0:00:02 > 0:00:03Food - it's big business.
0:00:03 > 0:00:08Each year we spend something like £5,000 per household on food and drink.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11So the competition for your pound is tough.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14We'll leave no shelf untouched in our quest
0:00:14 > 0:00:17to champion you, the weekly shopper.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21This is a series in which we'll be exposing the hidden rip-offs
0:00:21 > 0:00:24and letting you in on the tricks of the food trade.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28And most importantly, we'll show you how to be a smart shopper.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30Welcome to Rip Off Food.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46Today we're checking out supermarkets
0:00:46 > 0:00:48and the true cost of convenience.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52We'll be showing you why some special offers
0:00:52 > 0:00:54aren't all that special at all.
0:00:54 > 0:00:59Watch out - you might not be getting the special offer that you thought you were.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02We pit bottled water against tap
0:01:02 > 0:01:05to check out the real winner on value and taste.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07I think it just had a bit of a crisper taste.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10No! Really?
0:01:10 > 0:01:12How the packaging on some of your purchases
0:01:12 > 0:01:13could leave you wanting more.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17- Oh, my goodness, it's like a third full.- Absolutely.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26The UK grocery market is worth over £160 billion,
0:01:26 > 0:01:28and it's dominated by the supermarkets.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32Special offers are a very common sight for consumers
0:01:32 > 0:01:35as they peruse the goods on sale.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37But what you may not realise is that some special offers
0:01:37 > 0:01:39are not that special.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44Now, in these times of austerity,
0:01:44 > 0:01:48let's be honest, a discount will always attract our attention.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52So when supermarkets put products on special offer, well,
0:01:52 > 0:01:54it's only right that most customers take it for granted
0:01:54 > 0:01:57that there is a bargain to be had.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00- We're suckers for it. Aren't we?- We are, yeah.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03Every time I go shopping I'll look for what's on offer
0:02:03 > 0:02:06and that kind of influences what I buy, really.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08Yeah, anything you can get better value for,
0:02:08 > 0:02:10I've no loyalty to any particular brand.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14You sometimes find that the price is really exaggerated,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17so the special offer is actually the normal price.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21I'm always very cautious cos I don't know why it's a special offer,
0:02:21 > 0:02:22what makes it cheaper now.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24I mean, I'm always looking for a low price,
0:02:24 > 0:02:28but if there's "Buy one, get one free" then definitely, yeah.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31A 2012 survey by consumer champion Which?
0:02:31 > 0:02:35followed the fluctuations of over 700,000 of prices
0:02:35 > 0:02:37at supermarkets around the UK
0:02:37 > 0:02:41between January 2011 and February 2012.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45They described what they found as "dodgy pricing tactics"
0:02:45 > 0:02:48because some of the special offers weren't what they appeared.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51The supermarkets would like us to believe we are all getting a bargain,
0:02:51 > 0:02:55but if you look behind the prices, if you look at the details,
0:02:55 > 0:02:57watch out, you might not be getting
0:02:57 > 0:02:59the special offer that you thought you were.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03This is happening even though the Government introduced
0:03:03 > 0:03:06a Pricing Practices Guide in 2010,
0:03:06 > 0:03:09to stop consumers being misled by special promotions.
0:03:10 > 0:03:15The guideline states that a product can only go on special offer
0:03:15 > 0:03:19if the price has remained the same for 28 days before being reduced.
0:03:20 > 0:03:25But Which? found that in some cases these rules weren't being followed.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28The trick that came up time and time again
0:03:28 > 0:03:30is the price of a product being whacked up just before
0:03:30 > 0:03:34it was put on special offer, so it looks like you're saving a big deal
0:03:34 > 0:03:37on the previous price, actually that was roughly the price
0:03:37 > 0:03:41you would have paid a few weeks ago anyway, not so special.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45One example the survey highlighted was a so-called special offer
0:03:45 > 0:03:49on strawberries by online supermarket Ocado.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54The fact is that the price of the strawberries had been
0:03:54 > 0:03:58increased by 49 pence for less than two weeks
0:03:58 > 0:04:01before it was reduced and put on special offer.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03Clearly against the guidelines.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09And then the special offer lasted for nearly three months.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12Well, I don't think that's playing by the rules, do you?
0:04:12 > 0:04:14The special offer price running on and on and on for weeks,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17if not months, it's not special if it's the price
0:04:17 > 0:04:21that it's on display for week after week after week.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27Another example highlighted was an ASDA multibuy offer
0:04:27 > 0:04:31of ten Muller yoghurts for £4 - that's 40p a pot -
0:04:31 > 0:04:34while a single pot cost 61p.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37So it seemed a good offer.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41But directly before and after the multibuy offer period,
0:04:41 > 0:04:45a single pot of Muller yoghurt cost only 30p,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48which would have meant that ten pots cost £3.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51Not such a bargain multibuy after all.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56Which? found lots of examples of dubious offers
0:04:56 > 0:04:58across all of the big supermarkets,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01which in the main - they said -
0:05:01 > 0:05:03were a case of genuine mistakes being made.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05But not everybody buys that.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11This looks systematic to us across lots of supermarkets.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13They now need to clean their act up.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16If they won't, then it's time for the Government to step in,
0:05:16 > 0:05:19toughen up the rules and properly enforce them.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22Otherwise it's consumers that will foot the bill, yet again.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24Ocado told us that they are
0:05:24 > 0:05:26committed to providing clear and accurate information,
0:05:26 > 0:05:30and that, regrettably on this one isolated occasion,
0:05:30 > 0:05:35this specific promotion did not explain their offer in the required detail.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38They are committed to ensuring this doesn't happen again
0:05:38 > 0:05:42and will continue to heavily monitor their processes accordingly.
0:05:43 > 0:05:48We contacted ASDA, who said this was a rare mistake and that by and large
0:05:48 > 0:05:52their systems ensure these sorts of instances are kept to a minimum.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54The say that since the example we highlighted,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57they've implemented a new checking procedure
0:05:57 > 0:06:02across the entire ASDA grocery website, to ensure all price cuts
0:06:02 > 0:06:05are triple-checked before they appear online.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08And they've appointed an independent audit team
0:06:08 > 0:06:11to monitor the prices displayed and remove any pricing errors.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17Now, when you're out and about doing you shopping,
0:06:17 > 0:06:19have you ever noticed how some things
0:06:19 > 0:06:25have so much packaging around them compared to what's actually inside?
0:06:25 > 0:06:29Over a third of the packaging found in a typical shopping basket
0:06:29 > 0:06:31can't be recycled.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34Much of the food we buy has layers and layers of wrapping
0:06:34 > 0:06:36that go straight in the bin.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39So could manufacturers improve on this,
0:06:39 > 0:06:41and in the process make the size of the actual contents
0:06:41 > 0:06:43obvious at a glance?
0:06:46 > 0:06:49I'm meeting Mark Shayler, who has 18 years of design experience
0:06:49 > 0:06:51in improving product packaging.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57I have to tell you, as a consumer I get so frustrated
0:06:57 > 0:06:59by layer after layer after layer of paper,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02particularly when you buy something in a cardboard box.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05It seems to be like this size and the box is this size,
0:07:05 > 0:07:06so you must come across this all the time.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10All the time. We see it as an issue that is absolutely huge,
0:07:10 > 0:07:13and in reality we've got a lot better at it,
0:07:13 > 0:07:15but there's still some things to do.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18If I'm being really honest, there are times that I'm buying something
0:07:18 > 0:07:20for somebody else and I think,
0:07:20 > 0:07:22"Gosh, that looks really good in all that packaging",
0:07:22 > 0:07:24so I'm a bit of a sucker for it sometimes.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28We talk about different occasions, different opening occasions,
0:07:28 > 0:07:30and, I mean, Apple have made a whole science
0:07:30 > 0:07:33of the seven-second reveal of the iPhone,
0:07:33 > 0:07:35when you pull the box apart there's a little bit of suction,
0:07:35 > 0:07:38and that's part of the pleasure of the product,
0:07:38 > 0:07:41but for everyday products maybe we're not really interested
0:07:41 > 0:07:45in the seven-second reveal when we just want to open a can of sardines.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47So, Mark, you can only talk about it for so long,
0:07:47 > 0:07:48we've got now to look at our shopping.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51This is going to be a good lesson for me in packaging.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54Well, we've got here a box of chocolate treats.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56Open the clip, and straightaway...
0:07:56 > 0:07:57Oh, it's only half-full.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Well, you're managing disappointment there, aren't you?
0:08:00 > 0:08:03That's not really good enough. We can drop the size of this
0:08:03 > 0:08:06appropriately to the weight of the product.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09When we contacted Gu they said that their packaging gives
0:08:09 > 0:08:11a clear indication of the weight of the product,
0:08:11 > 0:08:13and they pride themselves on the honesty
0:08:13 > 0:08:17and integrity of their ingredients and manufacturing process.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Other examples - this is a really interesting one.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25I was struck by the fact that the bag felt half-full.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28When you open them up, straightaway...
0:08:28 > 0:08:31- Oh, my goodness, it's like a third full.- Absolutely.
0:08:31 > 0:08:36- That is ridiculous.- Interestingly, it's an aluminium foil as well.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38It's used to stop sunlight coming through,
0:08:38 > 0:08:41which then stops the product becoming rancid.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43Yeah, it's good for preservation.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45It's great, BUT you don't need it on the outer,
0:08:45 > 0:08:49because inside you've then got five packs
0:08:49 > 0:08:52that are all aluminium-foiled anyway.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56Now, I'm going to open this one. What I do get in my yoghurty thing
0:08:56 > 0:09:00is like a packet that's barely a third full of anything.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02Absolutely, and I can't see a reason for it.
0:09:02 > 0:09:07Are there any legal sort of rules and regulations about
0:09:07 > 0:09:08maybe misleading, you know,
0:09:08 > 0:09:11in terms of the yoghurty sweets or any of it?
0:09:11 > 0:09:14- Every single one is labelled correctly.- Yeah.
0:09:14 > 0:09:19So even the yoghurt ones, it says, "5 x 25g",
0:09:19 > 0:09:23however it's written really small, very near the seal,
0:09:23 > 0:09:25it's not the thing that leaps out at you.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27The thing that leaps out at you is the brand...
0:09:27 > 0:09:29- And the size of the bag. - Exactly, yeah.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33So that's the other message - if you want to really shop wisely,
0:09:33 > 0:09:35you've got to read the labels carefully.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37But the labels could be much easier to read.
0:09:37 > 0:09:38Now that's another story.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44The manufacturers of Yu! Fruit told us that they're a young company
0:09:44 > 0:09:48focused on delivering snacks to a wide range of consumers,
0:09:48 > 0:09:51and that the reason they use aluminium foil
0:09:51 > 0:09:54is that they deliver safe, high-quality snacks
0:09:54 > 0:09:56from beginning to end of life.
0:09:56 > 0:09:57They say this is important to them
0:09:57 > 0:09:59as many of their consumers are children.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03They say they did have smaller packs and want to move back to them
0:10:03 > 0:10:06when they can make the necessary changes to their operations.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09They add that the description of the contents is clear
0:10:09 > 0:10:11and easy to locate on the front of the pack.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14Now, oversized packaging is one thing,
0:10:14 > 0:10:18but what if the packet stays the same size, but the contents shrink?
0:10:18 > 0:10:21And then if the price stays the same - that's a shocker.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27In April 2012, Which? reported that over the last year
0:10:27 > 0:10:30certain products had reduced in size.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34Well, here are some examples, we've got Branston Pickle.
0:10:34 > 0:10:41Now, this was a 405g jar before, it's now 360g,
0:10:41 > 0:10:46that's a 45g reduction, and it's on sale for exactly the same price.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50That's 12% less for the same price,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53so does the new bottle look noticeably smaller?
0:10:54 > 0:10:58In terms of size, no, they look relatively similar.
0:10:58 > 0:10:59Slight packaging difference,
0:10:59 > 0:11:01but apart from that I don't see much.
0:11:01 > 0:11:06The size? Oh, yeah, that one is a little bit smaller,
0:11:06 > 0:11:10360g as opposed to 405g.
0:11:10 > 0:11:16That's inflation, isn't it? That's pulling the wool over people's eyes.
0:11:16 > 0:11:17Cheeky.
0:11:17 > 0:11:22And they found products that shrank where the price had gone UP.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Here's another example of Birds Eye Crispy Chicken,
0:11:25 > 0:11:31this was 360g, it's now down to 340g.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33It was on special offer for £2,
0:11:33 > 0:11:35now, at this smaller weight,
0:11:35 > 0:11:39it's on sale for £3.85.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42So we've got 20g less
0:11:42 > 0:11:45for nearly £1.85 more.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49In fact, the only thing that hadn't changed was the size of the box.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54I think if they decrease the size but keep the box the same size,
0:11:54 > 0:11:56that's pretty deceptive actually.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Part of the reason I don't buy thing like this is
0:11:58 > 0:12:00because I can't see what the size is,
0:12:00 > 0:12:03so I'd rather buy something where I can see it clearly.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05I think that's a little bit out of order.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08People go for their brands cos they remember the picture
0:12:08 > 0:12:12and they don't necessarily look at the grams and stuff.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16It's not value for money, especially if prices continue to go up as well.
0:12:16 > 0:12:23Blackcurrant jam, used to be a 454g jar, it's now a 400g jar,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26that's an eighth smaller. It's exactly the same price,
0:12:26 > 0:12:32so you're paying the same money for a jar that's 54g less in weight.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36So we asked the food manufacturers to comment.
0:12:36 > 0:12:41Streamline said that it was part of a redesign and relaunch strategy
0:12:41 > 0:12:44and an alternative to a price increase in the face
0:12:44 > 0:12:47of a huge increase in raw material costs.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51They also said that, historically, jams were sold in pound jars,
0:12:51 > 0:12:56454g, however many consumers felt these were too large.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01Birds Eye said they're facing steep rises in commodity prices,
0:13:01 > 0:13:04and have made a small reduction in the weight
0:13:04 > 0:13:08of their Crispy Chicken in order to keep prices low.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Whilst it is retailers that set prices in store,
0:13:10 > 0:13:13they are working closely with them to devise promotions
0:13:13 > 0:13:17that will benefit their consumers and offer value for money.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21Branston Pickle told us they have no control
0:13:21 > 0:13:24over the retail prices the consumer pays for their product.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31So, some packages are shrinking.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34But one thing that certainly isn't getting any smaller
0:13:34 > 0:13:38is our love of bottled water, which can come with an A-list price tag.
0:13:38 > 0:13:45Like this 750ml bottle of water - a mere £5.95 from Harrods.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50To be honest, I'm a great fan of this convenient product,
0:13:50 > 0:13:53along with many other people, it seems.
0:13:53 > 0:13:54I just prefer the taste of bottled water.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56We drink bottled water.
0:13:56 > 0:13:57Bottled water.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00If I buy bottled, I buy sparkling.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03Last year, we bought more than two billion litres of the bottled stuff.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07It's a market worth over £1.6 billion.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11Now, I assume that bottled water is healthier
0:14:11 > 0:14:13and tastes better than tap water.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16I think many of us feel we're making the right choice.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18But I'm wiling to have my mind changed.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29Here at Thames Water Treatment Centre, I have to tell you,
0:14:29 > 0:14:31they know a thing or two about providing us with tap water,
0:14:31 > 0:14:34and I'm just about to meet the man in charge.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38I must warn you, though, I'm no pushover,
0:14:38 > 0:14:41and I'm certainly not going to let one of their senior managers,
0:14:41 > 0:14:45Jerry White, bamboozle me with statistics or spin.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48- Jerry? Hi, how are you? Nice to see you.- Hi, nice to meet you.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50- Big plant, I knew I'd find you somewhere.- Yes, indeed!
0:14:50 > 0:14:53Here we are, absolutely surrounded by water.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55Now, I have to admit, I'm looking down here at the water -
0:14:55 > 0:14:59it is muddy, it is filthy-looking, it is disgusting, if I may say so.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02In a way I can understand why a lot of people might say,
0:15:02 > 0:15:04"Oh, I think I'll have the bottled stuff, it's a bit better."
0:15:04 > 0:15:07So tell me about just where you get all this water from.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10We're obviously taking it out of the river here, from the Thames,
0:15:10 > 0:15:13we take water from the ground as well, from the ground water boreholes.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16But most of the water from the ground ends up in the river,
0:15:16 > 0:15:19and then as it flows down we'll take it out at certain points,
0:15:19 > 0:15:22and yes, it does come back into the river from a sewage treatment works,
0:15:22 > 0:15:26and the site here treats around about 150 million litres of water a day.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30- A day?- A day. And that's enough for about a million people.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34So what's the time span from gunge here to tap?
0:15:34 > 0:15:37Well, it'll be through the process here within a matter of hours.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39So what you're trying to tell me is if I have
0:15:39 > 0:15:40a little pee here, I could be drinking it
0:15:40 > 0:15:42out of that end tap before I go home.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44LAUGHING: You could be, Gloria.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48Would you show me round the rest the rest of the plant,
0:15:48 > 0:15:50- particularly where you purify it? - Yeah, absolutely.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52I think Jerry's going to have to do better
0:15:52 > 0:15:56if he wants to convince me to drink the end result of that water.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00And the first stage of the process is not reassuring.
0:16:00 > 0:16:06Ooh, bad. I mean, how do you classify this mangy-looking vat?
0:16:06 > 0:16:10Well, this is where we've added an iron coagulant,
0:16:10 > 0:16:13which makes all the bits of the dirt
0:16:13 > 0:16:15and soil stick together in the water,
0:16:15 > 0:16:17and then you bubble air up through it,
0:16:17 > 0:16:19and all the air floats things to the surface,
0:16:19 > 0:16:20and it sticks together
0:16:20 > 0:16:22and you get all this sort of horrible foam on the top here.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26But underneath that layer of foam, there's nice clean water.
0:16:26 > 0:16:27I have to tell you, it is vile looking.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30It's likely to put me off drinking tap water for life.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32This is really the first stage of the filtration.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34So, here goes.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37Oh, yes, so it actually then, Jerry,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40- just sort of skims it all off. - Pushes it across, yes.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43- And quite quickly as well. - Yeah, it'll move quite quickly.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46Jerry says it's air bubbles that makes the water
0:16:46 > 0:16:47that milky green colour.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51Uh-uh, looks more than air in that murk to me.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54Now, Jerry, what exactly happens in the ozone gallery?
0:16:54 > 0:16:57- Sounds very grand. - Well, we take liquid oxygen,
0:16:57 > 0:17:01O2, and we put an electrical charge through it to create ozone.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03Similar to what you get in the atmosphere.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06If you look in here, you'll actually see the bubbles of ozone
0:17:06 > 0:17:08rising up through the liquid oxygen.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11- So what exactly is happening? - It breaks down pesticides,
0:17:11 > 0:17:14removes organic, dissolves organic matter.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16- Most efficient way of doing it? - Yeah.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19Oh, so after this process, then what happens next?
0:17:19 > 0:17:21We'll go and see what happens in disinfection.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Disinfecting, I like that bit I'm a bit of a disinfectant freak.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26- Are you now?- Yes.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Well, the water's certainly looking cleaner.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32We do even more samples on tap water than are currently conducted
0:17:32 > 0:17:35on bottled water, so for me, I think it's a very safe bet.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38I personally am always a bit staggered when I see people
0:17:38 > 0:17:41buying cartons and bottles of water in the supermarket
0:17:41 > 0:17:44when I know that it costs such little,
0:17:44 > 0:17:46and it's also treated to such a high standard.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50So let's get to the bottom line of the cost difference
0:17:50 > 0:17:53between tap water and bottled water.
0:17:53 > 0:17:59The water from here costs 0.1p per litre, that's a tenth of a penny.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02Let's see how that compares to the cost of bottled water on the high street.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09Kinvara Carey is General Manager of the National Hydration Council,
0:18:09 > 0:18:13which represents the bestselling UK brands of bottled water.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18In the UK, 90% of the bottled water is actually a natural mineral
0:18:18 > 0:18:21or spring water. And natural mineral and spring water
0:18:21 > 0:18:26must come from a natural, protected and identified underground source,
0:18:26 > 0:18:28which also means it's bottled at source,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31and that it must be safe to consume without treatment.
0:18:31 > 0:18:36The average cost of bottled water in the UK is just under 40p a litre,
0:18:36 > 0:18:38and that of course includes VAT as well.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42It's the retailers that set the prices, though.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45Well, at an average of just under 40p a litre,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48it's almost 400 times the price of Thames tap water.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53And isn't it ironic? On a day when we're talking about water,
0:18:53 > 0:18:55it has not stopped raining the entire time.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00But ultimately, it all comes down to taste.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03So it's time to put it to the test. Jerry seems confident.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06So this is what, only three hours ago,
0:19:06 > 0:19:09- we saw in the Thames coming in... - Which we talked about.
0:19:09 > 0:19:10Indeed. Would you like to try it?
0:19:10 > 0:19:12I am going to try it, I'll be intrigued.
0:19:12 > 0:19:18So this is a mixture of the river, all the gunge, the sewage...
0:19:18 > 0:19:20everything we talked about before, etc?
0:19:20 > 0:19:22And this is all in a matter of hours?
0:19:22 > 0:19:25- I have to say, it looks pretty clean.- Hopefully it tastes good.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31I have to be honest, it tastes good. Mmm.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35Cheers, Jerry, you've convinced me. Very good.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38- Oh, you're going to have one as well.- BOTH: Cheers.
0:19:38 > 0:19:39Marvellous, thank you.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44You're a real cheapskate - you might've treated a girl
0:19:44 > 0:19:49- to champagne at the end of all of that.- Maybe next time.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Maybe it's Jerry's enthusiasm that persuaded me in the end,
0:19:52 > 0:19:56but shortly we'll put bottled water head-to-head with tap
0:19:56 > 0:20:00to see how it fares in a proper blind taste test.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05The other two tasted like tap water, that tasted like nice, still, fresh, clean water.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13But it's not just water that we like all packed up and ready for action.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17Shoppers have embraced a new convenience food wholeheartedly.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21Ready-peeled and cut-up fruit and veg are a supermarket staple,
0:20:21 > 0:20:23as busy shoppers look for time saving short cuts.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29But who benefits most from the convenience
0:20:29 > 0:20:31of this grab-and-go fruit and veg?
0:20:34 > 0:20:37If you haven't got time to pick your own, more than likely
0:20:37 > 0:20:40you'll choose your greens from the supermarket.
0:20:40 > 0:20:41And often, there they are -
0:20:41 > 0:20:44pre-prepared, chopped, bagged, washed.
0:20:44 > 0:20:45A bit like this, really.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49The question is, how much are you paying for the convenience?
0:20:50 > 0:20:52We've come to an East London market
0:20:52 > 0:20:55with examples of bagged and loose fruit and veg
0:20:55 > 0:20:57bought in major supermarket stores.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00Tina, our friendly stallholder, is lending us her scales
0:21:00 > 0:21:02so we can find out just how much
0:21:02 > 0:21:05we're paying for the convenience of grab-and-go greens.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10Let's start with salad - a product that 92% of us buy.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14This Morrisons chopped iceberg lettuce,
0:21:14 > 0:21:19ready to eat in its grab-and-go bag, weighs 210g.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23But for the same round pound, they sell a whole lettuce,
0:21:23 > 0:21:27weighing in at 510g. Of course you're forking out
0:21:27 > 0:21:32for the packaging and choice leaves, but is it worth the extra cost?
0:21:34 > 0:21:37Now we look at peeled mango segments from Sainsbury's.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41These two, minus packaging, weigh in at 290g
0:21:41 > 0:21:46and cost £3. Compare that to a 500g whole mango for £1,
0:21:46 > 0:21:49even if you do get the mango peeled, stoned, packaged
0:21:49 > 0:21:51and a plastic spoon to boot.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57£1.50 for less than half a kilo of carrot batons from Tesco.
0:21:57 > 0:22:02Compare this with the price of a kilo of whole carrots for £1.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05Getting my drift? The batons cost three times more.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11The British Retail Consortium say they recognise the value
0:22:11 > 0:22:14customers place on convenience, and add that these products
0:22:14 > 0:22:16are costed according to the resources
0:22:16 > 0:22:17and money spent preparing them.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22But is this price difference just the tip of the iceberg
0:22:22 > 0:22:25when it comes to the issue of bagged fruit and veg?
0:22:25 > 0:22:26Then the next question is -
0:22:26 > 0:22:29how do they keep the cut-up fruit and veg looking so fresh?
0:22:29 > 0:22:31It's baffling because a cut-up apple
0:22:31 > 0:22:34at home goes brown in a matter of moments.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36Definitely a question for Peter Maynard,
0:22:36 > 0:22:38scientist and public analyst.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43How long are these likely to have been in the packs?
0:22:43 > 0:22:48Well, if you look at this one for instance, it says, "Packed in Ghana."
0:22:48 > 0:22:52So that would have been cut up and put in this pack in Ghana.
0:22:52 > 0:22:57So, even by air freight, it's bound to be a few days old.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00Before it even gets to the fact of us buying it?
0:23:00 > 0:23:01Before it gets to us, yes.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04What's the process then of trying to make sure this does
0:23:04 > 0:23:08remain fresh, from Ghana to the supermarket shelf in England?
0:23:08 > 0:23:11Well, it would probably undergo a couple of processes.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15First it will be peeled, cut up and the stone removed.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19And then it would be dipped in a solution of ascorbic acid, which is Vitamin C.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21So it's not harmful,
0:23:21 > 0:23:25it's just a dilute solution that will stop it going brown.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28It will then be put into a pack
0:23:28 > 0:23:31and sealed, probably with a modified atmosphere.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33What does that mean exactly?
0:23:33 > 0:23:38Well, the normal atmosphere contains about 80% nitrogen, 20% oxygen.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41If you replace that with carbon dioxide and nitrogen,
0:23:41 > 0:23:43instead of oxygen and nitrogen,
0:23:43 > 0:23:46there won't be any oxygen present in this pack,
0:23:46 > 0:23:49which is what turns the fruit brown.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53And in terms of this kind of wrapper on broccoli
0:23:53 > 0:23:55and everything, is that a good idea or not?
0:23:55 > 0:23:57It will certainly keep it fresh
0:23:57 > 0:23:59because it won't have access to oxygen,
0:23:59 > 0:24:04and the air is what will make it go yellow and nasty and inedible.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06- So this is a good idea? - Yes, I think it is.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09OK, well, let's move down to the chopped bit.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11What kind of air is in there at the moment?
0:24:11 > 0:24:17Again, it will be a mixture of gases, but it will probably exclude oxygen,
0:24:17 > 0:24:23which is what is responsible for most of the browning action.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26So what do you eat at home, fresh or bagged?
0:24:26 > 0:24:29I pick my own from my garden so it's always fresh!
0:24:31 > 0:24:35Our Peter is lucky he has the time to lovingly grow his own.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37But for those of us who grab our five-a-day supply
0:24:37 > 0:24:41from the supermarket, is our need for speed costing us dearly?
0:24:43 > 0:24:46Nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston thinks so.
0:24:46 > 0:24:51In order to get something as simple as a carrot to be packaged
0:24:51 > 0:24:55and prepared and convenient for us to take home and cook or eat,
0:24:55 > 0:24:57the vegetable will first have to be washed
0:24:57 > 0:24:59in order to remove the surface bacteria.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02And that's normally done with a solution with chlorine in it.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04It's then going to be peeled.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06The peel on a vegetable such as a carrot
0:25:06 > 0:25:09can be quite dense in vitamins and minerals.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11So we really don't want to be removing the peel
0:25:11 > 0:25:13unless we absolutely have to.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15Then the vegetable will have to be chopped up.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19And when we chop something up we're increasing the surface area,
0:25:19 > 0:25:23because we're increasing the amount of that vegetable that is open
0:25:23 > 0:25:25and exposed to the air, and all those cell membranes
0:25:25 > 0:25:29that have been cut through will allow the nutrient loss of vitamins,
0:25:29 > 0:25:32especially Vitamin A and the beta-carotene family.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37And we certainly won't get the goodness of them if they're all thrown away.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40It's estimated we chuck half the salad we buy in the bin,
0:25:40 > 0:25:44and a quarter of that is attributed to bagged salad leaves.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48Now, back to water.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51I've walked the length and breadth of a water treatment plant
0:25:51 > 0:25:55to find out why I should choose tap over bottled water.
0:25:55 > 0:25:56It's certainly cheaper.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00The perception seems to be that bottled tastes best,
0:26:00 > 0:26:04and I was certainly surprised when I tried the Thames tap water.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08But let's put it to a broader, albeit extremely unscientific, test.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14We sent our researchers to a fun run at Canary Wharf in London,
0:26:14 > 0:26:18to carry out a blind taste test with some of these thirsty athletes.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25We can clearly see which water is which -
0:26:25 > 0:26:28on the right is a bestselling bottled mineral water,
0:26:28 > 0:26:33in the middle is tap water, and on the left a supermarket own brand.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37But the runners can't see the labels and have no idea which is which.
0:26:37 > 0:26:42So will they taste the difference, and which will they prefer?
0:26:42 > 0:26:45I think I'll go for this one.
0:26:45 > 0:26:46I think it just had a bit of a crisper taste.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50It just tasted more refreshing.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53Tasted better.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58The other two tasted like tap water,
0:26:58 > 0:27:01that tasted like nice, still, fresh, clean water.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05Well, there's a turn up for the books. Exactly half
0:27:05 > 0:27:09of our 22 guinea pigs chose tap water as having the best taste.
0:27:10 > 0:27:15You're going to tell me number two is tap water, right? You are. You are.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17No... Really?
0:27:17 > 0:27:19I'll drink more tap water then, I think.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23It's not really worth spending much money on bottled water then, is it?
0:27:23 > 0:27:24There you go, good old Thames.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33In the end, of course, it all comes down to personal taste.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36But if you want to be super savvy and save money, tap comes out top.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41Supermarkets and convenience foods certainly give us choice
0:27:41 > 0:27:42and make life easier,
0:27:42 > 0:27:46but it seems sometimes we certainly pay for the privilege.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49So maybe the last piece of advice for the day is,
0:27:49 > 0:27:52why don't you do a little bit of preparation for yourself
0:27:52 > 0:27:54and save some of your hard-earned cash?
0:27:55 > 0:27:58Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd