0:00:02 > 0:00:05There's a lot we don't know about the food on our plates.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09And the shops and the labels DON'T always tell you the whole story.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12I think they encourage you to buy more than you need.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14And that causes a lot of waste.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17Whether you're staying in or going out.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20You've told us you can feel ripped off
0:00:20 > 0:00:23by the promises made for what you eat.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25AND what you pay for it.
0:00:25 > 0:00:30It makes my blood boil, because I feel like they're tricking people.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32From claims that don't stack up,
0:00:32 > 0:00:34to the secrets behind the packaging,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37we uncover the truth about Britain's food.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41So you can be sure you're getting what you expect, at the right price!
0:00:41 > 0:00:45Your food, your money. This is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50Hello and welcome to Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53Exposing more secrets about something none of us can do without
0:00:53 > 0:00:55and that is our food.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57Now, the average British household
0:00:57 > 0:00:59spends around £3,000 a year buying it
0:00:59 > 0:01:02and the cost of what we eat is currently rising
0:01:02 > 0:01:05significantly faster than just about everything else.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09Yes, with meals taking such a big bite out of your budget,
0:01:09 > 0:01:12you want to be sure you know EXACTLY what you're getting for your money.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15So today we'll be taking a closer look at some of the everyday things
0:01:15 > 0:01:20we buy, unpicking the claims made for them and, of course, the cost.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23And that's one of the key things because it's quite shocking
0:01:23 > 0:01:25how much, for example, that daily cup of coffee
0:01:25 > 0:01:27mounts up to over the year. So, the question is,
0:01:27 > 0:01:29are we paying over the odds?
0:01:29 > 0:01:32Well, as we find out, we'll also have advice
0:01:32 > 0:01:35to make sure that you're getting the most from your hard-earned money.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37Coming up...
0:01:37 > 0:01:39You may THINK you don't eat much salt,
0:01:39 > 0:01:43but there may be more of it than you realise in foods you didn't expect.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46If I was to ask you, which you thought had the most salt in them,
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Madeira cake or the chips, which would you say?
0:01:49 > 0:01:54And how much do you understand about all those reassuring labels
0:01:54 > 0:01:56that foods now have on their packaging?
0:01:56 > 0:01:59I think the whole area of food-labelling
0:01:59 > 0:02:03and food labelling marks is a complete dog's breakfast.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09Now, nearly half of all the eggs we buy in the UK are free-range
0:02:09 > 0:02:12and most of us don't really mind paying a little bit extra for them,
0:02:12 > 0:02:14because with it comes the reassurance
0:02:14 > 0:02:17that the birds they come from are just that bit better looked after
0:02:17 > 0:02:20and, as much as they can be, live happier lives.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22But what if that was wrong?
0:02:22 > 0:02:24Would you change your shopping habits
0:02:24 > 0:02:29if I was to tell you that free-range hens aren't always happy hens?
0:02:32 > 0:02:36Footage like this had a real impact on consumers.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38For decades, when it came to eggs,
0:02:38 > 0:02:40the only choice offered on supermarket shelves
0:02:40 > 0:02:44was what size and how many.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46But as a light was shone on battery farming,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49the pressure grew for a more chicken-friendly alternative.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53In 1991, just 10% of
0:02:53 > 0:02:55the eggs we bought were free-range,
0:02:55 > 0:02:57whereas by 2013,
0:02:57 > 0:03:00they'd captured 50% of the market.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04That's 2.5 billion free-range eggs sold a year!
0:03:07 > 0:03:09I do buy free-range eggs,
0:03:09 > 0:03:12because I believe that the chickens are better looked after.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16Usually shopping with the missus and she'd rather have
0:03:16 > 0:03:20the chickens looked after, so we'd go for the free-range.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23And it seems many of us don't mind paying a little bit extra
0:03:23 > 0:03:27to ensure a happy hen laid our egg.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30They can call it what they like, but free-range
0:03:30 > 0:03:33is the only thing people should buy if you've got a conscience.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36But while we took note of the plight of battery hens,
0:03:36 > 0:03:40probably fewer of us noticed that, in January 2012,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43an EU ruling finally came into force,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46banning the use of battery cages right across Europe.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49So the method of keeping birds that we felt so strongly about
0:03:49 > 0:03:52no longer exists and instead, has now been replaced
0:03:52 > 0:03:56by what are known as "enriched, colony cages".
0:03:56 > 0:03:59As the name suggests, the hens are still caged
0:03:59 > 0:04:04but they have much more room to nest, scratch and roost.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07This farm in Nottinghamshire has one million hens,
0:04:07 > 0:04:10which produce around 300 million eggs a year.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12Here in the shed, the birds are stocked at
0:04:12 > 0:04:14nine birds a square metre.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17It's here where the birds get their food and water as well.
0:04:17 > 0:04:22Andrew Joret chairs the British Egg Industry Council,
0:04:22 > 0:04:24which represents the nation's egg producers,
0:04:24 > 0:04:28both those using cages and free-range.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30What we would say is, without a shadow of doubt,
0:04:30 > 0:04:33the new enriched colonies are much better from a bird point of view
0:04:33 > 0:04:36than the conventional cages they replaced.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39They have a nest, which is an important urge for a bird
0:04:39 > 0:04:41to lay its egg in a nest. They have perching,
0:04:41 > 0:04:43which the birds use both in the day time
0:04:43 > 0:04:44and they're asleep on them at night
0:04:44 > 0:04:46which also improves their leg strength
0:04:46 > 0:04:48because they're going up and down onto the perches,
0:04:48 > 0:04:50and then they have this scratching area
0:04:50 > 0:04:51which they didn't have before.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53So the bird is able to do in this system
0:04:53 > 0:04:55a lot more than it used to do in the old system.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58And Andrew is convinced that the new rules
0:04:58 > 0:05:00are paying dividends for the hens.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02One of the welfare indicators that we look at
0:05:02 > 0:05:05is the feather score at the end of lay,
0:05:05 > 0:05:06at the end of the cycle for the birds.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10And these new colonies have much better feather score at end of lay
0:05:10 > 0:05:12than the previous cages did have.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15And that's because they now have a scratching area,
0:05:15 > 0:05:17they now have more space.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19And there's more things to do within that big colony,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22so they're not rubbing up against the sides all the time.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24So we would say there is something in this system
0:05:24 > 0:05:27that birds like and is good for welfare.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31That seems to be a conclusion endorsed by research,
0:05:31 > 0:05:35which recently hit the headlines, undertaken by animal welfare experts
0:05:35 > 0:05:37at Bristol University.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39The research compared the conditions for hens
0:05:39 > 0:05:44under the now banned battery method with the new cages...
0:05:45 > 0:05:47..and also free-range.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51And as Christine Nicol, one of the authors, told BBC Radio 4,
0:05:51 > 0:05:53what they discovered was unexpected.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57That sometimes the new enriched cages meant better welfare
0:05:57 > 0:05:59than even free-range.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03To our surprise, we found that on some measures
0:06:03 > 0:06:07the birds in the enriched cages had better welfare,
0:06:07 > 0:06:11so their mortality was lower, their bone fractures were lower
0:06:11 > 0:06:12and some of the damage
0:06:12 > 0:06:14that the birds can do to each other by pecking
0:06:14 > 0:06:16was lower in that system as well.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21Newspapers were quick to suggest this new research
0:06:21 > 0:06:24meant that free-range eggs aren't all they're cracked up to be.
0:06:24 > 0:06:29After all, if in their new cages some hens appear to be quite happy
0:06:29 > 0:06:32and well-looked after, is it really worth paying extra
0:06:32 > 0:06:35for free-range eggs that often cost twice as much?
0:06:35 > 0:06:38Well, the truth isn't quite that simple.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40And the research certainly wasn't intended to mean
0:06:40 > 0:06:43you should stop paying those extra pennies for the reassurance
0:06:43 > 0:06:47the words "free-range" can give.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50Jane Howarth is passionate about hens.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53As founder of the British Hen Welfare Trust,
0:06:53 > 0:06:58she takes a keen interest in the free-range versus caged debate.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01She says the key to a happy hen is simply how well
0:07:01 > 0:07:03that particular flock is cared for,
0:07:03 > 0:07:06rather than which method of production is used.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12There is no doubt in my mind that the caged units
0:07:12 > 0:07:16provide the birds with better facilities than the battery cages.
0:07:16 > 0:07:21A well-managed colony unit will provide really good welfare
0:07:21 > 0:07:25for the bird, no doubt, but I have to say
0:07:25 > 0:07:28a well managed free-range unit will offer the birds
0:07:28 > 0:07:30a more natural environment.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33But Jane acknowledges that even though she regards free-range
0:07:33 > 0:07:36as the ideal, if it isn't done well
0:07:36 > 0:07:39then there are instances where caged can be better.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41You can have birds kept in a free-range unit,
0:07:41 > 0:07:45where the management is poor and clearly the welfare of the birds
0:07:45 > 0:07:47would be better in a caged environment.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49Food journalist, Rose Prince, agrees
0:07:49 > 0:07:51and says that what we THINK we're getting
0:07:51 > 0:07:55when we buy free-range, might not always be the case.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58The average shopper, when they see an egg box marked free-range,
0:07:58 > 0:08:01will imagine grassy fields, neat fencing
0:08:01 > 0:08:03a farmyard, very Beatrix Potter.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06The actuality is often very different
0:08:06 > 0:08:07and it varies from farm to farm.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10But when free-range is at its best,
0:08:10 > 0:08:14it seems how the hens are looked after may not be the only benefit.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16Free-range is an animal welfare issue,
0:08:16 > 0:08:18but it is also about the taste.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22A hen that can roam in a natural pasture
0:08:22 > 0:08:26and peck at seeds from plants or grubs and worms
0:08:26 > 0:08:30will transfer that flavour to its eggs.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33But if you're confused over what all this means for which eggs
0:08:33 > 0:08:38to go for, there's one very simple piece of advice to keep in mind.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42I would advise anyone buying eggs to look out for the Red Lion mark.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46This is a sign first of all that the eggs are British,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49so you have a much surer idea of the welfare
0:08:49 > 0:08:51because it is laid out by strict rules.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54It doesn't necessarily mean that they are free-range eggs,
0:08:54 > 0:08:56the most important thing that it means,
0:08:56 > 0:08:59is that the hen that laid the egg was vaccinated against salmonella.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01That's a message that Jane would endorse.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04If you really, really can't afford free-range eggs
0:09:04 > 0:09:06then definitely buy British eggs.
0:09:06 > 0:09:12They will at least be laid by hens kept in the new style colony cages,
0:09:12 > 0:09:15and they're a whole lot better than the old style battery cages.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19Ultimately, deciding whether to shell out that little bit extra
0:09:19 > 0:09:22for eggs labelled as free-range is a personal choice.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25But if you're doing it purely because you think the alternative
0:09:25 > 0:09:30means poorly-kept hens, well, it seems that's no longer the case.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33So now that the type of battery cages that so shocked us
0:09:33 > 0:09:36in the '80s and '90s have been consigned to the history books,
0:09:36 > 0:09:41a cheaper egg doesn't necessarily have to mean a guilty conscience.
0:09:45 > 0:09:50Doctors are always telling us to watch how much salt we eat.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52But that can be easier said than done.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55Because three-quarters of the salt we consume
0:09:55 > 0:09:58is not added by us at all.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01It's already inside the foods we eat every day.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05And it's not always in the ones that you would expect.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08I have to say we were rather shocked by those familiar products
0:10:08 > 0:10:11that contain some of the highest percentages of salt.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13Especially as you probably would not have thought
0:10:13 > 0:10:16that some of them had any in at all.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20We're a nation of salt lovers
0:10:20 > 0:10:25but, on average, we all have as much as 50% more than we should.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27A recent review of scientific studies found that
0:10:27 > 0:10:30if we could halve the amount of salt that we eat, it could
0:10:30 > 0:10:35prevent 35,000 UK deaths from heart disease and stroke.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39We're only supposed to consume a maximum of 6g of salt per day.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41That's a little over a teaspoon.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43But few of us can stick to that,
0:10:43 > 0:10:46to the despair of dieticians like Helen Turner.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50We really do like the taste of salt, don't we?
0:10:50 > 0:10:52It's almost like we crave it.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55Salt makes our food really tasty.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59Actually salt's not very good for us
0:10:59 > 0:11:03and can actually cause us to have high blood pressure
0:11:03 > 0:11:09or hypertension, which can lead to heart disease and stroke.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13So one of the things we would always recommend is that people try
0:11:13 > 0:11:15to cut down their salt in their diet.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17And while we can all try and stop
0:11:17 > 0:11:19reaching for the salt shaker when we are eating,
0:11:19 > 0:11:22Helen and her colleagues have come up with other ways
0:11:22 > 0:11:24to stop us taking in too much,
0:11:24 > 0:11:28including a rather clever idea they've introduced at the chippy.
0:11:28 > 0:11:33We've removed or changed the 17-hole salt shakers
0:11:33 > 0:11:37in 1,000 fish and chip shops across Greater Manchester
0:11:37 > 0:11:40and replaced those with five-hole salt shakers.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44We've calculated that will save the Greater Manchester
0:11:44 > 0:11:47population 26 tonnes of salt a year.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50Every little less salt helps.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52But we may not always know that it's there.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Now, it's not just the salt that we sprinkle on our chips
0:11:55 > 0:11:58that we have to think about because, during a day,
0:11:58 > 0:12:00you may find that you're consuming
0:12:00 > 0:12:03salt that is actually hidden in foods.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05So you may think you're doing the right thing by not
0:12:05 > 0:12:06reaching for the salt cellar
0:12:06 > 0:12:09but, in fact, you can get just as much salt
0:12:09 > 0:12:12from some very unexpected places.
0:12:12 > 0:12:18If you rely on ready meals then your diet will probably be high in salt.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21And then things like soups and sauces,
0:12:21 > 0:12:23things like ketchup, mayonnaise.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26Sandwiches that you might buy out at lunch time
0:12:26 > 0:12:28will be fairly high in salt.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32And then the very unexpected things, things like biscuits,
0:12:32 > 0:12:34they can be all very high in salt.
0:12:34 > 0:12:35That all mounts up.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39In fact, salt added to our food by the manufacturers
0:12:39 > 0:12:43accounts for a massive 75% of our total annual intake.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49As a nation, we tend, on average, to consume 50% more salt
0:12:49 > 0:12:52than we're supposed to. But how much is too much?
0:12:52 > 0:12:55And how can you tell a low salt food from a high salt one?
0:12:57 > 0:12:59Shall we go and find out?
0:12:59 > 0:13:01I'm going to see if shoppers can guess
0:13:01 > 0:13:04which products contain more salt.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06And get ready for a few surprises.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08If I was to show you those two -
0:13:08 > 0:13:10hot chocolate and peanuts, salted peanuts -
0:13:10 > 0:13:12which would you say has got the most salt in?
0:13:12 > 0:13:14- That one.- The salted peanuts?- Yes.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17- Salted peanuts or hot chocolate? - Hot chocolate.
0:13:17 > 0:13:18I would have said the peanuts definitely.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20- You would have said the peanuts?- Yeah.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Why would you have said chocolate?
0:13:22 > 0:13:24I think there's a lot of hidden things within these.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26Definitely the salted peanuts.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30Definitely the salted peanuts. Bottom of the class.
0:13:30 > 0:13:341.3g per 100 in the salted peanuts
0:13:34 > 0:13:37and 1.95 g in the hot chocolate.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41- My goodness.- Surprised? - Very surprised.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44- Amazing!- You wouldn't think so. - Why would you have that in there?
0:13:44 > 0:13:47Now, of course, the figures on the packaging don't always
0:13:47 > 0:13:49tell the whole story.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53They'll often list salt content per 100g, which,
0:13:53 > 0:13:54in the case of hot chocolate,
0:13:54 > 0:13:58means that it's in its undiluted powdered form.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01Add water to drink it and - as the label also says -
0:14:01 > 0:14:04a typical serving contains much less salt.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06But you might not have expected
0:14:06 > 0:14:08there to be any salt in there at all.
0:14:08 > 0:14:09In fact, as we'll see,
0:14:09 > 0:14:14salt is often added to what seem to be entirely sweet products because
0:14:14 > 0:14:18it's a powerful flavour enhancer and can also be used as a preservative.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24If I was to ask you which you thought had the most salt in -
0:14:24 > 0:14:26the Madeira cake or the chips - which would you say?
0:14:26 > 0:14:30- I'd say the chips. - You would?- Yeah.- You'd be wrong.
0:14:30 > 0:14:370.1% per 100g in the chips. 0.5 per 100 in the Madeira cake.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39If you were given the choice between Angel Delight
0:14:39 > 0:14:42and chicken nuggets which would you think has the most salt in?
0:14:42 > 0:14:43The chicken nuggets.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45- You would?- Yeah.- You'd be wrong. - Really?
0:14:45 > 0:14:50Can you believe there is only 0.6g of salt per 100
0:14:50 > 0:14:52- in chicken nuggets...- Oh, my God.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56..but there is 2.38g per 100 in Angel Delight?
0:14:56 > 0:14:59I had no idea!
0:14:59 > 0:15:01We contacted the manufacturers of the products
0:15:01 > 0:15:03that we took out and about...
0:15:03 > 0:15:06Both Cadbury's and Premier Foods, who make Angel Delight,
0:15:06 > 0:15:09reiterated that the high figure of salt
0:15:09 > 0:15:12per 100g on their packaging relates to the products
0:15:12 > 0:15:17when they're not made up rather than how they're normally consumed.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21Premier Foods stressed that a standard portion of Angel Delight
0:15:21 > 0:15:24contains less than half a gram of salt,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27some of which is naturally derived from the milk used to make it
0:15:27 > 0:15:29and added that the company has...
0:15:35 > 0:15:39And ASDA told us that its Madeira cake, like all their
0:15:39 > 0:15:42own brand products, has traffic light labels on the packaging
0:15:42 > 0:15:43to help consumers...
0:15:48 > 0:15:52But it does seem if you were to simply guess which foods
0:15:52 > 0:15:54might contain salt, you might not be right.
0:15:54 > 0:15:59And finding foods with a lower salt content isn't always easy.
0:15:59 > 0:16:04People tend to be very good at picking lower fat foods
0:16:04 > 0:16:09and there's... Again, looking for sugar-free alternatives
0:16:09 > 0:16:10and things like that.
0:16:10 > 0:16:17But not many people would look to sort of choose a low salt version.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20They are out there
0:16:20 > 0:16:24but you actually have to look quite hard to find them.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27And that is what can make it so difficult to avoid salt
0:16:27 > 0:16:31even if you think that you are choosing a healthy diet.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34Take James and Nick, who work as designers in Manchester's
0:16:34 > 0:16:36trendy Northern Quarter.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39They reckon that, overall, they usually make the right
0:16:39 > 0:16:41culinary choices.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44'I'm definitely aware of what I eat. I try and keep healthy.'
0:16:44 > 0:16:47But then if I'm tired or stressed or whatever I'll definitely notice that
0:16:47 > 0:16:50I'll just eat sometimes something that's quick and easy.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54'I'm not too conscious, really, about trying to, you know, calorie'
0:16:54 > 0:16:57count or watch certain things that I eat.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01I just... I generally like healthier foods.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05So far, so good, you might think. But just how much salt
0:17:05 > 0:17:09are Nick and James consuming without realising it?
0:17:09 > 0:17:11To put that to the test, we asked them to keep
0:17:11 > 0:17:15a diary of everything that they ate over one weekend.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19Then, come Monday morning, we asked our dietician Helen to take a look.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21Can you guess or do you know how much salt that you're
0:17:21 > 0:17:24- supposed to have in grams per day? - It's about 6g.
0:17:24 > 0:17:29Very good. We've analysed the two days of food that you've eaten
0:17:29 > 0:17:34and on one day you had 15g plus.
0:17:34 > 0:17:41- Right, OK.- OK. And on the other day you had 8g of salt.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45After eating a takeaway with curry sauce as well as other foods
0:17:45 > 0:17:49perhaps even more surprisingly high in salt, such as white bread
0:17:49 > 0:17:53and ketchup, James consumed a total of 23g of salt over
0:17:53 > 0:17:56the weekend - nearly twice as much as the recommended amount.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58So how did Nick do?
0:17:58 > 0:18:03So, Nick, you fared a little bit better in your salt intake.
0:18:03 > 0:18:08- OK.- One day you had had 12g and one day you had 9g.- OK.- OK.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13So the foods that sort of pushed your salt intake up were
0:18:13 > 0:18:16actually the stock cube that you'd used in your soup.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19- In my soup.- And your granary bread
0:18:19 > 0:18:21cos you were into your bread as well, weren't you?
0:18:23 > 0:18:29And also you are a fan of butter, aren't you?
0:18:29 > 0:18:32- Yeah, butter in cooking, yeah. - Big butter fan.
0:18:32 > 0:18:33How do you control that?
0:18:33 > 0:18:36I think, in terms of controlling it, one thing that you can do is
0:18:36 > 0:18:43look at labels. Labels are fairly confusing but some breads
0:18:43 > 0:18:47and cereals and things like that will be lower than others.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51It'll take you longer shopping. And take your glasses with you.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53Cos the labels are really, really tiny.
0:18:53 > 0:18:58But even with your glasses on, those labels can be very confusing.
0:18:58 > 0:19:03Not least because sometimes they don't list salt, but sodium.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06Many of us assume that one is the same as the other.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08But it is not quite as simple as that.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12In fact, to work out what sodium means in terms of salt,
0:19:12 > 0:19:13you need to do a bit of maths.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17And the answer might mean that, once you've done your sums,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20that low level of sodium on the label could actually turn out
0:19:20 > 0:19:23to be a rather higher amount of salt,
0:19:23 > 0:19:27which makes it harder to understand just how much you're having.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30A quick trip down the supermarket aisles
0:19:30 > 0:19:33and we found products as diverse as salad dressing, corned beef,
0:19:33 > 0:19:38curry sauce and cup-a-soup that all listed just sodium and not salt.
0:19:38 > 0:19:43Manufacturers can cause a lot of confusion, when you're reading
0:19:43 > 0:19:48labels, by putting sodium on the labels rather than salt.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52What's important - to convert sodium into salt,
0:19:52 > 0:19:56you just need to times the grams by 2.2
0:19:56 > 0:20:00and then you'll get the amount of salt in that particular food.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03Things should get a little easier for the consumer by the end
0:20:03 > 0:20:06of the year when it will become compulsory for food manufacturers
0:20:06 > 0:20:10to display the salt and not just sodium content.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13But now they know just how much more salt they are eating than
0:20:13 > 0:20:16they should be, will the boys think twice about what
0:20:16 > 0:20:18they put on their plates?
0:20:18 > 0:20:24I guess most days I'll be more conscious of the everyday stuff
0:20:24 > 0:20:29that I'm eating like the meats and the things that you're not instantly
0:20:29 > 0:20:33aware of that has more salt. I'll maybe just be conscious of that.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40Still to come on Rip-Off Britain,
0:20:40 > 0:20:44we unpick the cost of a cup of coffee and reveal how much that daily
0:20:44 > 0:20:48treat can end up setting you back over a year.
0:20:48 > 0:20:49If my wife saw that,
0:20:49 > 0:20:52yeah, she'd be making me have... She'd be making sandwiches!
0:20:52 > 0:20:56You know, sometimes our food choices don't just come down to price
0:20:56 > 0:20:58or even some of the claims that are made
0:20:58 > 0:21:01for how tasty or healthy they are.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05We might buy a particular product because of the logos on the packet
0:21:05 > 0:21:09suggesting that they meet one of the various food quality schemes.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12Now, these logos are obviously there to convince us that when we
0:21:12 > 0:21:15part with our cash we are doing so in the knowledge that what we are
0:21:15 > 0:21:17buying meets a certain standard.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19But how much do we really know about
0:21:19 > 0:21:22what some of the best known logos actually mean
0:21:22 > 0:21:26and, indeed, whether or not the promises really stack up?
0:21:29 > 0:21:32From salmonella in the '80s
0:21:32 > 0:21:36and BSE in the '90s
0:21:36 > 0:21:38to foot and mouth in the noughties,
0:21:38 > 0:21:41Britain has had plenty of food scares that
0:21:41 > 0:21:44seriously knocked public confidence in what we put on our plates.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49The food and farming industry acted fast to put that right
0:21:49 > 0:21:52and a whole raft of new schemes were created to try
0:21:52 > 0:21:55and convince us that we can trust the quality of what we are buying.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59From Fairtrade to Freedom Foods,
0:21:59 > 0:22:02organically grown to sustainably sourced,
0:22:02 > 0:22:05our food these days is covered in so many labels and
0:22:05 > 0:22:10all of them are trying to help us make the best choices for ourselves.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13But is it all getting just a little bit too confusing?
0:22:15 > 0:22:18Just how many of the alphabet soup of labels on our food
0:22:18 > 0:22:22do shoppers even recognise, let alone understand?
0:22:22 > 0:22:27Or are all those different symbols that little bit too confusing?
0:22:27 > 0:22:29Would you recognise any of these signs on food at all?
0:22:29 > 0:22:31And, if so, do you know what they mean?
0:22:31 > 0:22:33No, and I do shopping every week.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36- Yes. I'm like him.- You don't recognise what that is?
0:22:36 > 0:22:39I know what food standards means but I don't recognise the symbol.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42Right. How about that and that?
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Do you recognise the difference between them if there is any?
0:22:45 > 0:22:48I would associate the colour on that more with organic
0:22:48 > 0:22:49but I wouldn't recognise that.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51I've never seen that one before.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55That's the Organic Food Federation, which means it's organic, of course.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58- And how about that?- I have never seen that either.- You haven't?- No.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02Would you recognise what these labels are on things
0:23:02 > 0:23:03and if you saw them?
0:23:05 > 0:23:06Five a day.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09- Do you know what that is?- Yeah. - What?- Five fruits and veggies a day.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13And that? Do you know what it represents?
0:23:15 > 0:23:16- No.- No.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19- And that one. Do you know what that represents?- No.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22But if you saw that label on foods, would it influence
0:23:22 > 0:23:25- you as to what you bought? - Yeah.- Yeah?- Five a day, yeah.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29Do you recognise any of these symbols and know what they mean?
0:23:29 > 0:23:31- The Red Tractor.- What does that mean?
0:23:31 > 0:23:35Well, all the food produced to that standard...
0:23:35 > 0:23:39Well, it's produced to the Red Tractor standards.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42- The Union Jack is a bit of a give away.- Oh, it's all British.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45I wouldn't have recognised that that as a tractor unless you'd said.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47I suppose it is a bit stylised, isn't it?
0:23:47 > 0:23:51The confusion we found is echoed by those who campaign to
0:23:51 > 0:23:52improve our food.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55I think the whole area of food labelling
0:23:55 > 0:23:57and food labelling marks
0:23:57 > 0:23:59is a complete dog's breakfast.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01I think most people don't know the difference
0:24:01 > 0:24:03between one and the other.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06They're trying to do their best to buy something that's healthy,
0:24:06 > 0:24:09that's ethical, that's good for animal welfare and so on,
0:24:09 > 0:24:12and the labelling system more or less prevents them
0:24:12 > 0:24:14from doing what they want to do.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16What we need are some more rules
0:24:16 > 0:24:18and some more people to enforce those rules.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21At the moment, the system is almost completely voluntary.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25But perhaps it's no wonder that we don't always understand just
0:24:25 > 0:24:29what the labels mean when there isn't always agreement within
0:24:29 > 0:24:31the industry about which are the most helpful.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34Take, for instance, the debate around one of the ones
0:24:34 > 0:24:36that's most widely used.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40This Red Tractor logo is just one of the signs that is being
0:24:40 > 0:24:43produced to try and help make things a little bit easier for shoppers.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45It's something you may well have seen yourself
0:24:45 > 0:24:47when you've been out buying food.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50Perhaps it really did influence you in your choice of product.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53But even this has had its critics.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57And it's certainly not universally recognised.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59This little Red Tractor
0:24:59 > 0:25:02with a Union Jack underneath is on hundreds of products
0:25:02 > 0:25:07as an assurance that the food inside is responsibly produced and
0:25:07 > 0:25:11that the ingredients can be traced back to inspected farms in the UK.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15It was launched in 2000 by a body made up of experts from farming
0:25:15 > 0:25:19and the food industry uniting every part of the UK food chain to
0:25:19 > 0:25:21provide a single stamp of approval.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25And the scheme's chief executive is confident that, because it
0:25:25 > 0:25:28covers everything from safety and hygiene to animal welfare and
0:25:28 > 0:25:34the environment, seeing that logo on packets is invaluable for consumers.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37It's about demonstrating to consumers,
0:25:37 > 0:25:41to shoppers that food has been made to the standards they expect,
0:25:41 > 0:25:44all the way from the farm right through to the supermarket shelf.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48Animals being well treated, control of animal diseases
0:25:48 > 0:25:49and care for the environment.
0:25:49 > 0:25:54Red Tractor say that the scheme involves 78,000 farm businesses
0:25:54 > 0:25:58and that any supplier who uses the logo is independently inspected
0:25:58 > 0:26:01and certified as meeting their standards.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04Certainly, that little red tractor has been widely used,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07with all of the big four supermarkets using it...
0:26:07 > 0:26:09up until now.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12Over the last 18 months, the number two supermarket chain,
0:26:12 > 0:26:15Sainsbury's, has phased out the use of the Red Tractor on packaging
0:26:15 > 0:26:17because, they say, customers have told them that...
0:26:19 > 0:26:22But they insist that, although the logo has
0:26:22 > 0:26:25gone from their foods, they're more committed to British farms than
0:26:25 > 0:26:27ever and they still adhere to the standards
0:26:27 > 0:26:29that the tractor represents.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31But, for some critics of Red Tractor,
0:26:31 > 0:26:33those standards are not rigorous enough.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36Compassion In World Farming worries that consumers may think
0:26:36 > 0:26:42Red Tractor standards are higher than campaigners believe they are.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45What we are concerned about is that Red Tractor, all too often,
0:26:45 > 0:26:49assures little more than compliance with minimum legislation
0:26:49 > 0:26:51and Government guidelines.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53To us, in terms of higher welfare, that's not good enough.
0:26:53 > 0:26:58If shoppers are looking for a genuinely higher welfare option
0:26:58 > 0:27:03then look out for terms such as free-range, such as organic,
0:27:03 > 0:27:08the RSPCA's Freedom Food scheme label. These are the ones to go for.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12What I would like to see is all meat
0:27:12 > 0:27:15and milk be labelled according to method of production
0:27:15 > 0:27:19so people can tell whether it's come from a free-range system
0:27:19 > 0:27:21or whether it's come from a factory farm.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25All of that is criticism which Red Tractor firmly rejects.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28I don't think it's true that we are only putting
0:27:28 > 0:27:31a stamp on the minimum legal requirements.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35First of all, I think it's about consumer choice.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38We have good practical standards that produce food at a price
0:27:38 > 0:27:40that most shoppers can afford.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43We have a number of standards right across the piste
0:27:43 > 0:27:45that are above legal minima.
0:27:45 > 0:27:52For example, in our poultry scheme, we demand 10% more space for the
0:27:52 > 0:27:56chickens than the EU minimum and we have done some ground-breaking
0:27:56 > 0:28:00work on animal welfare in the pig and dairy sector only this year.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02It also rejects the idea
0:28:02 > 0:28:05that its label simply adds to shoppers' confusion.
0:28:05 > 0:28:11I think that it's very easy to underestimate consumers. They
0:28:11 > 0:28:16are more savvy than that and they do understand the Red Tractor logo.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20Our latest evidence is that two thirds of consumers recognise
0:28:20 > 0:28:24our logo and about a third of shoppers actually look actively
0:28:24 > 0:28:27for Red Tractor products when they shop.
0:28:27 > 0:28:32Well, thanks to that flag, the Red Tractor logo is perhaps easier
0:28:32 > 0:28:36to work out than some of the other logos stuck proudly onto our foods.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40But it's a little ironic that labels supposed to make understanding
0:28:40 > 0:28:45our food simpler are reckoned by some to do completely the opposite.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48I think most people, when they go shopping, look at all the
0:28:48 > 0:28:52different labels and don't have a clue what most of them really mean.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54Sometimes you have a general impression that might be
0:28:54 > 0:28:57completely wrong and it's really hard to find out what
0:28:57 > 0:29:00all of them mean and what the details are behind them.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04'And it does seem from the people that we asked that not all of these
0:29:04 > 0:29:06'logos including the Red Tractor,
0:29:06 > 0:29:09'are quite as familiar as the industry might hope.'
0:29:09 > 0:29:11Where do you think you might find that?
0:29:11 > 0:29:13Above some meat perhaps?
0:29:13 > 0:29:15- How about eggs?- Well, you might.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17- It's the lion on the eggs. - Of course it is.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19How about that one?
0:29:19 > 0:29:21Um...I'm not so sure about that.
0:29:21 > 0:29:25It sort of is what it says, really. Quality standard brand.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28I imagine it's not horse meat posing as beef.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31I think you're right there!
0:29:31 > 0:29:32But that's the Red Tractor.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34Do you know what the Red Tractor stands for?
0:29:34 > 0:29:36The Union Jack's a bit of a give away.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39Yes, well... Red Tractor. Do you know? I'm going to fail.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41I'm going to pass on this one.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47Now, if you've ever wondered what it is that makes you choose
0:29:47 > 0:29:50a particular tipple when you go out for a drink,
0:29:50 > 0:29:52it may not be as accidental as you think.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54Food journalist Richard McComb
0:29:54 > 0:29:58is here to share some secrets of just how it is that bars and pubs
0:29:58 > 0:29:59can get you get you to spend more
0:29:59 > 0:30:02as soon as you walk through the door.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05An eagle-eyed member of bar staff would be trying to
0:30:05 > 0:30:07read your body language as you walk into the bar.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10They'll be trying to work out what kind of day you had, perhaps.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12Say you step up to the bar
0:30:12 > 0:30:14and you've had a particularly hard day in the office.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17They maybe say to you, "Maybe you'd like a large gin and tonic, sir."
0:30:17 > 0:30:20Before you realise it, you've just bought yourself a double.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23But you think, "What the hell? It's been a hard day."
0:30:23 > 0:30:25Or maybe you fancy a glass of red wine.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29A good bar staff member will say to you, "We've got a particularly
0:30:29 > 0:30:30"good merlot on today, sir.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33"All of our customers are saying it's terrific.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35"Maybe you'd like to try a large one of those."
0:30:35 > 0:30:39And before you know it again, you've got a very large glass of wine.
0:30:39 > 0:30:43The atmosphere in a bar is key to getting you spending and,
0:30:43 > 0:30:47according to Richard, a crucial part of that can be the music.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50In many cases, that's what the music is there for,
0:30:50 > 0:30:53just to create a nice cool vibe.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56In other occasions, however, it's there for a very different reason.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58Because if it's played really loudly,
0:30:58 > 0:31:01you can't hear your companion talk. If you can't hear each other talk,
0:31:01 > 0:31:04you're probably likely to turn to drink, quite literally.
0:31:04 > 0:31:10And have you ever wondered why some bars are so hot?
0:31:10 > 0:31:12When it comes to the temperature inside bars,
0:31:12 > 0:31:14it really is a case of the heat is on.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18Bar staff are told to crank up the thermostat in order to get us
0:31:18 > 0:31:20nice and hot under the collar.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22So, of course, when we're hot, we get thirsty.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25When we're thirsty, we drink a lot more alcohol.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28Crucially, however, alcohol also dehydrates you,
0:31:28 > 0:31:31it makes you more thirsty.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34So, the more alcohol you drink, the thirstier you get.
0:31:34 > 0:31:38And Richard warns against being tempted to spend more
0:31:38 > 0:31:40because of a fancy name.
0:31:40 > 0:31:44The new kid on the block, or rather the old kid, is the cocktail.
0:31:44 > 0:31:48The revival of cocktail has been an absolute god-send for bars.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51Now, there is a price to pay for premium cocktails with really
0:31:51 > 0:31:54high-grade spirits and quality mixers.
0:31:54 > 0:31:58However, any idiot can slosh together a rum and coke,
0:31:58 > 0:32:01stick in loads of ice, throw in a lime wheel,
0:32:01 > 0:32:03maybe put on one of those pretty umbrellas,
0:32:03 > 0:32:07and repackage it as a Cuba Libre. Sounds great, doesn't it?
0:32:07 > 0:32:10Especially when you've got to pay an extra three quid for it(!)
0:32:12 > 0:32:14Our lives today are busier than ever.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17We can be constantly on the go and when we're out and about,
0:32:17 > 0:32:20naturally, we need refuelling.
0:32:20 > 0:32:22But that can be an expensive business
0:32:22 > 0:32:24especially now it seems that takeaway coffee cups
0:32:24 > 0:32:27are almost welded to our arms.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30We've been looking at whether we pay too much for those snacks
0:32:30 > 0:32:34on the hoof and whether convenience comes at too high a price.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39Walk down most high streets
0:32:39 > 0:32:42and you'll rarely be too far from a cup of coffee.
0:32:42 > 0:32:46There are now more than 5,000 branded coffee shops in the UK
0:32:46 > 0:32:48and thousands more independent ones.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53In a typical year, they can serve up around £6 billion worth
0:32:53 > 0:32:57of cappuccinos, lattes, cakes, muffins and assorted extras.
0:32:57 > 0:33:01In fact, one survey even claimed the average Brit spends
0:33:01 > 0:33:05more in coffee shops each year than they do on their electricity bills.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10Many of us start the day the caffeine way but, even if you only
0:33:10 > 0:33:15spend £2 a cup - and you can spend a lot more than that - it soon starts
0:33:15 > 0:33:20to mount up when you think about it per week, let alone per year.
0:33:20 > 0:33:24To show just how dramatically it mounts up, I'm going to calculate
0:33:24 > 0:33:26how much the daily spend of these hungry workers
0:33:26 > 0:33:30becomes when you multiply it by a typical number of working days.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33Now, where's Carol Vorderman when you need her?
0:33:33 > 0:33:36- Do you buy sandwiches and coffee on a daily basis?- I do.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39- And how much you reckon you spend? - Too much.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43- Can you work that out? - Probably about, easy a fiver.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47Easy a fiver. Bag of crisps, sandwich - £5.
0:33:47 > 0:33:52So, would you be interested to know what it would cost you annually?
0:33:52 > 0:33:53Yeah, go on.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56OK, steel yourself, because my friend here
0:33:56 > 0:33:58here is going to show you the figure.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03£1,175.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05Seriously, that is unbelievable.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08If my wife saw that she'd be making me have...
0:34:08 > 0:34:09She'd be making sandwiches!
0:34:09 > 0:34:12- Well, there's quite a chance she will see that.- Yeah.
0:34:12 > 0:34:19I get a large, venti size, which is three...
0:34:19 > 0:34:21I think £3.75.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24£3.75 for your venti.
0:34:24 > 0:34:26And then how much would you reckon to spend on a sandwich?
0:34:26 > 0:34:28Probably about £2.50.
0:34:28 > 0:34:33So, together, that's £6 a day or more than £1,500 a year.
0:34:34 > 0:34:39Oh, my God. Just some coffee and sandwich.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41- Yes.- Wow, that is a lot.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45- Surprise you?- Yes, definitely.
0:34:45 > 0:34:49I think you could probably spend up to, like, £7 on lunch a day
0:34:49 > 0:34:52but I mostly have a packed lunch so... I can't afford to do that.
0:34:52 > 0:34:54Would you be interested to know what it would cost you
0:34:54 > 0:34:57if you were spending that every day for the year?
0:34:57 > 0:34:59- Yeah.- Yeah.- Well, my friend here has got his calculator
0:34:59 > 0:35:01and he's going to tell you.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06- Oh, my God.- That's a lot.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10- That's astonishing. - Yes.- That's huge.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13That's very nearly creeping up towards £1,500.
0:35:15 > 0:35:17Each individual coffee, cake or sandwich
0:35:17 > 0:35:21feels like an affordable treat and, at a time when many people
0:35:21 > 0:35:25have cut down on eating out, one we're determined to hold on to.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28But it's easy to see how the costs can mount up.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31That's £6.15, please.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33And, wherever we live, chances are we're
0:35:33 > 0:35:36spending our money in the same places.
0:35:36 > 0:35:41Three big chains account for a huge number of all those frothy coffees.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44Costa has over 1,500 stores,
0:35:44 > 0:35:47Starbucks more than 700
0:35:47 > 0:35:50and Cafe Nero has around 500.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52In all those coffee shops, you'll typically pay more
0:35:52 > 0:35:55than £2.60 for a large latte.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59Make it bigger and more elaborate, with cream, syrup or on ice,
0:35:59 > 0:36:02and the drink alone could be over £4.
0:36:03 > 0:36:04Throw in a cake or a muffin
0:36:04 > 0:36:07and your coffee break could be seriously expensive.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09But that's just the beginning.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12Lunch can be an even bigger drain on our wallets.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17These days, the humble British butty is a mainstay of the nation's
0:36:17 > 0:36:18midday meals
0:36:18 > 0:36:22and we spend a staggering £5 billion a year on lunches on the go.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27The number of coffee shops on our high streets
0:36:27 > 0:36:30is dwarfed by the number of sandwich shops.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33The biggest player fighting for our lunch money is Greggs,
0:36:33 > 0:36:35with more than 1,600 stores.
0:36:37 > 0:36:41Hot on their heels is the American chain Subway, which now has more
0:36:41 > 0:36:44than 40,000 outlets around the world and almost as many
0:36:44 > 0:36:47branches in the UK as Greggs does.
0:36:47 > 0:36:51Together with Eat, Pret A Manger and some smaller chains,
0:36:51 > 0:36:55there are around 4,000 branded sandwich shops in the UK.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57And it's a crowded market - there are at least
0:36:57 > 0:37:00the same number of independent sandwich shops.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03But, surprisingly, we don't buy the majority of our sandwiches
0:37:03 > 0:37:05from any of these places at all.
0:37:05 > 0:37:09The sandwich market in the UK is valued at £3.5 billion
0:37:09 > 0:37:12so it has grown massively over the last ten years.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15Supermarkets have come in in recent years and taken
0:37:15 > 0:37:20the lion's share of the market and now sell much cheaper sandwiches.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23Obviously great news for the consumer but not
0:37:23 > 0:37:26so good for the small sandwich shop owner.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29And if the growing power of the supermarkets isn't enough to
0:37:29 > 0:37:33contend with, sandwich shops have a bigger problem on their hands -
0:37:33 > 0:37:36impatient customers. According to one survey,
0:37:36 > 0:37:40city centre sandwich shoppers won't queue for more than two minutes.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42When you go into a sandwich shop,
0:37:42 > 0:37:44it tends to be a pretty clear transaction -
0:37:44 > 0:37:48you go in, you order your stuff, you take away, you go home.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51So, with less opportunity to sell you extras, the sandwich shops
0:37:51 > 0:37:55need bigger margins on the items you DO buy if they're to break even.
0:37:57 > 0:38:01An egg and cress sandwich in Eat will set you back £1.70.
0:38:01 > 0:38:03But if you bought eggs,
0:38:03 > 0:38:06bread and other ingredients at a supermarket, you could make the same
0:38:06 > 0:38:08for less than 50p.
0:38:08 > 0:38:13A Subway Swiss and tomato six-inch sub costs £2.30.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17Doing it yourself, you could make something similar for just 43p.
0:38:19 > 0:38:23And a cheese and pickle sandwich from Pret A Manger cost us £2.49
0:38:23 > 0:38:26but buying the ingredients to make it yourself
0:38:26 > 0:38:29would typically cost just 43p.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32With profit margins like that, you could be forgiven for thinking
0:38:32 > 0:38:35that sandwich shops and cafes are raking it in.
0:38:35 > 0:38:39But, with all their extra costs, it's not as simple as that.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42Hi there. Table for two?
0:38:42 > 0:38:46Peter Godfrey runs this independent cafe in central London.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50Yes, of course, it's profitable but not to any high level.
0:38:50 > 0:38:55I don't think our clients actually realise what things are costing here
0:38:55 > 0:38:59or the running costs of the whole place. For instance, the rent is
0:38:59 > 0:39:04approximately £73,000 a year alone.
0:39:04 > 0:39:08You've got the rates, well over £20,000.
0:39:08 > 0:39:13Plus your VAT. You've got all that for a start then you've
0:39:13 > 0:39:18got your light, you've got heating, you've got wages.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22And, when costs increase, prices have to as well.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25Peter last put his prices up 18 months ago
0:39:25 > 0:39:28but it's something he is forced to consider all the time.
0:39:28 > 0:39:32Basically, as a family, we all sit down
0:39:32 > 0:39:36and we go, "Right, one, how do we improve the place?
0:39:36 > 0:39:40"And what about the pricing?
0:39:40 > 0:39:42"Where are we going wrong? What's happened?
0:39:42 > 0:39:46"What's selling? What's not selling? Can we go higher?"
0:39:46 > 0:39:51And then we will actually have a discussion what we can do about it.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54Well, a sandwich shop owner would say that, wouldn't he?
0:39:54 > 0:39:56But does Peter have a point?
0:39:57 > 0:40:01You have quite a small window when you can sell to the public.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04People only want sandwiches normally at lunchtime.
0:40:04 > 0:40:09Say, for example, your monthly rent and rates come to about £12,000.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12Wages add another £6,300.
0:40:12 > 0:40:16And that's before you've spent the £830 or so you'll need for the raw
0:40:16 > 0:40:21ingredients crucial for a coffee - milk, sugar and the coffee itself.
0:40:22 > 0:40:27All those costs so far come to a total of £19,130,
0:40:27 > 0:40:32which works out as £637 every day.
0:40:32 > 0:40:36Now, if you're selling a medium latte for £2.35, you'll need to sell
0:40:36 > 0:40:40271 of those every day just to break even.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42That's a lot of lattes.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45And it's why, for coffee shops, extras like sandwiches
0:40:45 > 0:40:48and cakes are vital to help make ends meet.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52When you go into a restaurant, it is much longer process.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55That server is there to make sure that you buy your glasses of wine,
0:40:55 > 0:40:57buy your coffee. They get to up-sell all the time.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59A coffee shop falls in the middle.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03They've got these massive displays enticing you to spend more and more
0:41:03 > 0:41:07money all the time and that person behind the till is trained
0:41:07 > 0:41:10always to ask you to buy more
0:41:10 > 0:41:11It's all about the up-sell.
0:41:11 > 0:41:14I think a lot of people would be really surprised.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17It is not easy to make money out of a sandwich shop.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25Here at Rip-Off Britain we're always ready to
0:41:25 > 0:41:30investigate more of your stories. And not just about food.
0:41:30 > 0:41:31Are you confused over your bills?
0:41:31 > 0:41:35Or just trying to wade your way through never-ending small print?
0:41:35 > 0:41:40I mean, why is it in small print if they want you to read it, you know?
0:41:40 > 0:41:43Maybe you're unsure what to do when you discover that you've lost out
0:41:43 > 0:41:47and that great deal has ended up costing you money.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49All my money is very hard-earned
0:41:49 > 0:41:53so when I go to spend it, I expect value for money.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56Or you might have a cautionary tale of your own and want to share
0:41:56 > 0:41:59the mistakes you made with us.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01You can always write to us at...
0:42:08 > 0:42:10Or you can send us an e-mail to...
0:42:14 > 0:42:17The Rip-Off team is ready, willing and waiting
0:42:17 > 0:42:19to investigate your stories.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24With the cost of our food rising so quickly and so many of us
0:42:24 > 0:42:27buying the same products over and over again, it's more important
0:42:27 > 0:42:30than ever that we know exactly what we're getting for our money.
0:42:30 > 0:42:32It certainly is.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35But the shops and the manufacturers don't always make it that easy
0:42:35 > 0:42:37and unravelling the truth about what we eat
0:42:37 > 0:42:39can be quite a minefield, as you know.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42So do keep telling us about the things you'd like us to look into
0:42:42 > 0:42:45and we'll keep on investigating whether those promises
0:42:45 > 0:42:47and prices really do stack up.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50And you'll find more tips and advice on our website. That's...
0:42:54 > 0:42:55And we'll be back to expose
0:42:55 > 0:42:58more of the secrets behind your shopping very soon.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01- Till then, bye-bye. - Thanks for your company. Bye-bye.