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.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12You think you're getting a bargain and you're not really.
0:00:12 > 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 > 0:00:20Whether you're staying in or going out, you've told us you can
0:00:20 > 0:00:23feel ripped off by the promises made for what you eat
0:00:23 > 0:00:24and what you pay for it.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26What really winds me up, I suppose,
0:00:26 > 0:00:27is the price of so-called healthy food
0:00:27 > 0:00:29then compared with the unhealthy stuff.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32The unhealthy stuff seems to be so much cheaper.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36From claims that just don't stack up to the secrets behind the packaging,
0:00:36 > 0:00:38we'll uncover the truth about Britain's food,
0:00:38 > 0:00:41so that you can be sure that you're getting
0:00:41 > 0:00:43what you expect at the right price.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45Your food.
0:00:45 > 0:00:46Your money.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48This is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Well, hello and welcome to Rip-Off Britain,
0:00:53 > 0:00:54the series that battles on your behalf
0:00:54 > 0:00:56to make sure that whatever you're buying,
0:00:56 > 0:00:59and wherever you're buying it, you get exactly what you expect.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01Now, when it comes to our food,
0:01:01 > 0:01:04the place where we still do most of our buying
0:01:04 > 0:01:05remains the supermarket.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09So, it's those big-name stores that we've firmly in our sights today.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11Very much so, because supermarkets
0:01:11 > 0:01:14are such a fundamental part of our lives.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16You know, every year, between them,
0:01:16 > 0:01:18they account for more than a third of all the money
0:01:18 > 0:01:20- that we spend in shops?- Whoa.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24And they go to great lengths to win our loyalty, don't they?
0:01:24 > 0:01:27But, you know, despite all of their claims about low prices
0:01:27 > 0:01:29and offers that simply can't be beaten,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32some of you have said that you're not always sure
0:01:32 > 0:01:36that when you leave the shop you really have had the best deal.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38Well, on Rip-Off Britain our team's been busy
0:01:38 > 0:01:40going through all the e-mails and letters
0:01:40 > 0:01:41you've sent us on the subject,
0:01:41 > 0:01:43and we've been pounding the aisles,
0:01:43 > 0:01:45so that next time you're at the checkout
0:01:45 > 0:01:47whether it's in-store or online,
0:01:47 > 0:01:51you can be more confident that you're really getting your money's worth.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55Coming up, the banana's out of the bag.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58We unravel why the big stores charge so much more
0:01:58 > 0:02:02for bananas that come prepacked than for the ones sold loose.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04I thought of myself as a savvy shopper
0:02:04 > 0:02:09and, erm, I was very shocked to see that the prepacked bananas
0:02:09 > 0:02:13were costing over 80% more than the loose bananas.
0:02:14 > 0:02:19And could our trusty Bags For Life be carrying bugs for life?
0:02:19 > 0:02:24We've been at the lab testing for the nasties said to be lurking inside.
0:02:24 > 0:02:25You can't tell by looking at a bag
0:02:25 > 0:02:28whether or not it's hygienically clean.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30That means you probably have to assume
0:02:30 > 0:02:32that most bags could be contaminated.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39Now, we munch our way through five billion of these every year.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43But while one may seem pretty much like any other,
0:02:43 > 0:02:47they're certainly not the same when it comes to the price.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49And one Rip-Off Britain viewer wrote to us
0:02:49 > 0:02:51curious to discover the answer to a question
0:02:51 > 0:02:54that you might have wondered about as well.
0:02:54 > 0:02:59And that is why do prepacked bananas that come in a bag like this
0:02:59 > 0:03:03typically cost more than the loose ones that are sold like this?
0:03:03 > 0:03:06On average, each of us eats 100 bananas every year.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08And Paul Gates, from Warwick,
0:03:08 > 0:03:12pretty much always has a bunch in his supermarket trolley.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14Until recently, that bunch would typically have been the kind
0:03:14 > 0:03:17that comes prebagged rather than loose.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19But then Paul did some sums
0:03:19 > 0:03:23and started to wonder if he was paying over the odds.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26Normally when I go to the supermarket,
0:03:26 > 0:03:31it's so easy just to grab a bag of prepacked fruit or vegetables.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34So, one time I thought, "I'll put them on the scales."
0:03:34 > 0:03:37Paul's prepacked bananas were priced at £1.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39But when he compared the cost
0:03:39 > 0:03:41with the equivalent weight of loose bananas,
0:03:41 > 0:03:43he found his nicely packaged fruit
0:03:43 > 0:03:46was costing him almost twice as much.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49Because those loose ones were only 55p.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52I thought of myself as a savvy shopper,
0:03:52 > 0:03:56and I was very shocked to see that the prepacked bananas
0:03:56 > 0:04:01were costing over 80% more than the loose bananas.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03I wonder if there's any kind of a reason.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06A good question, Paul!
0:04:06 > 0:04:08Well, we've brought him to a place
0:04:08 > 0:04:10where he should be able to get the answer.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14This is the largest single banana ripening facility in the UK,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17where new deliveries arrive from across the world every day.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19OK, then, Paul, as you can see,
0:04:19 > 0:04:21we've got two different types of bananas here.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24We've got some that have been prepacked in the tropics,
0:04:24 > 0:04:26we've got some there that are loose.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30And Paul soon hears the first reason why prepacked bananas
0:04:30 > 0:04:32end up being more expensive.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34They have already cost more to ship to the UK
0:04:34 > 0:04:36than their loose counterparts,
0:04:36 > 0:04:39because those plastic bags take up valuable space in each box.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43Around 25-30% of the price you pay in a supermarket
0:04:43 > 0:04:48is thanks to the cost of shipping bananas here from around the world.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50So the more bags, the greater the shipping cost.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54And that's before they've even arrived at the factory.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56Are all these bananas from exactly the same plantation?
0:04:56 > 0:04:58No, they're not, no.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02This fruit here has come from Costa Rica.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04- Right.- This fruit over here has come from Ecuador.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07This fruit will go straight to the ripening room for ripening,
0:05:07 > 0:05:09to get them to the yellow stage,
0:05:09 > 0:05:10so we'll go and have a look at those now.
0:05:12 > 0:05:1720 million bananas pass through this facility every single week.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20Because it takes two or three weeks to transport them to the UK,
0:05:20 > 0:05:23they're picked and shipped when they're still green,
0:05:23 > 0:05:24and ripened in the factory.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30OK, Paul, here we are in one of our banana-ripening rooms.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32I thought the sunshine ripened bananas?
0:05:32 > 0:05:34No, unfortunately, we don't get the...
0:05:34 > 0:05:37Enough sunshine in the climate in the UK to ripen them naturally,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40so we have to create artificial means to do it.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42So, we'll bring these bananas in here
0:05:42 > 0:05:45and we'll hold them in here for about six days.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48When they arrive to us, they are stone-hard green,
0:05:48 > 0:05:50and we'll want to ripen those up
0:05:50 > 0:05:54to something to what you're used to seeing on the shelf in the shop.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59After they've ripened, the loose bunches head out of the factory
0:05:59 > 0:06:02straight to the supermarkets' own distribution centres.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05Meanwhile, the bananas destined to be sold prepacked
0:06:05 > 0:06:09come here to be checked, sorted, packed and labelled.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11This is our pack house
0:06:11 > 0:06:17and we'll be either packing
0:06:17 > 0:06:18fruit in bags from loose,
0:06:18 > 0:06:23or we'll labelling bags that have already been packed abroad,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26or, if the quality's inconsistent,
0:06:26 > 0:06:29we will be sorting out quality problems that might have happened,
0:06:29 > 0:06:32because you've got to remember they've come a long way
0:06:32 > 0:06:34and things do happen.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39Which leads to another factor in the higher price
0:06:39 > 0:06:41we pay for bagged bananas.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43If the team spot quality issues,
0:06:43 > 0:06:46they have to make up new bags from loose bananas.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48So that's another extra cost.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50And then there's the time spent
0:06:50 > 0:06:52boxing up the bagged bananas
0:06:52 > 0:06:55ready for the supermarkets.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57So, you obviously employ a lot of people here...
0:06:57 > 0:06:59Yes, we do. Yes, we do. We've got a lot of people.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02We enhance the product that's coming in the door
0:07:02 > 0:07:04to the one that's going out.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07And... And they have to be paid for.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Loose bananas, when they're finished their ripening,
0:07:09 > 0:07:11they will go straight out the ripening room,
0:07:11 > 0:07:13straight on the lorry to the customer,
0:07:13 > 0:07:15none of these people even touch them.
0:07:15 > 0:07:20So, it's a very streamlined process for loose, compared with prepacks.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25It's clear that prepacked bananas are just more complicated
0:07:25 > 0:07:27and more costly to process.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30But those bags do have their benefits.
0:07:30 > 0:07:31On the plus side, though,
0:07:31 > 0:07:34a prepacked banana does offer a better shelf life.
0:07:34 > 0:07:39- Really?- Yes, the prepacked banana, you've got in a plastic bag.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42It's got a nice moist atmosphere.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45It stays better-looking for longer.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48But whether that makes the extra cost worth it is up to you.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50Thank you very much for showing me around your factory.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53- It's been very, very interesting. - No, it's been a pleasure, Paul.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58So, after being shown round a banana factory
0:07:58 > 0:08:00for the last couple of hours,
0:08:00 > 0:08:03I've got a better understanding of the price difference
0:08:03 > 0:08:06between loose-pack bananas and prepacked bananas.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09And if there's one thing I really fancy now,
0:08:09 > 0:08:11it's a banana.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14But the difference in price that we pay for a loose and a bagged banana
0:08:14 > 0:08:17is influenced by more than just the packaging.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20In fact, bananas are so popular in the UK,
0:08:20 > 0:08:23they can be on the front line of supermarket price wars.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26Strategically they're very important to supermarkets
0:08:26 > 0:08:31and they tend to invest in keeping prices low on those bananas.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34Most consumers end up buying packaged bananas
0:08:34 > 0:08:37because they're convenient. It's easy to just pick up a bag,
0:08:37 > 0:08:40you know how much you're going to pay for it.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43You don't have to weigh the bunch. There's no surprise at the till.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46And though you may not have noticed,
0:08:46 > 0:08:48overall we get a good deal on our bananas,
0:08:48 > 0:08:52which can sometimes be a loss-leader for the supermarkets.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Supermarkets really have invested a lot
0:08:55 > 0:08:57into low and stable banana prices,
0:08:57 > 0:09:01so even though production costs have gone up quite significantly,
0:09:01 > 0:09:05that has not been reflected in retail prices.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09In most retailers, over the past two years, certainly,
0:09:09 > 0:09:12the price of a kilogram of loose bananas
0:09:12 > 0:09:14has been pretty stable at about 68p,
0:09:14 > 0:09:16and that has been regardless of what's happened
0:09:16 > 0:09:18around production costs.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21When we spoke to the Big Four supermarkets,
0:09:21 > 0:09:25they reiterated what we'd seen for ourselves at the factory -
0:09:25 > 0:09:26that the packaging is...
0:09:30 > 0:09:31..helping with...
0:09:34 > 0:09:37But despite the additional costs that inevitably brings,
0:09:37 > 0:09:41the stores stressed their bananas are priced competitively...
0:09:46 > 0:09:49As for Paul, well, although he now better understands
0:09:49 > 0:09:52why he has to pay more for a prepacked banana
0:09:52 > 0:09:54than he would for a loose one,
0:09:54 > 0:09:57he knows which kind he'll be buying from now on.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00I'm going to be a bit more careful and a bit more mean with my money.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09Still to come on Rip-Off Britain,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12Supermarkets' home deliveries put to the test!
0:10:12 > 0:10:16Will your food last longer if you've ordered it online
0:10:16 > 0:10:19or if you've picked it in-store yourself?
0:10:19 > 0:10:20I'm going to look through them now
0:10:20 > 0:10:22and see what dates are on the products.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28By the end of 2015, supermarkets in England
0:10:28 > 0:10:31will have joined those in Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland,
0:10:31 > 0:10:33and lots of other countries too,
0:10:33 > 0:10:37by charging shoppers for all carrier bags.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39Well, to many of us, that won't come as such a shock,
0:10:39 > 0:10:41because we've already invested in
0:10:41 > 0:10:44the bigger, stronger, reusable Bags For Life
0:10:44 > 0:10:47that the big stores have been encouraging us to use
0:10:47 > 0:10:48for a long time now.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51You may well have diligently been using the same ones
0:10:51 > 0:10:54week in, week out, for months or even years.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56But therein lies the problem,
0:10:56 > 0:10:59because it turns out that those trusty Bags For Life
0:10:59 > 0:11:02might be carrying more than just your shopping.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05The world is crawling with nasty bugs
0:11:05 > 0:11:08like E. coli, salmonella and listeria,
0:11:08 > 0:11:10that can make us very ill indeed.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12Some of them can even live
0:11:12 > 0:11:15on the very food we buy from the supermarkets.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Because these bacteria like to lurk on surfaces
0:11:18 > 0:11:22and in places that aren't cleaned very often, they can easily spread.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25And it's been claimed that one place they can really thrive
0:11:25 > 0:11:29is inside that eco-friendly alternative to the plastic bag -
0:11:29 > 0:11:31the Bag For Life.
0:11:31 > 0:11:32We've got two Bags For Life,
0:11:32 > 0:11:34which we use for either shopping or washing -
0:11:34 > 0:11:37for getting the wet washing out of the washing machine,
0:11:37 > 0:11:38because they're waterproof.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41Oh, yes, we have some at home. They're in the boot of the car.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44If I'm carrying shoes to work or anything like that,
0:11:44 > 0:11:45I will use my Bags For Life for that.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48I love them. They're handy, they're convenient
0:11:48 > 0:11:50and they're environmentally friendly.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56Even the sturdiest Bag For Life won't literally last a lifetime,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59but many of us do use them for months or even years
0:11:59 > 0:12:01and rarely, if ever, clean them out.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05And that means any bugs living in those bags
0:12:05 > 0:12:08are going to stay there undisturbed.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10They'll often have come from the food we've bought
0:12:10 > 0:12:13and dropped into the bag in the first place,
0:12:13 > 0:12:16which is why microbiologists like Dr Lisa Ackerley
0:12:16 > 0:12:19worry that our Bags For Life could be transporting more
0:12:19 > 0:12:21than just the ingredients for our dinner.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24Bags For Life are a great idea
0:12:24 > 0:12:26because obviously they're reducing the waste that we have,
0:12:26 > 0:12:29but we just need to be aware that sometimes they could be contaminated
0:12:29 > 0:12:32with things such as E. coli or campylobacter
0:12:32 > 0:12:34because of the previous use.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36And, of course, we don't just use Bags For Life for food,
0:12:36 > 0:12:39we also put all sorts of things into Bags For Life.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42We use them for our sports kit, football boots,
0:12:42 > 0:12:44walking boots, all sorts of things.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48Several studies in both the UK and America
0:12:48 > 0:12:52have found that instances of food poisoning have gone up
0:12:52 > 0:12:54after ordinary plastic bags were outlawed.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58And in a recent test carried out by a Scottish newspaper,
0:12:58 > 0:13:01almost 50% of a small sample of Bags For Life
0:13:01 > 0:13:05tested positive for potentially dangerous bugs.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07There are plenty of bacteria around in the supermarket,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10so, for example, potatoes and leeks and other root vegetables
0:13:10 > 0:13:14will have soil on them, which means that they could have E. coli.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16Equally, studies have found
0:13:16 > 0:13:19that chickens have very high levels of campylobacter,
0:13:19 > 0:13:21so we could find at least 60% to 70% of raw chickens
0:13:21 > 0:13:23could be contaminated,
0:13:23 > 0:13:26and we've found also that the packaging that they're stored in
0:13:26 > 0:13:28may also be contaminated.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Washing fruit and veg removes the bacteria,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34and cooking chicken thoroughly kills the campylobacter
0:13:34 > 0:13:38that naturally exists in around 70% of supermarket chickens.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41But if meat juices from one of those chickens
0:13:41 > 0:13:44leaks into a bag where ready-to-eat food like fruit is kept
0:13:44 > 0:13:46and it isn't washed,
0:13:46 > 0:13:49then you open yourself up to the risk of infection.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51When you pack your bags at the checkout,
0:13:51 > 0:13:53you're putting potentially contaminated food
0:13:53 > 0:13:55into your shopping bags
0:13:55 > 0:13:57and, of course, if they're Bags For Life,
0:13:57 > 0:13:59then that means that the next time you use them
0:13:59 > 0:14:00then you could have contamination
0:14:00 > 0:14:03from your previous shopping still in the bag.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05Oh, could it? Urrgh!
0:14:05 > 0:14:06I'm shocked.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10Yeah. Where are they coming from? The bacteria?
0:14:11 > 0:14:15So how worried should we be about the bugs in our bags?
0:14:15 > 0:14:18To find out, we asked ten shoppers to surrender their Bags For Life,
0:14:18 > 0:14:20so we could send them to a lab.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25Dr Ackerley has agreed to take a swab from each of our bags
0:14:25 > 0:14:29and test them for common bacteria found on supermarket food.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32Of course, it's only a small sample,
0:14:32 > 0:14:35but nevertheless, it will give a useful snapshot of what,
0:14:35 > 0:14:39if anything, we're carting around in all our reusable bags.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41What we're going to do is test the bags
0:14:41 > 0:14:43to see what levels of contamination they have,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46so how many bacteria there are on the bags.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48Whilst it's almost impossible to know for sure
0:14:48 > 0:14:50if your Bag For Life made you ill,
0:14:50 > 0:14:53official bodies like the Food Standards Agency
0:14:53 > 0:14:55agree that bacteria from raw meat and fish
0:14:55 > 0:14:59could contaminate any ready-to-eat food
0:14:59 > 0:15:00that's put in the same bag.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04But there is a scientist who could have the solution.
0:15:04 > 0:15:05Paul Morris works for a company
0:15:05 > 0:15:10that specialises in making materials that stop bugs from growing.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12Following conversations with the FSA,
0:15:12 > 0:15:15his team came up with a new version of the Bag For Life
0:15:15 > 0:15:17that, if released onto the market,
0:15:17 > 0:15:21might just reduce the risk of contamination altogether.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24I think there's a high risk with the Bags For Life at the moment
0:15:24 > 0:15:26because people aren't aware of it,
0:15:26 > 0:15:28and you only need very small levels of the bacteria
0:15:28 > 0:15:30to actually cause you a problem.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32What we're looking to do is to lower the risk,
0:15:32 > 0:15:34so if there is bacteria there
0:15:34 > 0:15:38our product will permanently get rid of the bacteria on the surface.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42Paul's company has created an improved Bag For Life
0:15:42 > 0:15:44that includes a small layer of silver
0:15:44 > 0:15:47designed to prevent any bacteria from growing on it,
0:15:47 > 0:15:49reducing in one fell swoop the risk
0:15:49 > 0:15:52of bugs being passed from bag to person and so on.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56You wouldn't let your children play with a raw chicken breast.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59But if it's in a trolley, people assume it's safe.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01You either disinfect the bag after every use,
0:16:01 > 0:16:04which people don't tend to do, people like to be lazy,
0:16:04 > 0:16:07or why not have an antibacterial Bag For Life
0:16:07 > 0:16:10which costs a few pence more than a normal bag
0:16:10 > 0:16:12and actually gives you that protection then
0:16:12 > 0:16:14that you're not going to spread bacteria
0:16:14 > 0:16:16from one shopping trip to another.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19Any solution that keeps our bags free from bugs
0:16:19 > 0:16:20has got to be good news.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23But were the Bags For Life we tested as bad as we feared?
0:16:23 > 0:16:25The results are back from the lab.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28And it seems that this time at least there's no need to panic.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31Well, we've got the results back from the laboratory,
0:16:31 > 0:16:33and whilst the results are not as alarming
0:16:33 > 0:16:36as some of the other studies that have been carried out,
0:16:36 > 0:16:39we nevertheless did find some bacteria in the bags,
0:16:39 > 0:16:40but at fairly low quantities
0:16:40 > 0:16:43and nothing that would really cause me great concern.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46However, it does show that the bags are not sterile
0:16:46 > 0:16:48and they will be used for food,
0:16:48 > 0:16:50and so that means that if there is any contamination in them,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53it could be passed on from one food to another.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56None of our bags contained any bacteria
0:16:56 > 0:16:58that could actually cause any serious illnesses.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02And the fact we did find bacteria in them isn't really surprising.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04After all, bacteria are everywhere.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08But it does show that there's the potential for contamination.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10It's always very difficult to know
0:17:10 > 0:17:13where somebody has actually become contaminated.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15Whether it was a bag, whether it was contamination
0:17:15 > 0:17:17from picking up a packet of chicken,
0:17:17 > 0:17:19whether it was preparing chicken in the home,
0:17:19 > 0:17:21or failing to wash their hands.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Often it's very difficult
0:17:23 > 0:17:25to trace back individual cases of food poisoning
0:17:25 > 0:17:29and determine where the fault actually arose.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32And, of course, it doesn't help that you won't be able to tell
0:17:32 > 0:17:36what secrets your bag might be harbouring just by looking at it.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38So you can see this bag is a little bit grubby,
0:17:38 > 0:17:41but it wouldn't strike you as a really, really dirty bag.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45But yet this was the dirtiest one in terms of the microbiology.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47This bag was the second dirtiest bag
0:17:47 > 0:17:50in terms of bacteria that we found on it and, actually,
0:17:50 > 0:17:52it looks pretty clean.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55So, I can't actually see any evidence of dirt on there,
0:17:55 > 0:17:58so what this actually means is you can't tell by looking at a bag
0:17:58 > 0:18:00whether or not it's hygienically clean.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02That means you probably have to assume
0:18:02 > 0:18:04that most bags could be contaminated.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07And while not all the bacteria
0:18:07 > 0:18:10that may be in your Bag For Life will be harmful,
0:18:10 > 0:18:12Lisa has some simple tips
0:18:12 > 0:18:15to make sure you don't get any unwelcome surprises
0:18:15 > 0:18:16from the ones that are.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19I'd recommend, if you're using a Bag For Life,
0:18:19 > 0:18:20to mark one up with a big "R" on it -
0:18:20 > 0:18:23this is what a lot of people do that I know,
0:18:23 > 0:18:25and maybe they're a bit peculiar,
0:18:25 > 0:18:29but that's what they do - a big "R", and that says raw meat only.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31So, all the raw meat goes into one bag.
0:18:31 > 0:18:32And as long as we understand
0:18:32 > 0:18:34that we're picking up bacteria on our hands
0:18:34 > 0:18:37and we take the appropriate action, which is washing our hands
0:18:37 > 0:18:40before we eat, then really we are going to be quite safe.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47An ever-increasing number of us do our weekly shop
0:18:47 > 0:18:49without ever leaving the house,
0:18:49 > 0:18:51because internet grocery shopping
0:18:51 > 0:18:54has transformed the lives of literally millions of people.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56And while, personally, I still prefer
0:18:56 > 0:18:59to have a good old look around what's on the supermarket shelves,
0:18:59 > 0:19:02there's no doubt that by doing the shopping online,
0:19:02 > 0:19:04well, is invaluable for many people.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07But, you know, nothing's perfect, and over the years we've noticed
0:19:07 > 0:19:08a steady trickle of e-mails
0:19:08 > 0:19:10complaining about the short shelf life
0:19:10 > 0:19:13of some of the food that you've had delivered,
0:19:13 > 0:19:16pointing out that the weekly shop ordered online
0:19:16 > 0:19:19hasn't lasted anywhere near the full week.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21And that's led to some of you even wondering
0:19:21 > 0:19:23if it's the policy of the big chains
0:19:23 > 0:19:26to send the food that has the longest sell-by dates
0:19:26 > 0:19:28to the shops and the shortest sell-by dates
0:19:28 > 0:19:29to those shopping from home.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32So, to see if there's any truth in that whatsoever,
0:19:32 > 0:19:34we've done some shopping of our own.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39The traditional big weekly shop for many of us
0:19:39 > 0:19:42is no longer done quite as traditionally as it once was.
0:19:44 > 0:19:45'Now Iceland's special freezer vans
0:19:45 > 0:19:48'bring home the bacon, the ice cream...'
0:19:48 > 0:19:51In the 1990s, home delivery took its hold
0:19:51 > 0:19:53and set to change supermarket shopping forever.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56'Iceland's coming home.'
0:19:56 > 0:19:57'Brilliant!'
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Since then, an increasing number of us
0:20:00 > 0:20:04have chosen to have our shopping delivered direct to our front door.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08It's said that a fifth of us now order our weekly groceries online
0:20:08 > 0:20:10from the comfort of our own home.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13But as online shopping has grown in popularity,
0:20:13 > 0:20:16so too has the number of people contacting us
0:20:16 > 0:20:19to say that they don't think it's all it's cracked up to be.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24Because when you rely on somebody else picking your potatoes
0:20:24 > 0:20:27from the fresh food aisle, things can go wrong.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31Late or cancelled deliveries, the wrong items being delivered,
0:20:31 > 0:20:33and the occasional strange substitution
0:20:33 > 0:20:36are all things that we've heard complaints about.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40They were some problems with them substituting certain items.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Items that I would never have bought myself.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46Sometimes the deliveries would be late.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49Often food come, and it's bruised, with your fruits,
0:20:49 > 0:20:52or you've not received the full offers.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55One particular criticism that crops up repeatedly
0:20:55 > 0:20:58is to do with the expiry date on fresh produce,
0:20:58 > 0:21:01which some of you claim can often be close to its limit
0:21:01 > 0:21:04even as soon as the food is delivered.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06Warren Copland from Oxford got in touch
0:21:06 > 0:21:08after becoming frustrated that,
0:21:08 > 0:21:11despite meticulously planning his weekly shop,
0:21:11 > 0:21:13some of the groceries he pays to have delivered
0:21:13 > 0:21:15won't actually last the week.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19He claims that, in one delivery,
0:21:19 > 0:21:21seven fresh items, including broccoli,
0:21:21 > 0:21:23fishcakes and minced beef,
0:21:23 > 0:21:27had best-before dates that were just one or two days ahead,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30leaving him very unhappy about how much had to be eaten
0:21:30 > 0:21:32long before the week had ended.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35It's a suggestion we've heard before,
0:21:35 > 0:21:39with some of you even wondering if stores deliberately distribute
0:21:39 > 0:21:41goods with the longest shelf lives to the stores,
0:21:41 > 0:21:46leaving those with dates closer to expiry for the online shops.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49So we thought we'd do some online shopping of our own.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53We placed orders for 11 items of food
0:21:53 > 0:21:55that you'd find in a typical weekly shop
0:21:55 > 0:21:59from the websites of five leading supermarket chains.
0:21:59 > 0:22:05We chose Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons and Waitrose,
0:22:05 > 0:22:07all of it to be delivered two days later.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12On the day of the delivery,
0:22:12 > 0:22:15we went to a local branch of each of the same stores
0:22:15 > 0:22:17to try and buy exactly the same things.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20So will there be much of a difference?
0:22:20 > 0:22:21It's time to find out.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23Our Tesco order is the first to arrive.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26Tesco has been delivering food for 18 years
0:22:26 > 0:22:28and is the UK's largest online grocer,
0:22:28 > 0:22:32making up more than half the online food shopping that's done in the UK.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34When the driver delivered these,
0:22:34 > 0:22:36he told me there were no substitutions.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38So I'm going to look through them now
0:22:38 > 0:22:40to see what dates are on the products.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42Tesco performed best in our experiment,
0:22:42 > 0:22:45delivering only one product with a shorter shelf life,
0:22:45 > 0:22:48but the rest had either the same expiry dates
0:22:48 > 0:22:50or an even longer shelf life.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52But of the products from the Sainsbury's delivery,
0:22:52 > 0:22:56four had expiry dates that were shorter than our in-store shop.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Only one ordered online, the salmon,
0:22:59 > 0:23:01had a longer shelf life.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04Things were a bit more evenly matched at Morrisons,
0:23:04 > 0:23:06where only two items from our online order
0:23:06 > 0:23:09had a shorter shelf life than the ones bought in-store.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13Morrisons uses Ocado to deliver its shopping,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16the world's largest specialist online grocer,
0:23:16 > 0:23:18which has no physical stores of its own.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21Ocado also delivers Waitrose products,
0:23:21 > 0:23:24but Waitrose has its own online delivery service as well
0:23:24 > 0:23:28and it's grown by more than 25% in the past year.
0:23:28 > 0:23:33Even so, our Waitrose delivery seems to have a few problems.
0:23:33 > 0:23:34So the Waitrose driver told me
0:23:34 > 0:23:36that there were a couple of substitutions.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39I didn't have to accept them if I didn't want to.
0:23:39 > 0:23:44So, looking at this, a bag appears to have not made it off the truck.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46Not sure what's happened there.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49This time we only ended up with seven items
0:23:49 > 0:23:51we could directly compare.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53But of those, three of the ones we'd bought in the shop
0:23:53 > 0:23:56would last longer than the equivalents we had delivered.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58Two whole days more
0:23:58 > 0:24:00in the case of the chicken.
0:24:00 > 0:24:01From the online order,
0:24:01 > 0:24:04only the grapes had a better shelf life.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07But the good news is that when we called Waitrose the next day
0:24:07 > 0:24:11about the items that hadn't arrived, we were instantly given a refund.
0:24:14 > 0:24:15Finally, Asda.
0:24:16 > 0:24:21So the Asda driver told me there were a few substitutions.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Said I could reject them if I wanted to.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26I've got some mushrooms in here!
0:24:26 > 0:24:29I'm not sure what they're substituting yet.
0:24:32 > 0:24:33SHE GIGGLES
0:24:33 > 0:24:37Instead of 500g of grapes, they've sent us some mushrooms.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41That's a really confusing choice.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44I don't understand how mushrooms would be a substitute for grapes.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Me neither!
0:24:46 > 0:24:49But whilst the substitution wasn't quite what we wanted,
0:24:49 > 0:24:52when it came to shelf life, again, there wasn't much in it.
0:24:52 > 0:24:53Of those we could compare,
0:24:53 > 0:24:55two products from the store
0:24:55 > 0:24:58would last slightly longer than the equivalents bought online,
0:24:58 > 0:25:00but the other six were exactly the same.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03So, looking at these products,
0:25:03 > 0:25:07generally they are the same as what we could get in-store,
0:25:07 > 0:25:09aside from the broccoli and the chicken,
0:25:09 > 0:25:13which we managed to get a little longer shelf life on them,
0:25:13 > 0:25:14it's the same.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17So, while our test was obviously just a snapshot
0:25:17 > 0:25:18from a handful of stores,
0:25:18 > 0:25:21we certainly didn't come across any evidence
0:25:21 > 0:25:25to suggest there's a conspiracy or deliberate policy among supermarkets
0:25:25 > 0:25:28to send food with the longest dates to their stores,
0:25:28 > 0:25:32and keep the ones with shorter shelf lives for home deliveries.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36In fact, when we contacted the supermarkets,
0:25:36 > 0:25:39some of them explained the opposite is true.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Asda all told us their staff
0:25:43 > 0:25:47are trained to pick goods with the longest shelf lives possible.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49Sainsbury's say they also...
0:25:52 > 0:25:55And if you're not happy with the dates, it's a...
0:25:57 > 0:26:01Asda and Morrisons also said you won't be charged for an item
0:26:01 > 0:26:03with a date you're not satisfied with.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05And Morrisons went on to say
0:26:05 > 0:26:07that in common with most of the other big stores,
0:26:07 > 0:26:10its receipts clearly list the lifespan of each product...
0:26:13 > 0:26:16..and can plan their meals for the week ahead.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19It also said that stock used for online deliveries
0:26:19 > 0:26:23is kept entirely separate from the stock sent to stores.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26Meanwhile, Waitrose added that with its deliveries,
0:26:26 > 0:26:29customers can add specific preferences to an order.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33For example, if you particularly like green bananas.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36Well, it's clearly a much more complex business
0:26:36 > 0:26:38than you might have realised,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41and likely to get increasingly sophisticated
0:26:41 > 0:26:44as more of us commit to shopping this way in the future.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47Online grocery shopping seems to be a winner.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49I'll certainly stick with online shopping.
0:26:53 > 0:26:54Here at Rip-Off Britain,
0:26:54 > 0:26:59we're always ready to investigate more of your stories on any subject.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02You can write to us at...
0:27:09 > 0:27:11Or you can send us an e-mail to...
0:27:15 > 0:27:17Remember that The Rip-Off team is ready and waiting
0:27:17 > 0:27:20to investigate your stories.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26Well, as you know, the supermarkets are experts
0:27:26 > 0:27:29at convincing us all to spend money with them.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32And sometimes, as in the case of those prepacked bananas,
0:27:32 > 0:27:34in convincing us to pay a higher price
0:27:34 > 0:27:37for not always that much extra in return.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40Though of course, all those constant price wars between them,
0:27:40 > 0:27:43do help to keep at least some of our shopping costs down.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45But, you know, that doesn't mean
0:27:45 > 0:27:47they can take our custom for granted.
0:27:47 > 0:27:48No way!
0:27:48 > 0:27:51So do keep your supermarket stories coming in to us.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54And if their great deals don't quite stack up
0:27:54 > 0:27:55then, again, please do let us know,
0:27:55 > 0:27:57because I'm pretty sure
0:27:57 > 0:28:00this is a subject we're going to be looking at again and again.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04And don't forget we're keen to hear from you on any subject,
0:28:04 > 0:28:05not just food.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07Our team is already working on the next series
0:28:07 > 0:28:09of Rip-Off Britain programmes,
0:28:09 > 0:28:11so do please get in touch
0:28:11 > 0:28:13and tell us what you'd like us to investigate.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15You never know, it might be your letter or e-mail
0:28:15 > 0:28:17we'll be looking at next time.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20But for now, thanks for joining us. And from all of us here, goodbye.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22- Bye-bye.- Bye-bye.