0:06:10 > 0:06:14and Anchor, told us that its packs are clearly labelled and are...
0:06:19 > 0:06:22And the makers of Clover and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter both
0:06:22 > 0:06:26said that their products are lower in saturated fat than butter
0:06:26 > 0:06:28while maintaining a buttery taste.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34While their butter content clearly varies, John wants to find out how
0:06:34 > 0:06:39else these spreads differ from both the real thing and indeed margarine.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42So we've brought him to Huddersfield University
0:06:42 > 0:06:45to meet research scientist Dr Laura Waters.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49So, butter is a really simple product.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52It's literally just butterfat and water.
0:06:52 > 0:06:53It's as simple as you can get.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57If you go to the margarines, they would be vegetable oil based.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01And the spreads, they would tend to be oil and butter mixtures.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03They would have a lot less butter in them.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06How can you make butter more spreadable?
0:07:06 > 0:07:08You can make your own spreadable butter.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11The way that industry does it is it adds in oils.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13It will add in some water.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16And because of that, it will also add other ingredients as well.
0:07:16 > 0:07:17So it'd need to add some emulsifier,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20which keeps the oil and water mixed together.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Industry may also add things such as preservatives,
0:07:23 > 0:07:24to extend the shelf-life,
0:07:24 > 0:07:26colourings and flavourings.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30- Would you like me to show you how to make spreadable butter?- Yes, please.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35If you're going for the, say, 60% butter option,
0:07:35 > 0:07:40obviously it's going to be 60% butter and 40% oil.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43So, we have 60g of butter in there.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47To this we're going to add 40 of oil.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49And you simply mix the two together.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58Now, it may look at this stage like liquid rather than a solid.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Once you've cooled this down in the fridge,
0:08:00 > 0:08:03then it will return to a more butter-like consistency
0:08:03 > 0:08:05that you might expect.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10Dr Waters is making up two different types of spreadable butter
0:08:10 > 0:08:12for us to put to the test.
0:08:12 > 0:08:17One was 60% butter, similar to some of the brand-leading spreadables.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21And one with 25%, around the same amount as the Butterpak
0:08:21 > 0:08:22that John bought.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24And we're going to see how they fare
0:08:24 > 0:08:28in one of the toughest tests of all - baking a cake.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33We've set up our own buttery bake-off
0:08:33 > 0:08:36and we've asked these enthusiastic bakers from Huddersfield
0:08:36 > 0:08:39to create their meanest Victoria sponge.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41Each will use one of four different ingredients -
0:08:41 > 0:08:44the two spreads Dr Waters has just made, a real butter,
0:08:44 > 0:08:46and a margarine.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50Now, our bakers have no idea which they've been given.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52But Irene here is cooking with full butter.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56It feels like the butter I use actually when I'm baking at home.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59Megan is using a simple baking spread,
0:08:59 > 0:09:04an off-the-shelf margarine that contains no pure butter whatsoever.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07Kaye has Dr Waters' 60% butter spread.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11And Lucy has Dr Waters' 25% butter spread.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14It's a lot easier to whisk than theirs
0:09:14 > 0:09:15so I've got that going for it.
0:09:18 > 0:09:25So, ingredients beaten, battered, baked, cooled and decorated.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29It's time to add some real heat for our bakers
0:09:29 > 0:09:31as these discerning staff and students arrive
0:09:31 > 0:09:34to judge their culinary creations.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41It's a funny consistency, isn't it?
0:09:41 > 0:09:44There's something about the sponge that just doesn't sit right.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46Needs a bit more sugar.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48I think it needs to be sweeter.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52So, question is, which spread came out best in our test?
0:09:52 > 0:09:56Most popular with our volunteers was the one made with margarine.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58Five of them went for that one.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00Two preferred the taste of the cake
0:10:00 > 0:10:04made with Dr Waters' 60% butter spread.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07And one plumped for the one made with 25% butter.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11But none of them chose the cake made with pure butter.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15I'm quite surprised this was made with 25% butter spread.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17I'd consider using it myself.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21The sponge was very nice. I thought it was perfect, in my opinion.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23I'm not surprised it's made from margarine.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26- Yeah.- I agree, yeah.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29So there you go. Top marks for margarine on the baking.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32But all of this still leaves John with one crucial question.
0:10:32 > 0:10:37We've been hearing over the past few years that butter's
0:10:37 > 0:10:39good for you, butter's not good for you,
0:10:39 > 0:10:42margarine is good for you, and margarine isn't.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45Which is good, which is bad?
0:10:45 > 0:10:48There are lots of studies which seem to say that the saturated fat,
0:10:48 > 0:10:51so things such as the butter, they're not so good for you.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53They can cause cardiovascular disease,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56they can cause types of cancer, that sort of thing.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58However, there are also lots of other studies
0:10:58 > 0:11:00on the unsaturated fats,
0:11:00 > 0:11:01so that's the oil-based products,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04which say they're not so good for you either.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07This is especially true if you're cooking with one of these products.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10So, because there are studies for both sides,
0:11:10 > 0:11:12I would say just keep it in moderation,
0:11:12 > 0:11:15go for the one you prefer, and if you don't have too much
0:11:15 > 0:11:18of either of them, then you should be fine.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21But for John, there's no doubt which one he prefers.
0:11:21 > 0:11:22Butter.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24The taste is so much better.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26I know it's personal preference
0:11:26 > 0:11:30but at least I know what has gone into the product.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39Now, there are some products where the difference between
0:11:39 > 0:11:42the cheapest and the most expensive on the supermarket shelves
0:11:42 > 0:11:45can be explained purely by the quality of the ingredients.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48In other words, you're getting what you pay for.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52But we've been contacted by one viewer who wanted to know when that
0:11:52 > 0:11:57explanation still stands for the staple of her diet, which is honey.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01Now, the priciest jars can cost as much as ten times more
0:12:01 > 0:12:03than the most affordable.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06So how much do they actually vary in quality?
0:12:06 > 0:12:08Should you stick with the cheaper pots?
0:12:08 > 0:12:11Or is it actually worth paying just that little bit extra?
0:12:13 > 0:12:17British shoppers now spend more on honey than on jam -
0:12:17 > 0:12:21a whopping £119 million last year.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23And it's a trend which some people put down to
0:12:23 > 0:12:25people switching from using sugar,
0:12:25 > 0:12:27which is certainly what Rip-Off Britain viewer
0:12:27 > 0:12:29Yvonne Sayer has done.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33But Yvonne wrote to us wondering why there is such a huge price gap
0:12:33 > 0:12:38between the cheapest and the most expensive varieties on sale.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42I want to know, what is the difference between £1 jar
0:12:42 > 0:12:48of honey and a more expensive jar of £15 and even more?
0:12:49 > 0:12:52The cheapest honey on sale in British supermarkets
0:12:52 > 0:12:54typically sells for around £1.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58Then there is the mid-range of honeys costing between £2 and £4.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00And at the top end,
0:13:00 > 0:13:06specialist honeys, like Manuka, can sell for up to £100 a jar.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08So what is the difference?
0:13:08 > 0:13:11Well, to help answer Yvonne's question, I've come to meet
0:13:11 > 0:13:15David Wainwright, President of the National Bee Farmers Association,
0:13:15 > 0:13:17at his farm in Aberystwyth.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19- Hi, David.- Hello.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21- Nice to see you.- Nice to meet you.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24So are we going to go out and see your hives, are we?
0:13:24 > 0:13:27David's farm yields about 25 tonnes of honey a year.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30This might sound like a lot, but actually,
0:13:30 > 0:13:33British bees are only producing a fraction of all
0:13:33 > 0:13:35the honey that we consume in this country every year.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38It's other countries like China, Russia, Argentina, Mexico,
0:13:38 > 0:13:40who are the big honey producers.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44But David says he prefers the taste of British honey.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46We produce a lot of different varieties.
0:13:46 > 0:13:51And all these varieties of honey have got a unique flavour
0:13:51 > 0:13:53and characteristics to them.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55Because they are produced from a different plant
0:13:55 > 0:14:00and that plant contributes slightly different flavours
0:14:00 > 0:14:04and sugars to the nectar which the bees make the honey out of.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10To show me just how varied honey flavours can be, David is
0:14:10 > 0:14:15putting my taste buds to the test with four very different types.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19We've got English, French, Ethiopian and Welsh.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21This is the English one.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23That's from Salisbury Plain.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26- And that's got a cinnamon type of flavour to it.- Mm!
0:14:26 > 0:14:28- This is the French one. - That's French lavender
0:14:28 > 0:14:31which comes from the lavender fields in the South of France.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33A bit earthy, actually.
0:14:33 > 0:14:34Ethiopian.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37This is from the rainforest in the south-west of Ethiopia.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40- Mm-hm. - It comes from a large forest tree.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43- It's quite sort of sweet and light. - Yeah.- Yeah.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45And this one is the Welsh one.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48- This is the Welsh one, gathered from hives around here.- Right.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51So this is from blackberry, willow herb, clover.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53Mm!
0:14:53 > 0:14:54Oh, yes!
0:14:54 > 0:14:56- I can taste the flowers.- Yeah.
0:14:59 > 0:15:04Much like fine wine, it's these rich regional variations that give
0:15:04 > 0:15:07pure honey its distinctive taste, which stands it apart
0:15:07 > 0:15:10from the cheaper, processed jars in the supermarket.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13These mass-produced jars contain a mix of honeys
0:15:13 > 0:15:16blended together from different sources.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18To show just how that affects the taste,
0:15:18 > 0:15:22David has blended together the pure honeys that I just tasted.
0:15:22 > 0:15:27What happens if we mix these four different types with
0:15:27 > 0:15:28all their individual flavours?
0:15:28 > 0:15:30What happens if we mix them all together?
0:15:30 > 0:15:33Do the flavours sort of counteract one another
0:15:33 > 0:15:35or can you still taste them?
0:15:35 > 0:15:36What else comes out? Yeah.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41And it quickly becomes clear that
0:15:41 > 0:15:45all those subtleties in taste have gone,
0:15:45 > 0:15:47replaced instead by a perfectly pleasant
0:15:47 > 0:15:50but much more middle-of-the-road flavour.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52It's sweet.
0:15:52 > 0:15:57I can't any longer taste that distinctive floral that
0:15:57 > 0:16:02I got from the Welsh or the lavender that I got from the French one.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05It's very pleasant.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08But it doesn't have a distinctive taste
0:16:08 > 0:16:10- as they did when they were separate.- Yes.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13And of course, that's what's happening with the cheaper
0:16:13 > 0:16:14- varieties of honey, isn't it?- Yes.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18You are not going for a specific flavour, you are just going
0:16:18 > 0:16:22for honey, but not one that you can distinguish from anything else.
0:16:22 > 0:16:23That's right. That's exactly it, yeah.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27I think you've invented a new honey, David. HE LAUGHS
0:16:28 > 0:16:32The increase in sales of honey has been linked to consumers
0:16:32 > 0:16:34wanting to replace sugar in their diet.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Like Rip-Off Britain viewer Yvonne.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40But she wants to know, was she right to switch?
0:16:40 > 0:16:42I changed from sugar to honey
0:16:42 > 0:16:44thinking it was better for me. Is it?
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Yvonne says she buys three jars of honey a month
0:16:49 > 0:16:50and uses it in place of sugar,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53normally spending about £1.50 on a jar
0:16:53 > 0:16:56that will typically last her between one and two weeks.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59She wants to know whether that's money well spent
0:16:59 > 0:17:03and whether it really is better for her than plain old sugar.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07To find out, we brought Yvonne to meet nutritionist Ian Marber.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12I wanted to know the nutritional value,
0:17:12 > 0:17:15the difference between sugar and honey.
0:17:15 > 0:17:16A lot of people use honey in favour of sugar
0:17:16 > 0:17:18because they think it's a lot better.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20Honey does have some nutritional value to it
0:17:20 > 0:17:22but it's not as great as people tend to think.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25- You might put it in some tea, for instance.- Yeah.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27- So you put like a tablespoon in or a teaspoon?- Oh, no. No, no.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31- A teaspoon.- A teaspoon is very interesting because that teaspoon,
0:17:31 > 0:17:36which is that amount, is actually going to have 10g of sugar in it,
0:17:36 > 0:17:39which is actually the same amount of sugar that you're going to find
0:17:39 > 0:17:43in four squares of milk chocolate.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46And Ian reckons that honey's reputation for being
0:17:46 > 0:17:50rich in vitamins and minerals is also a bit of a myth.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53This is a tablespoon of honey, 21g.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56And in that you've only actually got 1.3mg,
0:17:56 > 0:17:59not grams, 1.3mg of calcium.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02- OK? So it's not a huge amount of minerals in there.- No.
0:18:02 > 0:18:03To give you an example,
0:18:03 > 0:18:07there is 210mg of calcium in an ounce of Cheddar.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10Some of the expensive honeys will have more vitamins
0:18:10 > 0:18:11and more minerals in them.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15But because there is a halo of health around foods like honey,
0:18:15 > 0:18:18we are likely to eat more in one go.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21We actually tend to use more of it because we think it's better for us.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24The problem is that it's still rich in sugars -
0:18:24 > 0:18:25a different type of sugars
0:18:25 > 0:18:27that are processed very slightly differently -
0:18:27 > 0:18:29but the truth is, though, that once it's past your mouth
0:18:29 > 0:18:32and past your stomach and it's in your intestines, it's not
0:18:32 > 0:18:35treated any differently than sugar that might be in milk chocolate.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39Ian's advice for Yvonne isn't simply to swap one
0:18:39 > 0:18:43kind of sugar for another, as she has effectively done by switching
0:18:43 > 0:18:46to honey, but to reduce her taste for sweet foods altogether.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48So less is more?
0:18:48 > 0:18:49Absolutely.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52I think that's the key, getting used to food that's less sweet.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56So there is no need for Yvonne to turn her back on honey altogether.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00But armed with Ian's advice, she's planning to change
0:19:00 > 0:19:03the way that she sweetens her food in the future.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06I'm really surprised about the little difference
0:19:06 > 0:19:09between processed white sugar and honey.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12I'm certainly going to use less.
0:19:12 > 0:19:18I'm certainly not going to pay for the very, very expensive.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21I'm going to be very careful, but cut down.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Wensleydale cheese from Wensleydale.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34Melton Mowbray pork pies from Melton Mowbray.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37And traditional Cumberland sausage from...
0:19:37 > 0:19:39Well, you've got the picture.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41All part and parcel of our food heritage.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44And to some people, that's worth a lot.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46I think buying British is important.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50We should support local producers and local suppliers
0:19:50 > 0:19:53rather than importing the food that we grow in this country.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55I just think it's better to buy local.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58I mean, if I can support the local farmers or whatever,
0:19:58 > 0:19:59that's what I like to do.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01I think it supports our economy.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03And not only that, I think the food is better.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05You know where the quality is coming from.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07So I do prefer buying British, yeah.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10Some of the best of this British food has been able to obtain
0:20:10 > 0:20:14what's called geographically protected status.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18That means, under EU law, it can only be sold using a particular name
0:20:18 > 0:20:20if it meets certain requirements.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Most often that it's been produced in the area where that
0:20:23 > 0:20:27specific product first came from, using a very particular method.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32Examples of these could include a Melton Mowbray pork pie
0:20:32 > 0:20:35or for many, a big favourite, the Cornish pasty.
0:20:35 > 0:20:36But what about the food producers
0:20:36 > 0:20:39living outside these geographical areas?
0:20:39 > 0:20:43They may have been making exactly the same products for generations,
0:20:43 > 0:20:44but now because of EU laws,
0:20:44 > 0:20:47they will no longer be able to call them the same thing.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51So why, if essentially they are the same no matter where
0:20:51 > 0:20:54they are made, does it really matter where they actually come from?
0:20:58 > 0:21:01That's very much the view of the dairy farmer Mark Hardy.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03He's in the business of making cheese.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07Not, however, one typical of West Sussex, where he farms,
0:21:07 > 0:21:11but halloumi, more commonly associated with Cyprus.
0:21:11 > 0:21:12So, Mark, for me
0:21:12 > 0:21:14it's always fascinating to come into the hub of everything.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16He's been making it for 25 years,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19and he used to produce feta cheese as well
0:21:19 > 0:21:23until in 2002, the European Union gave that crumbly favourite
0:21:23 > 0:21:28a protected designation of origin, or a PDO for short.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32It meant that to be called feta the cheese has to be made in Greece.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34What was your reaction
0:21:34 > 0:21:37when you heard that you couldn't call feta feta any more?
0:21:37 > 0:21:40Well, I was obviously annoyed cos it's a part of our business.
0:21:40 > 0:21:41But we just carried on, really.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44We renamed the cheese Mediterranean sheep's milk cheese -
0:21:44 > 0:21:46Mediterranean-style sheep's cheese.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49Cos you can't use anything that sounds like feta in feta.
0:21:49 > 0:21:54We still sell quite a lot of it but it's not one of our major cheeses.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56And now Mark's halloumi is under threat as well.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01The UK currently represents the biggest market
0:22:01 > 0:22:03for halloumi cheese in Europe
0:22:03 > 0:22:07and Mark is one of a handful of producers in this country.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09But that could all change
0:22:09 > 0:22:12if an application by Cyprus to restrict the use of the name
0:22:12 > 0:22:16halloumi to only cheese made in that country goes through.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18What's the current situation?
0:22:18 > 0:22:21Currently, the EU are discussing it and working out
0:22:21 > 0:22:23whether they are going to let it through or not.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26It's a period of consultation and any company, such as us,
0:22:26 > 0:22:28who have been making cheese,
0:22:28 > 0:22:32we've all put in a written application to the EU stating
0:22:32 > 0:22:37our case and why halloumi shouldn't be a protected cheese.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42One of the reasons Mark has objected is that, just like feta,
0:22:42 > 0:22:47halloumi isn't the name of a place but a type of cheese.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50But despite that, for anyone producing halloumi outside Cyprus,
0:22:50 > 0:22:53there's an added geographical spanner in the works.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56And it's all to do with ingredients.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Some protected products, for example, the Cornish pasty,
0:22:59 > 0:23:03can have their ingredients sourced from anywhere in the world,
0:23:03 > 0:23:06as long as the product is simply assembled in Cornwall
0:23:06 > 0:23:09and follows the designated set method.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13But the specific type of protection Cyprus has applied for
0:23:13 > 0:23:15means that the key ingredients in the cheese
0:23:15 > 0:23:18would have to be from that country as well.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21So no matter how authentic his method of production,
0:23:21 > 0:23:25if the application is agreed, without upping sticks
0:23:25 > 0:23:28and moving his farm to Cyprus and sourcing his ingredients
0:23:28 > 0:23:33from there, Mark simply won't be allowed to call his cheese halloumi.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35How much do you think it will affect you?
0:23:35 > 0:23:37If you go to a supermarket and say,
0:23:37 > 0:23:39"Buy our halloumi cheese, it's not called halloumi,"
0:23:39 > 0:23:42people won't recognise it. They won't buy it.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44So is it a big worry for you?
0:23:44 > 0:23:48It's a worry. 25% of the cheese we make is halloumi cheese.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51If we can't call it halloumi, it's bound to affect our business.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55We employ 12 people here. It's bound to affect them.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00Now, of course, there are many businesses in the UK
0:24:00 > 0:24:02that have benefited from protected status,
0:24:02 > 0:24:05which is why so many people and the authorities
0:24:05 > 0:24:09so eagerly get behind British products seeking such recognition.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14And some experts are enthusiastic supporters of the scheme as well
0:24:14 > 0:24:17because it provides an assurance of trust in a product
0:24:17 > 0:24:19that has tradition behind it.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22I would take the view that protective foods names,
0:24:22 > 0:24:24broadly speaking, are a good thing.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27They are good for the consumer because
0:24:27 > 0:24:30if the consumer wants to buy a specific food
0:24:30 > 0:24:33which is made in a defined place, they have the guarantee that
0:24:33 > 0:24:36what they are buying is an authentic product
0:24:36 > 0:24:38if it's a protected food name.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40I think one of the reasons for the halloumi application
0:24:40 > 0:24:45is that it unites both the Greek and Turkish aspects of Cyprus.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48I mean, food often brings people together.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50And in this example,
0:24:50 > 0:24:55the act of actually formulating the protected food name together
0:24:55 > 0:25:00is an example of two disparate sides with disparate cultures
0:25:00 > 0:25:02actually collaborating for a change.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04With the date for a decision unclear,
0:25:04 > 0:25:08Mark remains on tenterhooks as to what it will mean for his business.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16So to see what potential customers think, he has set up a stall
0:25:16 > 0:25:20with his halloumi and a Cypriot one from the local supermarket
0:25:20 > 0:25:21to try and find out
0:25:21 > 0:25:25whether passing shoppers can tell any difference between the two.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28- Would you like to try some cheese? - Yes, please.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30How bothered with people be
0:25:30 > 0:25:33whether the cheese is made in Cyprus or in Sussex?
0:25:33 > 0:25:35Can you taste any difference?
0:25:35 > 0:25:39- This one.- Yeah, I like that one. - Lovely and creamy.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41This is the halloumi that we make
0:25:41 > 0:25:43and this one comes all the way from Cyprus.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49I think the second one. To be honest, there's not a lot in that.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56I mean, they are both nice. But I think I prefer the first one.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58I'm the same. I think I prefer the first one.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03Of the nine people who tasted both cheeses,
0:26:03 > 0:26:05seven preferred Mark's halloumi.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09But would they still buy it if it wasn't allowed to call itself that
0:26:09 > 0:26:12and the one they didn't like as much had the rights to the name?
0:26:12 > 0:26:15Would it bother you if we weren't allowed
0:26:15 > 0:26:17to call our halloumi halloumi?
0:26:17 > 0:26:19- No.- Tastes good. So...
0:26:19 > 0:26:21- It's about the taste, not about the names.- Yeah.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24You should call it I Can't Believe It's Not Halloumi.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26MARK LAUGHS
0:26:27 > 0:26:32The EU passed around 62 of these applications in 2015,
0:26:32 > 0:26:35agreeing protected status for products such as
0:26:35 > 0:26:36a boiled Tuscan sausage,
0:26:36 > 0:26:40a specialist veal from a region of Spain,
0:26:40 > 0:26:42and purple and white asparagus from France.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45But some applications didn't get this far.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49Jersey butter, for example, was rejected as it was judged
0:26:49 > 0:26:52that its character came from Jersey cows rather than the island itself.
0:26:52 > 0:26:57And Lincolnshire sausages failed to get protected food name status
0:26:57 > 0:26:59partly because other butchers complained
0:26:59 > 0:27:00that there was no evidence
0:27:00 > 0:27:03that the recipe originated in Lincolnshire.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10But for Mark, until the EU makes a decision on halloumi,
0:27:10 > 0:27:13the fate of a big part of his business hangs in the balance.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16And for now, I'm afraid all he can do is wait.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19It is very frustrating. It can happen just like that.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21And it's totally out of your control.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24I'd like to think they'd stick with us,
0:27:24 > 0:27:26if they think it's nicer than the imported halloumi.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35Well, as we've said many times before, it's amazing what you
0:27:35 > 0:27:38find out when you read the full ingredients of the products we buy.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40Because when you just look at the name or
0:27:40 > 0:27:43the description on the front, you can
0:27:43 > 0:27:46make assumptions that may not be entirely correct, to put it mildly.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50Exactly. But it's important to point out that none of the products that
0:27:50 > 0:27:54we've talked about today are in any way hiding what they've got in them.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57But unless you are right across the full details of all
0:27:57 > 0:27:59the ingredients, it is very easy to leap to
0:27:59 > 0:28:02conclusions about some of the things that we eat and drink.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04And when we find out that we are wrong, well,
0:28:04 > 0:28:08then it's too easy to think that perhaps we've been short changed
0:28:08 > 0:28:10when in fact, that may not be the case at all.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12We'll be back to answer more of your questions
0:28:12 > 0:28:15and problems very soon. Until the next time we are together,
0:28:15 > 0:28:17thank you very much for your company.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19- From all of us, bye-bye. - Bye-bye.- Bye.