0:00:02 > 0:00:04We asked you to tell us what's left you feeling ripped off,
0:00:04 > 0:00:06and you contacted us in your thousands.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09You've told us about the companies you think get it wrong
0:00:09 > 0:00:12and the customer service that's simply not up to scratch.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14And you have to call them.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16It takes ages and somebody answers the phone who pretty much
0:00:16 > 0:00:18doesn't know what you're saying.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22The customer is not benefiting and no, I'm not getting value for money.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25You've asked us to track down the scammers who stole your money
0:00:25 > 0:00:29and investigate the extra charges you say are unfair.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32They don't deserve to be in any form of business whatsoever,
0:00:32 > 0:00:34and they just want shutting down.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37And when you've lost out but nobody else is to blame,
0:00:37 > 0:00:41you've come to us to stop others falling into the same trap.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44They took the money out of my account and I don't even know who it was that was scamming me.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48So, whether it's a blatant rip-off or a genuine mistake,
0:00:48 > 0:00:50we're here to find out why you're out of pocket,
0:00:50 > 0:00:52and what you can do about it.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54Your stories, your money.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56This is Rip Off Britain.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01Hello, and welcome to Rip Off Britain, where, as ever,
0:01:01 > 0:01:04we've been busy fighting your corner,
0:01:04 > 0:01:07investigating the stories you've asked us to look into.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10And one of our reports resulted from hearing about a most jaw-dropping
0:01:10 > 0:01:13side-effect from one particular food.
0:01:13 > 0:01:14Sounds intriguing, doesn't it?
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Well, as we take a much closer look at that particular story,
0:01:17 > 0:01:21I can tell you that I found myself in a situation that I never imagined
0:01:21 > 0:01:26I'd ever end up in, especially after 50 years of working in television!
0:01:26 > 0:01:30So, as we uncover some of the secrets of our everyday foods,
0:01:30 > 0:01:32get ready not just for some useful tips,
0:01:32 > 0:01:35but also quite a few surprises as well.
0:01:35 > 0:01:36Can't wait!
0:01:37 > 0:01:39Coming up,
0:01:39 > 0:01:42we test the takeaway curries that are not what they seem
0:01:42 > 0:01:43or what we ordered.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45The results have been quite shocking.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49We've seen problems with substitution of meat from takeaways before,
0:01:49 > 0:01:51but never quite on this scale.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55And a big shock for anyone who drinks decaffeinated coffee.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58Why it still has a kick you might not expect.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00They have all got caffeine in.
0:02:00 > 0:02:01But it says on the front...
0:02:01 > 0:02:04- I know.- Have I missed something very obvious here?
0:02:08 > 0:02:10On this programme, I think it's true to say that we've always been
0:02:10 > 0:02:14interested in unpicking some of the unexpected truths
0:02:14 > 0:02:15about the food that we eat.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18But, you know, when we first heard about this next one,
0:02:18 > 0:02:21it really seemed so extraordinary, well, really, we could
0:02:21 > 0:02:23hardly believe it ourselves.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25It's all to do with an added ingredient
0:02:25 > 0:02:29that's baked in or sprinkled on top of some very common foods,
0:02:29 > 0:02:31typically bread and cakes.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35And it's usually considered to be rather good for us.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38But we've been contacted by one viewer for whom
0:02:38 > 0:02:40entirely the opposite was true.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43It's no exaggeration to say that eating it
0:02:43 > 0:02:47completely changed his life, and not for the better.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53Toasting some granary or seeded bread,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56packed full of healthy grain and other nutrients can be
0:02:56 > 0:02:58a great way to start the day.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02And certainly there didn't seem any obvious cause for concern when Alan,
0:03:02 > 0:03:04from south Wales, ate some for his breakfast,
0:03:04 > 0:03:07one morning in the summer of 2016,
0:03:07 > 0:03:09before heading off for another busy day
0:03:09 > 0:03:12in his job as an industrial equipment supplier.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19On that particular day he was sent for a job at a power station.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21And when he arrived on site,
0:03:21 > 0:03:24as part of the standard procedure required
0:03:24 > 0:03:27for contractors to enter the facility, he was asked to give
0:03:27 > 0:03:29a urine sample for a drugs test.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34Such tests are fairly common if
0:03:34 > 0:03:37employees need to drive, use heavy machinery,
0:03:37 > 0:03:40or it's a job involving public safety.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43I've had quite a few drugs tests. Usually when I start
0:03:43 > 0:03:45with the company, I have a test there.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49But this time, when the nurse analysed Alan's sample,
0:03:49 > 0:03:52it became clear that there was a problem.
0:03:52 > 0:03:57The nurse asked her colleague to come and look at it,
0:03:57 > 0:03:59because she was not sure...
0:03:59 > 0:04:03if it had passed or failed, because it was borderline.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06She couldn't make a decision, either.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09So then she asked another colleague to come in.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12And the third one said, "I can't make a decision on it.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16"So probably go to the safer side of saying that you'll
0:04:16 > 0:04:17"not be allowed in."
0:04:19 > 0:04:22Alan was sent home and, a few days later
0:04:22 > 0:04:24when he was at his company depot in Wales,
0:04:24 > 0:04:27he received some rather shocking news from his manager.
0:04:27 > 0:04:34He said he'd had an e-mail to say that the drugs test I had failed,
0:04:34 > 0:04:37because there was a class A drug in my system.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41And what they found in my blood was morphine, traces of morphine.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45And the bad news didn't stop there.
0:04:45 > 0:04:50I was told I was suspended from work, pending investigation into it.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52I felt empty.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55I couldn't understand what was going on.
0:04:55 > 0:05:00A standard drug screening can detect the presence of opiates,
0:05:00 > 0:05:02which are derived from opium.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04Morphine is one of these drugs,
0:05:04 > 0:05:08and European testing guidelines say that the upper limit that can be
0:05:08 > 0:05:13present in urine is 300 nanograms per millilitre.
0:05:13 > 0:05:19A morphine level of 690 nanograms was detected in Alan's test,
0:05:19 > 0:05:20more than double the limit.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24To get to the bottom of how that could be,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Alan was advised to find out from his doctor whether tablets
0:05:27 > 0:05:30he takes for his blood pressure might contain the drug.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34But he was baffled when the answer came back, no,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37none of his medication could have impacted the results of the test.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44Determined to find out how morphine could possibly have got
0:05:44 > 0:05:47into his body, Alan went online to investigate.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51And to his utter astonishment,
0:05:51 > 0:05:56his research pointed to a totally unexpected possible answer -
0:05:56 > 0:06:01the toast he'd had for breakfast on the day of the test.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05I read that seeded bread contains traces of morphine,
0:06:05 > 0:06:07because it has poppy seeds in it.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13It's true that poppy seeds do contain small amounts of
0:06:13 > 0:06:17opiates. And while you may think it's far-fetched that eating them
0:06:17 > 0:06:20could have an impacted the results of a drugs test,
0:06:20 > 0:06:23one well-known baker, Warburtons,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26actually has a warning about this on its website.
0:06:29 > 0:06:34And three years ago, at Brixton Prison, poppy seed bread was blamed
0:06:34 > 0:06:37when inmates - and, indeed, the prison governor -
0:06:37 > 0:06:39tested positive for opiates.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42As a result, anything with poppy seeds was
0:06:42 > 0:06:44taken off the canteen menu.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49The explanation is that even when the seeds are washed and processed,
0:06:49 > 0:06:52traces of opiates still remain.
0:06:52 > 0:06:57And it's these traces that Alan is convinced must have impacted
0:06:57 > 0:06:58his test results.
0:06:58 > 0:06:59Poppy seeds, it's an ingredient.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01It's not...
0:07:01 > 0:07:04something that you would suspect would be involved
0:07:04 > 0:07:06in any kind of drug.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Nevertheless, to his horror,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12his job suspension turned to a dismissal.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14I've never been out of work.
0:07:14 > 0:07:19You feel demoralised, you feel as if you have no worth, I suppose.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24And, at the end of the day, I've looked back at it and I'm thinking,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27"All this has happened because I've eaten toast.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29"I just can't believe that."
0:07:29 > 0:07:32Now, I can promise you that, throughout my working life,
0:07:32 > 0:07:37I have never taken anything stronger than an over-the-counter painkiller.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39I mean, let's face it, I don't even smoke!
0:07:39 > 0:07:40But as a journalist,
0:07:40 > 0:07:44it's really important to me that I research my stories properly and,
0:07:44 > 0:07:47where this one is concerned, that means just one thing.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50Yes, over three days,
0:07:50 > 0:07:55I ate a whole loaf of 400g bread laden with poppy seeds
0:07:55 > 0:07:59along with a poppy seed bagel bought fresh from my local bakery.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03I then did a quick urine sample and sent it off to a lab for analysis
0:08:03 > 0:08:07to see if, like Alan, I would test positive for morphine.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14Two days later, I visit Professor Atholl Johnston,
0:08:14 > 0:08:16an expert in toxicology
0:08:16 > 0:08:19at Queen Mary University to get the results.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23If I was someone who habitually ate bread, cakes,
0:08:23 > 0:08:25that had been cooked with poppy seeds in them,
0:08:25 > 0:08:27would there be a build-up of that in my system?
0:08:27 > 0:08:31Yes. If you liked poppy seeds and you ate poppy seeds every day in bread,
0:08:31 > 0:08:34yes, it would build up and it would get to what's called a steady state
0:08:34 > 0:08:38where the amount of poppy seeds or morphine you took in every day would
0:08:38 > 0:08:42build up to a limit, and that would be excreted in your urine
0:08:42 > 0:08:44over a 24-hour period.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49To see what effect poppy seeds had on my sample,
0:08:49 > 0:08:53Dr Johnston did a very similar test to the one that, in the end,
0:08:53 > 0:08:54cost Alan his job.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58I have to say, I am a little bit nervous to know what he's found.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01So, Atholl, what's the result of my test?
0:09:01 > 0:09:03Well, you are positive for morphine.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07You excreted 13 nanograms per ml of morphine in your urine.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10That sounds terrible! I mean, does that mean that if I was
0:09:10 > 0:09:13taking a test as an employee that my employers could say,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16"There's a possibility, Rippon, that you are a drug taker?"
0:09:16 > 0:09:20If they followed the European guidance for testing of drugs
0:09:20 > 0:09:24- in the workplace, no, you wouldn't be because...- Phew!
0:09:24 > 0:09:26..the limit there is 300 nanograms per ml.
0:09:26 > 0:09:31So you excreted about ten times less than you would need to have a
0:09:31 > 0:09:34positive test and be struck off from your workplace.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40So, if my morphine levels aren't enough to cost me my job,
0:09:40 > 0:09:44how could Alan's result have come out so much higher?
0:09:44 > 0:09:47One of the things you need to consider is that poppy seeds are
0:09:47 > 0:09:51a natural product, and the amount of morphine in a poppy seed will vary
0:09:51 > 0:09:54quite considerably depending on when it was harvested,
0:09:54 > 0:09:59where it was harvested and, in fact, when tests have been done,
0:09:59 > 0:10:03there's about a 600-fold variation in the amount of morphine in poppy seeds.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06- As much as that? - From the maximum to the minimum.
0:10:06 > 0:10:07That's extraordinary.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10So, if you took the one that had the most opiate in it,
0:10:10 > 0:10:12you would have a higher reaction?
0:10:12 > 0:10:16Yes, you could get actually nearly a therapeutic dose of morphine if you
0:10:16 > 0:10:18took quite a lot of bread, but you'd have to take quite a lot of bread.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22But does that suggest, then, that perhaps,
0:10:22 > 0:10:24while it's telling you you've got morphine,
0:10:24 > 0:10:26that I've got morphine in my system,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29that that is not actually an accurate assessment of what my
0:10:29 > 0:10:33situation is regarding whether or not I take drugs?
0:10:33 > 0:10:35No, I think that's exactly right.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37You can't say, from just a test in urine,
0:10:37 > 0:10:43that you are a drug abuser and you are taking morphine or heroin
0:10:43 > 0:10:45for kicks, so to speak.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47When you get a positive test like that,
0:10:47 > 0:10:52someone needs to review that test and also review your situation,
0:10:52 > 0:10:55then someone needs to ask a few questions
0:10:55 > 0:10:57and perhaps repeat the test.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01And there are other foods you should declare if you go for a drugs test -
0:11:01 > 0:11:07hemp seeds, tonic water and even cough syrup that contains codeine.
0:11:07 > 0:11:12All of which explains why Dan Shears at the workers' union the GMB
0:11:12 > 0:11:14also agrees that employers should
0:11:14 > 0:11:19be cautious about knee jerk reactions to a positive test.
0:11:19 > 0:11:24Part of the point of having a regime in place - is it's supposed to act as a deterrent, yes,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27but actually, if it ends up getting rid of people in the business who've done nothing wrong
0:11:27 > 0:11:30you undermine the whole relationship you've got with your entire workforce.
0:11:30 > 0:11:35So, what are the employees' rights in a situation like that?
0:11:35 > 0:11:36Well, they are fairly limited.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40It depends very much on what the contract of employment says.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42But, as I say, there is really no legislation around this
0:11:42 > 0:11:45in terms of actual testing process.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49There's very little, realistically, that somebody can do.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Since the shock result of Alan's drugs test,
0:11:52 > 0:11:56he has managed to get another job, but the whole ordeal
0:11:56 > 0:11:59is not something he would want anyone to have to go through.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02The whole experience of it, although it's a learning curve,
0:12:02 > 0:12:04it's not a very nice one.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06And, to prevent this, I hope people understand...
0:12:08 > 0:12:09..be careful about what they eat.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20I think it's fair to say that we Brits love our takeaways.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23Do you know that over the last year, between us we've spent an incredible
0:12:23 > 0:12:26£6.5 billion on them?
0:12:26 > 0:12:29Well, one of the most popular takeaways is curry,
0:12:29 > 0:12:33first served in the UK way back in the 1700s,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36and in recent years pretty much adopted as our national dish.
0:12:36 > 0:12:41But I am sorry to say that sometimes what we're eating may not be what we
0:12:41 > 0:12:46think it is, because some curries billed as containing a particular meat
0:12:46 > 0:12:49might in fact be made with a different one altogether.
0:12:55 > 0:13:00Each week, millions of us will order food from one of around 12,000 curry
0:13:00 > 0:13:01houses in the UK.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06But sometimes what's on the menu isn't what's in the dish.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10A recent investigation by the Food Standards Agency discovered that some
0:13:10 > 0:13:15curry houses are advertising lamb but actually serving a different mixture
0:13:15 > 0:13:19of meats - beef, chicken, mutton. Some lamb curries, in fact,
0:13:19 > 0:13:21contain no lamb at all.
0:13:22 > 0:13:28The investigation found that of the 307 lamb dishes sampled, 65 of them,
0:13:28 > 0:13:30that's 21%,
0:13:30 > 0:13:34had traces of other meats that hadn't been declared as being there.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37And though some of those had only low levels of undeclared meats,
0:13:37 > 0:13:40indicating nothing more sinister than poor handling,
0:13:40 > 0:13:44in the majority of cases it was a very different story,
0:13:44 > 0:13:48and the higher levels found suggest that the curry houses concerned were
0:13:48 > 0:13:52deliberately replacing the lamb with significantly cheaper meats,
0:13:52 > 0:13:53like beef or chicken.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58It's a deception which experts say is motivated by money.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02So we've known for many years that
0:14:02 > 0:14:04lamb is a premium meat,
0:14:04 > 0:14:10and it's been substituted fraudulently by the use
0:14:10 > 0:14:13of beef and chicken.
0:14:13 > 0:14:18It hasn't gone away, I'm guessing, because it's still profitable.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23But even with all those lovely spices and flavours alongside the
0:14:23 > 0:14:25meat, you might wonder, as I initially did,
0:14:25 > 0:14:29how the curry houses doing this manage to fool their customers into
0:14:29 > 0:14:32thinking they're eating one meat when they're actually chowing down
0:14:32 > 0:14:34on another.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38Well, Aksar Hussain, can demonstrate.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41He's the head chef of the Tipu Sultan restaurant,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44which scooped two gongs at the English Curry Awards last year.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49He's going to make what looks like a chicken and lamb curry but with
0:14:49 > 0:14:51cheaper beef instead of lamb.
0:14:52 > 0:14:57So first I take out some beef and soak in the water, like 15, 20 minutes.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59Once Aksar has soaked the beef,
0:14:59 > 0:15:02he chops it up small to disguise the texture.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05He then boils the meat to really take away any flavour.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08It will take an hour 15, an hour 20 minutes like this.
0:15:08 > 0:15:13So nobody can judge it's beef.
0:15:13 > 0:15:18Finally, Aksar adds the chicken to the beef and once it's cooked through,
0:15:18 > 0:15:21lo and behold, a curry.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25And a team of Balti-loving Birmingham footballers is going to see what they make of it,
0:15:25 > 0:15:29without any idea that all is not what it seems.
0:15:29 > 0:15:30Do sit down.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Welcome to the world's most stylish curry house!
0:15:38 > 0:15:43OK, so just a little bit of information about this curry...
0:15:43 > 0:15:45I tell them it's a chicken and lamb curry.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47Will they spot that it's not?
0:15:48 > 0:15:50So, heads down, aim for the finishing line
0:15:50 > 0:15:52and we want to know what you think of it.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54Mm.
0:15:55 > 0:15:56Did I hear a "mm"?
0:15:57 > 0:16:00- Really nice.- Nice, yeah, it's really nice.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03- The lamb's not chewy.- No, it's not. - No.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08They're eating now and the reaction is really interesting.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11I mean they're all saying it is absolutely delicious but several
0:16:11 > 0:16:14of them have said they love the lamb.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17Time to reveal the truth.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19So, what do you reckon?
0:16:19 > 0:16:20- Lamb was really nice.- Yeah.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22- Really good.- Was it nicely cooked?
0:16:22 > 0:16:24Yeah. A bit of a kick to it.
0:16:24 > 0:16:29Well, now you've finished your meals, I've got some news for you.
0:16:29 > 0:16:35The lamb and chicken curry that I gave you to eat actually contained no lamb,
0:16:35 > 0:16:37it was beef and chicken.
0:16:39 > 0:16:44The beef meat was washed and treated in all sorts of ways to make it more
0:16:44 > 0:16:46like lamb, but it wasn't lamb.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48A bit shocked, really.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52There's no way I would have told the difference, it being beef, not lamb.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55But I think if I had found that out, quite distressing really.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58From the quality of what it was,
0:16:58 > 0:17:01doubt I'd be able to tell, to be honest.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04The fact at that you've told us that we were having lamb,
0:17:04 > 0:17:07I think showed around the table that people thought they were eating lamb.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09So, obviously if you're telling us we're eating it,
0:17:09 > 0:17:11somebody in a restaurant is telling you you're eating it,
0:17:11 > 0:17:13you're not going to know.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17All of which proves that with some clever cooking and the art of
0:17:17 > 0:17:20persuasion, even the most ardent curry lover
0:17:20 > 0:17:24could be fooled into thinking they're eating something they're not,
0:17:24 > 0:17:28leaving the industry wide open to this type of fraud.
0:17:28 > 0:17:33And, for Hindus in particular, that can be a serious concern.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37They traditionally revere cows as a symbol of sustenance and life,
0:17:37 > 0:17:39so they don't eat them.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41And at this Hindu temple in Bradford,
0:17:41 > 0:17:44it's clear that eating beef, even unknowingly,
0:17:44 > 0:17:48would be a real problem for many of the Sikhs and Hindus who've come here today.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50If I would get
0:17:50 > 0:17:54served beef instead of lamb, I think I would be really furious about it,
0:17:54 > 0:17:57because that's against my religion, not to eat beef, for a start.
0:17:57 > 0:18:04The cow has been the top most well-respected animal in our faith.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08So any beef will be very, very offending to us.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10Well, we thought we'd see what meat we'd end up with
0:18:10 > 0:18:13when ordering a few curries of our own.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16And where better to do it than Bradford - the town that's been
0:18:16 > 0:18:21crowned the UK's curry capital for six consecutive years.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24First, we randomly selected five takeaways
0:18:24 > 0:18:27which advertise lamb curries on their menus.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29We bought one from each of them,
0:18:29 > 0:18:33then sent the food straight away to a lab in Worcester, where
0:18:33 > 0:18:34scientist Donna Hanks
0:18:34 > 0:18:38used DNA testing to see if the meat we were sold
0:18:38 > 0:18:39is the lamb that we asked for.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42And not all of it was.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46Three of our five takeaways did contain lamb,
0:18:46 > 0:18:50but the other two contained absolutely no lamb at all.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52The results have been quite shocking.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55We've seen problems with substitution of meat
0:18:55 > 0:18:58from takeaways before but never quite on this scale.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03To see if what we found was simply a mistake or a one-off,
0:19:03 > 0:19:06we went back to the two Bradford curry houses
0:19:06 > 0:19:08that sold us the fake lamb dishes.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10Once again, posing as customers,
0:19:10 > 0:19:13we asked for a lamb curry in both.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16On our second visit to one of them,
0:19:16 > 0:19:20we were told that they didn't sell lamb, so we left empty-handed.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24But it was a different story in the second takeaway.
0:19:24 > 0:19:25We asked for a lamb curry,
0:19:25 > 0:19:27and were sold one without question
0:19:27 > 0:19:30but when this second curry was tested at the lab,
0:19:30 > 0:19:34once again, it turned out to be beef.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39Well, we took our evidence to West Yorkshire Trading Standards
0:19:39 > 0:19:43and its lab went on to test a third curry from the same restaurant.
0:19:43 > 0:19:48The curry was tested for speciation, so it was tested for the presence
0:19:48 > 0:19:50of cow, goat, pig, and sheep,
0:19:50 > 0:19:54and it's only found that there was cow present in the sample.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57As with the two previous curries that we bought,
0:19:57 > 0:19:59beef was the only meat present.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02There was absolutely no lamb.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04It is quite prevalent throughout West Yorkshire.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07We've done quite a bit of sampling in this area and have found
0:20:07 > 0:20:10quite a few cases that have been beef, as opposed to lamb.
0:20:11 > 0:20:16We contacted the takeaway for an explanation but it made no comment.
0:20:16 > 0:20:21Senior Trading Standards officer Jo Hamer and her team will keep contacting the business
0:20:21 > 0:20:25with the aim of working with it to improve its food practices.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29But if that doesn't work tougher action may be required.
0:20:29 > 0:20:30When a business commits food fraud,
0:20:30 > 0:20:33depending on what offences we took to court,
0:20:33 > 0:20:37the outcome of that could be a considerable fine or imprisonment.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40As well as that, it will most likely be in the media.
0:20:40 > 0:20:41So it's the bad publicity
0:20:41 > 0:20:45and potential reputational damage to the business.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48What we've found suggests there may well be plenty more
0:20:48 > 0:20:50curry houses substituting cheaper meat
0:20:50 > 0:20:52for the kind that you've paid for,
0:20:52 > 0:20:56and if you have cause to suspect any food fraud,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59it's worth getting in touch with your local Trading Standards,
0:20:59 > 0:21:03and, indeed, with us, at the usual address for all your stories:
0:21:10 > 0:21:13Now, being Irish, I'm afraid I'm a bit of a tea fanatic.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16But I know that lots of you just can't start your day
0:21:16 > 0:21:18without that good old cup of coffee.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20You enjoy the boost it gives you day-to-day and,
0:21:20 > 0:21:23I suppose, I should be more precise and say it's the caffeine.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26Now, many of you like to keep a closer eye on how much of it
0:21:26 > 0:21:29you're having. And the manufacturers have certainly stepped up
0:21:29 > 0:21:33when it comes to helping with that. Every supermarket and coffee shop
0:21:33 > 0:21:37now offers an array of decaffeinated products.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41Yet we've heard from one viewer who had a bit of a nasty surprise after
0:21:41 > 0:21:42drinking her decaf.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46So, brace yourself, because chances are, when you hear why,
0:21:46 > 0:21:48you'll be just as surprised as she was.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54There's no denying we've become a nation of coffee lovers.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58Every day we sup a staggering 55 million cups of the stuff.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04But we don't all like the kick that comes from caffeine,
0:22:04 > 0:22:07so those wanting to steer clear of stimulants will usually
0:22:07 > 0:22:08turn to decaf.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15Most tea and coffee brands now offered decaffeinated alternatives.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18Some claim that you can enjoy a "caffeine free cuppa."
0:22:18 > 0:22:21Others say they give you "the perfect cup of coffee,
0:22:21 > 0:22:23"but without the caffeine kick."
0:22:25 > 0:22:29But, as Kath Hilderley from Peterborough was surprised to discover,
0:22:29 > 0:22:33that doesn't mean they're totally caffeine free.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36The former prison officer was due to have a heart scan
0:22:36 > 0:22:39as part of ongoing treatment for an old work injury.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43And she was told to avoid caffeine for the 24 hours beforehand.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46She thought nothing of drinking decaf coffee instead.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51When I got to the hospital, one of the nurses said,
0:22:51 > 0:22:53"Right, what have you eaten for the last 24 hours?"
0:22:53 > 0:22:56I said, "Decaf coffee," and that's when she said,
0:22:56 > 0:22:59"There's caffeine in decaf coffee.
0:22:59 > 0:23:00"You cannot have the scan."
0:23:02 > 0:23:04Kath was astonished.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07But the nurse was adamant that there was caffeine in her system,
0:23:07 > 0:23:09so her scan had to be cancelled.
0:23:10 > 0:23:11I was angry.
0:23:11 > 0:23:17I was upset because I thought by having decaf coffee was no caffeine.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19I thought that was the right thing to do.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24In fact, decaf coffee does still contain caffeine,
0:23:24 > 0:23:29which the hospital involved says it made clear in the leaflet that they send to patients.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36Upset by her experience, Kath got in touch with Kenco,
0:23:36 > 0:23:40asking why its decaf coffee has no mention of its caffeine content
0:23:40 > 0:23:42on the label.
0:23:42 > 0:23:47The company replied, confirming that the product does contain caffeine,
0:23:47 > 0:23:48but only a small amount.
0:23:48 > 0:23:530.3 mg of it, compared to 65 mg
0:23:53 > 0:23:56that you'd expect to find in a regular cup of coffee.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59I'm sure like many of you,
0:23:59 > 0:24:03I didn't realise that when something says decaf, or decaffeinated,
0:24:03 > 0:24:07that actually there still can be some caffeine in the product.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09Even the word decaffeinated, to me,
0:24:09 > 0:24:11makes it sounds like everything has been removed.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15So, we've come to this cafe in Reading to see
0:24:15 > 0:24:19if customers and staff here know which drinks contain caffeine.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22In front of them is a range of products that either claim to be
0:24:22 > 0:24:26decaffeinated or that you might assume are totally caffeine free.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29But is that right?
0:24:29 > 0:24:32Let's see if they can spot which ones do and don't contain
0:24:32 > 0:24:33that caffeine stimulant.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37Decaf.
0:24:37 > 0:24:38Hmm, this might be a trick one.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40- I love hot chocolate. - I like hot chocolate, too.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Chocolate's not going to have caffeine in it, surely.
0:24:42 > 0:24:43OK, right.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46Caff free...
0:24:46 > 0:24:49- Caff free.- So I suppose it says that, so I shall put it there.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56Now they've made their choices, it's time to reveal the truth.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58I'm going to have to put that one over there.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01- Really?- I'm going to have to put that one over there.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04I'm going to have to put this one over there, the chocolate.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08I'm going to have to put this over there and I'm going
0:25:08 > 0:25:10to have to put the tea bags over there.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12- Really?- They have all got caffeine.
0:25:12 > 0:25:13That's so bad!
0:25:17 > 0:25:19- But it says on the front...- I know.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21..decaf? Have I missed something very obvious here?
0:25:21 > 0:25:25No, so you think that's misleading when you see that on the front?
0:25:25 > 0:25:27Incredibly misleading.
0:25:27 > 0:25:32Our simple test has confirmed that to many of us, decaf means no caff.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36But while the various processes manufacturers use to decaffeinate
0:25:36 > 0:25:40coffee remove most of the caffeine, there'll always be a bit left.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44Admittedly, only small amounts - but it's there all the same.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51So what are the rules on how a product should make that clear?
0:25:51 > 0:25:54Well, any that's been through the decaffeination process,
0:25:54 > 0:26:00leaving less than 0.3% caffeine, is classed by law and labelled as decaffeinated.
0:26:00 > 0:26:05But manufacturers often only mention that residual caffeine content
0:26:05 > 0:26:08in the small print which many of us miss, like on this coffee
0:26:08 > 0:26:13that actually says it's "caff free" which isn't quite true.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18No wonder marketing expert David Duke thinks the industry
0:26:18 > 0:26:19could be making things much clearer.
0:26:20 > 0:26:25Manufacturers and marketing brand leaders want to actually create the
0:26:25 > 0:26:27impression that this is something special,
0:26:27 > 0:26:31but creating that impression might mislead
0:26:31 > 0:26:33and so something like "caff-free"
0:26:33 > 0:26:38is an alternative way of trying to describe a decaffeinated product,
0:26:38 > 0:26:43but of course, I would regard something that says caff-free as being
0:26:43 > 0:26:50perhaps significantly more likely to be absolutely 0% and therefore if it
0:26:50 > 0:26:54does contain caffeine, if it says caff-free, yes,
0:26:54 > 0:26:56I would regard that as misleading.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00That caff-free product came from the makers Kenco JDE.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04It told us that, while the product complied with the rules by making
0:27:04 > 0:27:07clear in a number of places that it was decaffeinated,
0:27:07 > 0:27:09it now has dropped the name "caff free"
0:27:09 > 0:27:12as part of a rebrand on all of its products.
0:27:14 > 0:27:19As for hot chocolate, there's no need to declare caffeine unless it's been added as an ingredient.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22And, as manufacturer Cadbury points out,
0:27:22 > 0:27:24the caffeine in its product:
0:27:33 > 0:27:37But Kath remains frustrated that decaffeinated products aren't
0:27:37 > 0:27:40what she'd imagined them to be.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43What I'd like to see is the packaging marked clearer.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47Decaf just along the label isn't enough, in my opinion.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50It should be marked, "less caffeine."
0:27:53 > 0:27:56Well, that's almost it from us for today.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59No doubt you'll have learned quite a few things you didn't know
0:27:59 > 0:28:02from the stories we've investigated today - we certainly did.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05And I have to say, I'm still reeling from that Angela Rippon drug test -
0:28:05 > 0:28:10which still sounds like the most improbable tabloid headline you'll ever read!
0:28:10 > 0:28:13But if you've got a food question or, indeed, any consumer issue
0:28:13 > 0:28:15that you'd like us to get to the bottom of,
0:28:15 > 0:28:18do please get in touch, cos we love to hear from you.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21And it could be your story we investigate on a future programme.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24Well, that's where we leave it for now, but we will see you again soon,
0:28:24 > 0:28:27- and, from the three of us, bye-bye. - Goodbye.- Goodbye.