0:00:02 > 0:00:05Each year we spend £5,000 per household on food and drink.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08The competition for your pound is tough.
0:00:08 > 0:00:13We'll leave no shelf untouched in our quest to champion YOU
0:00:13 > 0:00:14the weekly shopper.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17This is the series in which we'll be exposing the hidden rip offs,
0:00:17 > 0:00:20and letting you in on the tricks of the food trade.
0:00:20 > 0:00:25And, most importantly, we'll show you how to be a smart shopper.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Welcome to Rip Off Food!
0:00:43 > 0:00:47Today, we pit bottled water against tap to check out the real
0:00:47 > 0:00:49winner on value and taste.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52I think it just had a bit of a crisper taste.
0:00:52 > 0:00:53No. Really?
0:00:53 > 0:00:57How major retailers hike the price of sarnies depending on
0:00:57 > 0:00:59where you buy.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02They're taking an opportunity to make money out of people.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06And we'll see how some takeaways have tried to pull the wool
0:01:06 > 0:01:09over our eyes by selling us fake lamb.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16Now, earning a living generally means a daily commute,
0:01:16 > 0:01:19and unless you're lucky enough to be at home for breakfast, lunch
0:01:19 > 0:01:22and dinner, you'll be on the go when that hunger strikes.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Now, like a lot of people, I don't work from home, so, therefore,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32I am here, there and everywhere, every day. Lunch for me
0:01:32 > 0:01:35might be a sandwich, a bowl of soup, something like that. But on today's
0:01:35 > 0:01:39programme, I'm going to put you in the know about food on the go.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48So first up - the portable drink. I don't know about you,
0:01:48 > 0:01:50but I'm forever buying bottles of water when I'm out
0:01:50 > 0:01:54and about. But is it really worth the price we pay?
0:02:00 > 0:02:03Now, you might think that water is an uncontroversial
0:02:03 > 0:02:07and humble product, but you'd be wrong because bottled water
0:02:07 > 0:02:12is a drink with cache and sometimes comes with an A-list price tag.
0:02:12 > 0:02:17Like this 750ml bottle of water. £6.50 from Harrods.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22To be honest, I'm a great fan of this convenient product -
0:02:22 > 0:02:25along with many other people it seems.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27I just prefer the taste of bottled water.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29- We drink bottled water. - Bottled water.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32If I buy bottled, I buy sparkling.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36I tend to drink tap water based on the extortionate, ruinous
0:02:36 > 0:02:37cost of bottled water.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39You drink more water if you have a bottle on you.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42You're not going to walk around with a glass, are you?
0:02:42 > 0:02:44Going, you know, "Oh, where's the tap round here?"
0:02:45 > 0:02:51In 2011, we bought more than two billion litres of the bottled stuff.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54It's a market worth over £1.4 billion.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Now, I assume that bottled water is healthier
0:02:58 > 0:02:59and tastes better than tap water.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03I think many of us feel we're making the right choice.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05But are we being fooled into paying a premium
0:03:05 > 0:03:09when in fact we could drink as good for a fraction of the cost?
0:03:12 > 0:03:15So I'm here at a water treatment plant in Walton on Thames
0:03:15 > 0:03:19that supplies nine million customers with water on tap.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25Now, here at Thames Water treatment centre I have to tell you
0:03:25 > 0:03:28they know a thing or two about providing us with tap water.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31I'm just about to meet the man in charge.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35I must warn you though, I'm no push over,
0:03:35 > 0:03:38and I'm certainly not going to let one of their senior managers,
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Jerry White, bamboozle me with statistics or spin.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44- Jerry, I take it? Hi, how are you? Nice to see you.- Nice to meet you.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47- Big plant. I knew I'd find you somewhere.- Yes, indeed.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49Here we are absolutely surrounded by water.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53Now, I have to admit, I'm looking down here at the water.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56It is muddy, it is filthy looking, it is disgusting, if I might say so.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58In a way, I can understand why a lot of people might say,
0:03:58 > 0:04:00"Oh, I think I'll have the bottled stuff, you know?
0:04:00 > 0:04:02"It's a bit better."
0:04:02 > 0:04:04Tell me about just where you get all this water from.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07We're obviously taking it out of the river here from the Thames.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09We do take water out from the ground as well,
0:04:09 > 0:04:10from the ground water bore hole.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13But most of the water from the ground ends up in the river,
0:04:13 > 0:04:16and then as it flows down we'll take it out certain points, and yes
0:04:16 > 0:04:19it does come back into the river from a sewage treatment works.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22The site here treats around about a 150 million litres of water a day.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26- A day?- A day. And that's about enough for about a million people.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30What is the time span from gunge here to tap?
0:04:30 > 0:04:33Well, it'll be through the process here within a matter of hours.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36So what you're really trying to tell me that if I do have a little
0:04:36 > 0:04:40pee here, I could be drinking it out of that end tap before I go home?
0:04:40 > 0:04:43- You could be, Gloria. - Or yours, which would be even worse!
0:04:45 > 0:04:47Would you show me round the rest of the plant,
0:04:47 > 0:04:51- particularly where you purify it? - Yeah, absolutely.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54I think Jerry's going to have to do better if wants to convince me
0:04:54 > 0:04:56to drink the end result of that water.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00And the first stage of the process is not reassuring.
0:05:02 > 0:05:07Oh, bad. I mean how do you classify this mangy looking vat?
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Well, this is where we've added an iron coagulant,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13which makes all the bits of the dirt
0:05:13 > 0:05:16and soil stick together in the water. Then you bubble air up
0:05:16 > 0:05:19through it, and all the air floats in to the surface and it sticks
0:05:19 > 0:05:22together, and you get all this sort of horrible foam on the top here.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25But underneath that layer of foam there's nice clean water.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27I have to tell you it is vile looking.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30It's likely to put me off drinking tap water for life.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33This is really the first stage of the filtration.
0:05:33 > 0:05:34So here goes.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39Oh, yes. It's actually then, Jerry, just sort of skims it all off.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42- Pushes it across, yes. - And quite quickly as well.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Yeah, it'll move quite quickly.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Jerry says it's air bubbles that makes the water that milky
0:05:47 > 0:05:51green colour - looks more than air in that murk to me.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Now, Jerry, what happens in the Ozone Gallery? Sounds very grand.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56Well, we take liquid oxygen,
0:05:56 > 0:06:00O2, and we put an electrical charge through it to create ozone.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02Similar to what you get in the atmosphere.
0:06:02 > 0:06:07If you look in here you'll actually see the bubbles of ozone
0:06:07 > 0:06:08rising up through the liquid oxygen.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10So what's exactly happening?
0:06:10 > 0:06:14It breaks down pesticides, removes organic...dissolves organic matter.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16- Most efficient way of doing it? - Yeah.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18After this process, what happens next?
0:06:18 > 0:06:21Then we'll go and see what happens in disinfection.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24Disinfecting, I like that bit. I'm a bit of a disinfectant freak.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26- Are you now?- Yes.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29Well, the water's certainly looking cleaner,
0:06:29 > 0:06:32but it's not quite got the appeal I'm used to.
0:06:32 > 0:06:37So, Jerry, because bottled water is such a multi-million pound industry,
0:06:37 > 0:06:41and it's presented in a very sexy, fashionable way, isn't it?
0:06:41 > 0:06:44You know, we conjure up pictures of this wonderful mountain spring water.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48Do you think we're being duped by this advertising hype?
0:06:49 > 0:06:52Well, I'm sure in some places it does come from somewhere pristine.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55However, most of it does come from the same place that
0:06:55 > 0:06:58a lot of our water comes from, which is basically water that falls
0:06:58 > 0:07:00through the sky, gets filtered through the rocks,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03over a period of time, and then it's taken out.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05And that's exactly what we do with tap water.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08We then do some additional treatment to it as well.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10We do even more samples on tap water than are currently
0:07:10 > 0:07:14conducted on bottled water, so, for me, I think it's a very safe bet.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17It costs just under 0.1 of a penny for a litre,
0:07:17 > 0:07:19so it's very, very good value.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22How do you feel when you see people paying extortionate amounts of money?
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Well, I'm personally always a bit staggered when I see people
0:07:25 > 0:07:30buying cartons and bottles of water in the supermarket when I know that
0:07:30 > 0:07:33it costs such little, and it's also treated to such a high standard.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37We've encouraged and we've worked with a number of restaurants
0:07:37 > 0:07:40in London to try and encourage them to serve tap water over bottled
0:07:40 > 0:07:43water, because it is a much more sustainable way of treating water.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47- Well, restaurants have to do that now, don't they?- They do.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50Legally, anybody that sells alcohol has got to provide water
0:07:50 > 0:07:51- free of charge.- Yes.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57So let's get to the bottom line of the cost difference between tap water
0:07:57 > 0:07:58and bottled water.
0:07:58 > 0:08:03Now, the water from here costs 0.1p per litre -
0:08:03 > 0:08:05that's a tenth of a penny.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07Let's see how that compares to the cost of bottled water
0:08:07 > 0:08:08on the high street?
0:08:10 > 0:08:16Kinvara Carey is General Manager of the National Hydration Council,
0:08:16 > 0:08:19which represents the best selling UK brands of bottled water.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24In the UK, 90% of the bottled water is actually a natural mineral
0:08:24 > 0:08:25or spring water.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Natural mineral and spring water must come from a natural protected
0:08:29 > 0:08:33and identified underground source, which also means it's bottled
0:08:33 > 0:08:36at source and that it must be safe to consume without treatment.
0:08:36 > 0:08:41The average cost of bottled water in the UK is just under 40p a litre,
0:08:41 > 0:08:44and that, of course, includes VAT as well.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47It's the retailers that set the prices though.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51Well, at an average of just under 40p a litre it's
0:08:51 > 0:08:54almost 400 times the price of Thames tap water.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59Isn't it ironic that on a day when we're talking about water
0:08:59 > 0:09:01it has not stopped raining the entire time?
0:09:04 > 0:09:07But ultimately it all comes down taste -
0:09:07 > 0:09:11so it's time to put it to the test. Jerry seems confident.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14Intriguing - the sample room.
0:09:14 > 0:09:19So this is what only three hours ago we saw in the Thames coming in.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21- Which we talked about. - Indeed. Would you like to try it?
0:09:21 > 0:09:24I am going to try it, I'll be intrigued.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27So this is a mixture of the river, all the gunge, the sewage,
0:09:27 > 0:09:32everything we talked about before? And this is all in a matter of hours.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35- I have to say it looks pretty clean. - Hopefully, it tastes good.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42I have to be honest, it tastes good.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46Cheers, Jerry, you've convinced me. Very good.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49- Oh, you're going to have one as well.- Cheers.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51Marvellous, thank you.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56You're a real cheapskate. You might have treated a girl to a champagne at
0:09:56 > 0:09:58- the end of all of that. - Maybe next time.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03Now, maybe it's Jerry's enthusiasm that's persuaded me in the end,
0:10:03 > 0:10:08but shortly we're going to be putting bottled water head-to-head with tap
0:10:08 > 0:10:11to see how it fares in a proper blind taste test.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15The other two tasted like tap water, that tasted like nice, still,
0:10:15 > 0:10:16fresh clean water.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21Next up, a fast food that might not only leave a bad taste
0:10:21 > 0:10:24in the mouth but also leave you feeling cheated.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34We are a nation of takeaway lovers,
0:10:34 > 0:10:37and people eat this convenient treat almost once a week.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39My favourite take-away is probably sushi.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42- Pizza.- Chinese.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45- Probably Indian.- Good lamb shish with decent cheese sauce.
0:10:46 > 0:10:51And listen to this, over the course of a lifetime the average person can
0:10:51 > 0:10:57be expected to consume 188 takeaway kebabs and almost 800 curries.
0:10:59 > 0:11:00You may not know it,
0:11:00 > 0:11:05but each year we spend £276 on takeaway food.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08Well, it's a bit like a quick fix, isn't it?
0:11:08 > 0:11:10It's hot, it's cooked, it's ready to go.
0:11:10 > 0:11:11You can eat it on the way home,
0:11:11 > 0:11:13or have it in the comfort of your own kitchen.
0:11:13 > 0:11:19But when it's not what it says on the menu then - it's a rip off!
0:11:19 > 0:11:22Now, Warwickshire is usually associated with our renowned
0:11:22 > 0:11:24playwright - William Shakespeare.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29But even in this Midsummer Night's Dream of a county, with idyllic river
0:11:29 > 0:11:33settings and tourist attractions, Trading Standards has to be ever
0:11:33 > 0:11:37vigilant to protect the unwitting consumer from a dodgy take-away.
0:11:37 > 0:11:42For example, could your lamb kebab or curry be harbouring
0:11:42 > 0:11:44a guilty secret?
0:11:44 > 0:11:47James Greenaway, is our undercover Trading Standards man on the job.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51It's important that Trading Standards keep an eye on
0:11:51 > 0:11:55take-away food, cos consumers only have the take-away menu to base
0:11:55 > 0:11:59their purchase choice on and it's important for us to examine and test
0:11:59 > 0:12:03food to make sure the ingredients that should be in them are.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Often a consumer won't know from the menu what's
0:12:06 > 0:12:07actually in the product they're buying.
0:12:07 > 0:12:12And that's why we have a Trades Description Act,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15so we can expect to be served the food as advertised.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18And if a menu boasts a dish like Lamb Shish Kebab or
0:12:18 > 0:12:23Lamb Curry, well, it's simple, isn't it? It must be made from lamb.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27We visited four towns in Warwickshire - Warwick, Stratford,
0:12:27 > 0:12:32Nuneaton and Rugby and we found problems in all four towns.
0:12:35 > 0:12:40We used to go in undercover to purchase items from their menu
0:12:40 > 0:12:43and pay for them. We'd then take them back and seal them as evidence.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49In this covert operation, Trading Standards officers
0:12:49 > 0:12:50visited 20 restaurants
0:12:50 > 0:12:56and bought 39 lamb dishes, including 19 kebabs and 20 curries,
0:12:56 > 0:13:00and had them tested to find out what meat they actually contained.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04We found the results surprising, because of the curries
0:13:04 > 0:13:09we tested only three came back as only having lamb in, four came back
0:13:09 > 0:13:13with no lamb at all and the others were a mixture of lamb and beef.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17What no lamb in them at all? Whatever next?
0:13:17 > 0:13:23Of the kebabs, 19 we tested and none of them came back with just lamb.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26We had a mixture of chicken and lamb, chicken and beef and lamb,
0:13:26 > 0:13:29one even had a mixture of pork, so quite amazing.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33You'll agree - it's just not on.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37I would definitely mind if I had received a lamb kebab
0:13:37 > 0:13:40and it had chicken and pork in it. It's not what I'd asked for.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44I'd be surprised, and I'd be extremely disappointed.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47Confused and disappointed. Bordering on angry.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51If I found that the meat wasn't to what I expected
0:13:51 > 0:13:52I would be extremely annoyed.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54This face would not be smiling.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58The team chose to look at kebabs and curries made with mince,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01because those are the dishes that most easily disguise any
0:14:01 > 0:14:03adulteration of meat.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08I like lamb shish kebabs and lamb balti as well,
0:14:08 > 0:14:10so it's a bit disappointing.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13After we've got the results, we approached
0:14:13 > 0:14:15the restaurants and takeaways
0:14:15 > 0:14:18and some of the restaurants have actually said they use chicken
0:14:18 > 0:14:24as a binder with their lamb, so that it sticks to the kebab when cooking.
0:14:24 > 0:14:25Consumers should really be concerned
0:14:25 > 0:14:29if they're buying shish kebabs or sheek kebabs or any kebab where the
0:14:29 > 0:14:32lamb is made up of mince or has been formed up around the skewer.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37So the minced chicken is simply there to bind the kebab to
0:14:37 > 0:14:39the skewer. But does that excuse stick?
0:14:39 > 0:14:43Well, we checked this out by visiting one of the oldest Turkish restaurants
0:14:43 > 0:14:47in central London - they've been making kebabs since 1974.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50Do they have to use minced chicken in their kebabs?
0:14:51 > 0:14:56We are putting a 100% lamb in our chopper.
0:14:56 > 0:15:01The lamb is a good mixture in your mouth, it's a good taste.
0:15:01 > 0:15:06- Never ever put chicken in and mix it...- Together.
0:15:07 > 0:15:08It's lamb.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13Red meat is red meat. White meat is white meat.
0:15:13 > 0:15:18Never use the minced chicken, 100% has to be lamb...
0:15:19 > 0:15:20..forget about chicken.
0:15:20 > 0:15:25Burak and chef Aykun prepare their kebabs from scratch,
0:15:25 > 0:15:30cutting up and mincing whole lambs and adding herbs and bread crumbs.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33This is the skewer, we call it shish in Turkish.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37And then we are going to put the mince there, making the shape
0:15:37 > 0:15:38and ready for the cook.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42Burak has no problem at all getting minced lamb
0:15:42 > 0:15:45to stick on the skewer without the help of chicken.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48So maybe it's the price of lamb that's the real sticking point, and
0:15:48 > 0:15:52kebab makers using chicken at half the price are simply cheapskates.
0:15:54 > 0:15:59If it's not 100% lamb it's a rip off of our customers.
0:15:59 > 0:16:05This is now ready from the preparation area to go upstairs.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09Put in the charcoal grill and serve with the pitta bread,
0:16:09 > 0:16:11rice or the salad and chilli sauce.
0:16:12 > 0:16:13100% British lamb.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20OK, Burak, I think I've definitely got the message
0:16:20 > 0:16:22about what goes into your kebabs.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25And let me just point out on Burak's behalf that that monster
0:16:25 > 0:16:29doner kebab is also made out of, well, you guessed it, lamb.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35But not all restaurants can trace their meat back to
0:16:35 > 0:16:41the bone, and some clearly add more than breadcrumbs and herbs.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45We also had the samples tested for artificial colours
0:16:45 > 0:16:49and some of the kebabs came back as quite high.
0:16:49 > 0:16:54We had one that was 18 times the limit and another 17 times.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57One of the problems with excessive levels of colouring in food
0:16:57 > 0:16:59is that it can have an adverse effect on children,
0:16:59 > 0:17:04but also can trigger health issues in adults, like asthma.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11So not only are you overpaying for a cheaper product, you might be
0:17:11 > 0:17:13eating something that makes you ill.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16And Head of Warwickshire Trading Standards, Janet Faulkner,
0:17:16 > 0:17:18thinks we all need to be on our guard.
0:17:18 > 0:17:23All businesses are under pressure economically now making...trying to
0:17:23 > 0:17:26make ends meet, making their bottom line and so on.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28So, yes, I've no doubt it's a UK problem.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32If people think they're being ripped off then
0:17:32 > 0:17:37they need to contact the Citizens' Advice consumer advice helpline.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40And anything of a criminal nature or anything that
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Trading Standards need to be aware of will be referred to us
0:17:43 > 0:17:44and we will deal with it.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Well, after all of that I can tell you something for nothing,
0:17:49 > 0:17:53in future, I'll be thinking twice, maybe even more than that, before I
0:17:53 > 0:17:57have any kind of minced lamb, unless I'm at a restaurant where
0:17:57 > 0:17:59I know that the lamb is the real deal.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03Yum.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08Now, back to water.
0:18:08 > 0:18:09I've walked the length
0:18:09 > 0:18:12and breadth of a Water Treatment Plant to find out why
0:18:12 > 0:18:17I should choose tap over bottled water - it's certainly cheaper.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20The perception seems to be that bottled tastes best,
0:18:20 > 0:18:24and I was certainly surprised when I tried the Thames tap water.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27But let's put it to a broader test.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31We sent our researchers to a fun run at Canary Wharf in London
0:18:31 > 0:18:36to carry out a blind taste test with some of these thirsty athletes.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43Now we can clearly see which water is which.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46On the right is a best selling bottled mineral water,
0:18:46 > 0:18:51in the middle is tap water and on the left a supermarket own brand.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55But the runners can't see the labels and have no idea which is which,
0:18:55 > 0:19:00so will they taste the difference? And which will they prefer?
0:19:00 > 0:19:02I think I'll go for this one.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04I think it just had a bit of a crisper taste.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09It just tasted more refreshing.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11Tasted better.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18The other two tasted like tap water, that tasted like nice, still,
0:19:18 > 0:19:20fresh clean water.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22There wasn't a great deal between them.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24That just seemed to have more of a natural taste.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Number one was my favourite water, because it just felt really crisp.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35It just tasted a bit smoother than any of the rest of them.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38I'd say number three was my favourite.
0:19:38 > 0:19:39Number two would be Evian.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43I can't really tell much difference.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47Well, now there's a turn up for the books.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51Exactly half of our 22 guinea pigs actually chose tap water
0:19:51 > 0:19:53as having the best taste.
0:19:53 > 0:19:58You're going to tell me number two's tap water, right? You are? You are?
0:19:58 > 0:20:00No! Really?
0:20:00 > 0:20:02I'll drink more tap water now I think then.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05Really? I'll stick to tap water.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08- Nah. - It shows that it's
0:20:08 > 0:20:11not really worth spending much on the bottled water then, doesn't it?
0:20:11 > 0:20:14There you go, good old Thames.
0:20:18 > 0:20:19There you have it.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22The experts say that it costs less, it's safe and there's very
0:20:22 > 0:20:24little difference in the taste.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26So to all you savvy shoppers out there,
0:20:26 > 0:20:29if you really want to save money, you better get back on tap.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33If you're out and about, why not carry a recyclable bottle
0:20:33 > 0:20:35and a back a new campaign to encourage shops
0:20:35 > 0:20:39and restaurants to fill up people's bottles with tap water on demand.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45Now, we've looked at takeaways, but it's not a convenience food
0:20:45 > 0:20:49we should eat every day - too expensive and too calorific.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53There's another a shortcut to fast food that we're increasingly
0:20:53 > 0:20:55reaching for.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58Shoppers have embraced a new convenience food
0:20:58 > 0:21:02wholeheartedly - sales of ready-peeled and cut up fruit
0:21:02 > 0:21:05and veg have almost doubled over the last ten years.
0:21:05 > 0:21:10They've taken an increasing share of the £186 million that
0:21:10 > 0:21:12we spend on fruit and veg every week.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18But who benefits most from the convenience of this grab and go
0:21:18 > 0:21:19fruit and veg?
0:21:19 > 0:21:24Are we paying over the odds for the ease of pre-prepared food?
0:21:28 > 0:21:29Well, I'm having a marvellous day out
0:21:29 > 0:21:32because I've come to a pick-your-own farm near Reading.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35And here they grow all kinds of fruit and vegetables,
0:21:35 > 0:21:39from apples to lettuce, and of course all the gorgeous soft fruits.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42Now, if you haven't got time to pick your own, more than likely
0:21:42 > 0:21:45you'll choose your greens from the supermarket and often there they
0:21:45 > 0:21:49are pre-prepared, chopped, bagged, washed - a bit like this really.
0:21:49 > 0:21:54Now, the question is - how much are you paying for the convenience?
0:21:58 > 0:22:02Where we once only had the ready meal, now we get ready prepared fruit
0:22:02 > 0:22:07and veg. Our carrots are sliced, our onions diced, broccoli floreted
0:22:07 > 0:22:09and mangoes peeled.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12And salads, which were the preserve of an iceberg lettuce and a dollop
0:22:12 > 0:22:16of salad cream, are giving way to the pre-packed and prepped lettuce.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19First, let's deal with cost.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22How much do we pay for the ease of ready peeled and chopped?
0:22:22 > 0:22:27We've come to an East London market with examples of bagged
0:22:27 > 0:22:30and loose fruit and veg bought in major supermarket stores.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34Tina, our friendly stall holder, is lending us her scales
0:22:34 > 0:22:36so that we can find out just how much we're
0:22:36 > 0:22:39paying for the convenience of grab and go greens.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43Let's start with salad - a product that 92% of us buy.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47This Morrison's chopped iceberg lettuce,
0:22:47 > 0:22:53ready to eat in it's grab and go bag, weighs 210 grams.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56But for the same round pound they sell a whole lettuce
0:22:56 > 0:22:59weighing in at 510 grams.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01Of course you're forking out
0:23:01 > 0:23:06for the packaging and choice leaves, but is it worth the extra cost?
0:23:07 > 0:23:10Now, we look at peeled mango segments from Sainsbury's.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14These two, minus packaging, weigh in at 290 grams
0:23:14 > 0:23:19and cost £3. Compare that to a 500 gram whole mango
0:23:19 > 0:23:23for a pound, even if you do get the mango peeled, stoned packaged
0:23:23 > 0:23:25and a plastic spoon to boot.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31£1.50 for less than half a kilo of carrot batons from Tesco.
0:23:31 > 0:23:36Compare this with the price of a kilo of whole carrots for £1.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Getting my drift? The batons cost three times more.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46But is this price difference just the tip of the iceberg
0:23:46 > 0:23:48when it comes to the issue of bagged fruit and veg?
0:23:48 > 0:23:51How do they keep the cut up fruit
0:23:51 > 0:23:54and veg looking fresh? It's baffling because a cut up apple
0:23:54 > 0:23:57at home goes brown in a matter of moments.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00Definitely a question for Peter Maynard,
0:24:00 > 0:24:02scientist and Public Analyst.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07Well, I'm here in the laboratories in Kent that do
0:24:07 > 0:24:09a lot of the testing for Trading Standards.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13What I've come to find today is how all this sort of fruit and veg
0:24:13 > 0:24:18and this kind of pre-packed stuff manages to remain looking so fresh.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22Obviously I need an expert and Peter Maynard is that man. Hi, Peter.
0:24:22 > 0:24:27Let's look at this. How long are these likely to have been the packs?
0:24:27 > 0:24:32Well, if you look at this one, for instance, it says packed in Ghana.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36So that would have been cut up and put in this pack in Ghana.
0:24:36 > 0:24:42So even by air freight it's bound to be a few days old...
0:24:42 > 0:24:44Before it even gets to the fact of us buying it.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Before it gets to us, yes.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49What's the process then of trying to make sure this does remain
0:24:49 > 0:24:52fresh from Ghana to the supermarket shelf in England?
0:24:52 > 0:24:56Well, it would probably undergo a couple of processes. First,
0:24:56 > 0:25:00it will be peeled, cut up and the stone removed, and then it
0:25:00 > 0:25:03would be dipped in a solution called ascorbic acid, which is vitamin C.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05So it's not harmful,
0:25:05 > 0:25:09it's just a dilute solution that will stop it going brown.
0:25:09 > 0:25:10It will then be put into a pack
0:25:10 > 0:25:15and sealed, probably with modified atmosphere.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17What does that mean exactly?
0:25:17 > 0:25:20Well, the normal atmosphere contains about 80% nitrogen
0:25:20 > 0:25:24and 20% oxygen. If you replace that with carbon dioxide
0:25:24 > 0:25:27and nitrogen instead of oxygen and nitrogen, there won't be any
0:25:27 > 0:25:33oxygen present in this packet, which is what turns the fruit brown.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37And in terms of this kind of wrapper on broccoli
0:25:37 > 0:25:39and everything, is that a good idea or not?
0:25:39 > 0:25:43It will certainly keep it fresh because it won't have access to
0:25:43 > 0:25:48oxygen, and the air is what will make it go yellow and nasty and
0:25:48 > 0:25:50- inedible.- So this is a good idea? - Yes. I think it is.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52OK, let's move down to the chopped bit.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55So what kind of air is in there at the moment?
0:25:55 > 0:26:01Again it will be a mixture of gases, but it will probably exclude
0:26:01 > 0:26:07oxygen, which is what is responsible for most of the browning action.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10What do you eat at home? Fresh or bagged?
0:26:10 > 0:26:13I pick my own from my garden, so it's always fresh.
0:26:13 > 0:26:18Lucky Peter, a ready pick your own supply outside his back door.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20But for the rest of us
0:26:20 > 0:26:22who depend on the supermarket, does our need
0:26:22 > 0:26:27for speed mean that we might sacrifice any nutritional benefit?
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Nutritionist, Yvonne Bishop-Weston thinks we are.
0:26:30 > 0:26:35In order to get something as simple as a carrot to be packaged
0:26:35 > 0:26:39and prepared and convenient for us to take home and cook or eat,
0:26:39 > 0:26:42the vegetable will first have to be washed in order to remove
0:26:42 > 0:26:43the surface bacteria.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46And that's normally done with a solution with chlorine in it.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48It's then going to be peeled.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51The peel on a vegetable such as a carrot can be quite
0:26:51 > 0:26:53dense in vitamins and minerals.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55So we really don't want to be removing the peel
0:26:55 > 0:26:57unless we absolutely have to.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59Then the vegetable will have to be chopped up.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03And when we chop something up we're increasing the surface area,
0:27:03 > 0:27:07because we're increasing the amount of that vegetable that is open
0:27:07 > 0:27:10and exposed to the air, and all those cell membranes that have been
0:27:10 > 0:27:13cut through will allow the nutrient loss of vitamins,
0:27:13 > 0:27:17especially vitamin A and the beta carotene family.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20These vitamins are protecting us from many things like heart disease,
0:27:20 > 0:27:23potentially some cancers and all the diseases associated with ageing.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26All the degenerative stuff that happens to our bodies.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28One of my key concerns as a nutritionist
0:27:28 > 0:27:30is that we are losing our connection to food.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34If we buy something like a mango and we cut into that mango we're
0:27:34 > 0:27:38going to smell the freshness, it's going to look really appealing.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41It is going to be different to just opening up a bag and taking out...
0:27:43 > 0:27:46..a piece of ready prepared mango, which is going to have lost
0:27:46 > 0:27:50some of those molecules and isn't going to be quite so appealing.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53We're not teaching our children that food should be something that is
0:27:53 > 0:27:56part of our daily lives because it's absolutely vital to our existence.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58Obviously vital to our health,
0:27:58 > 0:28:00and our happiness, cos it controls mood as well.
0:28:01 > 0:28:06And turning a natural fruit or veg into a processed quick fix
0:28:06 > 0:28:08has implications for shelf life.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10Unlike loose fruit and veg
0:28:10 > 0:28:13the bagged stuff will have a use-by date.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16And if you miss the use-by date, this is where it ends up.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18I'm afraid a lot of it ends up there too.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24We throw away half the salad we buy
0:28:24 > 0:28:26and a quarter of that is attributed to bagged salad leaves.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30OK, welcome to this session on love food, hate waste...
0:28:30 > 0:28:35Emma Marsh from WRAP, a Government funded campaign to reduce
0:28:35 > 0:28:37food waste, goes out to spread the message.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40We caught up with her in Oxfordshire,
0:28:40 > 0:28:43where she was talking top tips to a group of parents.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46How many of you buy bagged salad leaves?
0:28:46 > 0:28:51We throw away half the lettuce and leafy salads we buy.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55Emma puts a lot waste down to the fact that we can't make
0:28:55 > 0:28:57sense of the simplest information on labels.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00Date labels can be the bane of people's lives
0:29:00 > 0:29:02because we don't understand them.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07Do you think a bag of salad would have a use-by or a best before?
0:29:07 > 0:29:09Best before.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12So you think this would have a best before?
0:29:12 > 0:29:15Actually this has a use-by date, because it's been prepared.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18You can eat it right up to the use-by date,
0:29:18 > 0:29:20but don't eat it beyond.
0:29:20 > 0:29:25However, if you had a whole lettuce, because that hasn't actually
0:29:25 > 0:29:28been pre-prepared you'd have a best before date.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32So you can eat it past it, so long as it looks and tastes fine.
0:29:32 > 0:29:37In the UK, we throw away 7.2 million tonnes of food
0:29:37 > 0:29:39and drink, and that's just from our homes.
0:29:39 > 0:29:43Most of that is good food, so it could have been eaten. That
0:29:43 > 0:29:46costs us as consumers £12 billion every single year. For the average
0:29:46 > 0:29:51family, that's £680 a year, £50 a month,
0:29:51 > 0:29:53£13 a week. It really does add up.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55One of the key reasons why we waste food is
0:29:55 > 0:29:58because we don't store it correctly.
0:29:58 > 0:30:02Take a Tupperware pot, take a small amount of kitchen roll...
0:30:04 > 0:30:07..put it into the bottom, put your remaining salad leaves there
0:30:07 > 0:30:11and seal up the Tupperware and put it back in the fridge.
0:30:12 > 0:30:16It will keep this fresher for up to four days longer.
0:30:16 > 0:30:17Who's ever had...
0:30:19 > 0:30:20..a nice pack of peppers?
0:30:20 > 0:30:25And you think, "Well I'm just going to have half." So you cut down,
0:30:25 > 0:30:31you'd use that bit, and then this bit we'd cut out the stem,
0:30:31 > 0:30:34cut out the pith and the seed, and then put it into the fridge.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38But if you leave the stem,
0:30:38 > 0:30:42the pith and the seeds in, it will actually keep a lot fresher.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45Have you ever thought, "Tonight I'm going to make a curry." You get
0:30:45 > 0:30:49the recipe and it says you want one chilli and an inch of ginger.
0:30:51 > 0:30:55You've got three chillies left over and a couple of chunks of ginger.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58It's not cheap to waste this food,
0:30:58 > 0:31:04so a brilliant tip - you simply peel it and chop it.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08And then you would take your grater
0:31:08 > 0:31:10and using this side...
0:31:12 > 0:31:16..you'd grate it down to a thin paste. You pop that
0:31:16 > 0:31:21ginger into a bag, ready chopped or ready grated, pop it in the freezer.
0:31:21 > 0:31:23You can do the same with chillies.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26So that is a really great tip for making sure you're not wasting
0:31:26 > 0:31:30the things that you think are quite small but actually quite expensive.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33My last tip will be for carrots.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36If you've got a carrot that's feeling a bit droopy
0:31:36 > 0:31:40and you're thinking, "Can't really serve that up, it's a bit floppy."
0:31:42 > 0:31:43Take your carrot...
0:31:45 > 0:31:46..chop the top off...
0:31:47 > 0:31:49..chop the bottom off...
0:31:51 > 0:31:55..put it into a bowl of cold water and put it into the fridge,
0:31:55 > 0:32:01and in 30 minutes you will have a crisp, tasty, fresh carrot.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04So I hope now you'll think twice before you grab
0:32:04 > 0:32:08the bag of convenience pre-prepared fruit and veg.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11And if you can't resist then do use Emma's tips on how to make you
0:32:11 > 0:32:14a smarter shopper, who doesn't waste money or food.
0:32:18 > 0:32:20Next, we're going to put one of Britain's most popular
0:32:20 > 0:32:23convenience foods under the spotlight.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35The sandwich is consumed at a rate of three billion a year.
0:32:35 > 0:32:39That's sandwich making on an industrial scale.
0:32:39 > 0:32:43- Oh yeah, butties.- Doorstep.- Sanger. - Banjo.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46No, it's just called a sandwich.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49In fact, it's a market worth £6 billion a year.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52My favourite sandwich is cheese and tomato.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55- I do like a BLT. - Chicken tikka sandwich.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58I like prawns, prawns and mayonnaise.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01And just in case you're wondering - it's the chicken sandwich
0:33:01 > 0:33:03that's the country's number one choice.
0:33:06 > 0:33:10By the way, the average high street sandwich costs almost £1.91.
0:33:12 > 0:33:17£1.91 - not bad, I hear you say, and so it should be, but I'm about to
0:33:17 > 0:33:21look at two areas where you, the consumer, may be cornered
0:33:21 > 0:33:25into paying a much higher price for this great British convenience -
0:33:25 > 0:33:30motorway service stations and, believe it or not, hospitals.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37First, our researchers checked out sandwiches in service stations
0:33:37 > 0:33:40along a 100 mile stretch of the M1.
0:33:40 > 0:33:42We wanted to check out if there's a price difference between
0:33:42 > 0:33:48identical sandwiches at service stations and high street stores.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51We sampled prices at five well known chains
0:33:51 > 0:33:55and found four charging a significant mark-up.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57The fifth, WH Smith,
0:33:57 > 0:34:00doesn't stock the same sandwiches in the service stations we tested
0:34:00 > 0:34:03as they do on the High Street - so no valid comparison to make there.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08Marks & Spencer's up 12.5%.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13Waitrose up 15%.
0:34:13 > 0:34:17Starbucks up 17% - a 55p price rise.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21But it was Costa's sandwiches that we found the biggest hike - 21%.
0:34:24 > 0:34:28And their British Chicken, Roasted Pepper and Rocket Panini
0:34:28 > 0:34:31cost 87p more than you'd pay at a high street Costa.
0:34:31 > 0:34:33100%, it's a rip-off.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36It's the same company and it should be the same price.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38It's always been a rip-off and always will be.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43Motorway service stations have form.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45Journalist Will Nightingale at What Car? magazine
0:34:45 > 0:34:48has carried out research for their readers.
0:34:48 > 0:34:49Hello, Gloria.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52Obviously, all those sandwiches along the motorway have given you a lot of
0:34:52 > 0:34:54- energy up those steps.- Yes, it's a bit of an effort.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56I don't think I could do that.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58What prompted you to do this motorway survey?
0:34:58 > 0:35:03It was really information from our readers, two thirds told us they
0:35:03 > 0:35:06found prices in service stations a rip off.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08A further 25% said that they were too high,
0:35:08 > 0:35:11so it was really that that prompted our survey.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13What kind of mark-up did you find?
0:35:13 > 0:35:16On all sandwiches it was about 16%, so it's a big mark up,
0:35:16 > 0:35:19and I think that was one of the lower price mark ups
0:35:19 > 0:35:24that we found. It was up to 91% on a bottle of water.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26- 91% on water? - Absolutely, nearly twice the price.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30I think you really don't want to deter tired drivers from pulling
0:35:30 > 0:35:33over at a service station for a cup of coffee or a bite to eat.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36And did the sandwich companies themselves actually justify how
0:35:36 > 0:35:40they could allow a much higher price as opposed to the high street shop?
0:35:40 > 0:35:41Marks & Spencer told us that it
0:35:41 > 0:35:44was actually the motorway service operator that sets the prices.
0:35:45 > 0:35:47So we contacted Costa, Starbucks, Waitrose
0:35:47 > 0:35:53and M&S, who said that they all seek to ensure their brand standards are
0:35:53 > 0:35:58in line with the industry and the same, regardless of store location.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01But they confirmed that they can't set prices at motorway
0:36:01 > 0:36:06service stations, because the stores are run by franchises who
0:36:06 > 0:36:09set their prices determined by higher operational costs.
0:36:09 > 0:36:13Will knows all about the service station operational cost argument.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15Well, the service stations told us that one of the big
0:36:15 > 0:36:18reasons for these high prices is that the service station
0:36:18 > 0:36:22themselves cost a lot to build - in the region of 25 million.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25And they have to claw money back somehow.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29I think something like 150 million people who pull into service
0:36:29 > 0:36:32stations do not buy anything and they point that out to say
0:36:32 > 0:36:37we provide free picnic areas, and we provide free baby changing
0:36:37 > 0:36:40facilities, free toilet facilities
0:36:40 > 0:36:42and in some respects that is a slightly
0:36:42 > 0:36:46valid argument because you need those facilities and they're free.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49You do and motorway service station operators
0:36:49 > 0:36:50are required to provide those
0:36:50 > 0:36:54services by law, so I think that is justification up to a point and
0:36:54 > 0:36:57again I say that if these prices were slightly higher I don't think
0:36:57 > 0:37:00anyone would have a problem, it's these huge mark ups that really
0:37:00 > 0:37:03are a kick in the teeth for motorists.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06When we checked for an update from service station operators
0:37:06 > 0:37:10Roadchef and MOTO they said, "Motorway service areas must
0:37:10 > 0:37:14"pay to construct their premises, open 24 hours a day
0:37:14 > 0:37:18"and provide free facilities to all members of the public."
0:37:18 > 0:37:21Roadchef added, "They believe their prices compare well
0:37:21 > 0:37:26"with other major transport hub outlets." And MOTO said, "They try
0:37:26 > 0:37:30"to ensure that key products are available at very accessible prices."
0:37:34 > 0:37:37So no change of heart at the service stations.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39But surely it will be different with hospitals.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43High street chains, like Marks & Spencer, with
0:37:43 > 0:37:46outlets in hospitals can't surely use the same
0:37:46 > 0:37:51justification for the price hike in service stations - can they?
0:37:51 > 0:37:54As you can see I'm at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56And I've bought two sandwiches for a very good reason.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00I bought this one at the M&S on the high street for £3.25.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04Shockingly in the hospital, remembering that people
0:38:04 > 0:38:09are usually in a vulnerable position, I had to pay £3.75. Believe
0:38:09 > 0:38:14it or not a price difference of 50p for exactly the same sandwich.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18Our researchers have done the legwork and bought three test
0:38:18 > 0:38:23sandwiches on sale today at the hospital and high street.
0:38:23 > 0:38:27When you look at the Marks & Spencer sandwiches the packet says, "Food
0:38:27 > 0:38:32"on the move," but we discovered that the price isn't staying put either.
0:38:32 > 0:38:37I'm now outside the high street M&S, which is the nearest to
0:38:37 > 0:38:39the hospital, bearing in mind there's
0:38:39 > 0:38:41less than a mile difference between this shop
0:38:41 > 0:38:44and the M&S inside the hospital itself.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47And I've been carrying out a little experiment. I have compared prices
0:38:47 > 0:38:51of three different sandwiches. There is a big differential because
0:38:51 > 0:38:55these ones are definitely cheaper, and I suppose I assumed it, but
0:38:55 > 0:38:58I wouldn't have thought there would be that big difference between them.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02But maybe I should ask the passers by if they assume the same thing?
0:39:04 > 0:39:07Now, first of all, as you can see, I have a club sandwich.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11I have two of them, exactly the same.
0:39:11 > 0:39:12Same filling, same bread.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16This one I bought in the hospital shop, which is just up the road.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18And this one I bought in the shop just behind me.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21The next one as you see is roast beef, horseradish and mayo,
0:39:21 > 0:39:24again exactly the same, the inner's exactly the same.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27The third one of my experiment, the cheddar cheese ploughman's.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29The hospital one is always on the left.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32But they are exactly the same, we've checked them all.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36Is it higher at the hospital, lower at the hospital or the same?
0:39:38 > 0:39:41Many of the shoppers we asked thought the price would stay
0:39:41 > 0:39:44the same or even be lower at the hospital.
0:39:44 > 0:39:49They use the same cost of production for this one in the town
0:39:49 > 0:39:50and the one in the hospital.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53So to me the price should be the same.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56Lower, because I think the high street would charge more.
0:39:56 > 0:40:00All the sandwiches at the M&S inside the hospital, they're higher.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02- Are you surprised? - I am, very surprised, yeah.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05The people we asked didn't think that was fair.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08- Why do you think that is? - No idea, no reason.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11They've taken an opportunity to make money out of people
0:40:11 > 0:40:13that are vulnerable.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15It's stressful, in a stressful situation.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18In this case there was 50p difference between these two.
0:40:18 > 0:40:2050p on one sandwich. That's quite a lot of money.
0:40:20 > 0:40:23I'm surprised Marks & Spencer allow them to be sold.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25Do you think this is actually unfair?
0:40:25 > 0:40:27It's taking advantage of a captive market.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30There's more options on the high street, aren't there?
0:40:30 > 0:40:32People can just go somewhere else,
0:40:32 > 0:40:36- whereas in hospital you only have one choice.- It's a rip-off!
0:40:37 > 0:40:41The Royal Berkshire Hospital told us, "M&S Simply Food outlet
0:40:41 > 0:40:45"is a franchise agreement between M&S and the franchise operator."
0:40:45 > 0:40:48They added that it was, "One of a number of food outlets
0:40:48 > 0:40:51"at the hospital and that the Royal Berkshire only set
0:40:51 > 0:40:54"the prices in their own restaurant."
0:40:55 > 0:40:58Marks & Spencer acknowledge that Simply Food franchise stores
0:40:58 > 0:41:02at locations like hospitals do charge prices that are
0:41:02 > 0:41:05a little higher than their high street stores, as they
0:41:05 > 0:41:08are open longer and highly convenient.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11They added that their franchise partners, "Work hard to keep
0:41:11 > 0:41:14"prices competitive and in line with the industry."
0:41:16 > 0:41:20So Marks & Spencer sandwiches - an inconvenient
0:41:20 > 0:41:22mark-up for a convenient food.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24It seems that hospital patients
0:41:24 > 0:41:27and visitors are fair game for the high street franchises.
0:41:27 > 0:41:31No reward for brand loyalty there, unfortunately for us.
0:41:33 > 0:41:37And I just want to leave you with another top tip from
0:41:37 > 0:41:42Emma Marsh at WRAP - it's delicious and will save you money. I promise.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45Does anyone have these sitting at home?
0:41:45 > 0:41:50They are starting to look a bit black, but the greatest tip...
0:41:51 > 0:41:57Simply take your banana that's starting to go black.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00Normally, you're thinking that would go in the compost or the bin.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02Put it in the freezer.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05Because you can either make something like banana bread,
0:42:05 > 0:42:08if you're the type of person who really likes to cook like that,
0:42:08 > 0:42:12or it makes the best fat free banana ice-cream.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16All you do is take it straight out of the freezer and eat it.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19And it's absolutely wonderful.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21Well, that's where we have to leave it for today.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23But I do hope that
0:42:23 > 0:42:26because of the programme that you might from here on in start counting
0:42:26 > 0:42:30the cost of convenience foods and try and avoid those rip-offs.
0:42:30 > 0:42:32Remember, if it's ready prepared
0:42:32 > 0:42:35and packaged you're probably already paying well over the odds.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38So maybe the last piece of advice for the day is - why don't you
0:42:38 > 0:42:40do a little bit of preparation for yourself
0:42:40 > 0:42:44and save some of your hard earned cash.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd