0:00:02 > 0:00:04Food - it's big business. Now, each year,
0:00:04 > 0:00:07we spend something like £5,000 per household on food and drink.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11So the competition for your pound is tough.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15We'll leave no shelf untouched in our quest to champion you,
0:00:15 > 0:00:17the weekly shopper.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20This series in which we'll be exposing the hidden rip offs
0:00:20 > 0:00:23and letting you in on the tricks of the food trade.
0:00:23 > 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.
0:00:43 > 0:00:48'Being savvy with your food shop can be enough of a minefield -
0:00:48 > 0:00:52'decoding labelling and assessing nutritional value,
0:00:52 > 0:00:55'without worrying if what you're buying is the real deal.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59'For instance, would it occur to you that the fish you're tucking into
0:00:59 > 0:01:02'could be a red herring?'
0:01:02 > 0:01:04If I order cod and chips, I expect to get cod chips.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07'And could extra virgin olive oil
0:01:07 > 0:01:09'ever leave you with a bad taste in your mouth?'
0:01:09 > 0:01:11Hopefully, it'll taste good.
0:01:14 > 0:01:19'And turkey ham - not something you'd want gobble down, really.'
0:01:19 > 0:01:21Turkey hearts,
0:01:21 > 0:01:24which were never really designed to go into any ham products.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31'But first,
0:01:31 > 0:01:34'we spend around £6 billion a year on fish,
0:01:34 > 0:01:38'so if we're not getting the real deal, it isn't small fry.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40'I think this fishy business
0:01:40 > 0:01:43'is something worth getting to the bottom of.'
0:01:47 > 0:01:52Yum. Fish and chips, enjoyed every Friday night by one in six of us.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54Now, I know what I'm eating, it's battered cod
0:01:54 > 0:01:56and I know that for sure.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59But a recent mislabelling scandal in the UK has revealed that
0:01:59 > 0:02:02many of us may be munching on species of fish
0:02:02 > 0:02:05that, quite frankly, we never even ordered.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09'Now, in Britain, it's a case of in cod we trust
0:02:09 > 0:02:13'because by far and away our favourite battered fish is cod,
0:02:13 > 0:02:15'with haddock in second place.'
0:02:15 > 0:02:16My favourite fish is cod.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18- You like cod.- I like cod.
0:02:18 > 0:02:19- Cod?- Cod.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22White fish all tastes the same, I'm afraid.
0:02:22 > 0:02:23- Haddock.- Cod.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25- Cod.- Cod.- Cod.
0:02:25 > 0:02:26Cod, I'm afraid.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30I am a bit fussy, I tend to stick to what I know.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34'And if we're eating fish at home, in pies or poached,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37'then salmon takes the top spot as favourite.
0:02:38 > 0:02:43'So it seems we've got strong preferences and selling us short
0:02:43 > 0:02:47'by mislabelling is nothing less than a disgrace.
0:02:47 > 0:02:52'The story came to light because of a survey published in April 2011 -
0:02:52 > 0:02:55'jointly commissioned by Greenpeace and the Sunday Times.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58'Molecular ecologist Professor Carvelho tested
0:02:58 > 0:03:01'a sample of fish products sold by major supermarkets.'
0:03:02 > 0:03:07We sampled around 400 specimens, from a range of leading supermarkets.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09The key question being,
0:03:09 > 0:03:12to what degree was the label accurately describing
0:03:12 > 0:03:14the contents of a particular package?
0:03:14 > 0:03:19What we discovered in our study, was around 6% of those
0:03:19 > 0:03:23did not contain the fish that was described on the label.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25So 6% might of course not sound very much,
0:03:25 > 0:03:30but when we bear in mind around 4.4 billion fish products
0:03:30 > 0:03:33are consumed within the UK each year,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36this represents around 260 million
0:03:36 > 0:03:39potentially mislabelled fish products,
0:03:39 > 0:03:42which of course can be very misleading to consumers,
0:03:42 > 0:03:45and also has environmental consequences as well.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47'There's no suggestion that the supermarkets
0:03:47 > 0:03:50'deliberately mislabelled fish.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52'And when we contacted them,
0:03:52 > 0:03:55'they said that they take mislabelling very seriously,
0:03:55 > 0:03:57'and had launched a full investigation,
0:03:57 > 0:04:02'removed mislabelled stock from sale and instituted additional testing,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05'audit and controls of their fish suppliers.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08'The British Retail Consortium added that retailers operate
0:04:08 > 0:04:12'to the highest standards and expect the same of their suppliers.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15'If they were to identify problems now,
0:04:15 > 0:04:18'urgent steps would be taken to correct them.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21'But this also has implications for consumers,
0:04:21 > 0:04:26'who want to make informed choices about buying sustainable fish.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31'Because, ultimately, once a fish has lost its head or been cooked,
0:04:31 > 0:04:34'the only way you can be 100% sure of the species
0:04:34 > 0:04:36'is to look at its genetic profile.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40'And that's down to scientists like Rob Ogden.'
0:04:40 > 0:04:43Fish mislabelling is part of what we call
0:04:43 > 0:04:46"illegal, unreported, unregulated fishing"
0:04:46 > 0:04:51and that's reported to account for 20% of all fish landed,
0:04:51 > 0:04:55and it's worth billions and billions of pounds each year, globally.
0:04:55 > 0:05:01Within the mislabelling arena itself, the individual cases can run up
0:05:01 > 0:05:04to thousands or millions of pounds worth of fraud,
0:05:04 > 0:05:06and millions of pounds worth of fines.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09So, although it may seem fairly trivial
0:05:09 > 0:05:11whether your fish fingers are labelled properly,
0:05:11 > 0:05:14it's big business and it can be big organised crime.
0:05:15 > 0:05:20'Rob and his team can isolate the DNA of any fish, cooked or not.'
0:05:20 > 0:05:25From an enforcement point of view, DNA is impossible to falsify,
0:05:25 > 0:05:28so if we analyse the DNA from an item
0:05:28 > 0:05:31we really do know what species it's come from.
0:05:31 > 0:05:36'An earlier study by the Food Standards Agency found 10% of cod
0:05:36 > 0:05:40'in fish and chip restaurants and takeaways was mislabelled.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44'And over the last three years, Trading Standards have prosecuted
0:05:44 > 0:05:47'several fish and chip shops selling a cheap substitute -
0:05:47 > 0:05:50'a Vietnamese farmed river fish,
0:05:50 > 0:05:52'instead of the cod advertised on their menu.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57'It's extraordinary but, genetically, this river fish shares
0:05:57 > 0:06:02'fewer genes in common with cod than humans share with chimpanzees.'
0:06:02 > 0:06:05If we were looking at this same sequence region
0:06:05 > 0:06:07in humans and chimpanzees, for example,
0:06:07 > 0:06:12we might expect it to be between 90% and 95% match, whereas here,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15cod on the top and Vietnamese catfish below,
0:06:15 > 0:06:17which is an 81% match -
0:06:17 > 0:06:20we can see that the species, although they're both fish,
0:06:20 > 0:06:23are very different from an evolutionary point of view.
0:06:23 > 0:06:29'So back to the important subject of what lands up on our plate.'
0:06:29 > 0:06:32Now, I want to investigate the substitution of fish.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36The question is, how a can a fresh water catfish from Vietnam,
0:06:36 > 0:06:40called a river cobbler, be switched for a sea fish
0:06:40 > 0:06:42like cod or haddock, and go unnoticed?
0:06:44 > 0:06:48'First off, what does a Vietnamese catfish actually look like?
0:06:48 > 0:06:52'To find a whole one, we had to make a very early morning trip
0:06:52 > 0:06:57'to Billingsgate Market in London - to see fish trader, Mark Morris.'
0:06:59 > 0:07:03We've got a Vietnamese catfish, known as a Pangasius.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05That's the fish there, it's in its whole form.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07These are mass produced in Vietnam at a very low cost,
0:07:07 > 0:07:10basically, they're supplying all over the world now.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12'But how does it compare with cod?'
0:07:13 > 0:07:16With the Pangasius, it's more of a grey colour.
0:07:16 > 0:07:21The most obvious thing with the cod, you've got this lovely bright green
0:07:21 > 0:07:25but when you turn it over, you see, you get that bright white,
0:07:25 > 0:07:28the muscle definition, you can see where the light catches that,
0:07:28 > 0:07:30and this is where the big difference comes in
0:07:30 > 0:07:31because it's a wild product -
0:07:31 > 0:07:34the fish has been swimming in the north sea,
0:07:34 > 0:07:37whereas the Pangasius is produced in a farm situation,
0:07:37 > 0:07:41so it isn't combating against wild currents and cold seas.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44These are all the things that bring out the muscle tone.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46The price is where the big difference comes in.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48For example, the Pangasius,
0:07:48 > 0:07:51at a steady cost, produced in a low economy country,
0:07:51 > 0:07:54you're looking at an average wholesale cost
0:07:54 > 0:07:56of around about £2.50 a kilo for a fillet.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59On the frozen cod, you're looking at round about £4.50 a kilo.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03As you can see, there's almost a 100% price increase for the cod.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07'And that's frozen cod, fresh cod costs even more,
0:08:07 > 0:08:11'with a wholesaler's price of £7.50 a kilo.
0:08:11 > 0:08:16'Now, Pangasius or Vietnamese catfish is also sold in supermarkets
0:08:16 > 0:08:18'under the name river cobbler or basa.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24'With the credit crunch, sales of this much cheaper white fish
0:08:24 > 0:08:27'have rocketed and it's as versatile as cod.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33'Three quarters of consumers say that they want to know
0:08:33 > 0:08:35'if the fish they buy is sustainable.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38'There's already several accreditation schemes,
0:08:38 > 0:08:41'the Marine Stewardship Council, Soil Association
0:08:41 > 0:08:44'and RSPCA Freedom Food, amongst others.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46'There's another certification scheme
0:08:46 > 0:08:49'by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council,
0:08:49 > 0:08:52'which will indicate responsibly farmed fish.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56'It's due to be launched in the UK in early 2013.
0:08:56 > 0:09:01'And they plan to monitor and certify Pangasius.'
0:09:01 > 0:09:04Purely a personal opinion is, you can't beat a bit of cod.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08It needs nothing, a sprinkle of salt and pepper on top is all it needs.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Take the Pangasius, you haven't got the flavour,
0:09:11 > 0:09:13you need to add a little bit of something to it.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17'So I've come to Hastings on the south coast.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21'It has the largest fishing fleet in Britain
0:09:21 > 0:09:23'that's launched from a beach.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27'We may be surrounded by sea but the quota system,
0:09:27 > 0:09:30'which restricts the number of cod landed, keeps prices at a premium.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34'Local skipper Paul Joy,
0:09:34 > 0:09:37'a man with fishing in his blood, is going to educate me.'
0:09:39 > 0:09:42Hi, Paul. Gloria. You're my man for the afternoon.
0:09:42 > 0:09:43I hope so.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45How long have you been fishing in this area?
0:09:45 > 0:09:48Most of my working life, for about 41 years now.
0:09:48 > 0:09:49And the family?
0:09:49 > 0:09:53The family go back for many generations, back to the 1000s.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56- So you are well qualified? - Well, we certainly hope so.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59I'm interested to know just what kind of fish on a daily basis
0:09:59 > 0:10:00you're catching here?
0:10:00 > 0:10:04Through the year we catch cod, plaice and sole as our main species,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07and then other species in amongst it as a bi-catch.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09Now let's come to the issue of quotas,
0:10:09 > 0:10:11things have changed in recent times, haven't they,
0:10:11 > 0:10:15- as to what you're allowed to fish? - The rules changed in 2006.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18They decided to count the fish from every small boat.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21So you're telling me that every day when you come in off the sea,
0:10:21 > 0:10:24that what you catch is actually checked and counted?
0:10:24 > 0:10:26- Absolutely. - Who's watching you, for example?
0:10:26 > 0:10:27When we're out there,
0:10:27 > 0:10:29we'll be boarded by the French and English navy,
0:10:29 > 0:10:32they hire helicopters to come and film us,
0:10:32 > 0:10:35they have a spotter plane comes over and when we hit the shore,
0:10:35 > 0:10:38we have the Marine Management Organisation officials
0:10:38 > 0:10:41checking our catch. There's more of them than us.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44More checkers than fishermen.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46They said there was a problem with cod,
0:10:46 > 0:10:48but we've got good fish stocks here.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52- My quota effectively equates to half a fish a day.- Half a fish?
0:10:52 > 0:10:56Half a cod. Well, 1.4 kilos, which is not even half a fish.
0:10:56 > 0:10:57You either don't fish
0:10:57 > 0:11:00or you dump that fish you catch back in the sea, dead.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02So what's the highest number of cod that you've caught
0:11:02 > 0:11:04and had to throw back?
0:11:04 > 0:11:07It can be a tonne, 1,000 kilos a day.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09We come to this quite controversial subject
0:11:09 > 0:11:11about fish being substituted, so in other words,
0:11:11 > 0:11:13people think they're buying cod
0:11:13 > 0:11:17and in fact they're buying Vietnamese river fish, catfish.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19How does all this fish get in from overseas?
0:11:19 > 0:11:22It comes by container shiploads,
0:11:22 > 0:11:24but...that's where the fish comes in from,
0:11:24 > 0:11:26it's coming in frozen bulk.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29How do you feel about the fact that people order cod and chips,
0:11:29 > 0:11:31when in actual fact they get something else
0:11:31 > 0:11:32and they don't even know it?
0:11:32 > 0:11:34It's totally wrong because it's a cheaper substitute,
0:11:34 > 0:11:38but it's deception in any other form, it's still deception,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41if you're going in and you're buying cod and chips,
0:11:41 > 0:11:43you should be served cod. It's as simple as that.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46'Well said, Paul.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48'Now shortly, we'll taste test fish and chips
0:11:48 > 0:11:52'to see whether people can actually tell which fish is in their batter.'
0:11:52 > 0:11:55- Tastes like cod. - Tastes like cod.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57That don't taste like cod to me.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02'An even more popular take-away than fish and chips these days
0:12:02 > 0:12:03'is the pizza.
0:12:03 > 0:12:09'On average, a person will eat 368 takeaway pizzas over a lifetime.'
0:12:09 > 0:12:12- Pizza's always a good takeaway. - Nice and tasty, it's easy.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14Pizzas, I very like, that's my takeaway.
0:12:14 > 0:12:19'And one survey found that some have been sold with toppings
0:12:19 > 0:12:21'that are completely fake.'
0:12:21 > 0:12:25Now, takeaway pizza can be a real family treat.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29But what happens when you get the right pizza as ordered
0:12:29 > 0:12:32but the wrong topping for the strangest of reasons?
0:12:32 > 0:12:37'Last year, a Trading Standards survey made a shocking discovery
0:12:37 > 0:12:41'when they analysed cheese and ham pizzas from takeaways in Derby.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45'They found that nine out ten cheese and ham pizzas
0:12:45 > 0:12:47'didn't have real ham on them at all!
0:12:47 > 0:12:51'It was no surprise to trading standards expert David Pickering.'
0:12:53 > 0:12:56Substitution and what you can call food fraud
0:12:56 > 0:12:58has been around for hundreds of years.
0:12:58 > 0:13:03Wherever you can find a way of substituting a cheaper material
0:13:03 > 0:13:05for something that people are willing to pay for,
0:13:05 > 0:13:08food fraud sadly will probably be with us
0:13:08 > 0:13:12until it gets to a point where it's actually not profitable.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15'In the case of the pizza investigated,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18'the "ham" was actually reformed turkey -
0:13:18 > 0:13:20'hard believe nobody complained.'
0:13:21 > 0:13:24If I bought a ham pizza and I found out that the ham
0:13:24 > 0:13:27was reformed turkey meat, then I'd be really disappointed.
0:13:27 > 0:13:28I'd be shocked, actually.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30Very upset.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32I would be surprised. I wouldn't expect that.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35I think that one issue for the shopper is
0:13:35 > 0:13:38that they think they're buying a particular type of product,
0:13:38 > 0:13:40whereas they're not. And if they have the choice,
0:13:40 > 0:13:42if actually they knew what they were buying,
0:13:42 > 0:13:44the shopper could then make the choice around
0:13:44 > 0:13:47whether they want to pay for that particular product
0:13:47 > 0:13:49or if they want to go to another catering establishment
0:13:49 > 0:13:51that might be selling the proper product itself.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54'But what on earth is reformed turkey?
0:13:55 > 0:13:58'Butcher Danny's going to show us just how different it is
0:13:58 > 0:14:00'from proper ham.'
0:14:00 > 0:14:04So you couldn't get much further from traditional English free range ham
0:14:04 > 0:14:06than reformed turkey.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08Reformed turkey may well find ingredients like,
0:14:08 > 0:14:10things like turkey neck,
0:14:10 > 0:14:12which is great for things like stews and stocks
0:14:12 > 0:14:15but also does have a lot of bone and gristle.
0:14:15 > 0:14:16Not ideal for ham.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18Things like the turkey livers,
0:14:18 > 0:14:21which have great flavours inside them as well
0:14:21 > 0:14:24but, again, not ideal for sandwiches and that sort of thing.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26And turkey hearts,
0:14:26 > 0:14:30which are never really designed to go into any sort of ham products.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34And from this stage, it's basically going to go into a big mixer
0:14:34 > 0:14:37and get cut down into really fine pieces and made into sort of pulp.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39A bit like toothpaste.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42When it's like that, they add in the flavours, the colourings,
0:14:42 > 0:14:44things to make it look like the appearance of ham,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47and form it into a sort of mould.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50It's then cooked and cooled down and then sliced
0:14:50 > 0:14:53and then it's ready to put into packets.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59'So nine out ten pizzas in the Derby survey had a turkey topping
0:14:59 > 0:15:04'and only one was the real deal - ham like this.'
0:15:04 > 0:15:06So this is the leg of pork, which is the back leg,
0:15:06 > 0:15:08the hind leg of the pig.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11It's basically got all the bones in it and the skin on it, at the moment.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14From this stage, we take the bones out
0:15:14 > 0:15:19and then we're up with the shape like this, which is more cylinder shape.
0:15:19 > 0:15:20It's still got the skin on it
0:15:20 > 0:15:23and then from this stage, salt would be added, or a brine,
0:15:23 > 0:15:25and then it'd be boiled or cooked,
0:15:25 > 0:15:27and then you'd have the end result of ham.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33So as the pork's been cooked, we now have ham.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36With ham, you can see the different colours of the muscles.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39The added salt makes a slightly pinker colour.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41This is a good traditional ham.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43I am surprised people can't tell the difference
0:15:43 > 0:15:45between a turkey and a ham on the pizzas.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48But when it's disguised with the different and toppings,
0:15:48 > 0:15:49it could be quite difficult.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56'But the survey didn't just find fake ham, they also found that
0:15:56 > 0:16:00'two out the ten pizzas had a cheese substitute -
0:16:00 > 0:16:04'something called analogue cheese. Now that one's a new one on me.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07'So I'm going to get the low down from our scientist,
0:16:07 > 0:16:11'Peter Maynard, a man well used to weeding out fake foods.'
0:16:13 > 0:16:17Analogue cheese is cheese that's been made not using cow's milk
0:16:17 > 0:16:20or buffalo milk or used milk or whatever milk.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24It's made using vegetable oil instead.
0:16:24 > 0:16:25So it's a lot cheaper
0:16:25 > 0:16:30and therefore it's a way of takeaway owner saving money.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32And that would be the main reason for using it in the pizzas?
0:16:32 > 0:16:34Of course. Saving money.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37And is this the machine that you would normally test the cheese in?
0:16:37 > 0:16:39Yes, it is.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43So the first thing to do is to take some of the fat out of the cheese,
0:16:43 > 0:16:47and we then add a chemical to it and then we inject it on this machine,
0:16:47 > 0:16:50and this would tell us what kind of fat is in there.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54Whether it's a vegetable fat or whether it's animal fat,
0:16:54 > 0:16:57because there are quite significant differences between the two.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59So how long would that take you to get results?
0:16:59 > 0:17:01We generally run this machine overnight,
0:17:01 > 0:17:04do the extraction one day and look at the results the next day.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07So short of living with you, Peter, for the next 24 hours,
0:17:07 > 0:17:09I won't know what the machine says.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13So, in fact, one of our researchers has prepared cheese on toast.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15- Are you going to taste a bit? - Yeah, I'll taste a bit.- Mmm.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24I can taste nothing but bread, if I'm being honest.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26You're quite right.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28If it's cheese, it's certainly not very mature, is it?
0:17:30 > 0:17:32Couldn't honestly tell you, hand on heart,
0:17:32 > 0:17:35couldn't tell you what kind of cheese it is, could you?
0:17:35 > 0:17:37No, no. I couldn't either.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41'So analogue cheese is pretty tasteless
0:17:41 > 0:17:45'and perhaps that's why consumers didn't notice.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48'But some dairy substitutes can include nuts or nut oil
0:17:48 > 0:17:53'and that could cause serious problems for people with allergies.'
0:17:53 > 0:17:54So if you think,
0:17:54 > 0:17:57"Actually, this cheese isn't really what I thought it should be"
0:17:57 > 0:17:59then ask the take away
0:17:59 > 0:18:02and they should be able to give you a full ingredients list,
0:18:02 > 0:18:05and they should be able to tell you what that cheese or that ham
0:18:05 > 0:18:08or what that particular topping is and what it contains.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10And if you've got allergy issues,
0:18:10 > 0:18:12then that can be really important as well.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16'Some premium products come with added benefits -
0:18:16 > 0:18:20'ranging from health enhancing properties
0:18:20 > 0:18:21'to extraordinary flavours.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24'Now extra virgin olive oil is one example -
0:18:24 > 0:18:28'but do we really understand what we should look out for
0:18:28 > 0:18:32'to get these qualities and make sure we're getting value for money?
0:18:35 > 0:18:39'We buy 28 million litres of olive oil every year,
0:18:39 > 0:18:43'much of it well known brands like these -
0:18:43 > 0:18:46'and our consumption has doubled over the course of a decade.
0:18:46 > 0:18:52'The best quality is cold pressed extra virgin olive oil.'
0:18:52 > 0:18:56I do buy extra virgin olive oil because, for a start, it tastes good.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59It's used for cooking. It's slightly purer, I believe.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01The word extra, I suppose, makes me think that
0:19:01 > 0:19:04it's better than standard virgin oil. I don't know. I don't know why.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06I know you can get very high quality stuff,
0:19:06 > 0:19:09which like wine or anything of that nature, the sky's the limit.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12I do, I cook with virgin oil for everything from stir-frys
0:19:12 > 0:19:14to frying my sausages in the morning.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20'But what makes extra virgin olive oil so special?
0:19:20 > 0:19:22'Importer and expert Michael North
0:19:22 > 0:19:26'is a passionate advocate of this amber nectar.'
0:19:26 > 0:19:31Olive oil, from ancient times, was the staff of life.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33We used it for the heating system, for driving industry,
0:19:33 > 0:19:36we didn't even think about eating it,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39but later on in life we started to eat it, after we put it on our skin,
0:19:39 > 0:19:42and then later in life, we're actually putting it on our food.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46So the "centre of the universe" in inverted commas, if you like,
0:19:46 > 0:19:49is and still will be olive oil.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54'Extra virgin olive oil must be cold pressed -
0:19:54 > 0:19:58'so no heat or chemicals can be used to speed up the extraction
0:19:58 > 0:20:00'of the oil from the olive.'
0:20:00 > 0:20:05Some of the health benefits are the best because they're fresh.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07The healthy bits die off.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10A quick example would be polyphenols, these are the bits
0:20:10 > 0:20:13that are good for you, we're trying to isolate them.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16We can't make any medical claims but, for example,
0:20:16 > 0:20:19the Americans, they have put in the FDA,
0:20:19 > 0:20:22which is the Federal Drug Authority,
0:20:22 > 0:20:26that if you take two tablespoons of olive oil a day
0:20:26 > 0:20:28in replacement of saturated fat,
0:20:28 > 0:20:31it will help to alleviate future problems
0:20:31 > 0:20:33like heart diseases or cancers.
0:20:33 > 0:20:40'The average cost of a litre bottle of extra virgin olive oil is £7.50
0:20:40 > 0:20:45'but single estate bottles can go up to even £50 a litre.'
0:20:46 > 0:20:50Extra virgin olive oil can be very expensive
0:20:50 > 0:20:53but the health benefits, the distinctive taste and smell
0:20:53 > 0:20:57make it absolutely ideal for use on salad dressings.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01Only pure extra virgin olive oil has all these unique qualities.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05Experts believe that we're not always being sold the real deal.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14'Stuart Shotton is an ex-Trading Standards Officer
0:21:14 > 0:21:16'turned food consultant.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20'Adulterated olive oil is a Europe wide problem
0:21:20 > 0:21:25'and in 2011, Europol launched a major sting called Operation Opsom.'
0:21:25 > 0:21:27In relation to olive oil, what they found
0:21:27 > 0:21:30in the course of their week long investigation
0:21:30 > 0:21:32were 13,000 substandard bottles of olive oil.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34It could potentially be a huge issue.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37For the sake of one weeks' worth of investigation,
0:21:37 > 0:21:40to actually find 13,000 bottles of substandard olive oil.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43Usually you'd say it's like trying to find a needle in a haystack -
0:21:43 > 0:21:45that would tend to suggest otherwise.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50'If suspect oils do get into the country.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52'they may be reported to Trading Standards,
0:21:52 > 0:21:56'who would have them checked by a public analyst like Peter Maynard.'
0:21:56 > 0:21:58We will basically test those samples
0:21:58 > 0:22:01which are sent in by Trading Standards,
0:22:01 > 0:22:06who will have a suspicion that the sample has been adulterated
0:22:06 > 0:22:08or indeed, substituted entirely.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12So no one test can tell you it's adulterated or not.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16But a battery of tests which, between them, should be able to tell
0:22:16 > 0:22:18what is adulterated and what is not adulterated.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20Why is it so difficult to tell if it's pure or not?
0:22:20 > 0:22:25Because they use very similar oils to adulterate the olive oil.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29For instance, the usual one is hazelnut oil,
0:22:29 > 0:22:32which is cheaper than extra virgin olive oil.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34Is that what's in the other container? Is that this one?
0:22:34 > 0:22:36- This is the hazelnut oil.- Mmm.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38Actually, it's quite a strong smell.
0:22:38 > 0:22:43It does have quite a strong smell, so you can't use a lot of it.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47But possibly 10%, you can add to your olive oil
0:22:47 > 0:22:50and therefore you'll save yourself 5% of the cost,
0:22:50 > 0:22:53and that's all profit, of course.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57When you say the Trading Standards ask you to test certain olive oils,
0:22:57 > 0:22:59is that because maybe a customer has complained
0:22:59 > 0:23:02- or do they do random testing or...? - Yes, they do both.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04And how often will that happen?
0:23:04 > 0:23:08We may have no samples for months on end.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11Then we may have ten samples in one month. Just depends.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14Well, let's have a look at the process.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16This is the extra virgin olive oil.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20OK.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24So, if I add about 10% of the hazelnut oil.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34- As you can see, it mixes... - Mixes well.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37- ..without any problem whatsoever. - The colour hasn't changed.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40The colour hasn't changed significantly.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43- Can't even get a whiff of it. - There we are.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45Actually, that is quite extraordinary.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48Not even a glimmer of hazelnut.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52And yet, the hazelnut oil by itself, that's quite an odour.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55So 10% then would... They could get away with 10%?
0:23:55 > 0:23:58They could certainly get away with 10%.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01There are no tests available that will tell you
0:24:01 > 0:24:04whether an oil is adulterated with 10% of hazelnut oil.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07So there's nothing that you can do?
0:24:07 > 0:24:09Nothing that we can do that will confirm that.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11When you get to much more than 10%,
0:24:11 > 0:24:13then there are tests that we can do.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16Where do you think that the shopper is likely to find
0:24:16 > 0:24:17an adulterated olive oil?
0:24:17 > 0:24:20It'll be the cheaper end of the market.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23When you get the top brands, which are named brands,
0:24:23 > 0:24:26then you're unlikely to have a problem
0:24:26 > 0:24:29because the people who make these olive oils
0:24:29 > 0:24:32know exactly where all their olive oil comes from.
0:24:33 > 0:24:39'And if what you get is a diluted or adulterated version of an olive oil,
0:24:39 > 0:24:43'you could be missing out on some amazing flavours.'
0:24:43 > 0:24:48One thing we never do is look at the actual colour of an olive oil.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50Never, never, never look at the colour
0:24:50 > 0:24:54because that is no indication of quality or taste, whatsoever.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02The nose is clean.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08Hopefully, it'll taste good.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12HE SLURPS
0:25:15 > 0:25:18Asparagus, creams and butter.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20Little bit of bitterness coming in now,
0:25:20 > 0:25:22here comes the pepper kick at the back.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26'With shelves heaving with alternatives,
0:25:26 > 0:25:30'how do consumers choose the best one?'
0:25:30 > 0:25:33- It's got to look fairly trendy and authentic.- Authentic.- Yeah.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36I tend to be swayed by the brand. I know there are certain ones
0:25:36 > 0:25:38that are supposed to be better than others.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40The only thing I look for is the price.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43If it's a cheaper one that's extra virgin, that's the one I buy.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47'As you might imagine, Michael has some pointers on this.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51'First, extra virgin olive oil should ideally be used
0:25:51 > 0:25:53'within six months of harvesting.'
0:25:53 > 0:25:57Olive oil, being a fruit juice, needs to be fresh,
0:25:57 > 0:26:02but there are no rules on how long it can be kept on a shelf.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06'Only with the top of the price range
0:26:06 > 0:26:10'will you see a clear harvest date marked, as well as a best before -
0:26:10 > 0:26:14'so that you know exactly how fresh the oil is.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16'But if there's only a best before date,
0:26:16 > 0:26:18'well, you can't be so sure of its age.'
0:26:20 > 0:26:23What happens is, it may be kept in tanks for years
0:26:23 > 0:26:26and then the best before date is the bottling date,
0:26:26 > 0:26:30which is when it's actually bottled. There lies a problem.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34'And lastly, something you can spot at glance.'
0:26:36 > 0:26:40Must be in a dark bottle, must, must, must, no other choice,
0:26:40 > 0:26:43because ultraviolet light kills the olive oil.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47'It's not just light that kills off the health benefits,
0:26:47 > 0:26:50if you're using extra virgin olive oil to cook with,
0:26:50 > 0:26:54'you may be watching some of those fine qualities go up in smoke.'
0:26:54 > 0:26:58Now, there's some much cheaper and excellent alternatives for cooking
0:26:58 > 0:27:01and I'm glad to say that one is a great British home grown product,
0:27:01 > 0:27:03that recently has emerged as a real competitor
0:27:03 > 0:27:05to extra virgin olive oil.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12'Rapeseed has traditionally been used to make
0:27:12 > 0:27:14'mass produced vegetable oils.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18'But at Hill Farm in Suffolk, Sam Fairs realised
0:27:18 > 0:27:21'that it might have greater potential.'
0:27:23 > 0:27:29We can see on this plant here where the yellow flowers are at the top
0:27:29 > 0:27:32and every flower has produced me a pod.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36You can see in the pod here, all the little seeds in the pod.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39Very, very small and immature at the moment,
0:27:39 > 0:27:42because of this time of year. But as the plant grows
0:27:42 > 0:27:46and as the pods will get longer and the seeds will get bigger
0:27:46 > 0:27:49and become nice little black seeds that we know as rapeseed.
0:27:49 > 0:27:55We started growing rapeseed on our farm probably 30-35 years ago now.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57Just as another crop.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01It was ten years ago, a friend of mine's father had high cholesterol
0:28:01 > 0:28:04and he said to me that he'd been advised to go on to
0:28:04 > 0:28:07rapeseed oil capsules to help lower the cholesterol.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11And it struck a chord with me really and I just thought, "Well, why?"
0:28:11 > 0:28:15I grow all this rapeseed oil and yet I don't know what's good about it.
0:28:15 > 0:28:19And it just suddenly struck us really and said
0:28:19 > 0:28:23"Well, why is there not a cold pressed extra virgin rapeseed oil?
0:28:23 > 0:28:26"You know, there's an olive oil and you can buy these other,
0:28:26 > 0:28:29"you know, other fancy oils and things but why not the rapeseed oil?"
0:28:32 > 0:28:36'Sam was the first farmer in Britain to commercially produce
0:28:36 > 0:28:38'extra virgin rape seed oil.'
0:28:41 > 0:28:48This here is about 50 tonnes of rapeseed that we combined last July.
0:28:50 > 0:28:56Each seed is 45% oil, that's how we measure it.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59So it's nearly half oil, really.
0:29:00 > 0:29:06'Turning an industrial product into a premium choice was a huge leap.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10'But what Sam knew was that his extra virgin rapeseed oil
0:29:10 > 0:29:12'could take on the opposition.'
0:29:12 > 0:29:15From the olive oil point of view, I've always said that
0:29:15 > 0:29:18it's part of a Mediterranean diet and it's very healthy for you.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20And, yes, it has certain aspects to it that are healthy.
0:29:20 > 0:29:25From a saturated fat point of view, rapeseed is 6.5% saturated fat
0:29:25 > 0:29:27and olive oil is between 12 and 14.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31Now saturated fat is really the worst part to an oil
0:29:31 > 0:29:34and it is the rapeseed that has the lowest saturated fat content
0:29:34 > 0:29:36out of any other oil that we've come across.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41'The way the oil is processed is key.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44'In order to retain those health benefits
0:29:44 > 0:29:47'the seeds have to be cold pressed.'
0:29:50 > 0:29:53So this is where the machine is doing a corkscrew
0:29:53 > 0:29:55and it really just squeezes the seed really hard
0:29:55 > 0:29:58and that's when the oil the drops out.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01And this is the meal that's left over.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03Now the oil is hopefully dropping into the tank
0:30:03 > 0:30:06so that we can filter it.
0:30:06 > 0:30:10'This family based outfit produce 300,000 bottles a year
0:30:10 > 0:30:14'of a premium price extra virgin rape seed oil.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17'And Sam claims that rape seed oil has another advantage
0:30:17 > 0:30:20'over many competitors.'
0:30:21 > 0:30:24The thing about cold pressed rape seed oil,
0:30:24 > 0:30:28is it has a higher burn point than something like...
0:30:28 > 0:30:31Well, flax you wouldn't cook with at all,
0:30:31 > 0:30:33but extra virgin olive oil has a lower burn point
0:30:33 > 0:30:36so when you roast your potatoes in olive oil,
0:30:36 > 0:30:40quite often people open the oven door a bit like that,
0:30:40 > 0:30:43because the first thing they get is a cloud of smoke.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45That's because the oil's burnt because it's too hot.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48With rape seed oil, it doesn't do that and you can therefore,
0:30:48 > 0:30:51you can heat it higher when you're roasting your potatoes
0:30:51 > 0:30:54or doing Yorkshire Puddings or frying an egg.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01So you can see now we've put the egg in, how hot the oil was,
0:31:01 > 0:31:04and that wasn't burning or steaming or anything.
0:31:04 > 0:31:08And what I like to do now is put a lid over the top
0:31:08 > 0:31:12and then that will cook the yolk, or the top of the yolk,
0:31:12 > 0:31:14so you get the perfect runny egg.
0:31:15 > 0:31:18Look at that, that's perfect fresh egg.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22'Good tip.
0:31:22 > 0:31:26'Now the oil of choice for drizzling over my salads will still be
0:31:26 > 0:31:30'the fabulous flavours and qualities in extra virgin olive oil.
0:31:30 > 0:31:34'But extra virgin rape seed oil is a good alternative for cooking.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42'Here I am, back in Hastings at a fish restaurant -
0:31:42 > 0:31:47'a good one where the provenance of all the fish is guaranteed genuine.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50'Now we've looked at evidence that in some cases
0:31:50 > 0:31:53'fish and chip shops have sold cod or haddock that turned out to be
0:31:53 > 0:31:57'another, often cheaper species like Vietnamese catfish.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00'But how good are the public at recognising
0:32:00 > 0:32:04'their favourite fish supper and can they spot a rogue in batter?
0:32:04 > 0:32:08'Chef Paul Webbe is going to help me find out
0:32:08 > 0:32:12'by setting up a blind taste test that I'll try out on the locals.'
0:32:12 > 0:32:14So, Paul, as the owner of this restaurant,
0:32:14 > 0:32:16you know a lot about fish
0:32:16 > 0:32:18and you're helping us prepare our tasting.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21You have three varieties. Maybe give me a rundown of what you have.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23This is the catfish and I've got to confess,
0:32:23 > 0:32:26I've never used this before in my life.
0:32:26 > 0:32:28So you're just doing it for us really for filming?
0:32:28 > 0:32:30- This is the stuff here from Vietnam? - This is.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33- Different colour. I mean, pinky, isn't it?- It is.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36What I think the problem is, once you cut it up quite small,
0:32:36 > 0:32:39you put it into the batter, then the fish looks the same.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41OK. But we can distinguish the difference by the colour.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44- And this is?- This is cod. - Cod, very popular.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47- And?- And this is haddock.- The haddock.- Much darker flesh.
0:32:47 > 0:32:49Is haddock more expensive than the cod?
0:32:49 > 0:32:52- It's pretty much on a par with cod.- Mmm, OK.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55So you're going to prepare bite size pieces so that we can see how...?
0:32:55 > 0:32:58We are, we are going to create some little goujons.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01Yes. You know how sometimes some fish ends up in certain
0:33:01 > 0:33:03fish and chip shops as sort of like very greasy
0:33:03 > 0:33:08and it gives a feeling of it being really fatty?
0:33:08 > 0:33:10What's the secret in doing it properly, having crisp batter
0:33:10 > 0:33:12but having it nice and dry?
0:33:12 > 0:33:15You need to cook at very hot temperatures.
0:33:15 > 0:33:17And although we shun...we say fried food isn't good,
0:33:17 > 0:33:19it's actually a fantastic way of cooking fish
0:33:19 > 0:33:22because it traps all the moisture, and that's why it's so nice.
0:33:22 > 0:33:23Lovely crispy batter.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26You don't want too much batter either, just enough to coat the fish.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29Right, we'll cook the catfish first.
0:33:41 > 0:33:45'When it smells delicious and it's perfectly cooked
0:33:45 > 0:33:50'can Paul tell that it's catfish and, more importantly, can I?'
0:33:52 > 0:33:55I'd love you to taste, if you wouldn't mind,
0:33:55 > 0:33:58the catfish from Vietnam.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00Because as you rightly say,
0:34:00 > 0:34:03once it's inside the batter it all kind of looks the same.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08It's OK. It's not...you couldn't compare it to the cod.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11- Has it got little taste? - It's very soft.- Oh, soft?
0:34:11 > 0:34:16And it's not that pure white you get with lovely fresh cod.
0:34:16 > 0:34:18No. It's very hot, is it?
0:34:23 > 0:34:25It's nowhere near the texture.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28- Exactly, got no taste at all. - No. No, it's very bland.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33'So I'm going to take Paul's goujons
0:34:33 > 0:34:36'and test out consumer reactions.'
0:34:36 > 0:34:38There's nothing like being on a beach
0:34:38 > 0:34:41on a beautiful sunny day like this, to do a bit of fish tasting.
0:34:41 > 0:34:42The question is, how good are the British
0:34:42 > 0:34:44at differentiating between their fish?
0:34:44 > 0:34:47I'm not going to tell you what they are first of all,
0:34:47 > 0:34:49but I'd love you to taste them in turn.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52'On the left on the blue napkin is cod,
0:34:52 > 0:34:57'in the middle, it's haddock and on the right is Vietnamese catfish.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00'First, they try cod, the nation's favourite fried fish.'
0:35:02 > 0:35:03What do you think that is?
0:35:03 > 0:35:06- Cod, I think. - You think that's cod?
0:35:06 > 0:35:09I'm not sure if it's right English word, shellfish?
0:35:09 > 0:35:11- Cod.- Cod.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13I've had this before.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15- Tastes like cod. - Taste like cod, OK.
0:35:15 > 0:35:17That don't taste like cod to me.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20It's got a shellfish taste to it, but I'm not sure what it is.
0:35:20 > 0:35:21Shellfish, OK.
0:35:21 > 0:35:25'Only four out of nine spotted the national favourite.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28'Next, haddock, the second most popular fried fish -
0:35:28 > 0:35:30'is it any more recognisable?'
0:35:30 > 0:35:32- Cod!- Cod, OK. - Is that the haddock?
0:35:32 > 0:35:33You think this one's haddock?
0:35:33 > 0:35:36- That's really very bland. - That one's haddock.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39- Tastes the same.- Tastes the same. You think it's the same? OK.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45- Deb?- I'm finding it very hard.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48'Only two could spot a haddock in batter.
0:35:48 > 0:35:54'And, last, the Vietnamese catfish, will a river fish stand out?
0:35:54 > 0:35:57- I think that's plaice. - Plaice?- Cod.- Cod.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00- I think that's cod again. - You think that's cod again.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03- I don't recognise that one at all. - They're all a bit similar.
0:36:03 > 0:36:05That hasn't got as much flavour as those two.
0:36:05 > 0:36:06What, this one doesn't? No.
0:36:06 > 0:36:11'No-one knew what it was or particularly disliked
0:36:11 > 0:36:13'the taste of the catfish.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16'Until they heard about the price difference.'
0:36:16 > 0:36:18What if I told you that the catfish there at the end
0:36:18 > 0:36:21is roughly half the price of the proper cod?
0:36:21 > 0:36:23- I would be, I would feel...- Annoyed.- ..Annoyed.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25Yeah, I would be annoyed.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28Particularly if you don't know that you're getting catfish.
0:36:28 > 0:36:29That's it, yeah.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32They're deceiving customers as well at the same time.
0:36:32 > 0:36:36If they're charging the same and it should be half the price,
0:36:36 > 0:36:40they're definitely having a rip off. I'd like to strangle the person.
0:36:40 > 0:36:41THEY LAUGH
0:36:41 > 0:36:43- I wouldn't mind. - You wouldn't mind? Why not?
0:36:43 > 0:36:46I don't know, I just wouldn't mind.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48You've got too much money to burn, you!
0:36:48 > 0:36:51How would you feel if you ordered cod, paid for cod, and you got that?
0:36:51 > 0:36:54If I order cod and chips, I expect to get cod and chips.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58'Too right! We pay a premium price for cod -
0:36:58 > 0:37:01'a fish so popular, that supplies have been depleted.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04'Now there's good news for fishermen like Paul
0:37:04 > 0:37:07'because the EU have announced an end to the practice
0:37:07 > 0:37:10'of throwing cod back into the sea when accidentally caught.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13'The change is scheduled to be phased in from January 2015.
0:37:13 > 0:37:17'In the meantime, why don't we look to some of our local species
0:37:17 > 0:37:18'that are just as good as cod.'
0:37:18 > 0:37:22Now, Paul, on this programme we also try give good tips
0:37:22 > 0:37:24about shopping and how to save a bit of money.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27Now you seem to be a man encouraging a wider variety of fish,
0:37:27 > 0:37:29so how would you demonstrate that?
0:37:29 > 0:37:33The gurnard is a marvellous fish, it's very firm textured.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36- What does it taste like? - It's a very unique flavour.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40It's very similar to monk but it's got a slightly...
0:37:40 > 0:37:42Similar to monkfish, I like monkfish.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45- As you say, it's not a very pretty fish.- No.
0:37:45 > 0:37:46So is this really cheap to buy?
0:37:46 > 0:37:48- Yes. And very, very good eating.- Really?
0:37:48 > 0:37:52- And how would you normally cook it? - Me, I fry almost everything.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54You fry it? Yeah, lovely.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56So is that a stronger flavour than cod, for example?
0:37:56 > 0:37:59You can always sushi it and try it raw if you like.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01No, I'm not good at that. Do you eat it raw all the time?
0:38:01 > 0:38:05It's absolutely good to eat raw, as long as it's fresh.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07All right then, give me a bit.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10And it's very, very tasty.
0:38:10 > 0:38:14Do you know, you're right, that is very good.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16Very, very good actually.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21So mislabelling IS fooling the customer.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24Replacing an expensive fish with a much cheaper version
0:38:24 > 0:38:28like river cobbler from Vietnam IS a rip off.
0:38:28 > 0:38:32But, you know, as Paul says, maybe if we widen our taste in fish
0:38:32 > 0:38:34and just try a whole new variety, we could save
0:38:34 > 0:38:37- a lot of money in the long run, couldn't we, Paul?- Absolutely.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39That's what this programme's all about.
0:38:44 > 0:38:48'When a top of the range product is scarce, it creates an opportunity
0:38:48 > 0:38:52'for any rogue importer to jump in and claim the premium price.'
0:38:57 > 0:39:00'Now the rice in this shop is the real deal
0:39:00 > 0:39:04'but nationwide, Trading Standards officers know
0:39:04 > 0:39:07'that even this commonplace store cupboard essential
0:39:07 > 0:39:10'can be the target for unscrupulous importers.'
0:39:12 > 0:39:15What we're doing is, working with people like the Food Standards Agency
0:39:15 > 0:39:17to try to gather intelligence
0:39:17 > 0:39:21and really try to stay as close as we can to potential food frauds.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24So for instance, if the basmati rice harvest fails
0:39:24 > 0:39:28then, potentially, that'll mean that there will be substitution
0:39:28 > 0:39:31because there will still be that demand for it
0:39:31 > 0:39:34and people will see a potential profit element to it.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42'You may be surprised to hear that there's an association
0:39:42 > 0:39:45'for pretty much every premium food
0:39:45 > 0:39:48'and Alex Waugh is Director of the Rice Association.'
0:39:48 > 0:39:53There are, in fact, several hundred different kinds of rice in the world.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55We don't eat that many of them
0:39:55 > 0:39:58but they're all there and they all have different qualities.
0:39:58 > 0:40:02Basmati is particularly long, fine grain.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04Basmati rice can only come from a certain area
0:40:04 > 0:40:07and the basmati region is the northern part of India
0:40:07 > 0:40:11and across into Pakistan, the Punjabi plains.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15It has to be harvested a little later for that fragrance to develop.
0:40:15 > 0:40:17And then it has to be stored for a year
0:40:17 > 0:40:19to maintain that high quality you get,
0:40:19 > 0:40:22with every grain separate once it's cooked.
0:40:22 > 0:40:24It's a very low yielding crop and the farmers have to take
0:40:24 > 0:40:28special care of it, which is why it's a bit more expensive.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31'In supermarkets, you're likely to pay about a third more
0:40:31 > 0:40:34'for basmati rice than ordinary long grain.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38'But it's got a lot to recommend it, as chef Ahmed Ali knows.'
0:40:40 > 0:40:43I prefer it because it has the really nice fragrance in it
0:40:43 > 0:40:47and the colour also comes out really nice and looks really good,
0:40:47 > 0:40:51and, for my personal taste, I like basmati as well,
0:40:51 > 0:40:53so this is what I eat at home.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55Because when you pick it up, you should see
0:40:55 > 0:40:58the rice in one colour and it shouldn't be broken or anything.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01Basmati always should be a whole grain rice.
0:41:02 > 0:41:06'Over the last year, the number of cases where this distinctive rice
0:41:06 > 0:41:10'have been found to be fake have more than doubled -
0:41:10 > 0:41:12'26 consignments were rejected at the border.
0:41:12 > 0:41:16'But the odds are, that some may get through.'
0:41:16 > 0:41:19It's difficult to quantify what the impact of cheating
0:41:19 > 0:41:21in the basmati market is.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24But the real losers are the farmers themselves
0:41:24 > 0:41:27because it's their premium product, which they invest a lot of time
0:41:27 > 0:41:29and effort into growing, which is being devalued.
0:41:29 > 0:41:33If consumers buy cheap rice, which is labelled as basmati,
0:41:33 > 0:41:37then they're perhaps being a little bit naive.
0:41:37 > 0:41:42If something looks too cheap to be true, it probably is.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45'When you do buy the real deal
0:41:45 > 0:41:49'it's all too easy to spoil it in the cooking. So watch this.'
0:41:49 > 0:41:52With basmati, you don't have to soak it.
0:41:52 > 0:41:57What you do is, you wash it thoroughly with warm water
0:41:57 > 0:42:00so you don't have to soak it.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06If it's a cup of rice, you put a cup of water.
0:42:06 > 0:42:10'Equal amounts of rice and water into the pan.'
0:42:10 > 0:42:13That's it for ten minutes. You put it on a full mark.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15And after ten minutes,
0:42:15 > 0:42:18we'll slow it down for another three to four minutes.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23The water should be completely evaporated
0:42:23 > 0:42:26and that's how you'll know the rice is cooked.
0:42:28 > 0:42:32There you are, a perfect portion of basmati rice.
0:42:34 > 0:42:39So if you're shelling out a little bit more for something premium,
0:42:39 > 0:42:42never assume that price equals quality.
0:42:42 > 0:42:44Remember the old adage "buyer beware"
0:42:44 > 0:42:47and never ever pay over the odds for anything,
0:42:47 > 0:42:50unless you are sure it's absolutely the real deal.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd