0:00:02 > 0:00:05- ANGELA:- There'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.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12You think you're getting a bargain
0:00:12 > 0:00:13and you're not really,
0:00:13 > 0:00:15they're just encouraging you to buy more of a product
0:00:15 > 0:00:16when you don't need to.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18JULIA: Whether you're staying in or going out,
0:00:18 > 0:00:20you've told us you can feel ripped off
0:00:20 > 0:00:22by the promises made about what you eat
0:00:22 > 0:00:24and what you pay for it.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26What really winds me up, I suppose,
0:00:26 > 0:00:28is the price of so-called healthy food
0:00:28 > 0:00:30when compared with the unhealthy stuff.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32The unhealthy stuff seems to be so much cheaper.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34- GLORIA:- From claims that just don't stack up
0:00:34 > 0:00:36to the secrets behind the packaging,
0:00:36 > 0:00:39we'll uncover the truth about Britain's food
0:00:39 > 0:00:41so that you can be sure that you're getting what you expect
0:00:41 > 0:00:43at the right price.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46Your food, your money.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48This is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53Hello, and welcome to Rip-Off Britain,
0:00:53 > 0:00:55where this series we're focusing on something
0:00:55 > 0:00:57that all of us just can't do without,
0:00:57 > 0:00:59and that's our food.
0:00:59 > 0:01:00And today, we'll be finding out
0:01:00 > 0:01:03the truth about some of the foods we rush to buy,
0:01:03 > 0:01:05because we think they'll be really good for us
0:01:05 > 0:01:08and those we avoid, because we think they're bad.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10So the question is, have we got it all wrong?
0:01:10 > 0:01:13Are we just scared of the stuff that's absolutely fine,
0:01:13 > 0:01:15and wasting our money on products that,
0:01:15 > 0:01:16despite what they claim,
0:01:16 > 0:01:19are no better for us than anything else?
0:01:19 > 0:01:20Well, to find out, we'll be unpicking
0:01:20 > 0:01:23some of the health scares and the food fads
0:01:23 > 0:01:25that we've all pretty much swallowed wholesale,
0:01:25 > 0:01:27to see which of them should be believed.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29So, whether it's one those food scares
0:01:29 > 0:01:32that's been going on for the last 50 years or so,
0:01:32 > 0:01:35to the foods, the juices and the potions
0:01:35 > 0:01:38that we're told are going to transform how we feel.
0:01:38 > 0:01:39Hopefully, by the end of this programme,
0:01:39 > 0:01:41we'll have cut through enough of that hype
0:01:41 > 0:01:44so that you are going be much better informed
0:01:44 > 0:01:45the next time you're deciding
0:01:45 > 0:01:47whether or not you're going to spend your money
0:01:47 > 0:01:50on what seems to be a healthy choice.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54Coming up, three letters that spell out
0:01:54 > 0:01:57one of the most controversial ingredients in food around.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01But is there really anything to worry about with MSG?
0:02:01 > 0:02:03It's not unpleasant.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05Actually, funnily enough,
0:02:05 > 0:02:07- it's making my taste buds work.- Yes.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13You know, sometimes we hear so much negative stuff
0:02:13 > 0:02:15about a particular ingredient in our food
0:02:15 > 0:02:17that we might be prepared to swallow
0:02:17 > 0:02:19whatever is being said
0:02:19 > 0:02:21without necessarily questioning it.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24And there are those who would say that's very much the case
0:02:24 > 0:02:27with a particular additive that is often found in savoury foods,
0:02:27 > 0:02:30MSG, or monosodium glutamate.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Now, over the years, it's caused so much controversy
0:02:33 > 0:02:35that, although still very widely used,
0:02:35 > 0:02:39it's considered by many to be a nasty chemical
0:02:39 > 0:02:40that is best avoided.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43And indeed, there are companies and restaurants
0:02:43 > 0:02:46that proudly boast that they don't use it.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50But has MSG gained its poor reputation for no good reason?
0:02:50 > 0:02:52And could it be that, in fact,
0:02:52 > 0:02:55there isn't really anything wrong with it at all?
0:02:58 > 0:03:02This innocent-looking white powder has been blamed for everything
0:03:02 > 0:03:05from general feelings of weakness, to heart disease,
0:03:05 > 0:03:07asthma to depression.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09It's MSG, or monosodium glutamate.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13And, after one of the world's longest-running food scares,
0:03:13 > 0:03:14there are scores of people
0:03:14 > 0:03:18who won't buy or eat anything that contains it.
0:03:18 > 0:03:19I would avoid it if possible, if I knew,
0:03:19 > 0:03:21if it was on the packaging or whatever.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23It's bad for you but we do eat it.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25It's not good for me at all.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28MSG is a flavour enhancer
0:03:28 > 0:03:31that over the years has been widely used in lots of foods,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34from crisps to takeaways and gravy.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38But if the horror stories that started in the late 1960s
0:03:38 > 0:03:39are to be believed,
0:03:39 > 0:03:42it's something we should steer well clear of.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45Back then, the supposed effects of too much MSG -
0:03:45 > 0:03:48headaches, numbness and even palpitations -
0:03:48 > 0:03:51were dubbed "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome".
0:03:51 > 0:03:52In the following years,
0:03:52 > 0:03:54it was linked to brain lesions in mice,
0:03:54 > 0:03:56and in the decades since,
0:03:56 > 0:03:58some have even claimed a link to blindness.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02But alongside all those terrifying medical reports,
0:04:02 > 0:04:03there was plenty of other research
0:04:03 > 0:04:07that found MSG had no ill effects at all.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09Trouble is, it wasn't those studies
0:04:09 > 0:04:11that stuck in the public consciousness.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14It does give me headaches, actually.
0:04:14 > 0:04:15Too much of it gives me a headache.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17I think it's bad for you,
0:04:17 > 0:04:20because it's quite an artificial ingredient.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22It just doesn't make me feel at all good.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26Um, like heart racing, palpitations, that sort of thing.
0:04:26 > 0:04:27and, um, extreme thirst afterwards.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31But is MSG's poor reputation really deserved?
0:04:31 > 0:04:33I've come to the University of Hertfordshire
0:04:33 > 0:04:37to meet toxicologist Professor Rob Chilcott.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Why has glutamate had such a bad press?
0:04:39 > 0:04:41Well, it all started in the late 1960s,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44and a physician went for a meal with his wife
0:04:44 > 0:04:45at a Chinese restaurant.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49And after the meal, he felt that he had a tightness of chest
0:04:49 > 0:04:50and some flushing of the skin.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54And he found that every time he went to a Chinese restaurant,
0:04:54 > 0:04:57it was quite a repeating experience.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59And it was that physician who coined the term
0:04:59 > 0:05:01"Chinese restaurant syndrome"
0:05:01 > 0:05:04and published a paper speculating on what might have caused it.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07That prompted the scientific world to investigate,
0:05:07 > 0:05:11and soon, the finger was being pointed at MSG,
0:05:11 > 0:05:14even though no-one could really agree on the symptoms
0:05:14 > 0:05:16that it was supposed to cause.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19The symptoms and the signs of MSG exposure,
0:05:19 > 0:05:21always seemed to be a little different
0:05:21 > 0:05:22depending on who you spoke to.
0:05:22 > 0:05:23Why was that?
0:05:23 > 0:05:25Probably because a lot of it was a placebo effect.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28So, eating food which you think is going to effect you,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31will probably have an effect.
0:05:31 > 0:05:32In the years that followed,
0:05:32 > 0:05:35conflicting reports and studies have continued to appear,
0:05:35 > 0:05:38some drawing worrying conclusions,
0:05:38 > 0:05:40others unable to prove anything.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43Of course, a lot of tests were done in the '70s
0:05:43 > 0:05:46which produced some rather alarming results.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48They were looking at very high doses,
0:05:48 > 0:05:51which are not really representative of the sort of amounts of MSG
0:05:51 > 0:05:52you get in a diet.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56But even so, there is no evidence to suggest whatsoever
0:05:56 > 0:05:58that monosodium glutamate is toxic.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02Meanwhile, there is scientific evidence
0:06:02 > 0:06:05to suggest that lots of other things that we consume every day
0:06:05 > 0:06:07and think are innocuous
0:06:07 > 0:06:11are, theoretically, much more dangerous than MSG,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14including one we'll all definitely have had
0:06:14 > 0:06:16and probably in the last few hours.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19A great example is a compound you might have heard of
0:06:19 > 0:06:23called dihydrogen monoxide, or DHMO.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25Now, DHMO is actually quite toxic.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27If you inhale it, you can die,
0:06:27 > 0:06:29if you ingest it in large enough quantities,
0:06:29 > 0:06:32it causes an electrolyte imbalance which can kill you.
0:06:32 > 0:06:33So you would think that there'd be a move
0:06:33 > 0:06:36to ban DHMO from our foods.
0:06:36 > 0:06:37But, of course, DHMO is water.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41Well, despite MSG being so controversial,
0:06:41 > 0:06:43you'll still find it in the ingredients list
0:06:43 > 0:06:45of a whole host of everyday foods.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48The label might not even mention MSG.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Instead, you might see it described as "natural flavourings"
0:06:51 > 0:06:54or by its E number, E621.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57And the reason it continues to be so widely used
0:06:57 > 0:07:01is because it is actually a really powerful flavour enhancer,
0:07:01 > 0:07:04boosting the impact of one of the fundamental tastes
0:07:04 > 0:07:06that we commonly come across,
0:07:06 > 0:07:09even if we never knew that it actually had its own name.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12It's a taste known as umami,
0:07:12 > 0:07:17a Japanese word that can mean savoury or deliciousness.
0:07:17 > 0:07:18There are five major tastes.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22There's sweet, salty, sour and bitter.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24And the fifth one is umami,
0:07:24 > 0:07:26which is this one which monosodium glutamate
0:07:26 > 0:07:29really brings out the flavour in food.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33So Rob is giving me all of these five common tastes to try.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35The first few are very familiar,
0:07:35 > 0:07:38but the last one, the one that has that umami taste,
0:07:38 > 0:07:40I can't honestly say I recall ever trying before.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42Oh!
0:07:42 > 0:07:45It's bizarre. I was expecting sweet.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49- It...it's savoury.- Yes.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52Yes, it's very savoury!
0:07:52 > 0:07:55Feels like I've had a sort of soggy chip.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58HE LAUGHS
0:07:58 > 0:07:59But is it a pleasant taste or a...?
0:07:59 > 0:08:01It's not unpleasant.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03Definitely not unpleasant.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05Actually, funnily enough, what it's doing is
0:08:05 > 0:08:07- it's making my taste buds work.- Yes.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09Mmm, what is it?
0:08:09 > 0:08:11That's actually...
0:08:11 > 0:08:12monosodium glutamate.
0:08:12 > 0:08:13Oh, right!
0:08:15 > 0:08:18It's not just scientists who understand how MSG works
0:08:18 > 0:08:21to bring out that umami flavour in foods.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23Chef Heston Blumenthal, for example,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26actively adds MSG to some of his foods,
0:08:26 > 0:08:31recently declaring that it's a really important element of taste,
0:08:31 > 0:08:33and the idea that there's anything bad about it
0:08:33 > 0:08:36is simply an old wives' tale.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40And experts like Rob would say that there is no need to avoid it,
0:08:40 > 0:08:44because the official advice from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation
0:08:44 > 0:08:48is that MSG is safe for the vast majority of people.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50So maybe this much-maligned ingredient
0:08:50 > 0:08:53is about to come back into fashion,
0:08:53 > 0:08:56bringing an end to one of the longest-running food scares
0:08:56 > 0:08:57of modern times.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59One that, many now say,
0:08:59 > 0:09:03should never have become so widely accepted in the first place.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10Still to come on Rip-Off Britain,
0:09:10 > 0:09:12the quick-fix detox solutions
0:09:12 > 0:09:15promising to energise and revitalise your body.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18But is your wallet the only thing they're really clearing out?
0:09:18 > 0:09:22There is no evidence that you can detoxify your body
0:09:22 > 0:09:23with any of these products.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26Not one of them has a single scientific study
0:09:26 > 0:09:28to back up the use of its products.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35Now, for decades, cutting something completely out of your diet
0:09:35 > 0:09:38has been the starting point for countless diets
0:09:38 > 0:09:40and apparently healthy-eating regimes.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43And all of those diets really boosted sales of products
0:09:43 > 0:09:47sold as being "free from" this, or "free from" that.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Products that were developed for people with a genuine need
0:09:50 > 0:09:52to exclude something from their diet.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54But now, they're eagerly snapped up
0:09:54 > 0:09:56by people who don't have that need,
0:09:56 > 0:09:58but just want to avoid particular ingredients
0:09:58 > 0:10:00as a lifestyle choice.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02Now, these free-from goods
0:10:02 > 0:10:05fill up whole aisles of the supermarket these days.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07But according to nutritionists,
0:10:07 > 0:10:10some of the people buying them are spending well over the odds
0:10:10 > 0:10:13on products that will give them no benefit whatsoever.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20Whether it's products made without dairy, gluten or wheat,
0:10:20 > 0:10:22the market in foods that are free-from
0:10:22 > 0:10:24a particular ingredient is booming.
0:10:24 > 0:10:29In 2014, it was worth a whopping £365 million pounds,
0:10:29 > 0:10:31and it's growing.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34These foods were developed for the 2% of people in the UK
0:10:34 > 0:10:36who have a genuine medical reason,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38for example, an intolerance,
0:10:38 > 0:10:40for cutting something out of their diet.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43But with up to a third of us reckoned to have bought them,
0:10:43 > 0:10:46what exactly is that that we're buying into?
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Nutrition therapist Ian Marber has coeliac disease,
0:10:49 > 0:10:51meaning he simply can't eat gluten.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54So he really does need to eat gluten-free food.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57But he believes that anyone who buys it when they don't need to
0:10:57 > 0:11:00is falling for a fad.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Gluten-free foods were previously only found in health food stores.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06They sort of really promoted the idea that it's healthy,
0:11:06 > 0:11:08that gluten-free food is better than normal food.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10It doesn't necessarily mean that
0:11:10 > 0:11:12the gluten-free version of regular food is actually better,
0:11:12 > 0:11:14it's just gluten-free.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16Ian believes that some shoppers
0:11:16 > 0:11:19don't really understand the point of free-from foods,
0:11:19 > 0:11:22and we took him out to put his theory to the test.
0:11:22 > 0:11:23Do you know what gluten is?
0:11:25 > 0:11:26Well, unlike a lot of people,
0:11:26 > 0:11:28you hear about it, you know you should avoid it.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31Which one would you say, of those two, was healthier?
0:11:31 > 0:11:34Which one looks healthier and feels healthier?
0:11:34 > 0:11:35The green one.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37Is that because of the colour, or because it says gluten-free?
0:11:37 > 0:11:39- Probably because of the colour... - OK.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43..and, um, you've got it's free from gluten,
0:11:43 > 0:11:44wheat-free and milk-free.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47What's happened is that the word gluten-free
0:11:47 > 0:11:49has actually become the shorthand for healthy
0:11:49 > 0:11:51in the same way that organic or low-fat is.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53It gives that aura of health.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56Apparently, 42% of the population believe gluten is man-made,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59and I think this just underlines the idea that gluten is a bad thing.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02It's a poison, it's a toxin that has to be got rid of.
0:12:02 > 0:12:03Gluten is the general name
0:12:03 > 0:12:06for the proteins found in various grains, such as wheat,
0:12:06 > 0:12:09that make so many staple foods in our diets.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12It's the stuff that holds bread or pasta together,
0:12:12 > 0:12:14acting like a form of glue.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16And what particularly worries Ian
0:12:16 > 0:12:19is that the way gluten-free foods are formulated
0:12:19 > 0:12:21may mean that if you don't need them,
0:12:21 > 0:12:23these foods can actually be less healthy
0:12:23 > 0:12:25than their regular counterparts.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29Gluten gives food a chewiness and a texture,
0:12:29 > 0:12:30which is difficult to recreate.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32So manufacturers will attempt to recreate that
0:12:32 > 0:12:34by using more sugar,
0:12:34 > 0:12:36they can use more gum, sometimes more fat.
0:12:36 > 0:12:37Now, for someone who's coeliac,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40the fact that it's gluten-free is the most important thing,
0:12:40 > 0:12:43and they might be able to overlook the extra calories, the extra fat.
0:12:43 > 0:12:44But if you're not coeliac,
0:12:44 > 0:12:46and you don't necessarily need to be gluten-free,
0:12:46 > 0:12:48you might be kidding yourself thinking it's healthier
0:12:48 > 0:12:51because you are just taking on more calories and more sugar.
0:12:51 > 0:12:52And for many people,
0:12:52 > 0:12:56free-from foods are now proving controversial for another reason...
0:12:56 > 0:12:57the cost.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03A number of Rip-Off Britain viewers have been in touch
0:13:03 > 0:13:05to say that they feel that they're being penalised
0:13:05 > 0:13:07by having to pay more for these foods
0:13:07 > 0:13:09just because they have an allergy,
0:13:09 > 0:13:11and they don't think that that's fair.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13Sally Waters wrote in very unhappy
0:13:13 > 0:13:17that while 1kg of regular porridge costs 75p,
0:13:17 > 0:13:22the gluten-free equivalent costs a whopping £7.72.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25Wendy Laverick from County Durham e-mailed saying that...
0:13:31 > 0:13:35And Leanne Nuttall from Manchester e-mailed us making the same points.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37She too has coeliac disease,
0:13:37 > 0:13:39and eating anything with gluten in it
0:13:39 > 0:13:42can trigger stomach cramps, tiredness and vomiting,
0:13:42 > 0:13:44so her shopping list matters more than most.
0:13:46 > 0:13:47I have to have a gluten and wheat-free diet
0:13:47 > 0:13:49because my body just won't accept it,
0:13:49 > 0:13:53and if I try and eat it, I get extremely poorly.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55Erm, you can get to the case where I can be in hospital,
0:13:55 > 0:13:57it can be that bad.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59Leanne was only diagnosed around ten years ago,
0:13:59 > 0:14:02and when she first ventured out to her supermarket
0:14:02 > 0:14:04to do a gluten-free weekly shop,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07she was shocked to find out how much more it cost.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10Most people, especially if you're new to being a coeliac,
0:14:10 > 0:14:12you'll go straight to the free-from section
0:14:12 > 0:14:15and pay probably triple the price.
0:14:15 > 0:14:16Tonight, for our tea,
0:14:16 > 0:14:20I'm going to have my own gluten and wheat-free chicken pie,
0:14:20 > 0:14:24and they're going to have just a normal, average steak pie.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28Erm, obviously, I've had to buy two separate boxes.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32My gluten and wheat-free one cost me nearly four quid for two pies.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35Theirs, for a pack of four, two quid.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39Again, big price difference, especially when you're on a budget.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42Leanne and the other viewers who contacted us on this
0:14:42 > 0:14:43have one simple question
0:14:43 > 0:14:47they'd like the manufacturers of all these free-from foods to answer.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50Just why are they so expensive?
0:14:50 > 0:14:52So we sent Leanne to meet Tobias Kaerst
0:14:52 > 0:14:55at a food lab not too far away from where she lives
0:14:55 > 0:14:57to find out more about what ingredients
0:14:57 > 0:14:59go into her gluten-free food
0:14:59 > 0:15:00that makes it so much more pricey.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05As you can see, there's obviously a wide range of more ingredients
0:15:05 > 0:15:06in the gluten-free one.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08I am actually shocked on how much more ingredients there is
0:15:08 > 0:15:11for a gluten-free bread compared to a gluten bread.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13Well, there's a reason for this, obviously.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15With the gluten bread, you obviously get the gluten
0:15:15 > 0:15:18which are really, really important as an ingredient for bread.
0:15:18 > 0:15:23And somehow, we need to rebuild this using other ingredients
0:15:23 > 0:15:24to have the same effect.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27Do you think that contributes then to the big price difference?
0:15:27 > 0:15:29It does, definitely.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33But the main ingredient obviously being used in our bread
0:15:33 > 0:15:35is the gluten flour, the wheat flour,
0:15:35 > 0:15:38which is grown in this country and everywhere.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41With this flour, which we need to use in a gluten-free bread,
0:15:41 > 0:15:44we have different flours in there and starches
0:15:44 > 0:15:46which are not so common.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49Because the gluten is the main ingredient
0:15:49 > 0:15:50that holds bread together,
0:15:50 > 0:15:54it's very hard to replicate its effects and quality for coeliacs.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56Very often find with the gluten-free bread
0:15:56 > 0:16:00it's very dry and sometimes it's like cardboard.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Well, this is where food product development technologists
0:16:03 > 0:16:05do work on it
0:16:05 > 0:16:06and trying, hopefully, to find a solution,
0:16:06 > 0:16:08which is a gluten-free product
0:16:08 > 0:16:10which is as close as it comes to bread.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12Well, I hope they'll come up with something soon
0:16:12 > 0:16:15cos I miss a decent sandwich. THEY LAUGH
0:16:15 > 0:16:17- GLORIA LAUGHS - Good girl.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19Now, the ongoing technological research
0:16:19 > 0:16:22and the rarer ingredients used all add to the price,
0:16:22 > 0:16:26but Leanne isn't satisfied with what she has to pay for.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28The high price is there because you don't have any gluten in there,
0:16:28 > 0:16:30and that's the importance of it.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32But I think the price needs to reflect its quality.
0:16:32 > 0:16:33We're working on it
0:16:33 > 0:16:36so that you can have a proper sandwich at one stage
0:16:36 > 0:16:39which is like gluten bread.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41- So I'm going hold you to that. - You can.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43I was actually really shocked.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47I didn't realise how much ingredients actually went into the bread.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49I'm not as negative towards it.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53While Leanne looks forward to the day
0:16:53 > 0:16:56when she can enjoy tasty and affordable gluten-free bread,
0:16:56 > 0:16:59back at the market, Ian Marber agrees with her
0:16:59 > 0:17:01that the higher prices for free-from foods
0:17:01 > 0:17:03can be very hard to understand,
0:17:03 > 0:17:05especially now that so many people are buying them.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08The cost is some way justified,
0:17:08 > 0:17:11but it still doesn't explain why sometimes gluten-free food
0:17:11 > 0:17:12is double the original.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15I can understand 10, 15, 20% more, but certainly not double.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18I think the gluten-free market has established itself
0:17:18 > 0:17:19as being a certain price
0:17:19 > 0:17:21and it's unlikely that's really going to change,
0:17:21 > 0:17:23certainly not in the consumer's favour.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31I bet, like me, many of you find it hard to avoid temptation
0:17:31 > 0:17:33and only eat the things that are good for you.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36That's one reason why lots of companies sell
0:17:36 > 0:17:39what appear to be a perfect, quick-fix solution.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43All manner of products that promise to cleanse and detox our bodies.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47In effect, undoing all the bad things we might have done to ourselves.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50But when we took a closer look at the bold claims
0:17:50 > 0:17:52behind some of the remedies you can buy,
0:17:52 > 0:17:54it became clear that while you may think
0:17:54 > 0:17:56you're giving your body a crucial overhaul,
0:17:56 > 0:17:59all that's really being cleaned out may be your wallet.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06Feeling run down? Low on energy?
0:18:06 > 0:18:07Poor digestion?
0:18:07 > 0:18:09Well, according to some companies,
0:18:09 > 0:18:11what you need to do is detox.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15But most doctors and experts say that's plain bunkum.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18Even so, the detox industry is big business.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21And whether it's off the shelf products from high street stores
0:18:21 > 0:18:24or special potions and juices delivered to your door,
0:18:24 > 0:18:28there's no shortage of companies peddling detox regimes
0:18:28 > 0:18:32that claim to cleanse your body and rid it of nasty toxins.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37And that's a message that's really appealed
0:18:37 > 0:18:40to Eliza Flynn from London.
0:18:40 > 0:18:41Eliza's a health writer
0:18:41 > 0:18:44and spends a lot of time reviewing health foods and products.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48But for her, it's more than just a professional interest,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51she's determined to keep her own body in tiptop shape.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53And she shares all her thoughts and ideas
0:18:53 > 0:18:56on her food and fitness blog.
0:18:56 > 0:18:57I started my blog
0:18:57 > 0:19:00because I was really interested in trying out
0:19:00 > 0:19:02different fitness classes
0:19:02 > 0:19:04and, obviously, with fitness there comes food
0:19:04 > 0:19:06because you also have to eat well
0:19:06 > 0:19:08um, as well as do exercise,
0:19:08 > 0:19:10and I love food.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14Eliza has tried numerous health regimes and detoxes in the past.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16And her blog means that companies
0:19:16 > 0:19:20often send her free samples to try and review.
0:19:20 > 0:19:21So when one business asked her
0:19:21 > 0:19:24to try a new kind of juice detox she'd never had before,
0:19:24 > 0:19:26she jumped at the chance.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28For the juice detox,
0:19:28 > 0:19:30you're sent a whole box of juices
0:19:30 > 0:19:33and there's eight for each day for three days.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37And that's a mixture of different fruit and vegetable juices,
0:19:37 > 0:19:39and you generally have these every two hours.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41I don't think I had any expectations,
0:19:41 > 0:19:47but I had heard that I could expect to feel lighter, more energised,
0:19:47 > 0:19:50my skin could be better, I could sleep better.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53Eliza was trying a detox regime
0:19:53 > 0:19:55using juices from the company Press,
0:19:55 > 0:19:57whose website spelled out the apparent benefits
0:19:57 > 0:20:00using all sorts of scientific terms
0:20:00 > 0:20:03to describe how the body was actually detoxified.
0:20:04 > 0:20:05"This fasting causes our body
0:20:05 > 0:20:07"to move from the sympathetic nervous system
0:20:07 > 0:20:09"to the parasympathetic nervous system,
0:20:09 > 0:20:12"where it can begin to detoxify and heal."
0:20:13 > 0:20:17Eliza's juice detox meant she had to go without solid food
0:20:17 > 0:20:18for three whole days,
0:20:18 > 0:20:19which wasn't always easy.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24The only issue I did have with the juice detox
0:20:24 > 0:20:26was when my boyfriend was cooking,
0:20:26 > 0:20:29um, like, cinnamon buns for breakfast
0:20:29 > 0:20:31and I was there with my green juice
0:20:31 > 0:20:34and there's only so many green juices you can have.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38But in the end, Eliza was convinced it was all worth it.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40After the juice detox,
0:20:40 > 0:20:42I definitely felt a lot cleaner
0:20:42 > 0:20:46and I know that, in terms of stomach-wise,
0:20:46 > 0:20:48I didn't feel so bloated,
0:20:48 > 0:20:49um, and I definitely had a flatter tummy.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53So, is Eliza right in thinking
0:20:53 > 0:20:56her body was cleansed of nasty toxins by the juices?
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Or is she barking up completely the wrong tree
0:20:59 > 0:21:02and feeling better for another reason entirely?
0:21:04 > 0:21:07We've brought her to meet clinical dietician Lucy Jones
0:21:07 > 0:21:10to see what she makes of such treatments.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13Is it possible to detox your body
0:21:13 > 0:21:15using products that are out there at the moment?
0:21:15 > 0:21:19Such as, you've got tea bags, there's smoothies, juices, etc.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23There is no evidence that you can detoxify your body
0:21:23 > 0:21:25with any of these products.
0:21:25 > 0:21:26And these products are very clever,
0:21:26 > 0:21:30that when you look at what they promote about their product
0:21:30 > 0:21:33they don't tell you what toxins they're detoxifying
0:21:33 > 0:21:34or how they do that,
0:21:34 > 0:21:36so there's nothing we can measure.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39So not one of them has a single scientific study
0:21:39 > 0:21:41to back up the use of its products
0:21:41 > 0:21:43cos we never really know what it's doing.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46So it stays very vague on its science
0:21:46 > 0:21:49in order to make it sound more authoritative.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52And it soon becomes clear that
0:21:52 > 0:21:55Lucy doesn't think any detox products are necessary at all,
0:21:55 > 0:21:59because the body is perfectly good at detoxifying itself.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04Our body is a really complicated detoxifying machine.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07We continually detoxify our bodies
0:22:07 > 0:22:09through a series of chemical reactions taking place
0:22:09 > 0:22:13from the lungs, the skin, the liver, the bowel, the kidneys
0:22:13 > 0:22:16and all of these organs work all the time
0:22:16 > 0:22:18to help detoxify your body.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20What there isn't any evidence for
0:22:20 > 0:22:22is that you can make them work more effectively
0:22:22 > 0:22:24or speed up the process
0:22:24 > 0:22:26by using any of these products.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29And there are some who'd say the prices of these products
0:22:29 > 0:22:32are every bit as inflated as their health claims.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35A quick hunt online shows up detox products
0:22:35 > 0:22:39that cost as much as £81 for each day's treatment.
0:22:39 > 0:22:40And even the one that Eliza tried
0:22:40 > 0:22:43would normally cost £149
0:22:43 > 0:22:46for the three-day supply of juices.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49All of which might be a reasonable price to pay
0:22:49 > 0:22:50if there was a body of scientific evidence
0:22:50 > 0:22:53to back up what they say they do.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56But Lucy, in common with all the other experts we've spoken to,
0:22:56 > 0:22:58is adamant that there isn't.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02And she's not remotely convinced when Eliza reads to her
0:23:02 > 0:23:05some of the claims that a variety of detox products have made
0:23:05 > 0:23:07to explain how they're supposed to work.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10"These toxins are stored in fat cells, tissues,
0:23:10 > 0:23:12"bodily organs, even the brain.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15"Fatigue, allergies, weight gain, low energy,
0:23:15 > 0:23:17"poor immunity and many other health conditions
0:23:17 > 0:23:20"are all signs that we're not detoxifying properly."
0:23:20 > 0:23:22That's an unbelievable claim.
0:23:22 > 0:23:23So, basically, what they're saying is,
0:23:23 > 0:23:25no matter what's wrong with you,
0:23:25 > 0:23:27all you need to do is use their product.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29I just think it's...it's terrible.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32It's really preying on people's health conditions
0:23:32 > 0:23:33and health concerns
0:23:33 > 0:23:36and there's absolutely no evidence to back this up at all.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38The organs they're talking about,
0:23:38 > 0:23:40things like the liver, the kidneys, the colon,
0:23:40 > 0:23:43actually, we don't store toxins there,
0:23:43 > 0:23:44they convert them and eliminate them.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46That's the job of those organs.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49But even if there's no proof that detoxes actually work,
0:23:49 > 0:23:52there's no escaping that the juice one Eliza tried
0:23:52 > 0:23:54did make her feel better.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56I really enjoyed the juice cleanse
0:23:56 > 0:23:59and I felt there were some personal benefits for me,
0:23:59 > 0:24:01so what is the problem with that?
0:24:01 > 0:24:03Oh, there's nothing wrong with that
0:24:03 > 0:24:06and nobody can change your experience.
0:24:06 > 0:24:07What we're looking at is,
0:24:07 > 0:24:11will surviving off juices alone over three days,
0:24:11 > 0:24:15paying an awful lot of money to a company to do so,
0:24:15 > 0:24:17actually meet the health claims that it purports?
0:24:17 > 0:24:21And in this sense, none of the products that we've looked at
0:24:21 > 0:24:24actually have any evidence to support those claims.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30Of course, the companies behind these lucrative products would disagree.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32So we asked six of them to prove the science
0:24:32 > 0:24:35behind the claims they make for their detox products.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37But only one replied,
0:24:37 > 0:24:41and that was the one whose juice cleanse Eliza tested out, Press.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47It told us it's working with nutritionists to clarify...
0:24:50 > 0:24:51But acknowledged that, for now...
0:24:58 > 0:25:01The company argues that these days, detox is...
0:25:03 > 0:25:04..and can mean anything
0:25:04 > 0:25:06that involves you taking a break from the...
0:25:09 > 0:25:11..that are part of modern-day life.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14For example, laying off alcohol for a weekend.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18As such, its juice cleanse is aimed at...
0:25:22 > 0:25:26..to allow the body some time to "redress the balance".
0:25:26 > 0:25:28And it said that, like Eliza,
0:25:28 > 0:25:3090% of their thousand or so clients
0:25:30 > 0:25:33say they've experienced positive results.
0:25:35 > 0:25:36As for Eliza herself,
0:25:36 > 0:25:40despite hearing how critical the medical profession can be
0:25:40 > 0:25:41of the detox industry as a whole,
0:25:41 > 0:25:44she remains open-minded.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47I don't think its right that these companies
0:25:47 > 0:25:48are using such terms on their websites
0:25:48 > 0:25:50and to sell their products
0:25:50 > 0:25:52if there's no scientific basis in it.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54I think, for me, though,
0:25:54 > 0:25:58I felt a lot of benefit from doing a juice detox
0:25:58 > 0:25:59and so I'd do one again.
0:26:07 > 0:26:08Here at Rip-Off Britain,
0:26:08 > 0:26:13we're always ready to investigate more of your stories on any subject.
0:26:13 > 0:26:14Confused over your bills
0:26:14 > 0:26:17or just trying to wade through never-ending small print?
0:26:18 > 0:26:19It's very frustrating
0:26:19 > 0:26:22because it makes what should be a quite simple job
0:26:22 > 0:26:23a lot more complicated,
0:26:23 > 0:26:25and I think some people just give up,
0:26:25 > 0:26:26and so they don't get the best deal.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30Maybe you're unsure what to do when you discover you've lost out
0:26:30 > 0:26:35and that so-called great deal has ended up costing you money.
0:26:35 > 0:26:36People are buying into this.
0:26:36 > 0:26:37I did, you know,
0:26:37 > 0:26:41and are they going to be as awkward with them as they were with me?
0:26:41 > 0:26:43You might have a cautionary tale of your own
0:26:43 > 0:26:45and want to share the mistakes that you've made with us.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47Well, it upsets me an awful lot
0:26:47 > 0:26:49because, you know, I'm retired
0:26:49 > 0:26:53and I...begrudge having to pay that kind of money out.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57You can write to us at...
0:27:06 > 0:27:07Or send us an e-mail to...
0:27:11 > 0:27:15The Rip-Off team is ready and waiting to investigate your stories.
0:27:19 > 0:27:20Well, as we've seen,
0:27:20 > 0:27:23when so many of us really care about what the food we eat
0:27:23 > 0:27:25is doing to our bodies,
0:27:25 > 0:27:27it doesn't take much to get us rushing to buy something
0:27:27 > 0:27:29we're told is good for us
0:27:29 > 0:27:31or shunning something we think isn't,
0:27:31 > 0:27:34even if the reality of the health message behind it all
0:27:34 > 0:27:35doesn't completely stack up.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37And how true is that?
0:27:37 > 0:27:39Well, sometimes, all those press stories
0:27:39 > 0:27:40and very clever marketing
0:27:40 > 0:27:43might mean that what we've been told previously
0:27:43 > 0:27:45is what really sticks in the memory
0:27:45 > 0:27:47long after it's turned out either to be exaggerated,
0:27:47 > 0:27:49or worse, completely untrue.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51And, of course, we want to believe that
0:27:51 > 0:27:53we're doing the right things for these gorgeous bodies.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56- Our temples. - Don't we just, don't we just.
0:27:56 > 0:27:57So the next time that you're shopping,
0:27:57 > 0:27:59take a very careful look
0:27:59 > 0:28:01at what those labels are actually saying
0:28:01 > 0:28:04and don't just assume that every health message
0:28:04 > 0:28:06is all that it's cracked up to be.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08Sometimes an extra dose of scepticism
0:28:08 > 0:28:10can be every bit as healthy
0:28:10 > 0:28:12as some of the claims that we come across,
0:28:12 > 0:28:14and, of course, it can save you quite a bit of money.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16But I'm afraid it's on that thought
0:28:16 > 0:28:18that we have to leave you for today.
0:28:18 > 0:28:19So, until the next time,
0:28:19 > 0:28:21thanks very much indeed for joining us,
0:28:21 > 0:28:23- and, as always, come back soon. - Bye-bye.- Bye-bye.- Bye.