0:00:02 > 0:00:04We asked you to tell us what's left you feeling ripped off
0:00:04 > 0:00:07and you contacted us in your thousands.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09You've told us about the companies you think get it wrong
0:00:09 > 0:00:13and the customer service that simply isn't up to scratch.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16If I walk in somewhere and they treat me badly then I walk
0:00:16 > 0:00:18and I will never go in again.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21You've asked us to track down the scammers who stole your money
0:00:21 > 0:00:24and investigate the extra charges that you say are unfair.
0:00:24 > 0:00:25You've paid for a service
0:00:25 > 0:00:29and you expect it to be the service that you've paid for.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33And when you've lost out, but no-one else is to blame, you've come
0:00:33 > 0:00:35to us to stop others from falling into the same trap.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38As a customer you've got to be more savvy in terms of what you're
0:00:38 > 0:00:41buying and make sure that it's something that you want or need
0:00:41 > 0:00:44and not something that they're trying to trick you into getting.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48So whether it's a blatant rip off or a genuine mistake, we're
0:00:48 > 0:00:52here to find out why you're out of pocket and what you can do about it.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58Your stories, your money. This is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03Hello. We're looking into all things to do with food.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07And while sometimes it can be a bit tricky keeping across everything
0:01:07 > 0:01:10when we're eating at home, I think most of us would agree that
0:01:10 > 0:01:13things become a lot more complicated when we're eating out.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15Because of course that is when we're putting our trust
0:01:15 > 0:01:18and confidence into the hands of other people.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20The truth is that some of the places we go to can leave us
0:01:20 > 0:01:22feeling really disappointed.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25Either because what they're serving isn't quite what we'd assumed,
0:01:25 > 0:01:26or indeed hoped for,
0:01:26 > 0:01:29and we have some surprising examples of that coming up.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32Or perhaps even because they're struggling with the absolute basics.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36In other words keeping themselves and their surroundings clean.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39So, today we're going to be finding out exactly what's being done
0:01:39 > 0:01:43to make sure that the standards of hygiene where we eat are up to scratch.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47Coming up, we've done our own tests into restaurant cleanliness.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49So in which high street favourite did
0:01:49 > 0:01:51we find something very unpleasant indeed?
0:01:51 > 0:01:55There's faecal contamination either of the water that made
0:01:55 > 0:01:57the ice or the ice itself.
0:01:57 > 0:02:02And so it increases the risk of getting sick from consuming this ice.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05And the food outlets not just flouting the law
0:02:05 > 0:02:07but putting lives at risk.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11Do you have the allergy information written anywhere that I can look at?
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Whenever you go into a restaurant or takeaway,
0:02:18 > 0:02:23you might have seen a bright green sticker, about so long by
0:02:23 > 0:02:26so deep, displayed either on the door or the window,
0:02:26 > 0:02:29making it very clear what the food hygiene rating
0:02:29 > 0:02:31is of the place in which you plan to eat.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33In other words it's a very helpful steer on
0:02:33 > 0:02:37whether the standards inside are really up to scratch.
0:02:37 > 0:02:38Or at least it should be.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41But in fact, though you might have assumed otherwise,
0:02:41 > 0:02:45restaurants are not obliged to display their rating.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48So any place that's scored particularly badly doesn't
0:02:48 > 0:02:49have to tell you about it.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53Even though, chances are, you certainly would want to know.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56So, short of actually poking your head into the kitchen,
0:02:56 > 0:03:00how can you tell if a restaurant is as clean as a whistle?
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Or no such thing.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06With stickers to show if you're eating somewhere clean and safe,
0:03:06 > 0:03:11the food hygiene rating scheme was launched in most of the UK in 2010.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14Although Scotland already had something similar.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17The idea is that any establishment that serves or provides
0:03:17 > 0:03:21food to the general public should be inspected
0:03:21 > 0:03:25and then given a rating depending on how clean their premises are.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28So, for instance, if you get a five, which is the top rating,
0:03:28 > 0:03:31that means that you are very good.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33If you get zero, well, that indicates
0:03:33 > 0:03:38that your establishment is in need of urgent attention.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40But what exactly do these ratings mean?
0:03:42 > 0:03:46Well, someone who knows the answer to that is John Thornhill.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49His restaurant in central London has a rating of five.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52So, he must be doing something right.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56So how much notice did you get before the inspectors arrived?
0:03:56 > 0:03:59They don't give you any warning. I think that's absolutely right.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03In the end the only way to try and achieve consistency, or at least to
0:04:03 > 0:04:07measure consistency, is to go when people don't necessarily expect it.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11Restaurants are inspected by local authority environmental
0:04:11 > 0:04:14health officers, who are checking for a number of things.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16How hygienically the food is handled.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19In other words the way it's prepared, cooked, reheated,
0:04:19 > 0:04:21cooled and stored.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24And they'll look at the condition and structure of the building.
0:04:24 > 0:04:29It's cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation and other facilities.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31What are the extra problems that you've got,
0:04:31 > 0:04:35- because the food looks stunning.. - Thank you.- ..and it's colourful and wonderful.
0:04:35 > 0:04:36But it is all out on show.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39This is tuna. Good example, can only be out for 30 minutes.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42Because obviously being fish it will go off quite quickly.
0:04:42 > 0:04:47Whereas if we look at something like ham that can be for a longer period of time.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50So we have a system in the back here which controls every dish,
0:04:50 > 0:04:52knows when it was sent up,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55knows how long it can be out for and alerts the staff when we need to
0:04:55 > 0:04:58send it down if everything hasn't been sold at that point.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00- How proud are you that you got a five rating?- Very proud.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02Cos if I was walking past the window here,
0:05:02 > 0:05:04and seeing there's food on display,
0:05:04 > 0:05:07I'd think it looked visually very appetising but I would
0:05:07 > 0:05:11want to know that it was going to be equally good in the consumption.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14But unfortunately not all restaurants are as thorough
0:05:14 > 0:05:15as this one.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19Our team has uncovered some pretty shocking statistics concerning
0:05:19 > 0:05:23food hygiene at establishments the length and breadth of the country.
0:05:25 > 0:05:31At the time we checked there were 14,251 food outlets scoring
0:05:31 > 0:05:33a rating of just two or below.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36That's nearly 9% of all the premises inspected.
0:05:36 > 0:05:41Worse still, 973 of these scored zero on the rating scale,
0:05:41 > 0:05:45which means they need urgent improvement.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49But finding out a restaurant's score isn't always that straightforward.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52I took a walk along a busy street in London's Soho,
0:05:52 > 0:05:56with no less than 34 restaurants.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00But only nine of them are displaying their food hygiene rating.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03And that's because by law they don't
0:06:03 > 0:06:06have to put it in a prominent position.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10In fact, only in Wales would they be obliged to
0:06:10 > 0:06:12display their rating at all.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14So I'm meeting Catriona Stewart who's
0:06:14 > 0:06:17head of the scheme for the Food Standards Agency, to find out why
0:06:17 > 0:06:22such vitally important information is not made obvious to customers.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26Why should it not be made a legal requirement that they put
0:06:26 > 0:06:28that rating in a very prominent position
0:06:28 > 0:06:31so that you can see what it is before you go into a restaurant?
0:06:31 > 0:06:34Well, actually in Wales at the moment it is already
0:06:34 > 0:06:38a requirement of law that businesses must put their rating sticker,
0:06:38 > 0:06:40it's a very distinctive green and black sticker.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42And they must put that in the window.
0:06:42 > 0:06:43But not in England.
0:06:43 > 0:06:48In England, the Food Standards Agency, we do favour that.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52And what we're doing at the moment is putting together
0:06:52 > 0:06:54the evidence to support the case for that.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58Because it requires new legislation and we need to be able to show
0:06:58 > 0:07:02that it doesn't have an additional burden on food businesses.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04And we'll be putting that case to the government
0:07:04 > 0:07:08so the government can consider that case and make a decision.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12So, let's hope that it does soon become law that every food
0:07:12 > 0:07:17establishment and outlet really has to prominently display that
0:07:17 > 0:07:18hygiene rating.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21It would give us all a lot more confidence, wouldn't it?
0:07:21 > 0:07:25In the meantime, if you're planning to eat out anywhere in the UK,
0:07:25 > 0:07:29you can check the outlet rating on the FSA website.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36But amongst those scoring zero in recent inspections are
0:07:36 > 0:07:39branches of some very big names indeed.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42So, later in the programme, we'll be seeing whether or not they've
0:07:42 > 0:07:44since cleaned up their act.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48We did our own hygiene tests and you'll be shocked by what we found.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55Every year people in Britain spend nearly 30 billion
0:07:55 > 0:07:57pounds on takeaways.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01But, for anyone with a serious food allergy, not being able to know
0:08:01 > 0:08:05exactly what's in your favourite curry or pizza could be lethal.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08Which is why scenes like this simply shouldn't happen.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Do you have the allergy information written anywhere that I can look at?
0:08:13 > 0:08:17Do you have any allergy information anywhere so that I can have a look?
0:08:21 > 0:08:24Since December 2014 there's been a law in place to make sure
0:08:24 > 0:08:27that anyone who needs to avoid certain ingredients,
0:08:27 > 0:08:30such as nuts or dairy products, in case
0:08:30 > 0:08:32they trigger a dangerous allergic reaction,
0:08:32 > 0:08:36can get the crucial information they need about what is safe to eat.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39That means any business serving food,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42from big chains to burger vans, must be able to tell customers
0:08:42 > 0:08:46what allergens are present in each and every dish they serve.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Steven Obertelli knows only too well why it's
0:08:52 > 0:08:56so important for all food outlets to take this seriously.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58He has a severe allergy to peanuts
0:08:58 > 0:09:01so he relies on being able to get the right information
0:09:01 > 0:09:06about the food on offer before he can eat out or get a takeaway.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09At times you do feel as though people are looking at you as
0:09:09 > 0:09:13if you're being fussy and it's kind of a nonsensical reason to ask.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16And it's not, it's because I'm trying to make sure that I can
0:09:16 > 0:09:19enjoy the food and walk out the restaurant not having a reaction.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Chicken tikka masala, does that have any nuts in it at all?
0:09:24 > 0:09:28Back in 2013, before the new laws came in, Steven was given the
0:09:28 > 0:09:32wrong information when he ordered a curry from an Indian takeaway.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35I rang up, ordered the food as normal, to which
0:09:35 > 0:09:39when I order the food and then say, "Can you make sure it's no nuts?"
0:09:39 > 0:09:4199% of the time the guy at the other end would say,
0:09:41 > 0:09:43"Oh, is it Steve ringing again?"
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Now that, it makes you feel comfortable.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49But soon after starting to eat his curry
0:09:49 > 0:09:52he realised something was horribly wrong.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55Within two mouthfuls of the chicken tikka masala
0:09:55 > 0:09:56I knew that there was nuts in there.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59Steven's lips immediately began to swell
0:09:59 > 0:10:02and he was struggling to breathe before being admitted to hospital.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04If I hadn't have administered my Epipen
0:10:04 > 0:10:08and took the action I had I wouldn't be here today.
0:10:08 > 0:10:09So what had gone wrong?
0:10:09 > 0:10:13Well, it turns out that the curry house was unaware that a new
0:10:13 > 0:10:16bought in ingredient contained ground peanuts.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19But while the curry house admitted fault and paid compensation
0:10:19 > 0:10:22to Steven, he's painfully aware of what could have happened.
0:10:24 > 0:10:2912 years ago his sister Kate died after a severe reaction to a curry.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31It too contained peanuts
0:10:31 > 0:10:34and she shared the same allergy as her brother.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37So you can see why Steven and Kate's mother Sue thinks it's
0:10:37 > 0:10:41so vital that everyone serving food gets this right.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45It needs to be regulated more to make sure that these restaurants
0:10:45 > 0:10:48and takeaways, any food establishment in fact,
0:10:48 > 0:10:51know what they're doing, what they're serving to people.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54And that they do have this information to hand to any
0:10:54 > 0:10:57customers. If they don't make the products themselves,
0:10:57 > 0:11:02that they're serving, they need to get a full list of ingredients.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04Of course, that's what the law now says.
0:11:04 > 0:11:09But worryingly, when the Royal Society for Public Health paid random visits
0:11:09 > 0:11:12to 65 different takeaways in and around London,
0:11:12 > 0:11:16they found that 70% were not complying with the new rules.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20We found incredibly low levels of compliance in the takeaway
0:11:20 > 0:11:22sector as a whole.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25We found around two thirds weren't providing
0:11:25 > 0:11:28the information in the way that they needed to be providing it.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31Four out of five had no sort of system in place to make
0:11:31 > 0:11:34sure that they were giving consistent information to
0:11:34 > 0:11:37customers, which is quite shocking.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41And some of the worst offenders in the survey were Indian restaurants,
0:11:41 > 0:11:44now generally accepted as Britain's favourite type of takeaway.
0:11:44 > 0:11:45But also where Steven
0:11:45 > 0:11:50and his sister had come across such dangerous allergens in their food.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53So we decided to do some tests of our own at the Indian
0:11:53 > 0:11:57restaurants not far from the Rip-Off Britain office on Manchester's
0:11:57 > 0:11:59famous Curry Mile.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03We went to 15 curry houses at random to see if they could tell us
0:12:03 > 0:12:07at random if any of the 14 main allergens were in their food.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Whether they put details on a written list on the menu,
0:12:10 > 0:12:12or simply give it verbally when asked,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15staff must now be able to provide that information.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19Trouble is, as you'll see, that's not always happening.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21Does the chicken korma contain peanuts?
0:12:24 > 0:12:26Does it contain peanuts?
0:12:26 > 0:12:28Do you have a list of any of the...
0:12:32 > 0:12:36Of the 15 we visited, 12 were either pretty vague about what
0:12:36 > 0:12:39their food contained or appeared to have no idea at all.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42Just three were able to supply us
0:12:42 > 0:12:47with the full information that the law says they should.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49Do you have a list of what allergens...
0:12:51 > 0:12:53OK, it's a long list.
0:12:53 > 0:12:54It goes on and on.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56Thanks.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00Many of the takeaways we visited did state on their menus...
0:13:02 > 0:13:06But under the new rules this simply doesn't go far enough.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08They're legally required to say exactly what
0:13:08 > 0:13:10allergens are in which dishes.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14Instead, this is a typical example of what we found.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16Which one's got nuts in then? Cos I just...
0:13:17 > 0:13:19So if I fancied a korma?
0:13:25 > 0:13:27So has it got peanuts in it?
0:13:31 > 0:13:35This story took on an even greater urgency in May 2016 after
0:13:35 > 0:13:38Yorkshire restaurateur Mohammed Zaman was found
0:13:38 > 0:13:42guilty of the manslaughter of Paul Wilson, who was served chicken tikka
0:13:42 > 0:13:48masala containing peanuts, despite making clear he had an allergy.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52So until the new laws are fully enforced our findings will do
0:13:52 > 0:13:54nothing to ease the fears of countless people
0:13:54 > 0:13:58affected by food allergies, including the Obertelli family,
0:13:58 > 0:14:02that whenever they eat out they may be dicing with death.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05I think it's pathetic that any takeaway or restaurant or
0:14:05 > 0:14:09food establishment that doesn't comply with the new legislation.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11Why would you want to have the potential
0:14:11 > 0:14:14fatality of a customer hanging over your head?
0:14:17 > 0:14:20Next, something that's a real bugbear for a lot of you.
0:14:20 > 0:14:21Now we know from all the e-mails
0:14:21 > 0:14:24and letters we get about this just how fed up
0:14:24 > 0:14:27some of you are with the way that food packaging sometimes
0:14:27 > 0:14:32disguises how little of the actual product might be tucked away inside.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36Some of the cereals you buy are three quarters full.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40Crisp bags, they're half full. Sweet packets are half full.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42I've had it with like cakes.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45You know, they're in a massive box and there's polystyrene in it
0:14:45 > 0:14:48And then when you get to the cake there's hardly anything there.
0:14:48 > 0:14:54Normally when you buy a large bag of potato chips you will find
0:14:54 > 0:14:56that by the time you've opened them up
0:14:56 > 0:15:00and the air's come out the bag is that full, not that full.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03Well, a number of you have written to us
0:15:03 > 0:15:05about exactly this subject after being
0:15:05 > 0:15:09disappointed by the contents of the packaging you've bought,
0:15:09 > 0:15:12Wendy Rollin from Carmarthenshire for one.
0:15:12 > 0:15:13She has Coeliac Disease,
0:15:13 > 0:15:17an autoimmune disease affecting the digestive system.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19There's not a lot of choice
0:15:19 > 0:15:21when it comes to coeliacs for breakfast cereals.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23It's mainly cornflakes.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27When I saw the box of Tesco Special Flakes I thought, mm,
0:15:27 > 0:15:30not a bad price, I'll give them a go.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33I opened the box and I thought, oh, where's the inner bag.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36And I peered in and I thought oh, that's a bit low.
0:15:36 > 0:15:41So, I pulled it out and I put it alongside like that and I thought,
0:15:41 > 0:15:44well, surely they could have filled the box up with more cereal.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47Because I thought I'd got a box full of cereal.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50Now, of course manufacturers are not breaking any
0:15:50 > 0:15:53rules by selling their products in oversized packaging.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56And Wendy's cornflakes are by no means the only,
0:15:56 > 0:15:58or indeed the worst, offender.
0:15:58 > 0:15:59So I met up with author
0:15:59 > 0:16:03and shopping psychologist Phillip Adcock to get his take
0:16:03 > 0:16:06on a few other products that contain a little less than meets the eye.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10When I look at something like this, I think to myself,
0:16:10 > 0:16:11I mean look at that.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13It's just about a third full.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16It's ridiculous, I mean why would people pick up a bag of them?
0:16:16 > 0:16:19Psychologically we'll always go for the bigger packet.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22And, dare I say, children definitely like the bigger packet cos
0:16:22 > 0:16:23they think there's more in it.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26So I'm going to let you open the packet cos as I get older
0:16:26 > 0:16:27I can't open any packet at all.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31So we're going to see how many more in fact we could get in.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33So that holds five to start with.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35Five, only five. Gosh.
0:16:35 > 0:16:36Shall I count them in?
0:16:36 > 0:16:39Six, seven,
0:16:39 > 0:16:41eight, nine,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44ten, eleven, twelve.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48Thirteen, I'm not going to put it up too high.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51- Fourteen, I think it would take - fifteen. Fifteen would be about the maximum.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54Fifteen. And that would still stack on the shelf.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58Now that is terrible, isn't it?
0:16:58 > 0:17:01So you could quite easily fit in three times as many mini
0:17:01 > 0:17:04moons in this packet as Tesco currently puts in.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07I would feel hoodwinked about this packaging.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09So what is the answer to that in terms of the manufacturer?
0:17:09 > 0:17:11It's who can be good and shrink their pack.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14Cos as soon as one shrinks the pack theirs
0:17:14 > 0:17:16is smaller than everybody else's.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18And so suddenly it doesn't look as good value.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22Let's try another and this one, I must say, I do find extraordinary.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26So it says here five lunchtime loaves.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29I would expect that it would be right up to the top.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32Instead it looked like they'd missed one out.
0:17:32 > 0:17:33So, generally speaking,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36is the product inside the bag getting smaller?
0:17:36 > 0:17:39Over the years the supermarkets have negotiated harder
0:17:39 > 0:17:42and harder to get us better prices. That's actually a good thing.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44It gets to the stage where the brands that supply them
0:17:44 > 0:17:46can't make it for the money.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49So they have to, what they call, value engineer the products.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51Basically give less in the pack.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53And here's another product.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56It's a favourite of my grandchildren for sure, popcorn.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58So not quite half.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00That's less than half full.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02See if I open that and go to stick my hand in it, which I would,
0:18:02 > 0:18:06I'd sort of think, oh, who's been eating the remainder?
0:18:06 > 0:18:09It looks like somebody's had half the bag, doesn't it?
0:18:09 > 0:18:13Back in Wales, Wendy is keen to gauge public opinion on the matter.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17Now, she's taken her half empty cereal packet to Carmarthen to ask
0:18:17 > 0:18:21shoppers if they feel short-changed by the oversized packaging.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24If you were buying this packet of cereal where would you expect
0:18:24 > 0:18:26the contents to come up to?
0:18:26 > 0:18:30- You think a bit higher?- Yes, I'd say probably about at least up to there.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33If I show you that that's actually where it comes up to what
0:18:33 > 0:18:34would you say, I wonder?
0:18:34 > 0:18:37Not good. It is misleading.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42Oh, my gosh, that is, wow. That is low, isn't it?
0:18:42 > 0:18:47I think that's a little bit unfair to present something in a box
0:18:47 > 0:18:49that's so much too big for it.
0:18:49 > 0:18:50Well, it's a rip off, isn't it?
0:18:50 > 0:18:53Because it's more or less half the size.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57Well, Wendy didn't really find many people who disagreed with her.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01But when we asked Tesco about its packaging of this product,
0:19:01 > 0:19:03and indeed about those Mini Moon cheeses I saw,
0:19:03 > 0:19:06the company didn't want to comment.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10We also contacted Soreen, the maker of those lunchbox loaves,
0:19:10 > 0:19:13who told us that after getting similar feedback from its own
0:19:13 > 0:19:19customers it's now introduced a new pack, reducing the packaging by 30%.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23And Asda, which sells the popcorn, explained that corn can
0:19:23 > 0:19:27expand to different sizes and air is required to protect the popped corn.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30But the production line will detect and discard...
0:19:34 > 0:19:36But as we dash around the supermarkets falling
0:19:36 > 0:19:40foul of oversized packaging, Phillip suggests that we start
0:19:40 > 0:19:43thinking differently about the things we choose to buy.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46First thing I would do is I would do start to try and ignore,
0:19:46 > 0:19:48this is going to sound strange, the price.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Pay attention to the little number in the corner which is
0:19:51 > 0:19:54the pence per gram, pence per litre. Compare those.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57And that's the second point, don't just say a pound or a kilo,
0:19:57 > 0:19:58that's about right.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01Look to either side, compare.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03Thirdly take your glasses.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05Remember the glasses, I agree with that.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13Earlier in the programme we looked at the food hygiene ratings
0:20:13 > 0:20:16that you should be able to spot on the doors or windows of most
0:20:16 > 0:20:18restaurants and takeaways.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22And while you might hope that only a handful of places would get
0:20:22 > 0:20:24the lowest possible score, which is a zero,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27there are more than you would think.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30Indeed, the odd branch of some very big names are among them.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35You'd expect any establishment that gets a damning zero hygiene
0:20:35 > 0:20:39rating to do all it can to immediately put things right.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42But to find out for sure we put it to the test.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44Helping us out was medical microbiologist
0:20:44 > 0:20:49Dr Margarita Gomez Escalada from Leeds Beckett University.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52She's an expert in the bacteria that lurk in restaurants
0:20:52 > 0:20:55and knows how crucial it is for premises to tackle them.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59The food can be utilised by microorganisms to grow.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02And obviously microorganisms can potentially cause disease.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04What they can cause varies hugely.
0:21:04 > 0:21:09It can go from an upset stomach and diarrhoea to extreme cases.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12The likes of salmonella has been reported to cause death.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18All the more reason for anywhere with a low hygiene score to
0:21:18 > 0:21:20address their issues right away.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24So we carried out some checks of our own at places which had
0:21:24 > 0:21:27recently rated zero in their official inspection to get
0:21:27 > 0:21:30a snapshot of whether standards had improved.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34And we chose branches of some of the best known names in the country
0:21:34 > 0:21:38who you'd imagine might have the resources to raise their game.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42So we went to this Costa in Loughborough, Chicken Cottage
0:21:42 > 0:21:47in Hampstead, this Caffe Nero in Bath, the Wimpy in Basildon
0:21:47 > 0:21:50and finally this KFC in Birmingham.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54At each site we took swabs from up to four of the key publicly
0:21:54 > 0:21:56accessible parts of the restaurant.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59We also asked for some ice or water in a takeaway cup
0:21:59 > 0:22:05and we sent all the samples to be analysed in Dr Gomez Escalada's lab.
0:22:05 > 0:22:11We tested tabletops, trays, self-service areas
0:22:11 > 0:22:14and the hand plates in the bathroom.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18And the reason we tested them is what someone would be exposed to.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23So once the scientists had finished their tests how did each
0:22:23 > 0:22:25place scrub up?
0:22:25 > 0:22:27Well, in our tests the Costa Coffee in Loughborough
0:22:27 > 0:22:31and the Wimpy in Basildon got a clean bill of health.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34And both have since been officially reinspected.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38The Costa is now rating the maximum five and the Wimpy a four.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44This Finchley Road branch of Chicken Cottage also did well in our test.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48We sampled the tray, the table and the doorplate.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50And we found the levels of hygiene at that
0:22:50 > 0:22:53establishment are acceptable.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56But, just weeks later, it received another hygiene
0:22:56 > 0:23:00rating of zero following an inspection in March.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03The premises are officially classed as high priority
0:23:03 > 0:23:06and will be resinpsected every six months.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12The branch of Chicken Cottage told us that the inspection had taken
0:23:12 > 0:23:16place while remedial and emergency works were being carried out.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18But that these are now complete.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21The restaurant said it looks forward to...
0:23:26 > 0:23:28Meanwhile, back with our results,
0:23:28 > 0:23:33and Caffe Nero on the high street in Bath wasn't totally squeaky clean.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37One thing that struck me when I was actually transferring
0:23:37 > 0:23:41the bacteria on to the plate is that the swabs were actually very dirty.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44And if I show you an example.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47This is the self-service area.
0:23:47 > 0:23:54And this is the swab, and if you can see the swab is actually dirty.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56There was no evidence of dangerous bacteria
0:23:56 > 0:24:00but there were significant levels of other microorganisms.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03In the self-service area, which is this plate,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06that's more than 500 colonies there.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08Hard to estimate actually, there's so many.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11None of that should present any risk
0:24:11 > 0:24:14but Dr Gomez Escalada wasn't especially impressed.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18Because the level of bacteria are so high indicates that the
0:24:18 > 0:24:22levels of hygiene are not particularly great.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26When we put these findings to Caffe Nero it told us that the
0:24:26 > 0:24:28issues that led to its zero rating were...
0:24:31 > 0:24:34By bringing forward a planned refurbishment they've already
0:24:34 > 0:24:35been addressed.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38And it pointed out that since our visit the branch has been
0:24:38 > 0:24:41reinspected and awarded the maximum rating of five.
0:24:43 > 0:24:48That leaves just this KFC in Birmingham's Martineau Place.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50Our tests on their tabletop, door plate
0:24:50 > 0:24:53and self-service areas all came back clear.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56But the cup of ice that staff gave us was a different story.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00Our tests turned up what scientists call faecal coliforms,
0:25:00 > 0:25:04a kind of bacteria which, I'm afraid, are found in faeces.
0:25:06 > 0:25:11We found high levels of bacteria in the ice sample we got.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15The presence of faecal coliforms suggests that there's faecal
0:25:15 > 0:25:16contamination.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20And so it increases the risk of getting sick from consuming
0:25:20 > 0:25:21this ice.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25When we spoke to KFC it told us that a reinspection
0:25:25 > 0:25:28after our testing rerated the restaurant with...
0:25:31 > 0:25:35And a further inspection after this report first went out again
0:25:35 > 0:25:37gave the restaurant the top score.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39KFC went on to say it takes...
0:25:42 > 0:25:46..with 97% of its restaurants achieving a score of four or above.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49But even one with a zero rating was...
0:25:51 > 0:25:54So it worked with a specialist third party consultant to get
0:25:54 > 0:25:56standards back up.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59As for our findings it said, while pleased to see
0:25:59 > 0:26:02from the tests that the restaurant was very clean, it was...
0:26:08 > 0:26:10It then undertook an urgent retraining
0:26:10 > 0:26:12programme on standards for...
0:26:14 > 0:26:18KFC went on to say that it's right behind the food hygiene
0:26:18 > 0:26:21rating scheme which it says the public can trust.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25We also contacted the Food Standards Agency which confirmed that
0:26:25 > 0:26:30businesses given ratings of zero or one must make urgent or major
0:26:30 > 0:26:31improvements.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34And, if it's considered that there's an imminent risk to health,
0:26:34 > 0:26:37part or all of the business may be closed down.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42But if you're eating out and aren't sure if a place is up to scratch,
0:26:42 > 0:26:48well, perhaps it's safest to simply use your eyes and your nose.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50If it doesn't look good then really do
0:26:50 > 0:26:52they actually care about their customers?
0:26:52 > 0:26:53What's it like behind the scenes?
0:26:53 > 0:26:56Go in the toilets, see what it looks like in there.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58If they can't get that right I'm sure
0:26:58 > 0:27:00they won't have got the kitchen right.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08If you have a story that you'd like us to investigate then do
0:27:08 > 0:27:12get in touch with us via our Facebook page, BBC Rip Off Britain.
0:27:12 > 0:27:17Our website is bbc.co.uk/ripoffbritain
0:27:17 > 0:27:18Or you can e-mail us at...
0:27:22 > 0:27:25Or indeed if you want to send us a letter then our address is...
0:27:38 > 0:27:40Well, that's almost it from us for today.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42But I don't know about you guys,
0:27:42 > 0:27:45but I have to say I was absolutely shocked to see just quite how
0:27:45 > 0:27:50many restaurants and cafes scored that zero rating for cleanliness and hygiene.
0:27:50 > 0:27:51- Scary.- It is, isn't it?
0:27:51 > 0:27:55And, while of course you can probably see why they're not going to want
0:27:55 > 0:27:58to be shouting that result from the rooftops, it's certainly
0:27:58 > 0:28:00information that I would want to know before venturing inside.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04I agree with you, Angela, it does seem ridiculous that such
0:28:04 > 0:28:07vital information doesn't have to be more clearly displayed.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09But, whether it's the quality of the establishment or
0:28:09 > 0:28:11the quality of what you're actually eating,
0:28:11 > 0:28:15let us know if things don't pass the muster the next time you eat out.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18And it could be your story we'll be looking at on the future programmes.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21But in the meantime thanks for joining us today and,
0:28:21 > 0:28:23wherever you're having your next meal,
0:28:23 > 0:28:26we hope it's a good one, a safe one and a clean one.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29- True.- So from all of us, goodbye.- Bye-bye.- Bye-bye.