0:00:02 > 0:00:04GLORIA HUNNIFORD: There's a lot we don't know about the food
0:00:04 > 0:00:07on our plates, and the shops and the labels don't always tell you
0:00:07 > 0:00:08the 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 > 0:00:19ANGELA RIPPON: Whether you're staying in or going out,
0:00:19 > 0:00:22you've told us you can feel ripped off by the promises made
0:00:22 > 0:00:24for what you eat and what you pay for it.
0:00:24 > 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 > 0:00:36JULIA SOMERVILLE: From claims that don't stack up to the secrets
0:00:36 > 0:00:40behind the packaging, we'll uncover the truth about Britain's food,
0:00:40 > 0:00:43so you can be sure you're getting what you expect at the right price.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47Your food, your money.
0:00:47 > 0:00:48This is Rip Off Britain.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56Hello, and welcome to Rip Off Britain, where, as ever,
0:00:56 > 0:00:59we've been busy fighting your corner,
0:00:59 > 0:01:01investigating the stories you've asked us to look into.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03And in this particular series,
0:01:03 > 0:01:07we're lifting the lid on our food to make sure that every single product
0:01:07 > 0:01:10we buy delivers exactly what it says on the tin.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13Now, everything we're looking into today was sparked off
0:01:13 > 0:01:16by the questions and issues that you've raised with us.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20And one of our reports resulted from hearing about a most jaw-dropping
0:01:20 > 0:01:22side-effect from one particular food.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24Sounds intriguing, doesn't it?
0:01:24 > 0:01:26Well, as we take a much closer look at that particular story,
0:01:26 > 0:01:31I can tell you that I found myself in a situation that I never imagined
0:01:31 > 0:01:35I'd ever end up in, especially after 50 years of working in television!
0:01:35 > 0:01:39So, as we uncover some of the secrets of our everyday foods,
0:01:39 > 0:01:42get ready not just for some useful tips,
0:01:42 > 0:01:44but also quite a few surprises as well.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46Can't wait!
0:01:48 > 0:01:51Coming up, I take a drugs test to see if it's really true
0:01:51 > 0:01:55that eating an everyday ingredient could influence the result
0:01:55 > 0:01:57in a way that jeopardises my career.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02That sounds terrible. Does that mean that if I was taking a test as an
0:02:02 > 0:02:06employee that my employers could say, "There's a possibility, Rippon,
0:02:06 > 0:02:08"that you're a drug taker?"
0:02:08 > 0:02:11And a big shock for anyone who drinks decaffeinated coffee,
0:02:11 > 0:02:14or products that you might assume are totally caffeine free.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17Would you have known that it still had a kick
0:02:17 > 0:02:19from the caffeine you might assume you are paying extra to avoid?
0:02:19 > 0:02:21They have all got caffeine in.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23But it says on the front...
0:02:23 > 0:02:24- I know.- That's so bad.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28- That's quite shocking.- Have I missed something very obvious here?
0:02:31 > 0:02:34On this programme, I think it's true to say that we've always been
0:02:34 > 0:02:37interested in unpicking some of the unexpected truths
0:02:37 > 0:02:39about the food that we eat.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42But, you know, when we first heard about this next one,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45it really seemed so extraordinary, well, really, we could
0:02:45 > 0:02:47hardly believe it ourselves.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49It's all to do with an added ingredient
0:02:49 > 0:02:53that's baked in or sprinkled on top of some very common foods,
0:02:53 > 0:02:55typically bread and cakes.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58And it's usually considered to be rather good for us.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02But we've been contacted by one viewer for whom
0:03:02 > 0:03:04entirely the opposite was true.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07It's no exaggeration to say that eating it
0:03:07 > 0:03:11completely changed his life, and not for the better.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18Toasting some nice granary or seeded bread,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21packed full of healthy grain and other nutrients is, for many of us,
0:03:21 > 0:03:23a great way to start the day.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27And certainly there didn't seem any obvious cause for concern when Alan,
0:03:27 > 0:03:31from south Wales, ate some, as he often did for his breakfast,
0:03:31 > 0:03:33one morning last August before heading off for another
0:03:33 > 0:03:35busy day at work.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40As a field service engineer, through many companies,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43I predominantly worked in south Wales, working at different sites.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Alan worked for an industrial equipment supplier,
0:03:48 > 0:03:52and that particular day he was sent for a job at a power station.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55When he arrived on site, as part of the standard procedure required
0:03:55 > 0:03:58for contractors to enter the facility, he was asked to give
0:03:58 > 0:04:00a urine sample for a drugs test.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07Drugs tests are fairly common in work environments
0:04:07 > 0:04:10where employees drive or use heavy machinery,
0:04:10 > 0:04:13or where the job is a matter of public safety,
0:04:13 > 0:04:15such as the National Grid, the mining industry
0:04:15 > 0:04:17or civil engineering.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19Workers can't be made to take them,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22but if they refuse a reasonable request,
0:04:22 > 0:04:23they can face disciplinary action.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29I've had quite a few drugs tests. Usually when I start
0:04:29 > 0:04:31with the company, I have a test there.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35But this time, when the nurse analysed Alan's sample,
0:04:35 > 0:04:37it became clear that there was a problem.
0:04:37 > 0:04:42The nurse asked her colleague to come and look at it,
0:04:42 > 0:04:45because she was not sure...
0:04:45 > 0:04:48if it had passed or failed, because it was borderline.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50She couldn't make a decision, either.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54So then she asked another colleague to come in.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58And the third one said, "I can't make a decision on it.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01"So probably go to the safer side of saying that you'll
0:05:01 > 0:05:02"not be allowed in."
0:05:05 > 0:05:07Before tests of this kind are carried out,
0:05:07 > 0:05:11it's standard practice for a nurse to ask what food or medication
0:05:11 > 0:05:12has been consumed.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16There's no record of Alan declaring his breakfast,
0:05:16 > 0:05:18but he says he did tell them he'd eaten toast,
0:05:18 > 0:05:22although he made no connection between this and the test results.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28I told them I had brown bread this morning for breakfast, toast,
0:05:28 > 0:05:30which I always have.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32And then they said to me, "What did you have for lunch today?"
0:05:32 > 0:05:35I said, "I had a packet of crisps and a Kit Kat."
0:05:35 > 0:05:38And they then turned round to me and said, "Well, that didn't create
0:05:38 > 0:05:41"a problem with the drugs,"
0:05:41 > 0:05:45so they're going to have to send this sample for analysis.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51Alan was sent home and, a few days later
0:05:51 > 0:05:53when he was at his company depot in Wales,
0:05:53 > 0:05:56he received some rather shocking news from his manager.
0:05:56 > 0:06:03He said he'd had an e-mail to say that the drugs test I had failed,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06because there was a class A drug in my system.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10And what they found in my blood was morphine, traces of morphine.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14And the bad news didn't stop there.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18I was told I was suspended from work, pending investigation into it.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21I felt empty.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24I couldn't understand what was going on.
0:06:24 > 0:06:29A standard drug screening can detect the presence of opiates,
0:06:29 > 0:06:32which are drugs and medicines which are derived from opium.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35Morphine is one of these drugs,
0:06:35 > 0:06:39and European testing guidelines say that the upper limit that can be
0:06:39 > 0:06:43present in urine is 300 nanograms per millilitre.
0:06:44 > 0:06:50A morphine level of 690 nanograms was detected in Alan's test,
0:06:50 > 0:06:51more than double the limit.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54To get to the bottom of how that could be,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57Alan was advised to find out from his doctor whether tablets
0:06:57 > 0:07:01he takes for his blood pressure might contain the drug.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05But he was baffled when the answer came back, no,
0:07:05 > 0:07:08none of his medication could have impacted the results of the test.
0:07:08 > 0:07:13I don't know in any depth about, or at that time,
0:07:13 > 0:07:16about morphine or any other kind of drug, really.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18I just know the name of them.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21You know, somebody said cannabis, I'd know, oh, that's a nasty drug.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23What it is, I don't know, really.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27Same with heroin and now morphine.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33Determined to find out how morphine could possibly have got
0:07:33 > 0:07:36into his body, Alan went online to investigate.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40And to his utter astonishment,
0:07:40 > 0:07:45his research pointed to a totally unexpected possible answer -
0:07:45 > 0:07:48the toast he'd had for breakfast on the day of the test.
0:07:49 > 0:07:54I read that seeded bread contains traces of morphine,
0:07:54 > 0:07:56because it has poppy seeds in it.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03It is, of course, true that poppy seeds do contain small amounts of
0:08:03 > 0:08:07opiates. And while you may think it far-fetched that eating them
0:08:07 > 0:08:12could have an impact on the result of a drugs test, in fact, we've
0:08:12 > 0:08:15discovered that one well-known baker, Warburtons,
0:08:15 > 0:08:17has a warning about this on its website.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25And, indeed, three years ago, poppy seed bread was blamed
0:08:25 > 0:08:30when inmates at Brixton Prison tested positive for opiates.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33As a result, products containing poppy seeds were
0:08:33 > 0:08:36taken off the menu of the prison canteen.
0:08:36 > 0:08:41The explanation is that even when the seeds are washed and processed,
0:08:41 > 0:08:44traces of opiates still remain.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48And it's these traces that Alan is convinced must have impacted
0:08:48 > 0:08:50his test results.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52Poppy seeds, it's an ingredient.
0:08:52 > 0:08:53It's not...
0:08:53 > 0:08:56something that you would suspect would be involved
0:08:56 > 0:08:58in any kind of drug.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02Well, problems related to workplace drug testing are very much
0:09:02 > 0:09:07on the radar of Dan Shears from workers' union GMB.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09He believes that companies need to have a rethink about
0:09:09 > 0:09:13what happens when a worker's result is positive.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15The problem is not that the tests in itself are inaccurate.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17They're usually very reliable.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19There may be no, you know, wrongdoing
0:09:19 > 0:09:20on that individual's part,
0:09:20 > 0:09:22it's simply what they've had for lunch.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26So, what are the employees rights in a situation like that?
0:09:26 > 0:09:28Well, they are fairly limited.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32It depends very much on what the contract of employment says.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35But, as I say, there is really no legislation around this
0:09:35 > 0:09:37in terms of actual testing process.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40There's very little, realistically, that somebody can do.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45Alan says he had tried explaining what he'd discovered
0:09:45 > 0:09:51about poppy seed consumption, but as his sample failed a second test,
0:09:51 > 0:09:53his suspension from work turned to dismissal.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57When we got in touch with Alan's former employer,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00while it wouldn't comment directly on his individual case,
0:10:00 > 0:10:02it told us it has...
0:10:06 > 0:10:10..adding that it has duty of care to its staff,
0:10:10 > 0:10:12customers and the public to implement this policy.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18But Alan feels he's been treated unfairly and he still
0:10:18 > 0:10:20can't quite believe how it all happened.
0:10:22 > 0:10:23I've never been out of work.
0:10:23 > 0:10:28You feel demoralised, you feel as if you have no worth, I suppose.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33And, at the end of the day, I've looked back at it and I'm thinking,
0:10:33 > 0:10:37"All this has happened because I've eaten toast."
0:10:37 > 0:10:39"I just can't believe that."
0:10:39 > 0:10:40Well, later in the programme,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43you can see what happened when I ate some poppy seed bread
0:10:43 > 0:10:47and went through the same kind of test as Alan.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49So, what's the result of my test?
0:10:53 > 0:10:58Still to come on Rip Off Britain, one of your biggest food bugbears.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02Why are some of your best loved products shrinking before your eyes?
0:11:02 > 0:11:05When I put the carton in the fridge,
0:11:05 > 0:11:07I realised there was something wrong with the size.
0:11:07 > 0:11:08And I hadn't even opened it yet.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14Now, being Irish, I'm afraid I'm a bit of a tea fanatic.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17But I know that lots of you just can't start your day
0:11:17 > 0:11:19without that good old cup of coffee.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22You enjoy the boost it gives you day-to-day and,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25I suppose, I should be more precise and say it's the caffeine.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28Now, many of you like to keep a closer eye on how much of it
0:11:28 > 0:11:31you're having. And the manufacturers have certainly stepped up
0:11:31 > 0:11:35when it comes to helping with that. Every supermarket and coffee shop
0:11:35 > 0:11:39now offers an array of decaffeinated products.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42Yet we've heard from one viewer who had a bit of a nasty surprise after
0:11:42 > 0:11:44drinking her decaf.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47So, brace yourself, because chances are, when you hear why,
0:11:47 > 0:11:49you'll be just as surprised as she was.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56There's no denying we've become a nation of coffee lovers.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00Every day we sup a staggering 55 million cups of the stuff.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05But we don't all like the kick that comes from caffeine,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08so those wanting to steer clear of stimulants will usually
0:12:08 > 0:12:09turn to decaf.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16Most tea and coffee brands now offered decaffeinated alternatives.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20Some claim that you can enjoy a "caffeine free cuppa."
0:12:20 > 0:12:23Others say they give you "the perfect cup of coffee,
0:12:23 > 0:12:25"but without the caffeine kick."
0:12:26 > 0:12:29However, for one Rip Off Britain viewer,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32I'm afraid switching to decaf didn't have quite the benefit
0:12:32 > 0:12:35she hoped it would. And I would take a bet that lots of you
0:12:35 > 0:12:37have been caught out in the same way, too.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42Former prison officer, Kath Hilderley from Peterborough
0:12:42 > 0:12:44was left with a heart condition after an injury
0:12:44 > 0:12:46she suffered at work some ten years ago.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50It puts your heart under pressure,
0:12:50 > 0:12:53running up the stairs and things that you take for granted.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55It's not the same any more.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59You have to stop and think, but it does affect your daily living.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03To help her relax, Cath enjoys a cup of coffee.
0:13:03 > 0:13:04In fact, she drinks up to six a day.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08And as part of her ongoing treatment,
0:13:08 > 0:13:12Kath was called to hospital for a heart scan and she was told to avoid
0:13:12 > 0:13:14caffeine for 24 hours beforehand.
0:13:16 > 0:13:21So, you go and you buy decaf coffee, decaf tea, whatever is your choice,
0:13:21 > 0:13:23then I should be OK to go and have the treatments.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25When I got to the hospital, one of the nurses said,
0:13:25 > 0:13:28"Right, what have you eaten for the last 24 hours?"
0:13:28 > 0:13:31I said, "Decaf coffee," and that's when she said,
0:13:31 > 0:13:33"There's caffeine in decaf coffee.
0:13:33 > 0:13:34"You cannot have the scan."
0:13:36 > 0:13:38Kath was astonished.
0:13:38 > 0:13:43As far as she was aware, by drinking decaf, she had avoided all caffeine,
0:13:43 > 0:13:46but the nurse was adamant that there was caffeine in her system,
0:13:46 > 0:13:48so her scan had to be cancelled.
0:13:50 > 0:13:51I was angry.
0:13:51 > 0:13:57I was upset because I thought by having decaf coffee was no caffeine.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59I thought that was the right thing to do.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03You may well have assumed the same, but, in fact,
0:14:03 > 0:14:05decaf coffee does still contain caffeine.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09And when we got in touch with the hospital,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12it told us that it does make this clear to patients like Kath...
0:14:13 > 0:14:16..sending out a leaflet advising that not only should
0:14:16 > 0:14:20they avoid caffeinated drinks before procedure, but decaf ones as well.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25But Kath says she didn't receive this information.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32Although unable to put a figure on it,
0:14:32 > 0:14:34the British Heart Foundation confirmed to us
0:14:34 > 0:14:37that cancellations caused by caffeine consumption
0:14:37 > 0:14:39are a frequent occurrence on hospital wards.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47But Kath simply hadn't realised that decaf doesn't mean a product that is
0:14:47 > 0:14:48totally caffeine free.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52And adding to her irritation over that is the fact
0:14:52 > 0:14:56that decaf products can cost up to £1 more than regular coffee.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59What annoys me the most is,
0:14:59 > 0:15:02these companies can go along and put decaffeinated on anything,
0:15:02 > 0:15:06and a person that's health-conscious can actually buy all decaf products,
0:15:06 > 0:15:08thinking, like I did,
0:15:08 > 0:15:10"Decaffeinated, that's better for me."
0:15:10 > 0:15:11They can put £1,
0:15:11 > 0:15:1450 pence and all them 50ps and the pounds add up,
0:15:14 > 0:15:16and it's a rip-off, at the end of the day.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22Upset by her experience, Kath got in touch with Kenco,
0:15:22 > 0:15:26asking why its decaf coffee has no mention of its caffeine content
0:15:26 > 0:15:28on the label.
0:15:28 > 0:15:33The company replied, confirming that the product does contain caffeine,
0:15:33 > 0:15:34but only a small amount.
0:15:34 > 0:15:390.3 mg of it, compared to 65 mg
0:15:39 > 0:15:42that you'd expect to find in a regular cup of coffee.
0:15:43 > 0:15:44I'm sure like many of you,
0:15:44 > 0:15:49I didn't realise that when something says decaf, or decaffeinated,
0:15:49 > 0:15:53that actually there still can be some caffeine in the product.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55Even the word decaffeinated, to me,
0:15:55 > 0:15:57makes it sounds like everything has been removed.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01So, we've come to this cafe in Reading to see
0:16:01 > 0:16:05if customers and staff here know which drinks contain caffeine.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08In front of them is a range of products that either claim to be
0:16:08 > 0:16:12decaffeinated or that you might assume are totally caffeine free.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15But is that right?
0:16:15 > 0:16:18Let's see if they can spot which ones do and don't contain
0:16:18 > 0:16:19that caffeine stimulant.
0:16:21 > 0:16:22Right.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26- Put them on the other side. - Well, green tea has caffeine.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29Pure green tea, as they say, yes, OK.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32- I'm going to go decaf.- OK, OK. Do you drink decaf?
0:16:32 > 0:16:33- No!- No, OK.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35I need caffeine, I think.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37Decaf.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39Hmm, this might be a trick one.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41- I love hot chocolate. - I like hot chocolate, too.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43Chocolate's not going to have caffeine in it, surely.
0:16:43 > 0:16:44OK, right.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48- There's another decaf, so I'm going to put it there, decaf.- OK.
0:16:48 > 0:16:49Decaf.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52- I feel like I want to put everything over here.- Put them all there.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54Yeah, that's fine, you can do whatever you want.
0:16:54 > 0:16:55I'll go...
0:16:55 > 0:16:57OK.
0:16:57 > 0:16:58I'm just going to say caffeine free.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01- Caffeine free.- Caff free...
0:17:01 > 0:17:04Caff free. So I suppose it says that, so I shall put it there.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11Now they've made their choices, it's time to reveal the truth.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13I'm going to have to put that one over there.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16- Really?- I'm going to have to put that one over there.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20I'm going to have to put this one over there, the chocolate.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23I'm going to have to put this over there and I'm going
0:17:23 > 0:17:26to have to put the tea bags over there.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28- Really?- They have all got caffeine.
0:17:28 > 0:17:29That's so bad!
0:17:31 > 0:17:35They are all, all of them should be this side.
0:17:35 > 0:17:36How about that?
0:17:36 > 0:17:38Yeah, that's quite shocking.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41I thought I would be buying something that said what it
0:17:41 > 0:17:42did on the tin.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44They have all got caffeine.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48- But it says on the front...- I know.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50..decaf? Have I missed something very obvious here?
0:17:50 > 0:17:54No, so you think that's misleading when you see that on the front?
0:17:54 > 0:17:56Incredibly misleading.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00Our simple test has confirmed that to many of us, decaf means no caff.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06Well, I'm very keen to find out why 100% of caffeine can't be extracted
0:18:06 > 0:18:07from these products.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09It certainly would save a lot of confusion.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13So, I've come to the University of Reading to see first-hand
0:18:13 > 0:18:14the decaffeination process.
0:18:15 > 0:18:20Dr Afroditi Chatzifragkou is a lecturer in food processing.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22So, we have our coffee beans inside here.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25She's using a combination of heat,
0:18:25 > 0:18:29pressure and CO2 gas to penetrate the beans and extract the caffeine.
0:18:32 > 0:18:33This is the collection vessel.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36So, is this where the caffeine comes out?
0:18:36 > 0:18:37- Exactly.- Yes.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39'She's going to show me one of three ways that manufacturers
0:18:39 > 0:18:43'typically remove caffeine from coffee beans.'
0:18:43 > 0:18:47So, our beans will be left behind intact and ready then to be further
0:18:47 > 0:18:50processed, so roasted and...
0:18:50 > 0:18:52either packed or become an instant coffee.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55I see. Let's go for it. Let's see it.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58- Let's go for it, let's see then. Moment of truth.- Yes.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Oh, it's clearer than I thought.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03It's like a very dark white wine.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07'Now that the coffee beans have been through the decaffeination process,
0:19:07 > 0:19:09'Dr Afroditi's going to test them to see
0:19:09 > 0:19:11'how much caffeine remains.'
0:19:13 > 0:19:16We can see here, we were able to extract most of the caffeine
0:19:16 > 0:19:18out of our beans.
0:19:18 > 0:19:19So you're happy with that result?
0:19:19 > 0:19:22Yes, I'm happy, but this means we have taken out more
0:19:22 > 0:19:25than 98% of caffeine.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27I would say it's very, very difficult to extract all
0:19:27 > 0:19:30of the caffeine out.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32'Well, it seems it's never going to be possible to remove
0:19:32 > 0:19:36'all the caffeine from coffee beans because of their complex make-up.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41'So, if there's always going to be a little bit of caffeine left
0:19:41 > 0:19:46'in decaf coffee, where does that leave my beloved tea?'
0:19:46 > 0:19:50We did some tests on decaffeinated tea products and we actually came to
0:19:50 > 0:19:53discover that there were some levels of caffeine left behind,
0:19:53 > 0:19:57- as you can see here.- What percentage did you get out from the tea?
0:19:57 > 0:20:02This would be an equivalent of 0.1% left behind.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06In health terms, everybody talks about green tea.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09Green tea is a source of caffeine itself,
0:20:09 > 0:20:13so nearly half of the caffeine that you will find in coffee.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15'I can honestly say I'm really surprised with what
0:20:15 > 0:20:17'I'm finding out today.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22'Admittedly, we're not talking about huge amounts of caffeine,
0:20:22 > 0:20:23'but it's there nonetheless.'
0:20:26 > 0:20:27So, what are the regulations?
0:20:29 > 0:20:32Well, if a product has been through the decaffeination process,
0:20:32 > 0:20:37leaving less than 0.3% caffeine, it must say that it's decaffeinated.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44This information must be on the label, but it's often
0:20:44 > 0:20:47in the small print that many of us miss, like on this one
0:20:47 > 0:20:49that actually says it's "caff free."
0:20:51 > 0:20:54As for hot chocolate, there's no need to declare caffeine
0:20:54 > 0:20:57unless it's been added as an ingredient.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00In our tests, we found 0.4 mg per gram.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07When we asked Cadbury why it doesn't make the caffeine content
0:21:07 > 0:21:08more obvious, it said...
0:21:21 > 0:21:24And the owners of Kenco, JDE,
0:21:24 > 0:21:26while reiterating that decaffeination doesn't remove
0:21:26 > 0:21:28all caffeine, told us...
0:21:36 > 0:21:40And when we asked why one of its products is called "caff free,"
0:21:40 > 0:21:42when in fact it isn't, the company told us that
0:21:42 > 0:21:45while it complies with European legislation,
0:21:45 > 0:21:48by making clear in a number of places that this is
0:21:48 > 0:21:53a decaffeinated product, it has now replaced the term "caff free"
0:21:53 > 0:21:56with decaf on its packaging as part of a rebrand.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01But marketing expert David Duke thinks the industry
0:22:01 > 0:22:04could be making things much clearer.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07We have the complicated situation that of course,
0:22:07 > 0:22:09when marketing these types of products,
0:22:09 > 0:22:14manufacturers and marketing brand leaders want to actually create the
0:22:14 > 0:22:16impression that this is something special,
0:22:16 > 0:22:20but creating that impression might mislead
0:22:20 > 0:22:22and so something like "caff-free"
0:22:22 > 0:22:27is an alternative way of trying to describe a decaffeinated product,
0:22:27 > 0:22:31but of course, I would regard something that says caff-free as being
0:22:31 > 0:22:38perhaps significantly more likely to be absolutely 0% and therefore if it
0:22:38 > 0:22:43does contain caffeine, if it says caff-free, yes,
0:22:43 > 0:22:44I would regard that as misleading.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51As for Kath, she remains frustrated that decaffeinated products are not
0:22:51 > 0:22:52what she'd imagined them to be.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55And she'd like to see the labelling improved.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00What I'd like to see is the packaging marked clearer.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03Decaf just along the label isn't enough, in my opinion.
0:23:03 > 0:23:08It should be marked, "Less caffeine than a normal cup," and I think then,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11you're not going to have any problems because people will probably still
0:23:11 > 0:23:15buy decaf and then they'll actually have a knowledge of how much
0:23:15 > 0:23:16caffeine is in this.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24Now, have you noticed that, when you buy something in the shops,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27you seem to be getting less for your money than before?
0:23:27 > 0:23:30Well, judging by the number of e-mails we've been getting from you,
0:23:30 > 0:23:34the subject of food shrinkage is high on your agenda,
0:23:34 > 0:23:38especially when it comes to the size of some of your most popular products.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41One viewer is particularly disgruntled by the shrinking size
0:23:41 > 0:23:44of one of his favourite treats,
0:23:44 > 0:23:47and he's simply not buying the explanation he's been given.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53Norman Brodie is a retired accountant who lives on a fixed,
0:23:53 > 0:23:54limited budget.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58So he likes to keep a very keen eye on every penny he spends.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00I'm quite a discerning shopper.
0:24:00 > 0:24:01I look for the deals that are on and,
0:24:01 > 0:24:04if I find other shop's got a better deal, I'll go to another shop.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07So I'm quite a fussy shopper, you might say.
0:24:08 > 0:24:13But, like many of us, he has certain products that he buys every week,
0:24:13 > 0:24:15and orange juice is one of them.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17When I put the carton in the fridge,
0:24:17 > 0:24:19I realised there was something wrong with the size,
0:24:19 > 0:24:21and I hadn't even opened it yet.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24So I took it back out of the fridge and found it was a smaller size,
0:24:24 > 0:24:27and I was puzzled because, when I was in the supermarket,
0:24:27 > 0:24:30where I bought it, there was no mention of the smaller size.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35The juice Norman bought was made by Tropicana,
0:24:35 > 0:24:38which shrank its cartons in February this year.
0:24:38 > 0:24:43The new slimlined version holds 150ml less juice,
0:24:43 > 0:24:45the equivalent of one whole serving.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50But when he checked his receipt, Norman discovered to his dismay
0:24:50 > 0:24:53that although the orange juice carton had shrunk,
0:24:53 > 0:24:54the price had not.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57I have felt cheated, first of all.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00I felt I'd been paying the same money for a product I'd bought
0:25:00 > 0:25:03for years and yet, suddenly, I was buying less of the product.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06There is no information, no knowledge and no indication
0:25:06 > 0:25:09in the shop that this was a smaller-sized product.
0:25:11 > 0:25:16Norman felt so strongly that he took his complaint direct to Tropicana,
0:25:16 > 0:25:19and the company replied with a list of reasons for the product's
0:25:19 > 0:25:21reduction in size.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24After three or four days,
0:25:24 > 0:25:28a customer relations manager sent me an e-mail noting my complaint
0:25:28 > 0:25:34and justifying it as best he could why he felt the price has stayed
0:25:34 > 0:25:36the same but the quantity gone down.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40But he didn't really answer my question because what he was saying was,
0:25:40 > 0:25:43they were trying to establish that maybe the packaging cost more,
0:25:43 > 0:25:47maybe the raw materials cost more, maybe there's currency and so on.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50But I felt this was all a cover-up, you might say,
0:25:50 > 0:25:53for trying to pull the wool over the consumer's eye.
0:25:54 > 0:25:55In its response to Norman,
0:25:55 > 0:25:59Tropicana pointed to three key factors it said had an impact
0:25:59 > 0:26:01on the price and size of its product.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05First the weather, as it affects the size of the crops.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08The exchange rates, which are influenced by the global markets.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11And, finally, the cost of raw materials used to make
0:26:11 > 0:26:13the cartons themselves.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21Like Norman, we are keen to find out if all these reasons add up
0:26:21 > 0:26:24or if they are just clever manufacturer's spin
0:26:24 > 0:26:26to boost profits.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29Of course, Norman's orange juice isn't the first product that's been
0:26:29 > 0:26:32slimmed down on our supermarket shelves.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35There was an uproar last year when Toblerone made the gap
0:26:35 > 0:26:37between its triangles bigger.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42It's still a row of triangular blocks but, as you can see,
0:26:42 > 0:26:46the new bar has much thinner blocks with very large gaps in between.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48Other products, particularly chocolates,
0:26:48 > 0:26:51are frequently said to have fallen victim to what's often called
0:26:51 > 0:26:55"shrinkflation", a fact that hasn't gone unnoticed by many of you.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00You buy food with your eyes, don't you?
0:27:00 > 0:27:02If it looks good, you buy it.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04Until you open the box.
0:27:04 > 0:27:05Chocolate, confectionery.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10They definitely don't seem to be as big as they were sort of five, six,
0:27:10 > 0:27:12seven, ten years ago, maybe.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14It's all package and nothing in them.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17I do feel that products are getting smaller.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20However, you're still paying the same amount of money.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25Richard Headland is the editor of the consumer magazine Which.
0:27:25 > 0:27:26Its research discovered that,
0:27:26 > 0:27:31however a manufacturer justifies the changes in the size of its product,
0:27:31 > 0:27:34it's rarely good news for consumers.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37The reason that shrinking products are so controversial is often the
0:27:37 > 0:27:42product will shrink in size but there is no corresponding price drop
0:27:42 > 0:27:46and, in fact, in some cases, the price either stays the same or it increases.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50So it's definitely poorer value for consumers in their weekly shop.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52You've got to be really eagle-eyed to spot the products
0:27:52 > 0:27:54that are sticking to the same price point
0:27:54 > 0:27:57but actually the pack size is getting smaller.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59Yes, you heard him correctly.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02Which found that some products had not only got smaller,
0:28:02 > 0:28:04but more expensive, too.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06So we found a multipack of Quavers, for example,
0:28:06 > 0:28:11where the number of packets of crisps within it had dropped from 14 to 12,
0:28:11 > 0:28:13which is a 14% reduction.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15But interestingly, with this one, the price that was being charged
0:28:15 > 0:28:18by the supermarkets had actually gone up,
0:28:18 > 0:28:20so it was a double whammy for consumers -
0:28:20 > 0:28:22less product, costing them more money.
0:28:22 > 0:28:27We found a 300g packet of McVities dark chocolate digestives where the
0:28:27 > 0:28:30number of biscuits in the pack had dropped by 10% but, actually,
0:28:30 > 0:28:35the price had stayed the same at some supermarkets and increased by 10p in others.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37So, again, bad news for consumers -
0:28:37 > 0:28:39fewer chocolate biscuits, higher prices.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44Food brands and manufacturers don't set the exact price we pay
0:28:44 > 0:28:47for their products - that's the job of the retailer.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49But they do recommend a price.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54While McVities made no comment to us about the pricing of its biscuits,
0:28:54 > 0:28:59the makers of that Quavers multipack say that, when the size was reduced,
0:28:59 > 0:29:02they also recommended that the price should come down, too -
0:29:02 > 0:29:05something that stores didn't always follow.
0:29:05 > 0:29:09Richard understands why customers find this issue so frustrating.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13What we would really like to see and what we would expect to see from
0:29:13 > 0:29:15brands and retailers is a genuine,
0:29:15 > 0:29:18honest price rise as opposed to a sneaky price rise,
0:29:18 > 0:29:22which is what they experience when products shrink and the prices don't.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27So, in the quest for honest answers,
0:29:27 > 0:29:31we've sent Norman to one of the UK's packaging companies to explore
0:29:31 > 0:29:34further what he's been told causes shrinkflation.
0:29:34 > 0:29:39The team here produce food packaging for major supermarkets and fast food
0:29:39 > 0:29:41outlets across the UK.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43Kay Culley is the operations manager.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47I see a lot of packaging here.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50Where is it all sourced from, locally or internationally?
0:29:50 > 0:29:51We do a mix of both.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54Our main material that we use on the majority of our packaging
0:29:54 > 0:29:58comes from abroad in terms of Europe and also internationally,
0:29:58 > 0:30:00so we get a lot from Egypt, India, from Europe,
0:30:00 > 0:30:02we get from Spain and from Portugal,
0:30:02 > 0:30:04but we do do some UK sourcing as well.
0:30:04 > 0:30:06Over the last few years,
0:30:06 > 0:30:10have you found that the price you're paying has been consistent?
0:30:10 > 0:30:11It's been fairly consistent.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14We have had some peaks and troughs, as anybody would expect,
0:30:14 > 0:30:17but on the main, over the last five years, it's been exactly the same.
0:30:17 > 0:30:21And does that mean that, when you invoice your customers in the UK,
0:30:21 > 0:30:25you haven't had to increase or make a surcharge of any significant
0:30:25 > 0:30:27amount over the last year or two?
0:30:27 > 0:30:29No, we've not done any passing on of any increases,
0:30:29 > 0:30:32knowing that the market's going to even itself out.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34So, just as Tropicana told Norman,
0:30:34 > 0:30:37the cost of raw materials does fluctuate,
0:30:37 > 0:30:41but this packaging company manages to avoid passing costs on
0:30:41 > 0:30:42to its customers.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48Another reason the company gave Norman for the reduction in the size
0:30:48 > 0:30:51of his breakfast juice was the weather.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53As we've discussed on this series before,
0:30:53 > 0:30:57the weather can have a huge impact on the food we eat.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01When Spain was hit by the worst downpours in over 30 years in February,
0:31:01 > 0:31:05there was a shortage of lettuce and courgettes across Europe,
0:31:05 > 0:31:09and droughts in Brazil and Kenya led to a smaller coffee harvest
0:31:09 > 0:31:11that forced producers to put their prices up.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17What about the other justification Tropicana offered for the shrinking
0:31:17 > 0:31:21of Norman's orange juice - the financial markets?
0:31:21 > 0:31:24Adam Leyland, editor of The Grocer, feels that's fair.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30Am I convinced by the reasons that brands give for shrinkflation?
0:31:30 > 0:31:32The short answer is...yes.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36They are not charities, they want to keep making money and, actually,
0:31:36 > 0:31:38they are struggling.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41Suppliers have been struggling for several years and their margins
0:31:41 > 0:31:45are at their lowest in the 30 years of The Grocer's survey.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47In terms of how prices are set,
0:31:47 > 0:31:49it really is in the control of the retailers,
0:31:49 > 0:31:52the supermarkets and so forth.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55That's because a brand will sell it for a certain price.
0:31:55 > 0:31:59You have the selling price and you have the cost price and, clearly,
0:31:59 > 0:32:02there's a lot of negotiation that goes on in between.
0:32:04 > 0:32:08So, if the power to set prices rests ultimately with the retailers,
0:32:08 > 0:32:12could they be doing more to protect us against future price rises?
0:32:13 > 0:32:16The crucial thing that's going on right now with Brexit,
0:32:16 > 0:32:21with sterling depreciating against a number of currencies, is inflation.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25And supermarkets are absolutely obsessed about trying to keep prices
0:32:25 > 0:32:28down right now, it's such a sensitive time.
0:32:28 > 0:32:34With Brexit, price increases are almost inevitable.
0:32:34 > 0:32:38A supplier will have to get a cost increase through in one way or another,
0:32:38 > 0:32:40but it doesn't have to be price increases,
0:32:40 > 0:32:42it can be shrinkflation.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48Well, when we contacted Tropicana's owner, PepsiCo,
0:32:48 > 0:32:52it reiterated what Norman had been told when he'd first complained,
0:32:52 > 0:32:56that the change in carton size is down to several factors,
0:32:56 > 0:33:00including fluctuating foreign exchange rates which affect the price of oranges,
0:33:00 > 0:33:03and packaging materials as well as supply pressures
0:33:03 > 0:33:05due to yield and weather.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08It went on to say its products are...
0:33:11 > 0:33:15..and stressed that it doesn't set the retail price of its products.
0:33:15 > 0:33:17That's down to individual retailers.
0:33:19 > 0:33:24But with product prices and sizes likely to stay under pressure,
0:33:24 > 0:33:27there is some homework we should all do before simply putting foods
0:33:27 > 0:33:29in our basket.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33My advice to consumers - first, always read the label.
0:33:33 > 0:33:38Second, look out for a bargain, and third, remember that you can shop around
0:33:38 > 0:33:41with the internet, on your phone, you can actually be in
0:33:41 > 0:33:44one person's shop and checking the price in another shop.
0:33:44 > 0:33:48There is a great amount of empowerment the consumer actually has.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52And Norman, along no doubt with the other people who've contacted us on
0:33:52 > 0:33:56this topic, says he'll be using that power to change his shopping habits
0:33:56 > 0:33:58from now on.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01I've noticed in shops, without actually paying attention to them,
0:34:01 > 0:34:04there are other products giving good value and a good price,
0:34:04 > 0:34:07and I will now support these products and buy them instead
0:34:07 > 0:34:10of the one I used to buy because there's no shortage of competition
0:34:10 > 0:34:12in this field at all.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21Earlier in the programme, we heard from Alan,
0:34:21 > 0:34:22an engineer from South Wales,
0:34:22 > 0:34:27who failed a drugs test at work and is absolutely confident that he did so
0:34:27 > 0:34:30because he ate bread containing poppy seeds.
0:34:30 > 0:34:34Well, I've been knocking back a few of those seeds, too,
0:34:34 > 0:34:39and all in the name of science, of course, I went for my own drug test.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43After his drugs test,
0:34:43 > 0:34:47Alan put the result down to eating bread containing poppy seeds.
0:34:47 > 0:34:52I'm thinking, all this has happened because I've eaten toast.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55- You just can't believe that. - And it really is the case that,
0:34:55 > 0:34:59because poppy seeds contain a small amount of opiates,
0:34:59 > 0:35:03eating them can cause you to get a positive result in a drugs test.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06But I wanted to test out the theory for myself.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10Now, I can promise you that, throughout my working life,
0:35:10 > 0:35:14I have never taken anything stronger than an over-the-counter painkiller.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16I mean, let's face it, I don't even smoke!
0:35:16 > 0:35:17But as a journalist,
0:35:17 > 0:35:21it's really important to me that I research my stories properly and,
0:35:21 > 0:35:24where this one is concerned, that means just one thing.
0:35:26 > 0:35:27Yes, over three days,
0:35:27 > 0:35:32I ate a whole loaf of 400g bread laden with poppy seeds
0:35:32 > 0:35:36along with a poppy seed bagel bought fresh from my local bakery.
0:35:36 > 0:35:40I then did a quick urine sample and sent it off to a lab for analysis
0:35:40 > 0:35:45to see if, like Alan, I would test positive for morphine,
0:35:45 > 0:35:47which is derived from opium.
0:35:47 > 0:35:49And, while I wait to hear the results,
0:35:49 > 0:35:53I'm keen to know more about workplace drug testing.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57So I've come to this company, Hargreaves Logistics,
0:35:57 > 0:36:00which introduced a drugs testing policy five years ago.
0:36:02 > 0:36:04Have you got any form of medication on you?
0:36:04 > 0:36:06Are you dependent on any drugs or alcohol at the moment?
0:36:06 > 0:36:08- Nothing at all, no.- Nothing at all.
0:36:08 > 0:36:13Everyone here could potentially be subjected to a test at random,
0:36:13 > 0:36:16including managing director of the haulage arm of the business,
0:36:16 > 0:36:18Andrew Spence-Wolrich.
0:36:18 > 0:36:23We need to weed out any potential risk right from the word go.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26We have a set standard and we don't tolerate any level of drugs
0:36:26 > 0:36:30or alcohol in the system at any time.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33That's not just our employees, it's also our contractors.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36We run hundreds of tests each year and, in the last three years,
0:36:36 > 0:36:39we've only had one positive test that led to a disciplinary,
0:36:39 > 0:36:40and that led to a dismissal.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44And the workers seem to be all for it.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47I think it's a good thing to be testing people for drugs and alcohol.
0:36:47 > 0:36:49From a personal point of view,
0:36:49 > 0:36:52I wouldn't want to work with somebody who was coming into work
0:36:52 > 0:36:56on drugs or who was in an intoxicated state.
0:36:56 > 0:36:57It would affect their work levels.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00It would make working with them very, very difficult.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03I was tested for drugs when I applied for a job at the company.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06They took a urine sample and everything was OK.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08I didn't find a problem with it.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11It's your livelihood, it's your job,
0:37:11 > 0:37:14you rely on it to live and survive and,
0:37:14 > 0:37:18if a test showed up and you were to lose your licence,
0:37:18 > 0:37:20it could be very frightening.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24And it certainly was for Alan, who did, of course, lose his job.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29Well, two days after I gave my sample,
0:37:29 > 0:37:32I'm visiting Professor Atholl Johnston,
0:37:32 > 0:37:34an expert in toxicology
0:37:34 > 0:37:37at Queen Mary University for the results.
0:37:37 > 0:37:41But first, I'm keen to understand exactly how what we eat can have a
0:37:41 > 0:37:44bearing on the outcome of a drugs test.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49If I was someone who habitually ate bread, cakes,
0:37:49 > 0:37:51that had been cooked with poppy seeds in them,
0:37:51 > 0:37:53would there be a build-up of that in my system?
0:37:53 > 0:37:57Yes. If you liked poppy seeds and you ate poppy seeds every day in bread,
0:37:57 > 0:38:00yes, it would build up and it would get to what's called a steady state
0:38:00 > 0:38:04where the amount of poppy seeds or morphine you took in every day would
0:38:04 > 0:38:08build up to a limit, and that would be excreted in your urine
0:38:08 > 0:38:10over a 24-hour period.
0:38:11 > 0:38:13Well, now it's the moment of truth.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17To see what effect poppy seeds had on my sample,
0:38:17 > 0:38:21Dr Johnston did a very similar test to the one that, in the end,
0:38:21 > 0:38:22cost Alan his job.
0:38:22 > 0:38:26I have to say, I am a little bit nervous to know what he's found.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29So, Atholl, what's the result of my test?
0:38:29 > 0:38:31Well, you are positive for morphine.
0:38:31 > 0:38:35You excreted 13 nanograms per ml of morphine in your urine.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38That sounds terrible! I mean, does that mean that if I was
0:38:38 > 0:38:41taking a test as an employee that my employers could say,
0:38:41 > 0:38:44"There's a possibility, Rippon, that you are a drug taker?"
0:38:44 > 0:38:48If they followed the European guidance for testing of drugs
0:38:48 > 0:38:52- in the workplace, no, you wouldn't be because...- Whew!
0:38:52 > 0:38:54..the limit there is 300 nanograms per ml.
0:38:54 > 0:38:59So you excreted about ten times less than you would need to have a
0:38:59 > 0:39:02positive test and be struck off from your workplace.
0:39:04 > 0:39:08So, if my morphine levels aren't enough to cost me my job,
0:39:08 > 0:39:12how could Alan's result have come out so much higher?
0:39:12 > 0:39:16Well, if a result is influenced by the consumption of poppy seeds,
0:39:16 > 0:39:21it all depends not just on how many you may have had but also how potent
0:39:21 > 0:39:25they may be, because, I'm afraid, that can vary.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28One of the things you need to consider is that poppy seeds are
0:39:28 > 0:39:32a natural product, and the amount of morphine in a poppy seed will vary
0:39:32 > 0:39:35quite considerably depending on when it was harvested,
0:39:35 > 0:39:40where it was harvested and, in fact, when tests have been done,
0:39:40 > 0:39:45there's about a 600-fold variation in the amount of morphine in poppy seeds.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47- As much as that? - From the maximum to the minimum.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49That's extraordinary.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52So, if you took the one that had the most opiate in it,
0:39:52 > 0:39:53you would have a higher reaction?
0:39:53 > 0:39:57Yes, you could get actually nearly a therapeutic dose of morphine if you
0:39:57 > 0:40:00took quite a lot of bread, but you'd have to take quite a lot of bread.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03But does that suggest, then, that perhaps,
0:40:03 > 0:40:05while it's telling you you've got morphine,
0:40:05 > 0:40:07that I've got morphine in my system,
0:40:07 > 0:40:10that that is not actually an accurate assessment of what my
0:40:10 > 0:40:14situation is regarding whether or not I take drugs?
0:40:14 > 0:40:16No, I think that's exactly right.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18You can't say, from just a test in urine,
0:40:18 > 0:40:24that you are a drug abuser and you are taking morphine or heroin
0:40:24 > 0:40:26for kicks, so to speak.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29When you get a positive test like that,
0:40:29 > 0:40:34someone needs to review that test and also review your situation,
0:40:34 > 0:40:36then someone needs to ask a few questions
0:40:36 > 0:40:38and perhaps repeat the test.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42In Alan's case, his sample was sent
0:40:42 > 0:40:45to an independent lab for a second opinion,
0:40:45 > 0:40:48which confirmed the presence of opiates but,
0:40:48 > 0:40:51because he didn't declare that he'd eaten poppy seeds when the sample
0:40:51 > 0:40:55was taken, his theory couldn't be proven.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57But the GMB's Dan Shears says,
0:40:57 > 0:41:02when workers have a previously unblemished drugs test record,
0:41:02 > 0:41:04that should be taken into consideration.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08But isn't that the problem with this testing,
0:41:08 > 0:41:11that it may not answer the most important question,
0:41:11 > 0:41:14which is whether or not the person that you're testing is a habitual
0:41:14 > 0:41:18user of drugs or if this is just a one-off fluke situation?
0:41:18 > 0:41:22If someone is a habitual user of drugs or alcohol, for whatever reason,
0:41:22 > 0:41:25you'd expect there to be a pretty clear set of signifiers beforehand,
0:41:25 > 0:41:28you'd expect people to realise that behaviours had changed,
0:41:28 > 0:41:30patterns at work had changed, personalities might change.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33It shouldn't be the case that someone is first picked up with a test.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35The test should be the last resort.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38Part of the point of having a regime in place is it's supposed to act
0:41:38 > 0:41:43as a deterrent, yes, but actually, if it ends up getting rid of people in the business who have done
0:41:43 > 0:41:48nothing wrong, then you undermine the whole relationship you've got with your entire workforce.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52And there are other foods you should declare if you go for a drugs test -
0:41:52 > 0:41:57hemp seeds, tonic water and even cough syrup that contains codeine.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00Since the shock result of Alan's drugs test,
0:42:00 > 0:42:03he has managed to get another job, but the whole ordeal
0:42:03 > 0:42:07is not something he would want anyone to have to go through.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10The whole experience of it, although it's a learning curve,
0:42:10 > 0:42:11is not a very nice one.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14And, to prevent this, I hope people understand...
0:42:16 > 0:42:17..be careful about what they eat.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26Well, that's almost it from us for today.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30No doubt you'll have learnt quite a few things you didn't know from the
0:42:30 > 0:42:31stories we've investigated today.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34I must say, we certainly did.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37In particular, wasn't it a surprise to realise that decaf coffee doesn't
0:42:37 > 0:42:39always mean no caff?
0:42:39 > 0:42:41I'll tell you, it's certainly made quite a stir in our office!
0:42:41 > 0:42:44But, you know, I can see why it is that some people think that
0:42:44 > 0:42:49manufacturers could be a bit clearer about the caffeine content on their
0:42:49 > 0:42:51labels because, as we said earlier in the programme,
0:42:51 > 0:42:55they are not obliged to tell you about such low traces,
0:42:55 > 0:42:57though it certainly would help.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00I know I've got several friends who think that they are living
0:43:00 > 0:43:04a caffeine-free life when it's clear now that they are not.
0:43:04 > 0:43:05They are definitely not and, I have to say,
0:43:05 > 0:43:09I'm still reeling from that Angela Rippon drug test which still sounds
0:43:09 > 0:43:13like the most improbable tabloid headline you'll ever read!
0:43:13 > 0:43:17But if you've got a food question or indeed any consumer issue that you'd
0:43:17 > 0:43:18like us to get to the bottom of,
0:43:18 > 0:43:21do please get in touch because we love to hear from you.
0:43:21 > 0:43:24And it could be your story we investigate on a future programme.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27But that's where we leave it for now, but we will see you again soon.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29And from the three of us, bye-bye.
0:43:29 > 0:43:30- Goodbye.- Goodbye.