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 > 0:00:12I think they encourage you to buy more than you need
0:00:12 > 0:00:15and that causes a lot of waste.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Whether you're staying in or going out,
0:00:17 > 0:00:19you've told us you can feel ripped off
0:00:19 > 0:00:21by the promises made for what you eat
0:00:21 > 0:00:23and what you pay for it.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26How do you know that it's half price?
0:00:26 > 0:00:28So what they've done, they've bumped the price up
0:00:28 > 0:00:30and then knocked it down.
0:00:30 > 0:00:35From claims that don't stack up to the secrets behind the packaging,
0:00:35 > 0:00:37we'll uncover the truth about Britain's food
0:00:37 > 0:00:41so you can be sure you are getting what you expect at the right price!
0:00:43 > 0:00:45Your food. Your money.
0:00:45 > 0:00:46This is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52Hello and a very warm welcome
0:00:52 > 0:00:54to our special series of Rip-Off Britain programmes,
0:00:54 > 0:00:57where we're investigating our food and drink.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00Now, today we'll be looking at some of the unexpected costs and problems
0:01:00 > 0:01:02that you could very easily run into
0:01:02 > 0:01:04if you're eating while you're out and about.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08And by that we don't mean dining out at expensive restaurants.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11What we're talking about is picking up a meal or a snack
0:01:11 > 0:01:14at somewhere much less flash when you're on the go,
0:01:14 > 0:01:16or indeed when you're out for the day,
0:01:16 > 0:01:18and need to grab a bite while you're there,
0:01:18 > 0:01:21- which is something I think we all do, isn't it?- Of course.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23Well, it's a fact that even the most casual meal out
0:01:23 > 0:01:25can cost a lot more than you bargained for -
0:01:25 > 0:01:28and that's especially if, as has happened to quite a few of you
0:01:28 > 0:01:30visiting one very well-known chain,
0:01:30 > 0:01:33you accidentally outstay your welcome!
0:01:33 > 0:01:36And don't even think that taking your own food with you
0:01:36 > 0:01:38will keep you out of trouble. As we're about to see,
0:01:38 > 0:01:41that can create plenty of problems of its own.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46Coming up - the tennis fans served with a sandwich ban.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50So how many of the UK's biggest venues will also put the kibosh
0:01:50 > 0:01:52on taking along a packed lunch?
0:01:53 > 0:01:56We saw them taking certain items out of people's bags
0:01:56 > 0:01:58and throwing it away, and we realised it was food.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01And Happy Meals, but furious customers.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04Meet the family who paid a whopping price for their burgers,
0:02:04 > 0:02:06after staying too long in the car park.
0:02:07 > 0:02:12£100 is a very big fine for parking just 11 minutes over an hour.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18You know, whether you're a fan of music or sport,
0:02:18 > 0:02:20it's hard to beat the thrill of a day out
0:02:20 > 0:02:24watching your favourite stars perform live in front of your eyes.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26But it can be an expensive business.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28There's the price of the ticket, for a start,
0:02:28 > 0:02:30and the expense doesn't stop there.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32Food and drink at the venue can be pricey,
0:02:32 > 0:02:36which is why many of us might take some snacks of our own.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38A drink, or some sweets, or maybe,
0:02:38 > 0:02:42depending on what sort of event it is, even a few sandwiches.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45But if that rings a bell with you, better watch out.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49Because some of Britain's best-known venues take a very dim view
0:02:49 > 0:02:51of you bringing anything to nibble on or drink.
0:02:53 > 0:02:54For millions of us,
0:02:54 > 0:02:58there's nothing like soaking up the atmosphere at a live event.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01And while we're there, we might also need a bite to eat.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05But even if they sell what you want, the cost of those on-site snacks
0:03:05 > 0:03:07can sometimes seem rather steep.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12Prices in stadiums are so expensive.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16You could pay three or four times the amount of money for a sandwich
0:03:16 > 0:03:18that you could buy outside,
0:03:18 > 0:03:22so we just find it's much cheaper for us to take it in with us.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25It's too expensive to buy food in arenas,
0:03:25 > 0:03:28so I'd usually have it before I go there.
0:03:28 > 0:03:34We take biscuits as well. And a sandwich because it is, we think...
0:03:34 > 0:03:36I know everybody's got to make a profit,
0:03:36 > 0:03:39but sometimes we think this is too much.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44But while you might want to take your own food and drink with you,
0:03:44 > 0:03:47at many venues that simply isn't an option.
0:03:47 > 0:03:48They have all sorts of reasons
0:03:48 > 0:03:53as to why you can only consume food or drink bought on the premises.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56But you may only realise that when it's too late.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00Tennis fans Martin Allpress and his wife Julie
0:04:00 > 0:04:03thought they were on to a winner when he managed to secure tickets
0:04:03 > 0:04:06to one of the biggest tennis events of the year
0:04:06 > 0:04:08at the O2 in London last November.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12We'd been for the last three years previous to that,
0:04:12 > 0:04:13and it's really terrific.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16It's a terrific day out. We spend the whole day there,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19make a real event of it, take the day off work,
0:04:19 > 0:04:20look forward to it for ages.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25As in previous years, they booked their tickets online
0:04:25 > 0:04:28and Martin got up early to make a special packed lunch,
0:04:28 > 0:04:31so they could spend as much time as possible watching the tennis
0:04:31 > 0:04:32once they were there.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36Martin's the master of the sandwich!
0:04:36 > 0:04:38THEY LAUGH
0:04:38 > 0:04:43So the sandwich was brown bread, ham, cheese and mayonnaise.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45- No, not cheese, cucumber!- Cucumber!
0:04:45 > 0:04:47- I can't eat cheese.- No.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49It's full of cholesterol.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52It was cucumber. The good stuff - part of my five-a-day.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56With their healthy sandwiches all neatly packed,
0:04:56 > 0:04:58Martin and Julie set off to London.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00The tennis was being hosted at the O2,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03one of the country's biggest entertainment venues,
0:05:03 > 0:05:05with seats for 20,000 spectators.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Martin and Julie had been several times before.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13But this time, when they joined the queue to enter the arena,
0:05:13 > 0:05:18they noticed that the security guards seemed rather stricter than usual,
0:05:18 > 0:05:21and that they were taking a particular interest in people's food.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24We saw them throwing away... Taking certain items out of people's bags
0:05:24 > 0:05:26and throwing it away, and we realised it was food.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29And I looked at you and I went, sort of, "Uh-oh.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33"We've got sandwiches in our bag. Are we going to lose ours as well?"
0:05:33 > 0:05:35And that was exactly what happened.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39As the couple reached the front of the queue,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42they were forced to watch as their sandwiches and fresh fruit
0:05:42 > 0:05:45were unceremoniously dumped into a bin.
0:05:46 > 0:05:47It's never been an issue.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50We've always been able to take our own bits and bobs in
0:05:50 > 0:05:53to nibble on during the match.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56And this time, we were quite astounded, really,
0:05:56 > 0:06:00- that we weren't allowed to take it in.- I felt a bit cheated.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03- You love your sandwiches, don't you? - Yeah, I do. I love my sandwiches.
0:06:03 > 0:06:04On both the ticket
0:06:04 > 0:06:08and an e-mail Martin received 24 hours before the event,
0:06:08 > 0:06:12it does make clear in the small print that no food or drink
0:06:12 > 0:06:16except a half-litre bottle of water is allowed into the arena.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19But as the couple had taken their own food into the 02
0:06:19 > 0:06:21for the last four years without any problem,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24they didn't think that a couple of sandwiches and some fruit
0:06:24 > 0:06:26would be an issue this time either.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29And when Julie asked for an explanation,
0:06:29 > 0:06:32she thought the answer she got was, shall we say,
0:06:32 > 0:06:33a little hard to swallow.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37The reason they gave to us
0:06:37 > 0:06:40- was because it was a high security, wasn't it?- Oh, right.- Yeah.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45A security risk for a ham sandwich!
0:06:45 > 0:06:48You could drop it on the floor and somebody could fall on it.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50You could throw it in front of the tennis players
0:06:50 > 0:06:52and they could have a really bad accident,
0:06:52 > 0:06:53slip on a piece of ham(!)
0:06:55 > 0:06:58The O2 has more than 30 on-site restaurants
0:06:58 > 0:07:02and Martin and Julie suspect the venue might ban food from outside
0:07:02 > 0:07:04so you've no choice but to spend onsite.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10I don't think it was for security at all.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12I think it was purely for profits.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16- Definitely.- To get people to buy the concession food inside.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20But Martin and Julie did enjoy one small victory.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Determined to have something to chew on while he enjoyed the tennis,
0:07:23 > 0:07:25Martin managed to sneak in some sweets
0:07:25 > 0:07:28at the bottom of his backpack.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30They tasted wonderful!
0:07:30 > 0:07:33Opened them secretly in case somebody should spot them.
0:07:33 > 0:07:39Felt like two naughty children smuggling sweets in school.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42We've heard from a number of other tennis fans at the same event,
0:07:42 > 0:07:45who were caught out by the ban on bringing in food,
0:07:45 > 0:07:50including Hilary McGowan, who spoke to us over the internet.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54What really upset me was that they were wasting a lot of food and drink
0:07:54 > 0:07:58that people had bought, and just throwing them into dustbins.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00And that was the real rip-off for everybody.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04But I'd rather spend my money on buying a ticket to see the tennis
0:08:04 > 0:08:08than subsidising the people who sell the food inside the 02.
0:08:08 > 0:08:13The O2 told us its policy of no food or beverages in the arena
0:08:13 > 0:08:16is in line with most venues across the UK,
0:08:16 > 0:08:20and while they've been quite relaxed about the enforcement of this rule,
0:08:20 > 0:08:23it is clearly stated on the back of every ticket
0:08:23 > 0:08:26in the terms and conditions.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29It said increased security concerns at the tennis -
0:08:29 > 0:08:31especially in relation to liquids -
0:08:31 > 0:08:33meant the policy needed to be enforced,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36as the fairest, clearest and most effective way
0:08:36 > 0:08:38to ensure everyone was safe.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42The venue emphasised that all ticket holders were contacted about this
0:08:42 > 0:08:47in advance, and exceptions were made for those with medical conditions.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51But it went on to say that the cost of all the additional security
0:08:51 > 0:08:54far outweighed any additional revenue benefits
0:08:54 > 0:08:56from sales of food and drink.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00And - some good news - the confiscated food wasn't thrown away,
0:09:00 > 0:09:06but processed on site and converted into energy and recyclable products.
0:09:06 > 0:09:07The venue even has its own wormery
0:09:07 > 0:09:12which last year processed 8.4 tonnes of food waste.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17So next time you go to a gig or an all-day event
0:09:17 > 0:09:19like the one Martin and Julie went to,
0:09:19 > 0:09:23could you too end up having your snacks confiscated?
0:09:23 > 0:09:26To find out, we rang around more than 50 of the biggest venues
0:09:26 > 0:09:29across the country to ask them about their policy on food.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34Is it possible that we're allowed to bring our own food with us?
0:09:34 > 0:09:36You know, snacks and things?
0:09:37 > 0:09:40'Of the 34 venues where we got to speak to someone,'
0:09:40 > 0:09:44just five said yes, we could bring any food we liked into the arena.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49A further seven said cold food was OK but not hot,
0:09:49 > 0:09:52and three more said you could take your own food into the public areas,
0:09:52 > 0:09:55but not the main auditorium.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57But at more than a third of all the places we called,
0:09:57 > 0:10:0213 of them, including almost all the big-name regional venues,
0:10:02 > 0:10:05it was an outright no. You can't take in any food at all.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07And in some cases they cheerfully admitted
0:10:07 > 0:10:11it was because they sell their own food on site.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14There were six venues where we didn't get a straight answer
0:10:14 > 0:10:17and were either told it was entirely at the discretion of the staff
0:10:17 > 0:10:22on the door, or they suggested we should just sneak it in,
0:10:22 > 0:10:25which we have to assume isn't their official policy.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30The National Arenas Association,
0:10:30 > 0:10:32which represents most of the big arenas,
0:10:32 > 0:10:36told us that not allowing customers to consume their own refreshments
0:10:36 > 0:10:39is consistent with other catering retail facilities
0:10:39 > 0:10:41such as bars, restaurants and cafes.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47But if you're thinking you might want to take food along to a big event,
0:10:47 > 0:10:49check the small print carefully!
0:10:49 > 0:10:53Or call ahead to be sure that your food doesn't end up wasted,
0:10:53 > 0:10:55like Martin and Julie's was.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59They'd charged us 200 quid for the tickets
0:10:59 > 0:11:03and then they want to get more money out of us by selling us food.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06Next year, we're going to smuggle our sandwiches in.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15When it comes to fast food, the clue is in the title.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19It's not intended to be slow, a meal lingered over for hours on end,
0:11:19 > 0:11:25just simple, tasty and - most importantly - speedy sustenance.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27Of course, the "fast" in fast food
0:11:27 > 0:11:29initially meant how quickly it's prepared.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32But how fast do you have to be when you're eating it?
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Now, it might not take long if you're on your own,
0:11:35 > 0:11:38but if you add in a few kids, perhaps a queue at the checkout,
0:11:38 > 0:11:40maybe a last-minute dessert,
0:11:40 > 0:11:44and suddenly your meal may not be quite as fast as intended.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46And as the family in our next film discovered,
0:11:46 > 0:11:49that could land you with a very unexpected penalty
0:11:49 > 0:11:52and leave a sour taste in the mouth.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Fast food is synonymous with speed.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00No frills, just simple food, quickly served,
0:12:00 > 0:12:04as market leader McDonald's likes to show in ads like this.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Back in 1986, McDonald's was the first chain
0:12:10 > 0:12:12to open a drive-thru in Britain.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15Food so fast you didn't even need to leave your car to collect it.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22But when Noel and Carol Endersby from Winnersh
0:12:22 > 0:12:25took their grandchildren to McDonald's for a meal,
0:12:25 > 0:12:27they did get out of the car to eat it,
0:12:27 > 0:12:29which is where their problems began.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35They'd landed at Gatwick after a holiday in Portugal,
0:12:35 > 0:12:38but, wanting to give the kids a final treat on the drive home,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41they'd headed for a nearby McDonald's.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44Five kids, two adults and a lot of luggage
0:12:44 > 0:12:46were spread across two cars
0:12:46 > 0:12:48and it was Noel who got to the restaurant first.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52We separated and agreed to meet in McDonald's
0:12:52 > 0:12:55because the kids were hungry, tired, it's been a long journey...
0:12:55 > 0:12:58And Noel got to McDonald's long before I did, didn't you?
0:12:58 > 0:13:01About 20 minutes, I think, before you got there.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05So eventually we arrived at McDonald's. We all went in together.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11And, once inside, they wasted no time starting the complex operation
0:13:11 > 0:13:13of feeding all their grandchildren.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17As you would imagine, you're not in and out of there in ten minutes
0:13:17 > 0:13:20when you've got five children all fussing about what they want to eat.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24All in all, it took us a good hour to have a meal.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27That's not unusual, as far as I'm concerned.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30So after their food, drink and a few trips to the loo
0:13:30 > 0:13:32and a squabble or two,
0:13:32 > 0:13:36the family finally finished their lunch and left the restaurant.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38And they thought little more about it.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41Until around a fortnight later, when a letter arrived,
0:13:41 > 0:13:45telling Noel and Carol that their McDonald's family lunch
0:13:45 > 0:13:47had cost them a lot more than they'd realised.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50When the letter arrived, you were steaming, weren't you?
0:13:50 > 0:13:53Saying that this is really ridiculous. Why are they charging us?
0:13:55 > 0:13:57Unbeknown to Noel and Carol,
0:13:57 > 0:14:01McDonald's impose a one-hour parking limit at some of their restaurants.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05Noel's car had been parked for 11 minutes longer than that.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07And as a result, he was now being told
0:14:07 > 0:14:10he had to stump up a £100 penalty charge.
0:14:12 > 0:14:13Well, I said to you, didn't I,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16"Don't worry about it. We're customers, clearly."
0:14:16 > 0:14:18We thought it'd be fine. We'd just write to them,
0:14:18 > 0:14:20explain the circumstances and it'll be fine.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23And that's what you did, wasn't it?
0:14:23 > 0:14:27This McDonald's car park is operated by a private parking company
0:14:27 > 0:14:31called MET, who said they would reduce the charge to £50
0:14:31 > 0:14:33if paid within the first two weeks.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37So Noel paid up, while at the same time appealing to McDonald's
0:14:37 > 0:14:39to waive the charge altogether.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41After all,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44they'd bought dinner for all five grandchildren at the restaurant.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48But McDonald's' response was a firm no.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50I was quite dismayed, actually, you know.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54I couldn't believe that McDonald's, a company of that repute,
0:14:54 > 0:14:58would just...just treat their customers in such a terrible way.
0:14:58 > 0:15:03£100 is a very big fine for parking just 11 minutes over an hour.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07If you had a two-hour lunch slot, then maybe that would be different,
0:15:07 > 0:15:12but £100 is a very steep charge.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16Noel and Carol say no mealtime with their five grandchildren is fast.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20And with free Wi-Fi, a play area, balloons and toys for the kids,
0:15:20 > 0:15:24McDonald's don't always make it easy to eat and run.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28They give the children toys, packs and things like that,
0:15:28 > 0:15:33so we didn't feel that we should have been under a time limit.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35Right foot - blue.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37Now, Noel could have appealed to POPLA,
0:15:37 > 0:15:43whose initials stand for Parking on Private Land Appeals.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45That's exactly what Charlie Webley did
0:15:45 > 0:15:48when he, too, received a penalty charge
0:15:48 > 0:15:52after parking for more than an hour at the same McDonald's near Gatwick.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56In August 2013, diabetic Charlie had made a pit-stop at McDonald's
0:15:56 > 0:16:00after his blood-sugar levels had fallen dramatically while driving.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04He stayed there until they returned to normal but, in doing so,
0:16:04 > 0:16:08was in the car park for 16 minutes longer than allowed,
0:16:08 > 0:16:13which earned him - just like Noel - a £100 parking charge.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16When Charlie's complaints to the company that operates the car park
0:16:16 > 0:16:21got him nowhere, he asked POPLA to consider his case.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25And they told the company to drop the charge.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28And we've heard from other Rip-Off Britain viewers
0:16:28 > 0:16:29who've outstayed their welcome
0:16:29 > 0:16:33at McDonald's car parks across the country.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36Len Thompson from Somerset stopped at McDonald's in Banbury
0:16:36 > 0:16:40for some food and a quick snooze before getting back on the road.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43But he was 32 minutes late leaving the car park.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46He, too, was asked to pay that £100 charge,
0:16:46 > 0:16:48although the parking company did drop it
0:16:48 > 0:16:50when he wrote and explained the situation.
0:16:52 > 0:16:53When we contacted McDonald's,
0:16:53 > 0:16:57the company told us that parking restrictions have proved necessary
0:16:57 > 0:17:00at almost one in six of their restaurants,
0:17:00 > 0:17:04after clear evidence that the car parks were being misused,
0:17:04 > 0:17:07for example by minicab drivers using them as waiting bays,
0:17:07 > 0:17:11or people leaving their vehicles for hours, or even days,
0:17:11 > 0:17:14while they use nearby shopping centres or airports.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17In most cases, the limit is 90 minutes,
0:17:17 > 0:17:21but near airports, as in this case, it's an hour.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25McDonald's says it doesn't profit from the charges and works with...
0:17:32 > 0:17:36It suggests anyone who thinks they might need to stay longer
0:17:36 > 0:17:39than the time allowed should contact the manager in advance.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42The parking company McDonald's use - Met Parking -
0:17:42 > 0:17:47told us that, where genuine mitigating circumstances apply,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50they do cancel notices, on a case-by-case basis.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54And they insisted that in all the car parks they operate,
0:17:54 > 0:17:56any restrictions - including time limits -
0:17:56 > 0:17:59are communicated clearly on signage.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03Of course, McDonald's isn't the only fast-food chain
0:18:03 > 0:18:05that can have a time limit in its car parks.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08But Noel and Carol won't be rushing back,
0:18:08 > 0:18:11at least not with the five grandchildren in tow.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15Will we be going back to McDonald's? Definitely not.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19Yeah, if the time limit's there, we won't stop, we'll go somewhere else.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26Still to come on Rip-Off Britain.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30The takeaway pizza toppings that aren't what it says on the menu.
0:18:30 > 0:18:31Could you tell the difference?
0:18:31 > 0:18:34I don't think they should lie to you on the menu.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37You know, we can accept that we're getting the fake ingredients,
0:18:37 > 0:18:41but I think they should tell you, straight up, what you're getting.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47No matter how careful we are about what we eat,
0:18:47 > 0:18:50we all have our guilty pleasures. I've got quite a few.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53A lot of Brits would say that you can't beat the occasional takeaway,
0:18:53 > 0:18:56not least because it gets you out of all the washing-up,
0:18:56 > 0:18:57and we like a bit of that!
0:18:57 > 0:19:02But the question is, are we taking away exactly what we think we are?
0:19:02 > 0:19:05Well, Ray Blaker from Coleraine in Northern Ireland thinks not.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08He sent us an e-mail saying he's fed up
0:19:08 > 0:19:12with food manufacturers using what he calls false ingredients.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15In other words, they're not what they're supposed to be,
0:19:15 > 0:19:17or what they might be described as on the packet or on the menu.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20Well, we've had a closer look at what that means
0:19:20 > 0:19:23for one of the country's favourite takeaway dishes,
0:19:23 > 0:19:26and, actually, it seems what Raymond's talking about
0:19:26 > 0:19:28is a lot more common than you might think.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33Let's face it, we Brits love our takeaways.
0:19:33 > 0:19:38In fact, between us, we enjoy around 220 million of them every year.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41And a classic choice remains pizza,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44which, for this group of Italian language students from Manchester,
0:19:44 > 0:19:48is pretty much the only takeaway they'd even consider ordering.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54True to their studies, this lot enjoy everything about Italy -
0:19:54 > 0:19:57the culture, the language and, of course, the food.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02The food, I think, is the best in Europe.
0:20:02 > 0:20:03I can eat it three times a day
0:20:03 > 0:20:05when I go to Italy, so breakfast, lunch and dinner.
0:20:05 > 0:20:10My favourite Italian food, it's maybe pizza.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12It's not a surprise because it's the best!
0:20:14 > 0:20:17The basic ingredients of pretty much every pizza are the same -
0:20:17 > 0:20:21a dough base covered with tomato sauce, usually some cheese,
0:20:21 > 0:20:23then the whole thing finished off
0:20:23 > 0:20:26with any number of different toppings.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28I love Italian food because I love the cheesiness...
0:20:28 > 0:20:31I love cheese and you eat it with your hands
0:20:31 > 0:20:32and it's also very social.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36I like Italian food because it's very fresh.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39But not everything on top of your takeaway pizza
0:20:39 > 0:20:42is necessarily what the menu would have you believe.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45And not all the ingredients are as fresh as you might want to think.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49Indeed in some cases, they officially can be described as fake.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53So we've invited this lot to lunch
0:20:53 > 0:20:56to test out some of those ingredients.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59They'll be sampling two different types of pizza.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02One is made with lovely, fresh genuine ingredients.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04The other is made with the cheaper stuff
0:21:04 > 0:21:07that's increasingly being used instead.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09Will they be able to tell which is which?
0:21:12 > 0:21:15And while our samples are being put together in the kitchen,
0:21:15 > 0:21:17it's clear that these fake ingredients
0:21:17 > 0:21:19are a real problem for the authorities.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24Bharathi Reddy is from a public analysis lab in Preston
0:21:24 > 0:21:28that tests products on behalf of the local Trading Standards.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32Last year, she conducted a survey of takeaway pizzas across the region
0:21:32 > 0:21:35to see if the description on the menu matched the reality.
0:21:37 > 0:21:38We wanted to make sure
0:21:38 > 0:21:41the ingredients were exactly as advertised on the menu.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45We compared each and every pizza to how it had been described.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49We found a significant number of pizzas mis-advertised.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51All were declared as containing cheese and in fact
0:21:51 > 0:21:5619 of the 20 contained a product that is known as cheese analogue.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00Cheese analogue is also known as fake cheese
0:22:00 > 0:22:02because it's not actually cheese at all,
0:22:02 > 0:22:05just a cheaper, processed alternative.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09And yet it was used in almost all the takeaway pizzas Bharathi tested
0:22:09 > 0:22:11without any hint of that on the menu.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Those pizzas should have been labelled with a clear indication
0:22:15 > 0:22:17they contained cheese analogue.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20Whether it's called a cheese substitute or a cheese alternative,
0:22:20 > 0:22:23it should have been clear to the consumer.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26But as well as finding cheese that wasn't on the menu,
0:22:26 > 0:22:29Bharathi also found that many of the meats on takeaway pizzas
0:22:29 > 0:22:31weren't what they claimed to be either.
0:22:31 > 0:22:36What we were actually finding was that every ham and cheese pizza
0:22:36 > 0:22:39at a halal outlet was in fact turkey.
0:22:39 > 0:22:44Pepperoni pizza actually contained pork, beef and chicken.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47There might be good reasons why takeaways don't want to use ham -
0:22:47 > 0:22:49for religious reasons, perhaps.
0:22:49 > 0:22:54But by law, how it's described on the label or menu has to be honest.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58The rules around the labelling of food, which have recently changed,
0:22:58 > 0:23:00are really quite specific,
0:23:00 > 0:23:04and the requirements are that the description should be accurate.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06Pizzas aren't the only takeaway food
0:23:06 > 0:23:09that can be made of things that aren't what you think.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13Trading Standards has also found lamb curries made of chicken or beef
0:23:13 > 0:23:16and cod suppers that are actually haddock, whiting,
0:23:16 > 0:23:20or the Thai river fish pangasius.
0:23:20 > 0:23:21But if you've bought
0:23:21 > 0:23:25one of the 110 million takeaway pizzas sold each year,
0:23:25 > 0:23:29then you may well have unwittingly been eating cheese analogue
0:23:29 > 0:23:32instead of what you might have assumed was mozzarella,
0:23:32 > 0:23:36or possibly what's known as meat emulsion instead of ham.
0:23:36 > 0:23:37Of course that's not always the case,
0:23:37 > 0:23:40and indeed there are pizza delivery companies
0:23:40 > 0:23:45that make a point of advertising they only use 100% real cheese,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48such as market leaders Papa John's and Domino's.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50But fake cheese can be common elsewhere.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56So will our group of volunteers be able to tell if they're eating it?
0:23:56 > 0:23:58Back at our restaurant,
0:23:58 > 0:24:02the chef is busy preparing the two pizzas that will test that out.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05One of them is made with only genuine ingredients,
0:24:05 > 0:24:08the kind this restaurant would normally use.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11And the other is being prepared using the fake ingredients
0:24:11 > 0:24:13that aren't all they seem.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16I don't think my mum would be very happy with that.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18As countless other takeaways and restaurants do,
0:24:18 > 0:24:20we bought the ingredients for our fake pizza
0:24:20 > 0:24:23from a regular wholesaler.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27We'll tell the diners the meat is ham and salami,
0:24:27 > 0:24:30but, in fact, it's made from turkey and beef.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33And half the cheese is cheese analogue.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37We've asked home economist Gillian Marczack to show us how it's made.
0:24:37 > 0:24:42To make cheese analogue, we only need three very simple ingredients -
0:24:42 > 0:24:46hard white vegetable fat, skimmed milk and cold tap water.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52While real cheese takes a long time to mature and develop its flavour,
0:24:52 > 0:24:55cheese substitutes can be manufactured quickly
0:24:55 > 0:24:56and, crucially, cheaply.
0:24:56 > 0:25:02Going to start off by melting my white vegetable fat in the pan.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06So that's nicely melted, so I'm going to remove it from the heat
0:25:06 > 0:25:11and add in the skimmed milk powder...
0:25:11 > 0:25:13and water.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17The mixture is put into a food processor to blend it all together,
0:25:17 > 0:25:18and then is chilled to set.
0:25:20 > 0:25:25Once it's solid, it can be grated up and added to your phoney pizza.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28It's smooth, it's creamy.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32Not very much taste, but it does have a texture similar to mozzarella.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36So will the diners at our Italian FAKEAWAY be able
0:25:36 > 0:25:39to tell the difference between the first pizza with real toppings
0:25:39 > 0:25:41and the second, the fake one?
0:25:41 > 0:25:42I prefer the second pizza.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47I prefer the second pizza.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50The first one had a plastic taste to it.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53I preferred the first pizza. It had more flavour to it
0:25:53 > 0:25:56and I thought it looked a little more fresh.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59The first one tasted fake.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01Like fake cheese.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04The second one, I thought it was fresh ingredients.
0:26:06 > 0:26:12I'm Italian and the second pizza is a real Italian pizza.
0:26:12 > 0:26:17Uh-oh. Interestingly, nearly all of our Italian linguists -
0:26:17 > 0:26:21five out of six - actually preferred number two, the fake pizza.
0:26:21 > 0:26:22No way!
0:26:25 > 0:26:30- What, this one is fake...?! - I was totally wrong!
0:26:32 > 0:26:34Mamma mia!
0:26:34 > 0:26:37Now, fake cheese or meat isn't less safe than the real thing
0:26:37 > 0:26:41and, it would appear, may even taste better, at least to some people.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43But for our pizza lovers,
0:26:43 > 0:26:46it is important that they're getting what they think they are.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52If you pay for a product, you expect to have that product served to you.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55I don't think they should lie to you on the menu.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58You know, we can accept that we're getting the fake ingredients,
0:26:58 > 0:27:02but I think they should tell you, straight up, what you're getting.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11Here at Rip-Off Britain, we're always ready
0:27:11 > 0:27:14to investigate more of your stories on any subject.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17You can write to us at...
0:27:26 > 0:27:28Or send us an e-mail to...
0:27:32 > 0:27:36The Rip-Off team is ready and waiting to investigate your stories.
0:27:40 > 0:27:41That's just about it from us.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43Though I must say, girls,
0:27:43 > 0:27:46I was really quite shocked by some of the stories we heard today.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48Because you often write to us to say you think
0:27:48 > 0:27:51food prices are higher than you'd like when you're out for the day,
0:27:51 > 0:27:54but I don't recall hearing about venues confiscating food
0:27:54 > 0:27:57and just chucking it away, as happened at that tennis tournament.
0:27:57 > 0:28:02And I was also very surprised about those parking charges at McDonald's.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05Now, I know they've got to police the car park, obviously,
0:28:05 > 0:28:08but I think you can understand why families who've had a meal
0:28:08 > 0:28:12might feel cheesed off if, after a burger, they end up with a ticket.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15If you've had an unwelcome surprise when you were eating on the hoof,
0:28:15 > 0:28:17please do tell us about it.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20And it could be your story we'll be looking at on a future programme.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23But in the meantime, thanks for joining us today.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26And wherever you're having your next meal, we hope it's a good one.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28- Goodbye.- Bye-bye.- Bye-bye.