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.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13I think they encourage you to buy more than you need
0:00:13 > 0:00:14and that causes a lot of waste.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18JULIA: Whether you're staying in or going out,
0:00:18 > 0:00:19you've told us you can feel ripped off
0:00:19 > 0:00:22by the promises made about what you eat
0:00:22 > 0:00:23and what you pay for it.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25How do you know that it's half price?
0:00:25 > 0:00:28Right, so what they've done, they've bumped the price up
0:00:28 > 0:00:30and then knocked it down.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33- GLORIA:- From claims that just don't stack up
0:00:33 > 0:00:35to the secrets behind the packaging,
0:00:35 > 0:00:37we'll uncover the truth about Britain's food,
0:00:37 > 0:00:39so that you can be sure that you're getting
0:00:39 > 0:00:42what you expect at the right price.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45Your food, your money.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47This is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52Hello, and thank you so much for joining us again
0:00:52 > 0:00:53on Rip-Off Britain
0:00:53 > 0:00:55for a special series of programmes
0:00:55 > 0:00:59where we're literally peeling back the labels and the packaging
0:00:59 > 0:01:01to find out the secrets of the food we eat
0:01:01 > 0:01:04and whether we're always getting exactly what we think we are.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06- And clearly we're not, are we?- No.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09Because food scares and stories, of course, fill the newspapers
0:01:09 > 0:01:13and it's sometimes just very hard to know which ones to believe.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15So, on these programmes, we're going to be looking into
0:01:15 > 0:01:18some of the big stories around food and drink
0:01:18 > 0:01:19that have either been in the news
0:01:19 > 0:01:21or that you've told us about
0:01:21 > 0:01:23that you'd like us to investigate on your behalf.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25And we guarantee we'll have the answers
0:01:25 > 0:01:28to some of the other questions you may well have wondered about,
0:01:28 > 0:01:32along with plenty of tips and advice so that when you go shopping,
0:01:32 > 0:01:35you've got a much better idea of what's going into your trolley
0:01:35 > 0:01:37and onto your plate.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42Coming up, one man's mission to make the packaging on our foods
0:01:42 > 0:01:44more upfront about what's inside.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47We've redesigned some labels to see if he's right.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51This is a better way to tell customers
0:01:51 > 0:01:54what they're buying, what's in their product.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56That's what they need to know,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59and they don't need a magnifying glass to go at the back
0:01:59 > 0:02:00to find out what's in.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08Many thanks to all of you who wrote or e-mailed with ideas or subjects
0:02:08 > 0:02:10that you wanted to investigate for this food series.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14And it was one of those letters that prompted our next story,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17with a question that you may well have wondered about yourself.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21The average supermarket stocks
0:02:21 > 0:02:24tens of thousands of different products,
0:02:24 > 0:02:26and few of us have the time or the patience
0:02:26 > 0:02:28to scrutinise the back of every packet
0:02:28 > 0:02:31to make sure that we know exactly what we're getting.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35In fact, we're said to make a decision about
0:02:35 > 0:02:38whether to buy something in less than a second.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40So we really do rely on the information
0:02:40 > 0:02:41on the front of the packaging
0:02:41 > 0:02:44to give us a proper picture of what's inside.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49But Rip-Off Britain viewer Philip Clough
0:02:49 > 0:02:51doesn't think that's always the case.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53He wrote to us to say that he's not happy
0:02:53 > 0:02:57about what he calls "poetic licence" on packets,
0:02:57 > 0:03:00where the label on the front says one thing,
0:03:00 > 0:03:01but you only get the full details
0:03:01 > 0:03:04by wading through the small print on the back.
0:03:04 > 0:03:10He thinks the key information should be big and bold on the front.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13I don't understand why I've got to pick up a packet,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16turn it around, get my magnifying glass out,
0:03:16 > 0:03:20to actually check and see what's in that product.
0:03:20 > 0:03:27I need it on the front, to say exactly what I'm getting.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29And what particularly gets Philip's goat
0:03:29 > 0:03:32is when he discovers that some of his favourite foods
0:03:32 > 0:03:36don't contain as much of what's apparently the key ingredient
0:03:36 > 0:03:38as he might have imagined.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Sharwood's chicken korma.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43Magnifying glass is required.
0:03:43 > 0:03:48There is, 12% is chicken.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51Then we've got salmon crumble...
0:03:51 > 0:03:54and it's 13% salmon.
0:03:54 > 0:03:59They should put on here, in a big label, "13% salmon,"
0:03:59 > 0:04:03so that we know exactly what we're buying.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07What I want to see on these boxes, on these packets,
0:04:07 > 0:04:10is a clear sign
0:04:10 > 0:04:14saying the quantity of meat or fish in them.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20Well, while Philip's obviously got a real bee in his bonnet about this,
0:04:20 > 0:04:24none of these packs are breaking any of the rules or regulations,
0:04:24 > 0:04:26which, in fact, set out really clearly
0:04:26 > 0:04:29just what can and can't be said on the front of a packet.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Dr Richard Hyde is a product labelling and marketing expert.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35The law in this area is really clear.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38There's lots of very specific rules
0:04:38 > 0:04:40that apply to specific products,
0:04:40 > 0:04:42and they're there to make sure that you're not being mislead
0:04:42 > 0:04:45by someone calling a product a particular name
0:04:45 > 0:04:48when it doesn't meet those criteria.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51So, if you call it a meat pie, it's got to have meat in it.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53If you call it a steak and kidney pie,
0:04:53 > 0:04:55it's got to have steak and kidney in it.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59Your basic rule is, if it says it's got it in,
0:04:59 > 0:05:01it's got to be there when you eat the food.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04And that is the case with all the products
0:05:04 > 0:05:05that Philip has singled out.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09There might not be as much of some of the ingredients as he'd like,
0:05:09 > 0:05:11but there certainly isn't any problem
0:05:11 > 0:05:12as far as the rules are concerned.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15Now, with some foods,
0:05:15 > 0:05:18there are specified limits of what needs to be in there.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Take, for example, these pork sausages.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23They contain 42% pork.
0:05:23 > 0:05:24Any less and they wouldn't be allowed
0:05:24 > 0:05:27to be called pork sausages at all.
0:05:27 > 0:05:28But, with that amount,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31they are firmly on the right side of the line.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35But the required levels of meat in other products
0:05:35 > 0:05:37don't always need to be so high.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41For meat pies, it's got to be 12.5% meat.
0:05:41 > 0:05:46Steak and kidney pie, 12.5% made up of steak or kidney.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49Erm, obviously, you've got to have some steak in there,
0:05:49 > 0:05:51some kidney in there,
0:05:51 > 0:05:54but it's got to, in total, come to 12.5%.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58Burgers are something else you might want to keep an eye on.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02A beef burger has to contain 62% of beef
0:06:02 > 0:06:04to be allowed to call itself that.
0:06:04 > 0:06:09But an economy beef burger only has to have 47% of beef in it.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11Perhaps the most surprising of all, though,
0:06:11 > 0:06:13is the humble sausage roll.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16Only 6% of it has to be sausage,
0:06:16 > 0:06:19which leaves a lot of room for other things entirely,
0:06:19 > 0:06:20stuff you may not notice
0:06:20 > 0:06:22if you don't actually study the back of the pack.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Which is exactly why Philip thinks
0:06:24 > 0:06:27more information should be given on the front.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30So, to find out whether other people agree with him,
0:06:30 > 0:06:34we've sent him out armed with some redesigned packaging
0:06:34 > 0:06:36for a few everyday products.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38And we'll see what the shoppers that he meets
0:06:38 > 0:06:41think of how he'd like manufacturers
0:06:41 > 0:06:43to list their ingredients.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47This is a better way to tell customers
0:06:47 > 0:06:50what they're buying, what's in their product.
0:06:51 > 0:06:52That's what they need to know...
0:06:54 > 0:06:56..and they don't need a magnifying glass
0:06:56 > 0:06:59to go at the back to find out what's in.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03These new designs are all based on foods
0:07:03 > 0:07:05that Philip had in his kitchen at home,
0:07:05 > 0:07:09but we've made clear on the front how the ingredients stack up.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11So, with our pork sausages,
0:07:11 > 0:07:13you'd know straightaway how much pork is inside.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16OK, pork sausages,
0:07:16 > 0:07:1942% pork.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23Aha...10% pork fat.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25And the meat content of the steak and kidney pie
0:07:25 > 0:07:27is now right at the top.
0:07:27 > 0:07:28Pie...
0:07:28 > 0:07:29it's not saying steak,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32because there's only 12% steak.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34And the salmon crumble has a new name.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37It's now a potato and salmon crumble.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41Well, that's correct, because it is mainly potato...
0:07:41 > 0:07:45and only 13% is pink salmon.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49But will these new designs win over shoppers?
0:07:49 > 0:07:52Typical packet of pork sausages,
0:07:52 > 0:07:55how much meat do you expect there to be in them?
0:07:55 > 0:07:5690%.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00Would you be surprised that there's a lot on the market
0:08:00 > 0:08:03that only have something like 40.
0:08:03 > 0:08:04I am surprised.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06What's the rest of the stuff in there?
0:08:06 > 0:08:09If you saw this potato and salmon crumble,
0:08:09 > 0:08:12how much salmon would you expect there to be?
0:08:12 > 0:08:1425%?
0:08:14 > 0:08:17In actual fact, you'll find 13% is only fish.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19Well, that's a surprise, actually, yeah.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21I thought it'd be a bit more than that.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23You don't have to go looking for it on the back.
0:08:23 > 0:08:24It's there, you can see it,
0:08:24 > 0:08:26you can make an easy, quick, informed decision.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29If it is there, then you just know what you're getting.
0:08:29 > 0:08:30It's hardly a scientific test,
0:08:30 > 0:08:32but Philip's more upfront labelling
0:08:32 > 0:08:35certainly seems to be a hit with the people that he's met.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39But when we contacted the companies behind the products
0:08:39 > 0:08:42that had prompted Philip to write to us in the first place,
0:08:42 > 0:08:44not all of them were so impressed.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48Young's, who make the salmon crumble,
0:08:48 > 0:08:50and beef hotpot manufacturer Findus
0:08:50 > 0:08:54both told us they would look closely at his suggestions,
0:08:54 > 0:08:55stressing that they want to...
0:09:00 > 0:09:02Young's also said that it's been working on
0:09:02 > 0:09:04adding more fish to its crumble.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08But sausage manufacturer Richmond told us
0:09:08 > 0:09:11that its sausages are already clearly labelled
0:09:11 > 0:09:13with all the information that their customers need,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16including a comprehensive list of ingredients
0:09:16 > 0:09:19and Guideline Daily Amount labels on the front of the pack,
0:09:19 > 0:09:22in line with industry standards.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26Sharwood's, whose chicken korma was queried by Philip,
0:09:26 > 0:09:28also said its packaging meets
0:09:28 > 0:09:31all official labelling and dietary guidelines,
0:09:31 > 0:09:35and pointed out that since chicken features in the name of the product,
0:09:35 > 0:09:39they include the percentage of chicken in the ingredients list,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42where, they believe, most consumers would expect to find it.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47But Philip seems unlikely to change his mind on this,
0:09:47 > 0:09:50especially after testing out those new designs.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52This is the way it should say it.
0:09:52 > 0:09:59It should say exactly what the contents are right on the front,
0:09:59 > 0:10:02in bold unmistakable lettering.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09Now, when we look at the labels on food,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12we trust that they're honest about what's inside.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15And, in fact, there are rules to make sure that they don't mislead us
0:10:15 > 0:10:17with promises they can't keep.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20But labels don't necessarily tell us the whole story,
0:10:20 > 0:10:23and that means we may form the wrong idea about a product
0:10:23 > 0:10:26because of the language that's been used on the label.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30For example, take the word natural.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33To lots of us, natural is a reassuring word
0:10:33 > 0:10:35that you might assume implies
0:10:35 > 0:10:37that the product hasn't had much done to it.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41But it may surprise you to know that some products labelled natural
0:10:41 > 0:10:44have a rather more complicated history than you'd think.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49These days, heavily-processed and additive-filled foods
0:10:49 > 0:10:53top the list of things many of us want to cut back on.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56It must be a whale!
0:10:58 > 0:10:59Which is why so many of us,
0:10:59 > 0:11:02including the parents at this book shop in Manchester,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05are choosing to give our families apparently purer foods.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08And what could be more pure and natural
0:11:08 > 0:11:11than something labelled as, well, natural?
0:11:12 > 0:11:13If I saw the term natural,
0:11:13 > 0:11:17I'd assume it's got no additives or preservatives.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19I would buy something that has natural written on it,
0:11:19 > 0:11:23cos it, I would think it would be better for my family.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27It conjures up images of farms and lovely rural places
0:11:27 > 0:11:29um, and you'd naturally be more drawn
0:11:29 > 0:11:32to giving that to your children.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34According to a survey a couple of years ago,
0:11:34 > 0:11:38one in three of us now claims to actively seek out natural products,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41and 70% of people asked said that, to them,
0:11:41 > 0:11:44it's important that food is natural.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46So it's no surprise that brands can be keen
0:11:46 > 0:11:49to make a link between their product and nature.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51But whilst branding expert Gary Davies
0:11:51 > 0:11:54understands why companies would want to associate their foods
0:11:54 > 0:11:57with something that so many people clearly value,
0:11:57 > 0:12:02he also thinks that the terms they use are almost meaningless.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04The word natural is one of the favourite words
0:12:04 > 0:12:06for a marketing person,
0:12:06 > 0:12:07because it's sort of vague.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Nobody quite knows what it means,
0:12:10 > 0:12:12but it sounds as if it must be good for you,
0:12:12 > 0:12:14it sounds, it's pure,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17it even sounds as if it might be more healthy
0:12:17 > 0:12:19than something which is unnatural.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22Many of the products that use the term natural
0:12:22 > 0:12:24in their names or on the label
0:12:24 > 0:12:26are cereals, snacks and drinks.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29And alongside whatever natural ingredients they contain,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32there may be high levels of sugar or fat,
0:12:32 > 0:12:36meaning they may not always be quite the healthy choice you might think.
0:12:36 > 0:12:41This cereal bar actually contains 28.3% sugar,
0:12:41 > 0:12:43nearly 6% more than the amount
0:12:43 > 0:12:46which the NHS would term "high-sugar product."
0:12:46 > 0:12:53And this snack has 40.7% sugar and 24.6% fat.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55Anything above 17.5% total fat
0:12:55 > 0:12:59is considered a "high-fat product" by the NHS.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03All of which explains why obesity surgeon Dr Sally Norton
0:13:03 > 0:13:07is so worried by the names and labels on some of our foods.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09Manufacturers are very aware
0:13:09 > 0:13:11that we're trying to eat more healthily,
0:13:11 > 0:13:13and they're tapping into that vulnerability that we have.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15I mean, people in the UK aren't stupid,
0:13:15 > 0:13:19they know we need to eat better food and we need to tackle our weight,
0:13:19 > 0:13:23and so they're actively looking for products that seem to be healthier.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25And manufacturers are taking advantage of this,
0:13:25 > 0:13:27it's something called the health halo,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30so if you have products that say that they're natural
0:13:30 > 0:13:31or full of fruit,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34then we tend to pick them up, we buy more of them
0:13:34 > 0:13:36and, actually, we eat more of them too,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39which can result in, quite perversely,
0:13:39 > 0:13:41in us eating more calories
0:13:41 > 0:13:44than if we thought that it was an unhealthy product.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46And Dr Norton has a few examples of products
0:13:46 > 0:13:51that we might assume from the names or packaging would be good for us.
0:13:51 > 0:13:52Well, if you look at this product,
0:13:52 > 0:13:55it's actually got a really nice packaging to it.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58It's got a nice green, um, logo up here
0:13:58 > 0:14:00with some fields and things,
0:14:00 > 0:14:02and then it's got a lovely big picture of fruit on here.
0:14:02 > 0:14:03So I would be drawn to this,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06it looks like a nice healthy product.
0:14:06 > 0:14:07But actually, if you look at the back,
0:14:07 > 0:14:09you'll see that it's got...
0:14:09 > 0:14:13um, per 100g, it's got 26g of sugar.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16That means that a quarter of this product is pure sugar.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18And as for fruit,
0:14:18 > 0:14:20only 3% of this product is fruit,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23so we've got 3% fruit, 25% sugar.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25Not quite as healthy now.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27Now, this product is something
0:14:27 > 0:14:29that my children have actually gone off and bought
0:14:29 > 0:14:30when they wanted a drink
0:14:30 > 0:14:32and they knew I wouldn't be too impressed
0:14:32 > 0:14:34if they came back with a fizzy can of something.
0:14:34 > 0:14:35So they bought this,
0:14:35 > 0:14:38they were lured in by the green labelling and the fruits,
0:14:38 > 0:14:42and somewhere on here, it says "natural mineral water."
0:14:42 > 0:14:43And they drunk the whole lot themselves,
0:14:43 > 0:14:47so they had over 10 teaspoons of sugar in this.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49It says natural, it looks nice and healthy...
0:14:49 > 0:14:51It's not at all, it's just sugary water.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56The manufacturers of such products reject any criticisms,
0:14:56 > 0:14:59saying their ingredients are made clear on the label.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05Eat Natural told us more than half the sugars in its cereal bar
0:15:05 > 0:15:06are from the dried fruit and honey,
0:15:06 > 0:15:09and therefore, naturally occurring,
0:15:09 > 0:15:10but in any case, it's...
0:15:15 > 0:15:18..which they say are simple ones you'd find at home, with...
0:15:21 > 0:15:22..in anything they make.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26Volvic stressed its water
0:15:26 > 0:15:30contains both natural mineral water and fruit flavourings,
0:15:30 > 0:15:31and it...
0:15:33 > 0:15:36..with the lemon and lime extracts enough to satisfy the rules
0:15:36 > 0:15:40on what can be described as a natural flavouring.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44Nature Valley, who make this oats and honey bar, didn't comment
0:15:44 > 0:15:47and nor did the makers of the granola that Dr Norton looked at.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52But she recommends looking carefully at the ingredients
0:15:52 > 0:15:56before assuming that what you're buying is as healthy as it appears.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59Products that have the label natural,
0:15:59 > 0:16:02it doesn't mean that they're any better for you than other products.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04They may be, but we need to read the back of the package
0:16:04 > 0:16:06and look at those ingredients properly.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08They may be no better for you at all.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12And watch out for anything described on the label as natural sugars.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Dr Norton says that doesn't make them any healthier.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19Sugar is sugar is sugar, basically.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22In fact, I think there are about 50 different terms
0:16:22 > 0:16:25that manufacturers can use for sugar on the back of their products,
0:16:25 > 0:16:26and we are fooled by them.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29We think that honey is better for us because it's natural.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33It's just sugar, and we mustn't be fooled by these terms.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38There are no laws governing the use of the word natural on food labels,
0:16:38 > 0:16:40but there are guidelines
0:16:40 > 0:16:43which suggest that it means food is made of natural ingredients,
0:16:43 > 0:16:48and that no chemicals, additives or flavourings have been added.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50By that criteria, all of the foods are OK
0:16:50 > 0:16:52to describe themselves as natural,
0:16:52 > 0:16:55even if that doesn't mean they're necessarily healthy.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58So this is a grey area,
0:16:58 > 0:17:00and because it's a grey area,
0:17:00 > 0:17:03it's one that marketing people can exploit,
0:17:03 > 0:17:05taking advantages of the connotations
0:17:05 > 0:17:08that we put around a word like natural.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10It's wholesome, it's good for you,
0:17:10 > 0:17:13it's better for you than if we didn't use that word.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17But fundamentally, it's a word which has no particular meaning.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Did you know that a quarter of us suffer from an allergy?
0:17:24 > 0:17:27Now, it might be to something like pollen or pet hair,
0:17:27 > 0:17:28which, although annoying,
0:17:28 > 0:17:30can usually be pretty straightforward to manage.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34But food allergies can be much more difficult to tackle,
0:17:34 > 0:17:36which is why we rely on what manufacturers
0:17:36 > 0:17:38put on the actual labels,
0:17:38 > 0:17:42to tell us whether a particular food is going to be safe to eat.
0:17:42 > 0:17:43Now, all of that's fine
0:17:43 > 0:17:47if the label says the product definitely DOES contain
0:17:47 > 0:17:49whatever it is you're allergic to.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51But if it simply says it "might",
0:17:51 > 0:17:53well, that may mean that you're avoiding foods
0:17:53 > 0:17:55that you actually could be enjoying.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57So when we heard about one mum,
0:17:57 > 0:18:00asking why she couldn't be told for sure
0:18:00 > 0:18:02what is in some of the food she buys,
0:18:02 > 0:18:04I went off to investigate.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08Even the smallest trace of nuts in a product
0:18:08 > 0:18:11can cause serious problems for those who are allergic to them.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17So you might think the familiar warning "may contain nuts"
0:18:17 > 0:18:20would be welcomed by Clare Hussein from Portsmouth,
0:18:20 > 0:18:22whose four-year-old daughter Bikita
0:18:22 > 0:18:24suffers from 11 food allergies,
0:18:24 > 0:18:25including one to nuts.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33But in fact, Clare doesn't consider such a vague warning helpful.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36She wants to know for sure what is in Bikita's food
0:18:36 > 0:18:39to make sure she doesn't come into contact with the allergens
0:18:39 > 0:18:41that could trigger a sudden reaction.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45Everywhere you go, you're worrying about what could happen.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47You worry about surfaces having...
0:18:47 > 0:18:50food or protein from different foods on them
0:18:50 > 0:18:52that she's going to get on her hands.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57For Clare, the weekly food shop can prove very tricky indeed,
0:18:57 > 0:18:59because of the minefield of products
0:18:59 > 0:19:01that need to be checked and avoided.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03There isn't one shop I can go into
0:19:03 > 0:19:07and...do a complete food shop.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11I have to visit three or four supermarkets.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15And because food manufacturers often change their recipes,
0:19:15 > 0:19:17or the way they make their products,
0:19:17 > 0:19:19Clare has to meticulously check the labels
0:19:19 > 0:19:21every single time she shops.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23Even after I've done the shopping,
0:19:23 > 0:19:27I have to e-mail the manufacturers to find out their facilities
0:19:27 > 0:19:29and the conditions the food's made in.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32You just have to be so vigilant at all times,
0:19:32 > 0:19:34and there's no room for error.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40The range of foods Bikita can eat without Clare having to worry
0:19:40 > 0:19:42is pretty slim.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45So when she finds something Bikita loves that's completely safe,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48it's a minor victory against the allergies.
0:19:48 > 0:19:49And for the last six months,
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Bikita's favourite treat has been chocolate buttons.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55But on a recent trip to the supermarket,
0:19:55 > 0:19:58the ones they normally buy were nowhere to be found.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02Previously, the supermarket had stocked
0:20:02 > 0:20:04a different brand of chocolate buttons
0:20:04 > 0:20:05that were safe
0:20:05 > 0:20:07um, and were well known for being safe
0:20:07 > 0:20:09and produced in a nut-free facility.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14That product had disappeared off the shelves for a while
0:20:14 > 0:20:19and had now been replaced with the supermarket's own chocolate buttons.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23These new buttons were free from dairy, gluten
0:20:23 > 0:20:25and some other allergens.
0:20:25 > 0:20:26But unfortunately for Bikita,
0:20:26 > 0:20:30the label still had one very important warning.
0:20:30 > 0:20:31I picked up the packet,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34being excited that we'd found a new product,
0:20:34 > 0:20:35turned the packet over,
0:20:35 > 0:20:39and was immediately...disheartened in that it said,
0:20:39 > 0:20:41"Also, may contain nuts."
0:20:41 > 0:20:44I couldn't buy the product, I had to put it back on the shelf.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49Clare has also noticed that a whole range of other products
0:20:49 > 0:20:51she'd previously bought at various supermarkets
0:20:51 > 0:20:55now seem to carry that "may contain nuts" warning,
0:20:55 > 0:20:56including unexpected things
0:20:56 > 0:21:00like butternut squash, apple juice and bananas.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03I find it hard to imagine how...
0:21:03 > 0:21:05a banana, for example, would have come into contact
0:21:05 > 0:21:08with any kind of nuts,
0:21:08 > 0:21:12so to then put a label on it to say may contain nuts...
0:21:12 > 0:21:16just, it...it seems silly.
0:21:18 > 0:21:19We took a close look at the labelling
0:21:19 > 0:21:21on a real mix of supermarket products,
0:21:21 > 0:21:24from a variety of stores and manufacturers.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26And like Clare, we're just a little surprised
0:21:26 > 0:21:29by some of the foods that warn they may contain nuts.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32Let's look at the apple juice.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35Up here, "May contain nuts."
0:21:35 > 0:21:37To me, it is nuts to think they would be in the apple juice,
0:21:37 > 0:21:39but anyway, there you go.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41And then you have a look at Greek style yogurt.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43Straightforward, you might think.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47"Allergy advice. May contain nuts."
0:21:47 > 0:21:50Let's see what else we have over here.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52Tomato and mushroom pasta sauce.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54And here we go,
0:21:54 > 0:21:58"Allergy advice. May contain traces of nuts."
0:22:00 > 0:22:03A recent survey from the Food Standards Agency
0:22:03 > 0:22:06found half of all products with allergy warnings on the label
0:22:06 > 0:22:08didn't, in fact, contain any allergens at all.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13So when Clare found that new range of chocolate buttons
0:22:13 > 0:22:14in the supermarket,
0:22:14 > 0:22:18she wasn't satisfied at being told it may contain nuts.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21She wanted to know for sure whether it did or it didn't.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23So she contacted the store to find out,
0:22:23 > 0:22:25and was told that these labels are only used
0:22:25 > 0:22:29when there is "a demonstrable risk."
0:22:29 > 0:22:31But Clare doesn't think that that's good enough
0:22:31 > 0:22:33and wants to know why more detail can't be given.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37"May contain" labels are very vague.
0:22:37 > 0:22:42They don't tell you whether the facility has nuts in the factory
0:22:42 > 0:22:45or they're on the same line as the product you're buying.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49And a "may contain" label means that I cannot buy that product.
0:22:49 > 0:22:50So, rather than using the word may,
0:22:50 > 0:22:53could food manufacturers give a more definitive answer
0:22:53 > 0:22:55on what is inside?
0:22:55 > 0:22:58To find out some of the challenges around this,
0:22:58 > 0:23:00I've come to Saffron Walden in Essex,
0:23:00 > 0:23:03where Simon Hatcher is the operations director
0:23:03 > 0:23:05at Cole's Puddings.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07Well, Simon, I have to say, I am not Mary Berry,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10so this looks like a lot of baking here.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12So, what exactly are you making here?
0:23:12 > 0:23:14We're making some brandy Christmas puddings here.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16What would you normally do? Throw the whole box in?
0:23:16 > 0:23:18- Would you like me to take over? - I think I would.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21- OK, there you go with the nuts. - There we go, we just tip them.
0:23:21 > 0:23:22It just smells like Christmas,
0:23:22 > 0:23:25but I guess that's right, as you're making Christmas pudding.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27- SHE LAUGHS - I love it.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31These puddings do contain nuts,
0:23:31 > 0:23:33which means Simon wouldn't be confident
0:23:33 > 0:23:35of making any other puddings he could label as nut-free
0:23:35 > 0:23:37using the same machinery,
0:23:37 > 0:23:40just in case the slightest trace of nut slips through.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45There's a real risk of having nut contamination.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49You imagine, you have to clean down every piece of machinery
0:23:49 > 0:23:52from, between a nut product and a non-nut product.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56It's quite a big risk for someone who has a nut allergy
0:23:56 > 0:23:59to have a piece of nut in there.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02Morrisons told us that its low fat Greek yoghurt
0:24:02 > 0:24:04is made in the same manufacturing site
0:24:04 > 0:24:06as its low fat hazelnut yoghurt,
0:24:06 > 0:24:07so a warning...
0:24:13 > 0:24:15ASDA declined to comment
0:24:15 > 0:24:17when asked about its tomato and pasta sauce,
0:24:17 > 0:24:19but the British Retail Consortium,
0:24:19 > 0:24:22which represents most of the supermarkets,
0:24:22 > 0:24:23told us that its members
0:24:23 > 0:24:26would always "use a thorough risk assessment"
0:24:26 > 0:24:29to work out if a warning is required.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31And as for the Tesco apple juice...
0:24:31 > 0:24:32well, more on that shortly.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38Now, to guard against the possibility of cross-contamination,
0:24:38 > 0:24:40Cole's could very easily just put on the label
0:24:40 > 0:24:43those three words that drive Clare mad -
0:24:43 > 0:24:45may contain nuts.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48But instead, this particular company has found a very different way
0:24:48 > 0:24:51to ensure its nut-free puddings really are nut-free.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54They make them in a completely different factory,
0:24:54 > 0:24:56over 35 miles away.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58This is where we do the specialist puddings,
0:24:58 > 0:25:00so we do the free from
0:25:00 > 0:25:01and it's fairly labour intensive
0:25:01 > 0:25:04and, erm, smaller volumes.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07I know that some sites do have the two things on the same site.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10We don't, we think it's too dangerous.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15But not all manufacturers are able to have separate sites
0:25:15 > 0:25:17to make sure the ingredients from one product
0:25:17 > 0:25:19can't contaminate another.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22Which is why, even if there is the tiniest risk,
0:25:22 > 0:25:24labelling even the most surprising goods
0:25:24 > 0:25:26with the warning "may contain nuts"
0:25:26 > 0:25:29remains the best way to flag up the danger,
0:25:29 > 0:25:32however annoying that may be for customers who want to know for sure.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34You can see both sides of that.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36You can see that the factory side of it would be,
0:25:36 > 0:25:37"Well, we've got to be careful.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39"One minute drop of this allergen
0:25:39 > 0:25:41"will set off an anaphylactic shock."
0:25:41 > 0:25:43And the other side, the frustration,
0:25:43 > 0:25:45"Well, I can eat that, I know I can eat that,
0:25:45 > 0:25:47"but it says it may contain nuts, so that stops me."
0:25:49 > 0:25:52That's a feeling that mums like Clare know all too well.
0:25:52 > 0:25:53But, for her, at least,
0:25:53 > 0:25:55there's one piece of good news on the horizon.
0:25:58 > 0:25:59When we contacted Tesco,
0:25:59 > 0:26:01the store whose range of chocolate buttons
0:26:01 > 0:26:04prompted Clare to write to us in the first place,
0:26:04 > 0:26:05it told us its...
0:26:08 > 0:26:11And reiterated that the may contain nuts label
0:26:11 > 0:26:12is displayed only...
0:26:18 > 0:26:20But the store made clear that it continues to review
0:26:20 > 0:26:22labelling on all products,
0:26:22 > 0:26:23and in doing so,
0:26:23 > 0:26:25has found that some of their suppliers
0:26:25 > 0:26:27have incorrectly stuck a warning on products
0:26:27 > 0:26:29that don't in fact require one at all.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35And there are other suppliers that have "reassessed their processes",
0:26:35 > 0:26:37including the ones that make their chocolate buttons,
0:26:37 > 0:26:39and their apple juice.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43Tesco told us that as a result, these labels will be changed,
0:26:43 > 0:26:46with the "may contain" statement removed.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50And although that means Clare can once again
0:26:50 > 0:26:53give her daughter Bikita the treat she loves,
0:26:53 > 0:26:55she wishes she could get a definitive answer
0:26:55 > 0:26:57on all the food she buys.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59I hope that when my daughter's older,
0:26:59 > 0:27:02she is able to go into a supermarket,
0:27:02 > 0:27:03pick up a food product
0:27:03 > 0:27:07and be able to tell from that label whether it's safe for her or not.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17Here at Rip-Off Britain,
0:27:17 > 0:27:18we're always ready to investigate
0:27:18 > 0:27:21more of your stories on any subject.
0:27:21 > 0:27:22You can write to us at...
0:27:31 > 0:27:33Or you can send us an e-mail to...
0:27:36 > 0:27:39Remember that the Rip-Off team is ready and waiting
0:27:39 > 0:27:41to investigate your stories.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46And I'm afraid that's just about it for today,
0:27:46 > 0:27:49but I do hope you've picked up some hints and tips
0:27:49 > 0:27:52on what to keep in mind about the food that you buy.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55And you can always find out more advice, of course, on our website.
0:27:55 > 0:27:56The address, as always...
0:27:59 > 0:28:00And from there,
0:28:00 > 0:28:02you can send us your own stories to investigate,
0:28:02 > 0:28:05whether they're about food or any of the other topics
0:28:05 > 0:28:06that we investigate throughout the year.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09And we'll be back to look into more of your stories very soon,
0:28:09 > 0:28:11but until then, thanks for joining us
0:28:11 > 0:28:12and until the next time
0:28:12 > 0:28:15- from all the team, goodbye. - Bye-bye.- Bye-bye.