0:00:02 > 0:00:07Britain's supermarket landscape has been turned on its head.
0:00:07 > 0:00:08Over the last few years,
0:00:08 > 0:00:12how and where we shop has changed beyond recognition.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18The discounters, Lidl and Aldi, are the rising stars,
0:00:18 > 0:00:19and the traditional supermarkets
0:00:19 > 0:00:22have had to raise their game to compete.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26We have more choice than ever before,
0:00:26 > 0:00:29and the days of loyalty to one store are gone.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32But what does this intense competition actually mean
0:00:32 > 0:00:35for the food in our trolleys?
0:00:37 > 0:00:42'We're going behind the scenes with the country's leading supermarkets...'
0:00:42 > 0:00:43Yeah!
0:00:43 > 0:00:47'..to find out how they're using the latest technology and science
0:00:47 > 0:00:49'to stay ahead of the competition...'
0:00:49 > 0:00:51Shop!
0:00:51 > 0:00:54'..and keep up with our rapidly changing demands.'
0:00:56 > 0:00:57I'm Gregg Wallace.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00I've worked in the food industry all my life.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04I want to investigate the hidden ways supermarkets
0:01:04 > 0:01:06produce our everyday foods.
0:01:08 > 0:01:09And I'm Babita Sharma,
0:01:09 > 0:01:13a news journalist who grew up behind the counter of a corner shop.
0:01:14 > 0:01:19I want to know the tricks of the trade being used to win our cash.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25We're looking at the latest tactics in the supermarket wars.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29This time, it's the biggest battlefield of all...
0:01:29 > 0:01:30health.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34'From taking on our taste buds...'
0:01:35 > 0:01:38I can't believe that, it's almost unpleasant.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41'..to bending the rules on food labels.'
0:01:41 > 0:01:44So we're being duped, we're being fooled, are we?
0:01:44 > 0:01:46Well, we're being manipulated.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50'Delivering on the latest health trends...
0:01:50 > 0:01:52You've got an army of courgette stabbers.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57'..and even creating a hi-tech healthy booze.'
0:01:57 > 0:02:00Now, that is straight out of Willy Wonka, mate!
0:02:00 > 0:02:04We're going to get the inside track on how the supermarkets bring us
0:02:04 > 0:02:05the food we buy.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08And what we find may change the way you shop.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23As a nation, we're becoming far more conscious of our health.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26In fact, a third of all the food purchases
0:02:26 > 0:02:28we make are driven by health.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32And our health is big business.
0:02:32 > 0:02:37Studies show almost three quarters of us will pay more for food
0:02:37 > 0:02:39if we think it will be better for us.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44So it's no surprise that the supermarkets are getting on board.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49I want to know what lengths our supermarkets will go to to give us
0:02:49 > 0:02:54healthier versions of our favourite foods, and more importantly,
0:02:54 > 0:02:56do they taste any good?
0:02:59 > 0:03:01When it comes to eating healthily,
0:03:01 > 0:03:04we all know the foods we SHOULD be putting in our trolleys.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09Walk around any supermarket
0:03:09 > 0:03:13and you'll see the shelves are packed with healthy food options
0:03:13 > 0:03:15vying for your attention.
0:03:15 > 0:03:20What won't jump out at you, though, are these - burgers.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24They're one of our favourite foods -
0:03:24 > 0:03:28we eat more than 800 million burgers a year.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32So, if a supermarket could make this junk food more of a health food,
0:03:32 > 0:03:34there's a big prize at stake.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40Frozen food gurus Iceland
0:03:40 > 0:03:43already have 30% of the frozen burger market.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49But they're hoping to grab even more, with a healthier burger.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55Well, it's a very bold move to mess with a formula
0:03:55 > 0:03:59that up until now has proved really successful for Iceland,
0:03:59 > 0:04:02and I'm fascinated to see what it is they're up to.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08Like all the supermarkets, Iceland have an experimental kitchen,
0:04:08 > 0:04:13where, behind closed doors, they develop new products.
0:04:13 > 0:04:14Here in Flintshire,
0:04:14 > 0:04:18Head Development Chef Neil Nugent has spent four months working on
0:04:18 > 0:04:23a secret recipe to tackle one of a burger's most unhealthy ingredients.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28Kind of looking at a healthier burger.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31You know, it's all about salt, to be honest with you.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33We're trying to keep the really low salt
0:04:33 > 0:04:35but have a massive flavoured burger.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37- Healthier?- Yeah. - Not necessarily healthy,
0:04:37 > 0:04:39because you've got to put fat in there, right?
0:04:39 > 0:04:41Yeah, we're focused on the salt here,
0:04:41 > 0:04:42trying to keep the salt really low.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47Too much salt is known to increase the risk of heart disease,
0:04:47 > 0:04:51and yet many premium burgers contain almost 30%
0:04:51 > 0:04:54of our total recommended daily amount.
0:04:55 > 0:04:56Mate, you and I cook.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59If you take the salt out, it won't taste of anything.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02That's right, because all the burgers that win the taste tests
0:05:02 > 0:05:03tend to have a bit more salt in,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06and they don't hit the FSA salt target.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09'In 2017,
0:05:09 > 0:05:14'the strictest ever salt targets set by the Food Standards Agency,
0:05:14 > 0:05:16'or FSA, came into force.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22'But Neil thinks he's found a way to hit the target and still deliver
0:05:22 > 0:05:26'the salty flavour we're used to.'
0:05:26 > 0:05:28So, what is it that you know
0:05:28 > 0:05:31that every other burger manufacturer doesn't?
0:05:31 > 0:05:36We've found a magic ingredient, and it's called miso powder.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38Miso that you get... The Japanese condiment?
0:05:38 > 0:05:40Yeah, it's from the soya bean,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43- which you'll be kind of familiar with.- Right, OK.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Miso powder is made from fermented soya beans,
0:05:48 > 0:05:52and is often used to give Japanese cooking a rich, savoury taste.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57That flavour...
0:05:57 > 0:06:01gives a salty flavour, without actually being salt.
0:06:01 > 0:06:02Yes, yeah.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05It has some salt content, but not a huge amount.
0:06:05 > 0:06:10'The secret to miso's salty taste is a chemical called glutamate,
0:06:10 > 0:06:13'that stimulates the tongue's salt receptors,
0:06:13 > 0:06:15'fooling our brains into thinking there's far more salt
0:06:15 > 0:06:19'in something than there actually is.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22'His burger mix still needs a small amount of normal salt
0:06:22 > 0:06:24'to balance the taste.'
0:06:24 > 0:06:26That tiny bit of salt...
0:06:27 > 0:06:29..is going to go in all of that.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32'Neil may have hit upon what has long been
0:06:32 > 0:06:34'food manufacturers' Holy Grail -
0:06:34 > 0:06:36'a substitute for salt.'
0:06:36 > 0:06:38Not cheap, though? Not as cheap as salt?
0:06:38 > 0:06:40No, it's not, it's not.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42And that's an issue,
0:06:42 > 0:06:44but we don't need a huge amount of it.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46What's in it for you, why bother?
0:06:46 > 0:06:48It's worth millions.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52'The British burger market is worth £3 billion a year,
0:06:52 > 0:06:54'but to grab a bigger slice of it,
0:06:54 > 0:06:58'Neil's low-salt burger has to deliver on flavour,
0:06:58 > 0:06:59'not just health.'
0:07:03 > 0:07:05Out of this kitchen, no-one else has tasted it,
0:07:05 > 0:07:06so you're my guinea pig,
0:07:06 > 0:07:08so I'm hoping you'll like it!
0:07:11 > 0:07:13It's meaty too, right?
0:07:13 > 0:07:15Oh, yeah, it's meaty.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17And if you asked me and I didn't know,
0:07:17 > 0:07:19I would say there's a generous helping of salt in there.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27A few weeks later, Neil thinks he's perfected the recipe,
0:07:27 > 0:07:31and his miso burger is having its first factory trial run,
0:07:31 > 0:07:32in Yorkshire.
0:07:33 > 0:07:38Neil's challenge now is to see if he can take his prototype burger
0:07:38 > 0:07:41and turn that into a mass-produced product that everybody can buy.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47- This is burger-land.- This is where you make millions of burgers?
0:07:47 > 0:07:49Absolutely, yeah.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52'The responsibility of trying to recreate Neil's burger
0:07:52 > 0:07:56'on an industrial scale falls to the factory's innovation manager,
0:07:56 > 0:07:58'Pippa Hawkins.'
0:07:59 > 0:08:02This is the first time ever off a production line, right?
0:08:02 > 0:08:05Absolutely. So we've made this on the bench, we made it in development,
0:08:05 > 0:08:07but this is the first time it's going on the big kit.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10- Follow me this way. - It is a big day, isn't it?
0:08:10 > 0:08:12- PIPPA CHUCKLES - It really is a big day.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16'Scaling up Neil's burger recipe
0:08:16 > 0:08:19'requires hundreds of kilos of frozen beef
0:08:19 > 0:08:21'and an eye-watering number of onions.'
0:08:27 > 0:08:33Anybody can put onions, salt, miso and pepper in a burger.
0:08:33 > 0:08:34But not to the Iceland recipe,
0:08:34 > 0:08:36cos only I know that, Pippa knows that.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41Right, right, OK, it's the ratio of those ingredients?
0:08:41 > 0:08:43- Yes, it certainly is. - And that's the three months,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46four months of effort we put in to get to this stage.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50You're kidding me. It took you four months to get the right mix?
0:08:50 > 0:08:51Yeah.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57'It still looks like a lot of salt to me,
0:08:57 > 0:08:59'but because of all the miso going in,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02'it's a fraction of the salt they'd usually use.'
0:09:04 > 0:09:06There it goes.
0:09:07 > 0:09:08There it goes.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13'So, will Neil's secret recipe pay off?
0:09:13 > 0:09:16'And will Iceland's customers really want to buy a burger
0:09:16 > 0:09:18'full of miso powder?
0:09:18 > 0:09:20'I'll be back later to find out.'
0:09:26 > 0:09:29The health food market is growing at four times the rate
0:09:29 > 0:09:32of the general food market.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35So in the battle to win our business,
0:09:35 > 0:09:38the supermarkets are quick to pounce on new health trends.
0:09:40 > 0:09:41And there's one mega trend
0:09:41 > 0:09:45that's already worth more than half a billion a year,
0:09:45 > 0:09:46and is growing fast.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51If your supermarket is anything like this,
0:09:51 > 0:09:55the shelves will be full of what they call free-from foods.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59It's ice cream without cream, or breads without wheat flour.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03Thousands of us are ditching dairy and gluten because we think
0:10:03 > 0:10:05it's better for us.
0:10:07 > 0:10:12But is it? Free-from started as food for people with allergies and intolerances.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14Now, almost a third of us are buying it,
0:10:14 > 0:10:18even though only one in seven of us have a medical reason.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Whether it's really any healthier is up for debate.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28But with sales jumping 20% in the last year,
0:10:28 > 0:10:30all the supermarkets want in.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36Sainsbury's latest move is to try and be
0:10:36 > 0:10:40the first supermarket in Britain to make a free-from version
0:10:40 > 0:10:42of our bestselling ready meal.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45Lasagne. It's a firm favourite with us Brits,
0:10:45 > 0:10:50with its gluten-based pasta, ragu and cheesy bechamel sauce.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53So how on earth do you make one
0:10:53 > 0:10:55entirely free from gluten and dairy
0:10:55 > 0:10:59and ensure that its textures are the same, the flavours,
0:10:59 > 0:11:00and, of course, the taste?
0:11:04 > 0:11:07It all starts in Gravina in Puglia, south-east Italy.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12Sainsbury's product developer Alexa Masterson-Jones
0:11:12 > 0:11:15is here to check on the most important ingredient
0:11:15 > 0:11:17of her free-from lasagne.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19- Nice to meet you.- Good to see you.
0:11:19 > 0:11:20I'm here today to look at the production
0:11:20 > 0:11:22of our gluten-free pasta sheets,
0:11:22 > 0:11:24really to monitor the quality
0:11:24 > 0:11:25and check that we're really happy with it
0:11:25 > 0:11:27before it goes into our meals.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30This is one of just a few factories in the world
0:11:30 > 0:11:33to make pasta without wheat.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37And manager Michele Andriani is the gluten-free pasta master.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46Why is it so difficult to make gluten-free pasta?
0:11:48 > 0:11:53The most important thing is to substitute the power of the gluten.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56'Gluten is the long stretchy protein
0:11:56 > 0:11:59'that gives traditional wheat pasta its structure.'
0:11:59 > 0:12:03- It's the thing that sticks everything together.- It's a glue.
0:12:04 > 0:12:09'So how do you make pasta that still holds together without gluten?
0:12:09 > 0:12:13'Michele's solution is a special recipe of cornflour,
0:12:13 > 0:12:15'brown rice and quinoa.'
0:12:17 > 0:12:20It does feel very different from, you know, your typical plain flour.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24It does, doesn't it? But how does this become dough?
0:12:25 > 0:12:29'This mix doesn't naturally become a dough like wheat-based flour.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33'So they use a machine that can force it,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36'using extreme pressure and heat.'
0:12:37 > 0:12:40So this machine is almost like giant hands,
0:12:40 > 0:12:43doing that process of grounding down,
0:12:43 > 0:12:45mixing with boiling water,
0:12:45 > 0:12:47the steam, and then creating the dough?
0:12:47 > 0:12:49Exactly.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53'They have just two minutes to roll it out into pasta sheets
0:12:53 > 0:12:55'before the sticky dough will harden again.'
0:12:56 > 0:12:58And that's what you see -
0:12:58 > 0:13:00huge lasagne sheets.
0:13:10 > 0:13:11So, here it is.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14And it's really stretchy, isn't it?
0:13:14 > 0:13:16Would you give it to your mum?
0:13:16 > 0:13:20You know what, I gave once, but I didn't tell her it was gluten-free.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22- She did not recognise. - She didn't know?
0:13:22 > 0:13:24- No.- She was like, "Mamma mia, this is perfect."
0:13:24 > 0:13:26It's a pasta, yeah.
0:13:30 > 0:13:31Do you know, I love the fact
0:13:31 > 0:13:34that food producers will go to great lengths to come up
0:13:34 > 0:13:39with a solution to satisfy our demand for free-from food.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44But I'm still not convinced Alexa's free-from lasagne
0:13:44 > 0:13:46will ever taste like the real thing.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Later on, I'm going to put it to the test.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58Delivering healthy food isn't always easy for the supermarkets.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01On the one hand, we say we want to be healthier,
0:14:01 > 0:14:03but on the other, we hate it
0:14:03 > 0:14:06when they mess with our favourite staples
0:14:06 > 0:14:10because we worry the healthy versions won't taste any good.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13So, the supermarkets have come up with a really sneaky way
0:14:13 > 0:14:16of making our food healthier without us even noticing.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22I'm at Tesco's private food academy
0:14:22 > 0:14:25to meet head product developer Kate Ewart.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28She wants to see if I can spot the difference
0:14:28 > 0:14:30between two bowls of cornflakes.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33We've got two different products -
0:14:33 > 0:14:36one from 1998, and then one from today -
0:14:36 > 0:14:38to look at the different kind of taste in recipes
0:14:38 > 0:14:39and how it's changed over time.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42- Can I taste?- Yes.- Today's cornflake.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44- Yep.- 1998 cornflake.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Cornflake. And from 1998?
0:14:51 > 0:14:52Yep.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58That is full of salt. That's quite remarkable.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01I can't believe that. It's almost unpleasant.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03So this one here shows us what we did used to have
0:15:03 > 0:15:06in our 500g of cereal...
0:15:06 > 0:15:09'Almost 14g of salt per box.'
0:15:09 > 0:15:12..and this one now shows us what we've got today.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14'Just 4g of salt per box.'
0:15:14 > 0:15:16Oh, my word.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18Absolutely. I mean, I'm surprised by this.
0:15:18 > 0:15:23'That's more than a 70% reduction in the last 20 years.'
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Why did we have so much salt in there in the first place?
0:15:26 > 0:15:28People use salt for flavour.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31They had a lot of salt in a lot of products that they ate.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34It would have been the flavour that everybody thought that they wanted,
0:15:34 > 0:15:36but when you taste it now, that tastes of cornflakes
0:15:36 > 0:15:38and that tastes of salt.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41'By the late 1990s, with clear evidence of the health risks
0:15:41 > 0:15:43'of too much salt,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46'supermarkets were feeling Government pressure to act.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52'But taking salt out of our food presented its own challenges.'
0:15:53 > 0:15:57I think when you start to say that something's healthier for you,
0:15:57 > 0:16:00the immediate thing people think, and the customer thinks is,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03they've got to compromise on taste in order to have that.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05So they think that because we've taken something out
0:16:05 > 0:16:07and we've made it better for you,
0:16:07 > 0:16:09that actually, it's not going to taste quite as nice.
0:16:09 > 0:16:14'Their solution was what the supermarkets call reformulation -
0:16:14 > 0:16:17'gradually changing the ingredients of many everyday foods
0:16:17 > 0:16:19'without us even noticing.'
0:16:21 > 0:16:24If we took it out all at once, then you'd clearly notice the difference,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27and customers wouldn't buy it. I mean, we've gone down the route
0:16:27 > 0:16:28of making sure that we do health by stealth,
0:16:28 > 0:16:32so we've taken it out gradually without people noticing
0:16:32 > 0:16:35and without people thinking they've got to compromise on taste.
0:16:35 > 0:16:36We want to make this healthier,
0:16:36 > 0:16:38we want you to know we're making it healthier,
0:16:38 > 0:16:40we don't want you to know we're making it healthier,
0:16:40 > 0:16:42cos you might not buy it.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45- Is that right?- Yep, absolutely.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47- GREGG LAUGHS - It's a dilemma.
0:16:51 > 0:16:52Well, it's one thing me trying it out,
0:16:52 > 0:16:54but what I really want to know is,
0:16:54 > 0:16:58what does the Tesco customer of 2017
0:16:58 > 0:17:01make of the cornflakes from 1998?
0:17:01 > 0:17:03Am I going to need a time machine?
0:17:03 > 0:17:05- Do you eat cornflakes?- Sometimes.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07Open your palm, I'll put some in your palm.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09It's all right, I've got some.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Tell me the difference in flavour with these.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16Something is different.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18Those ones taste like they've got less sugar or something.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20They're a bit earthier.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23I don't know. A bit saltier. Yeah.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25These don't taste right at all, do they?
0:17:25 > 0:17:27- No.- These have got a load more salt in.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29Oh!
0:17:29 > 0:17:32And it's not just Tesco who have been targeting salt.
0:17:32 > 0:17:33In the last ten years,
0:17:33 > 0:17:38Sainsbury's have cut the salt in their bolognese sauce by 19%,
0:17:38 > 0:17:42Morrisons have lowered it in their bread by 25%,
0:17:42 > 0:17:46and Asda have cut 40% out of their tomato soup.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50Well, it is a clever thing to do,
0:17:50 > 0:17:52to change a whole nation's taste buds
0:17:52 > 0:17:57and reduce the salt so slowly that we didn't even notice it happening.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Now, the supermarkets may well take credit for this,
0:18:00 > 0:18:01but I've got a feeling,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04if it wasn't for strict Government guidelines,
0:18:04 > 0:18:07we may all still be eating salty breakfast cereal.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15In our efforts to be healthy,
0:18:15 > 0:18:18we fill our trolleys with all the usual suspects.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21Fruit and veg,
0:18:21 > 0:18:24low-fat, sugar free.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28But one of the biggest things we could do for our health
0:18:28 > 0:18:29is cut down on the booze.
0:18:29 > 0:18:34It's been linked to everything from liver disease to heart problems.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40You know, us Brits have got a bit of a reputation
0:18:40 > 0:18:42when it comes to liking a drink.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45But actually, we're now drinking almost 20% less
0:18:45 > 0:18:48than we were ten years ago.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51And one in five us is completely teetotal.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01So, from mocktails to booze-free beer,
0:19:01 > 0:19:04sales of alcohol-free drinks are booming.
0:19:09 > 0:19:10I don't mind alcohol-free beer.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12I think it's always been quite passable.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15But there's one drink that nobody seems to have cracked,
0:19:15 > 0:19:17and that is alcohol-free wine.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19And there's a good reason for that -
0:19:19 > 0:19:21it's really difficult.
0:19:21 > 0:19:26With the market for alcohol-free wine expected to grow by 50%
0:19:26 > 0:19:29in the next five years, everybody wants in.
0:19:29 > 0:19:34And Tesco's Master of Wine, James Davis, thinks his suppliers
0:19:34 > 0:19:37have something that could put them ahead of the game.
0:19:37 > 0:19:42So, alcohol consumption generally on the decline as customers just become
0:19:42 > 0:19:43more health-conscious.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Nonetheless, they want that sort of aspirational,
0:19:46 > 0:19:49celebratory feel within a drink.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Why is it difficult to make alcohol-free wine?
0:19:52 > 0:19:56It's all about the sort of balance and the sort of harmony of all
0:19:56 > 0:19:59the different components - the acid, the fruit, the alcohol.
0:19:59 > 0:20:00So you take the alcohol out of wine
0:20:00 > 0:20:03and it becomes a very different product.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09To find out if you can make an alcohol-free wine
0:20:09 > 0:20:11that still tastes like wine,
0:20:11 > 0:20:15I'm joining James on a trip to see his suppliers in Germany.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22This factory is one of the biggest producers of alcohol-free wine in Europe.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25Head of operations is Stefan Marx.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29Oh, my word.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32How high is that?
0:20:32 > 0:20:33More than 20 metres.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41How much liquid is in here?
0:20:41 > 0:20:43- What do you think? - No, I can't even guess.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45I can't get bigger than a bottle.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49OK. It's about 250,000 litres for each.
0:20:49 > 0:20:54'That's over 65 million bottles worth of wine in this room.
0:20:54 > 0:20:59'But, surprisingly, the alcohol-free wine starts life as alcoholic wine.'
0:21:00 > 0:21:03It's a normal Chardonnay.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05'The Chardonnay is fed through a network of pipes
0:21:05 > 0:21:08'and into Stefan's secret weapon.'
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Now, that is straight out of Willy Wonka, mate.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15'This 18-metre high glass super-still
0:21:15 > 0:21:18'was developed with the help of a local university,
0:21:18 > 0:21:21'and it's the key to their alcohol-free wine.'
0:21:23 > 0:21:27This is the secret to take the alcohol out of the blend
0:21:27 > 0:21:28that we did before.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32We are going to cook it, so that the alcohol can go out.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35So, these little tubes, they've got the wine in,
0:21:35 > 0:21:37but the bigger tube here,
0:21:37 > 0:21:39that's got hot water in?
0:21:39 > 0:21:40Yeah, exactly.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42Ah!
0:21:42 > 0:21:43Yeah, it's toasty!
0:21:43 > 0:21:48So we are cooking wine, really, to burn off the alcohol.
0:21:48 > 0:21:49Yep.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53'But heating up wine can cause a big problem with the taste -
0:21:53 > 0:21:57'one reason why many alcohol-free wines have such a bad reputation.'
0:21:58 > 0:22:01The cooking of the alcohol,
0:22:01 > 0:22:04even the aromas and the flavours went out,
0:22:04 > 0:22:07and we destroyed the whole structure of the wine,
0:22:07 > 0:22:09and we don't want that.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11'Stefan thinks he's overcome this problem
0:22:11 > 0:22:13'with one major innovation.'
0:22:14 > 0:22:16We've got a vacuum inside.
0:22:16 > 0:22:17- A vacuum?- A vacuum.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19A tube with the air taken out?
0:22:19 > 0:22:21Exactly. With the vacuum,
0:22:21 > 0:22:25we can lower the cooking temperature of the alcohol
0:22:25 > 0:22:28from 78 to 32 degrees.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31Everything we want to keep inside the wine stays inside the wine.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33So you reckon you're keeping a lot of the flavour
0:22:33 > 0:22:35because you're not heating the wine up as much?
0:22:35 > 0:22:38- Is that right?- That is spot on.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42'By the time it travels all the way down the 18-metre still,
0:22:42 > 0:22:46'the alcohol content has dropped from 11.5%
0:22:46 > 0:22:50'to just 0.05%.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52'So, where has all the alcohol gone?'
0:22:54 > 0:22:56The alcoholic wine is floating down
0:22:56 > 0:22:58and the vapour, which goes up,
0:22:58 > 0:23:01is taking the alcohol out of the wine.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03The liquid without alcohol drops down?
0:23:03 > 0:23:06- Yeah.- And the alcohol goes up there as steam?
0:23:06 > 0:23:07Yep.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12'But what I want to know is, can I have some?'
0:23:14 > 0:23:16- This is it, Gregg. - This is our alcohol?
0:23:16 > 0:23:19This is our alcohol. It's more than 82% by volume.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21- Can we taste that? - Are you sure you want?
0:23:21 > 0:23:23- Will we give it a go? - It's very intense.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28Oh! It's coming down here.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31- That's warm.- Yeah.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36'The extracted alcohol doesn't go to waste -
0:23:36 > 0:23:40'it's turned into brandy and sold locally.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44'The alcohol-free wine costs £3.50 a bottle.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47'So how does the taste compare with the original blend?'
0:23:47 > 0:23:48Ready.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51- Cheers.- L'chaim.
0:23:58 > 0:23:59Not bad.
0:23:59 > 0:24:00Bit more aroma in it.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02Bit of that sweetness there.
0:24:02 > 0:24:03- Not a bad effort.- No, I agree.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06The aroma, the smell, is very, very similar.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12It tastes a little bit sweeter to me.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16However, the non-alcohol wine is a really, really nice drink.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19It just doesn't still taste
0:24:19 > 0:24:22quite like a glass of wine, but it's not bad.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31It's all very well having healthier foods,
0:24:31 > 0:24:34but how do you know what's good and what's bad?
0:24:36 > 0:24:39The average supermarket stocks over 30,000 products,
0:24:39 > 0:24:42all bombarding us with nutritional information.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49So, does the packaging help us make healthier choices,
0:24:49 > 0:24:51or is it just trying to get into our wallets?
0:24:54 > 0:24:57Food producers are not allowed to make specific health claims
0:24:57 > 0:25:01about products without evidence to back it up.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03But there are ways to bend the rules
0:25:03 > 0:25:05to make foods look more healthy.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08To find out the tricks of the trade,
0:25:08 > 0:25:11I've come to Stratford-upon-Avon to meet Richard Hyde,
0:25:11 > 0:25:14an expert in packaging law from the University of Nottingham.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18So, we're being duped, we're being fooled, are we?
0:25:18 > 0:25:20Well, we're being manipulated.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24They're using the fact that we only spend a small amount of time
0:25:24 > 0:25:27thinking about what products we're going to buy in the supermarkets.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30We pick up on those words and we decide to buy it
0:25:30 > 0:25:32because we think it's going to be healthy.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35So, this product here says "good and counted".
0:25:35 > 0:25:38"Good" isn't particularly a regulated term,
0:25:38 > 0:25:40but it makes you think it's going
0:25:40 > 0:25:42to be really, really good for you, doesn't it?
0:25:42 > 0:25:43This one, as well.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46This one says it's "nature",
0:25:46 > 0:25:48it brings in the idea of naturalness.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52And the packaging, as well, because all the images that they're using...
0:25:52 > 0:25:55- Oh, look at it.- It shows that you are in the wilderness here.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59Absolutely. There's mountains, there's verdant meadows.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02It makes you think, "Well, this is going to be great for me, isn't it?"
0:26:02 > 0:26:05"No added nonsense" on this one here.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Now, of course, that's absolutely not a regulated term.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10That's incredible!
0:26:11 > 0:26:15Terms like "natural" and "good" are unregulated
0:26:15 > 0:26:19and don't have to be based on any evidence of health benefits.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23But there are other terms that are regulated by the Government
0:26:23 > 0:26:26and have to be scientifically backed up.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31So, do any of us know what those regulated terms mean,
0:26:31 > 0:26:33or can we still be fooled?
0:26:33 > 0:26:35We're putting it to the test with some fish.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39We've got two types of salmon here.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Some say they're high in omega-3...
0:26:44 > 0:26:47..and some say they're a source of omega-3.
0:26:47 > 0:26:52'"High in" and "source of" are both regulated terms that sound similar,
0:26:52 > 0:26:54'but mean very different things.'
0:26:56 > 0:27:00The source of omega-3 or high in omega-3?
0:27:02 > 0:27:03They're all the same.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06Um... I hadn't really thought about it, to be honest.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09- It's all the same.- All the same? - Yeah. Salmon's salmon.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13'Clearly, lots of us just don't know the difference.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16'But actually, one of these choices is far healthier.'
0:27:18 > 0:27:23"High in omega-3" has at least twice as much omega-3 in as
0:27:23 > 0:27:25"a source of omega-3" salmon.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29So if you're really interested in buying things with omega-3 in it
0:27:29 > 0:27:30you go for the "high in omega-3".
0:27:30 > 0:27:33So, the "high in" is the winner, not the "source of".
0:27:33 > 0:27:34- Did you know that?- No.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38- Had you ever thought about it before?- No.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40Does it make a difference to you?
0:27:40 > 0:27:41No, cos I don't like salmon.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45If you want to be sure of what you're getting,
0:27:45 > 0:27:49here's some other regulated terms that you can trust.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53Low-fat foods must have less than 3% fat.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57Low-sugar must be less than 5% sugar.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00And anything that says it's high in fibre
0:28:00 > 0:28:03has to have at least 6g of fibre per 100g.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13It's more than six months since Neil from Iceland started to develop
0:28:13 > 0:28:16a healthy burger, using miso powder to reduce the salt.
0:28:20 > 0:28:21He thinks he's cracked it,
0:28:21 > 0:28:25but his burger can't launch until he knows if it can hold its own
0:28:25 > 0:28:27on the supermarket shelves.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31What they do now is a direct comparison
0:28:31 > 0:28:34between their new product and the bestselling burgers on the market.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37A tasting, tell it as it is, warts and all.
0:28:42 > 0:28:43This looks like a tasting.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45I know all about this.
0:28:45 > 0:28:47It's either that or a kid's party.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49'Neil and Pippa are joined by Ian Hughes,
0:28:49 > 0:28:51'the factory's commercial manager.'
0:28:51 > 0:28:56And we are going to test in terms of the texture, the flavour, the aroma.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59So this is where we put our burger up against the best.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02'The blind taste test pits the miso burger
0:29:02 > 0:29:05'against five other premium burgers -
0:29:05 > 0:29:09'four from major supermarkets and one from a celebrity chef.
0:29:11 > 0:29:12'By using miso,
0:29:12 > 0:29:18'Neil has created a premium burger with 25% less salt than average.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21'But has he compromised on taste?'
0:29:21 > 0:29:23We all nibble and we all write down our own comments, is that right?
0:29:23 > 0:29:27- Absolutely. It's your opinion that counts.- OK, let's tuck in.
0:29:30 > 0:29:32Quite high on the beef taste.
0:29:32 > 0:29:33- Yeah, very strong.- Yeah.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36Quite a lot of visual fat on the surface.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39It's almost got a boiled veg flavour about it.
0:29:39 > 0:29:43Do you know, I'm surprised there is that much difference between different burgers.
0:29:43 > 0:29:44That one smells like baby food!
0:29:46 > 0:29:48- Is it F?- It certainly is.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50- Yes, it is, absolutely.- All right.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53Well, I don't know how pleased you'll be, but that's my second favourite.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55Cool. Second is OK.
0:29:55 > 0:29:57- Is it?- It's not the best, but it's OK.
0:29:57 > 0:30:01My favourite, favourite, favourite was A.
0:30:01 > 0:30:02I really, really liked it.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04It was the most like eating beef.
0:30:05 > 0:30:09'Burger A is more than twice as expensive as the miso burger,
0:30:09 > 0:30:11'AND has more salt.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15'Neil's burger scored highly, despite the lower salt.
0:30:15 > 0:30:19'So it looks like his miso gamble might pay off.'
0:30:19 > 0:30:24How does this compare to your artisan handmade original prototype?
0:30:24 > 0:30:26Well, I think in flavour, it's there.
0:30:28 > 0:30:29But will anybody buy it?
0:30:32 > 0:30:36It's been nine months since Iceland started to develop
0:30:36 > 0:30:38their reduced salt healthier burger.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40The factory version's finally been signed off
0:30:40 > 0:30:42and it's gone into full production.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45And today, the first batch of burgers hits the store.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51There we go.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53Just come into store now.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56- Hey.- Here we are.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58There she is.
0:30:58 > 0:30:59- Great picture.- Yep.
0:30:59 > 0:31:03- Good-looking burger. Mate, that's a luxury item, isn't it?- Yep.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05Yeah, it's still good value. They're a pound a burger.
0:31:05 > 0:31:09'Iceland's standard burgers are just 38p each.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12'So the miso burger is their most expensive yet.'
0:31:13 > 0:31:15This is a healthier item.
0:31:15 > 0:31:17- Yep.- Is this risky?
0:31:18 > 0:31:19Very risky, yeah. I mean,
0:31:19 > 0:31:23we did some independent taste tests against Waitrose and Marks & Spencer
0:31:23 > 0:31:25and we won hands down.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28But will it sell? I don't know. That's the risk.
0:31:30 > 0:31:31Neil is cautiously confident,
0:31:31 > 0:31:34but I want to know what the average Iceland customer
0:31:34 > 0:31:36makes of his miso burger.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40Listen, they've got a healthy one
0:31:40 > 0:31:42- with miso in it.- What's miso?
0:31:42 > 0:31:44- Mushroom, innit? - You don't know what that is?- No.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46- Miso?- Yeah.- No.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49It's like a Japanese condiment. They're using that instead of salt.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51Oh.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54- Do you know what miso is?- No.
0:31:54 > 0:31:55Nobody does.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57- Is it a sauce, dipping sauce?- Yeah!
0:31:57 > 0:32:00Would you buy a burger with less salt?
0:32:00 > 0:32:01Yeah. That's what we look for.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05Oh, yeah, if it had less salt in, I'd probably pay a pound for it,
0:32:05 > 0:32:07instead of getting the cheaper burgers with higher salt in them.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11I think it's a really interesting burger.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14And a tonne of work has gone into it.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17I mean, whether it works in the long-term, I don't know,
0:32:17 > 0:32:20but the fact that Iceland think it's a goer just shows
0:32:20 > 0:32:23how health-conscious we've all become.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30It's 12 months since Alexa from Sainsbury's set out
0:32:30 > 0:32:36to create the UK's first lasagne that is free from wheat and dairy.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40Today, she's in Somerset to check on the very first factory run
0:32:40 > 0:32:42with supplier Clive Woolley.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49To make sure the lasagne is truly free-from,
0:32:49 > 0:32:52Clive's team have had to build a dedicated production line.
0:32:55 > 0:32:56The guys are ready,
0:32:56 > 0:32:59they're just starting to kit it out now with the various ingredients
0:32:59 > 0:33:01and components.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03And after two weeks of travel,
0:33:03 > 0:33:06a familiar ingredient has finally arrived.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08- That's come all the way from Italy. - That's really good.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11But lasagne is about more than just pasta,
0:33:11 > 0:33:15and recreating a creamy bechamel sauce without dairy
0:33:15 > 0:33:17was an uphill struggle.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19We looked at loads of different milks.
0:33:19 > 0:33:23There was rice and oat. I've lost track of how many we looked at.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26They can be quite dark in colour, which then isn't anywhere near
0:33:26 > 0:33:27as appealing to eat.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31They came up with a surprising answer.
0:33:33 > 0:33:35The coconut milk not only worked the best,
0:33:35 > 0:33:37but also didn't deliver any
0:33:37 > 0:33:39of that coconut flavour I was so worried about.
0:33:39 > 0:33:44They even managed to use coconut milk to create a cheesy topping.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46The issue with some substitutes for cheese
0:33:46 > 0:33:48is that they don't melt properly.
0:33:48 > 0:33:49They can be quite plasticky.
0:33:49 > 0:33:52Whereas the one we've developed actually melts really beautifully
0:33:52 > 0:33:54into the sauce.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56Finally, they're ready to go.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00Do you want to put the first pack down the line?
0:34:00 > 0:34:01Of course.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03That would be fantastic. OK.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06The UK's first gluten-free, wheat-free,
0:34:06 > 0:34:08milk-free ready meal, going down the line.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32After months of development and trials,
0:34:32 > 0:34:35the free-from lasagne has finally hit the shelves.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37Which means we're now at the moment of truth.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43Ah-ha! Here it is.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46Beef lasagne, using our pasta sheets from Molino Andriani
0:34:46 > 0:34:48and made in the heart of Somerset.
0:34:48 > 0:34:49I really want to try it.
0:34:49 > 0:34:51- Yep.- Let's give it the taste test.
0:34:51 > 0:34:56'So, how will it stand up against a normal Sainsbury's lasagne?'
0:34:56 > 0:34:57I don't know which is which.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59No. So, yeah, you can make a guess
0:34:59 > 0:35:01and tell me if you find them equally delicious.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05OK. I'm going to go for this one first.
0:35:05 > 0:35:07Do you know which one is which?
0:35:07 > 0:35:08I can make an educated guess.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11- I've seen these a lot over the last year.- OK.
0:35:11 > 0:35:12Here goes the first one.
0:35:15 > 0:35:17Mm.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20Yup, that is good, that is good.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22That's like a lasagne that I know.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24It tastes like a lasagne that I know.
0:35:24 > 0:35:25And here's number two.
0:35:31 > 0:35:32This is good too.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36This one has more of a richer taste.
0:35:36 > 0:35:37It's got a lot more filling in it.
0:35:37 > 0:35:41I have to say, that's the one for me, that's the one...
0:35:41 > 0:35:43- OK.- ..that's, for me, got the best taste.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46But would you say, from trying one of these, you would have immediately
0:35:46 > 0:35:49guessed one was free from gluten and milk?
0:35:49 > 0:35:52- Yes.- OK!
0:35:52 > 0:35:53That's the gluten-free one, right?
0:35:53 > 0:35:55Yep. I'm a little bit disappointed.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58It does taste like lasagne, and I enjoyed it.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01- It's just that with this one, I'm like, ah! That's what I'm used to.- It's the cheese.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04I think it is the cheese, but also the look of it, as well.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06But that is a really good effort.
0:36:06 > 0:36:10Even though I could tell which lasagne was free-from,
0:36:10 > 0:36:14I'm still impressed by the taste, given it had no wheat or dairy.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17But if you don't have a medical condition,
0:36:17 > 0:36:20is free-from really any better for you?
0:36:20 > 0:36:22Well, it can vary between products.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24But of the two lasagnes that I tried,
0:36:24 > 0:36:27the free-from one did have less sugar,
0:36:27 > 0:36:30but per 100g, it had more salt, more calories,
0:36:30 > 0:36:33and 27% more fat.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36If you genuinely have a gluten or dairy allergy,
0:36:36 > 0:36:40it's great to know that there's something like that on offer.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43For the rest of us, though, well, the jury's still out, for me,
0:36:43 > 0:36:46about whether or not we have to abandon those foods.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55Some healthy eating trends are firmly entrenched...
0:36:58 > 0:37:00..while others seem to come out of nowhere,
0:37:00 > 0:37:03becoming huge sensations almost overnight.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09This year's big hitter is this stuff -
0:37:09 > 0:37:11vegetables pretending to be carbohydrates.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14There's this, which is courgetti,
0:37:14 > 0:37:16which is courgettes pretending to be spaghetti.
0:37:16 > 0:37:20Boodles - butternut squash pretending to be noodles.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23And cauliflower rice, which pretty much is what it is.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26I mean, this is a serious food trend
0:37:26 > 0:37:29and I didn't see this coming. But people must be buying them.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32Sainsbury's alone are selling 30,000 bags a week.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37The courgetti boom started online.
0:37:37 > 0:37:41When studies suggested that refined carbohydrates
0:37:41 > 0:37:43could be damaging our health,
0:37:43 > 0:37:47the blogosphere exploded with ideas for cutting out carbs...
0:37:48 > 0:37:51..and the supermarkets spotted a big opportunity.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53Hello. Could you run these through for me?
0:37:53 > 0:37:56- I can.- Well, I don't know how many people
0:37:56 > 0:37:57have got veg spiralers at home
0:37:57 > 0:38:01or even got the time to spiral all their own veg.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04So the supermarkets want to make it as easy as possible for us
0:38:04 > 0:38:07to join in with this trend.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10But it's not just out of the goodness of their hearts.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13There's big bucks to be made from adding value to veg.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17A bag of courgetti costs almost twice as much
0:38:17 > 0:38:20as the same weight of loose courgettes.
0:38:28 > 0:38:32Turning a new health trend into food on shelves is no easy feat.
0:38:35 > 0:38:40For Sainsbury's, it's the job of produce developer Georgina Lunn.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44She's in rural Sussex to check that this year's harvest
0:38:44 > 0:38:47will keep up with our courgetti craze.
0:38:47 > 0:38:51So we're here to see the courgettes going into our spiralizer plant.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54'Every courgette has to be carefully picked by hand.'
0:39:01 > 0:39:03Is it a delicate thing, the courgette?
0:39:03 > 0:39:04It is. It is.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06It's almost as delicate as an egg.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09- Really?- If you imagine, it bruises quite easily,
0:39:09 > 0:39:10fingernail marks.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12So we try to handle them as little as possible.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14These guys harvest fast.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16They do.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19'Two tonnes of courgettes a day are sent through
0:39:19 > 0:39:22'to a dedicated spiralizing plant,
0:39:22 > 0:39:25'where technical director Keston Williams
0:39:25 > 0:39:28'is responsible for turning all of it into courgetti.'
0:39:32 > 0:39:35Who is it that came up with the idea of spiralling?
0:39:35 > 0:39:38You, as the store, or you with the courgette?
0:39:38 > 0:39:40Both of us had recognised that it was a trend
0:39:40 > 0:39:41that needed to be watched.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44And we both came together at the same time.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50'But when the craze for courgetti first hit,
0:39:50 > 0:39:54'no machinery existed that could spiralize at scale,
0:39:54 > 0:39:57'so Keston had to get some specially built.'
0:39:59 > 0:40:02OK. And so this is where we spiralize.
0:40:02 > 0:40:03Is that it?
0:40:03 > 0:40:06That is the spiralizer, absolutely.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11'It looks like a scaled-up version of the ones we use at home.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13'Because it is!
0:40:14 > 0:40:18'Each courgette is placed on a spike and spun across a blade,
0:40:18 > 0:40:20'creating ribbons of courgetti.'
0:40:26 > 0:40:29You do every single courgette individually?
0:40:29 > 0:40:30Yeah. Afraid so.
0:40:30 > 0:40:32It must take for ever!
0:40:32 > 0:40:33It's a slow process.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36That's why we've got so many of them, Gregg, all the way round here
0:40:36 > 0:40:38and all the way over there.
0:40:38 > 0:40:43'To deliver Sainsbury's 30,000 bags of courgetti a week,
0:40:43 > 0:40:46'they have ten machines working 12 hours a day.'
0:40:49 > 0:40:51This is the fastest machine on the market right now.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54You've got an army of courgette stabbers.
0:40:54 > 0:40:55Absolutely.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00'The courgetti is then weighed and bagged.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02'Not as easy as it looks.'
0:41:04 > 0:41:08We just need to make sure that we've got long enough strands going into the bag.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10Some of them are up to eight metres long.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13So if you can imagine you want to be able to twizzle it on your fork.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15We don't want a bag of too many of the little bits.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18I'm not sorting out the little courgetti from the big courgetti.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20Come on, that's what you need to do to keep up on the line.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22Don't be ridiculous. Really?
0:41:22 > 0:41:25- Really.- So what we're looking for is a 300g bag.
0:41:25 > 0:41:27- Get out of it. Right, come out. - Go on, then, give it a go.- Come out.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30All right, love, I'm the new boss.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32Show me. Do it, do it.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36You've got to keep up with this speed, Gregg.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39And what you're looking for is it to hit the green.
0:41:39 > 0:41:40Right, get out the way.
0:41:40 > 0:41:42Go back over there, go back over there.
0:41:44 > 0:41:45- Big handful.- Big handful.
0:41:47 > 0:41:48- Rip off the end.- Yep.
0:41:51 > 0:41:53- Too heavy.- Oh!
0:41:57 > 0:41:59- Too light.- Argh!
0:42:02 > 0:42:04Whoa! Back of the net!
0:42:05 > 0:42:07Yes!
0:42:07 > 0:42:08Lucky fluke.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14'Georgina's low-carb courgetti has been a huge hit.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17'It's a good source of vitamin C and low in fat.
0:42:17 > 0:42:22'In fat, 100g of courgetti has less than 10% of the calories
0:42:22 > 0:42:24'of the same amount of pasta.'
0:42:25 > 0:42:29How important is this little beastie now to your veg sales?
0:42:29 > 0:42:30Really important.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33We're selling as much courgetti as fresh spaghetti.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35- You've created a monster. - We have.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42The courgetti market has gone from nothing
0:42:42 > 0:42:44to an industry worth millions.
0:42:48 > 0:42:49But what I want to know is,
0:42:49 > 0:42:54what's going to be the next big health trend to hit our shelves?
0:42:54 > 0:42:55Hi.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57'I'm joining Georgina,
0:42:57 > 0:43:02'as the factory's development team pitch her their new ideas.'
0:43:02 > 0:43:05So, because of the success of the courgetti,
0:43:05 > 0:43:07you're now looking for other veg?
0:43:07 > 0:43:09- Exactly.- Is that right?
0:43:09 > 0:43:10So what have you come up with?
0:43:10 > 0:43:13So this is a sweet potato tagliatelle.
0:43:13 > 0:43:14Swap the pasta for the sweet potato?
0:43:14 > 0:43:16- Yeah.- What's this one?
0:43:16 > 0:43:19This is butternut squash, but we've actually turned it into a waffle.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21We've been trying to think of names to call it,
0:43:21 > 0:43:24and I think the best one we've got so far is squaffles.
0:43:24 > 0:43:26- I like squaffle.- Yep.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29Personally, I'm really happy if more and more people are eating
0:43:29 > 0:43:30more and more fruit and veg.
0:43:30 > 0:43:32They feel like healthy.
0:43:32 > 0:43:34Yeah, you feel virtuous afterwards.
0:43:34 > 0:43:36Right. Now let's have a pint of beer.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38THEY LAUGH
0:43:38 > 0:43:42Since I met with Georgina, her new squaffles have gone on sale,
0:43:42 > 0:43:45and they already out-selling courgetti.
0:43:45 > 0:43:49It just shows you how fickle our food fads really are.
0:43:55 > 0:43:59The foods we buy fall in and out of favour as scientists discover more
0:43:59 > 0:44:00about what's good for us...
0:44:04 > 0:44:05..and what's not.
0:44:06 > 0:44:10'In recent years, processed meats have had a very bad rap,
0:44:10 > 0:44:14'being linked to everything from heart disease to cancer.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20'And our sausages are suffering.'
0:44:20 > 0:44:24Sir, can I have your set breakfast?
0:44:24 > 0:44:28'This year they saw a £50 million drop in sales.'
0:44:28 > 0:44:30- Enjoy.- Thank you very much.
0:44:30 > 0:44:33- No problem.- One of the reasons some of us have been put off sausages
0:44:33 > 0:44:37is the average banger contains more than 15% fat.
0:44:39 > 0:44:44But it's that fat which gives the sausage its flavour and succulence.
0:44:44 > 0:44:46So, despite many attempts,
0:44:46 > 0:44:51a low-fat sausage that still tastes good has remained elusive.
0:44:51 > 0:44:56But one food producer claims to have developed a 3% fat sausage
0:44:56 > 0:44:58that still keeps its moisture.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01And apparently, it involves some very clever chemistry.
0:45:05 > 0:45:09I'm heading to Northern Ireland, where meat innovators Finnebrogue
0:45:09 > 0:45:14and Marks & Spencer are developing their skinniest ever sausage.
0:45:15 > 0:45:17To prove how difficult that is,
0:45:17 > 0:45:19product developer Emma Curistan
0:45:19 > 0:45:24has prepared a low-fat sausage without using their new technique.
0:45:24 > 0:45:28This is what happens if you just take the fat out of the sausages - it leaks out the ends.
0:45:28 > 0:45:30So, you see all the sausage meat coming at the end of the sausage?
0:45:30 > 0:45:33The sausage is a lot smaller than it was to begin with,
0:45:33 > 0:45:34so it's shrinking.
0:45:34 > 0:45:37All the moisture is leaking out into the frying pan.
0:45:37 > 0:45:39'Sausages are over 60% water,
0:45:39 > 0:45:41'and in standard sausages,
0:45:41 > 0:45:46'the fat plays a vital role in keeping that water in the mix.
0:45:46 > 0:45:51'So, reducing fat and having a moist sausage is tricky.'
0:45:51 > 0:45:53It's grainy and it's bitty.
0:45:53 > 0:45:55- Yeah.- Do I have to taste it?
0:45:55 > 0:45:57- Yeah.- I do?- Yeah.
0:46:01 > 0:46:03The texture is really dry.
0:46:03 > 0:46:05It's like having a flannel in your mouth.
0:46:05 > 0:46:08All right, I've learnt that you can't just take the fat out
0:46:08 > 0:46:10of a standard sausage. Well done.
0:46:10 > 0:46:12You're the only person I've ever seen happy
0:46:12 > 0:46:14to have fed me something disgusting.
0:46:14 > 0:46:15Well, I'm trying to prove my point.
0:46:15 > 0:46:18To try and get a sausage with less than 3% fat is really difficult.
0:46:18 > 0:46:21'But after months of trial and error,
0:46:21 > 0:46:24'Emma think she's cracked the perfect skinny sausage.
0:46:26 > 0:46:30'And Jemma Davis from M&S has come to see it rolling off
0:46:30 > 0:46:32'the production line for the first time.'
0:46:38 > 0:46:40Jemma, excited?
0:46:40 > 0:46:42Yeah, to develop and launch a low-fat sausage,
0:46:42 > 0:46:44it's the holy grail.
0:46:46 > 0:46:51Removing the fat from the sausage mix is fairly straightforward.
0:46:52 > 0:46:55This is lean cuts of leg meat, so, chump.
0:46:55 > 0:46:57It's less than 3% fat.
0:46:57 > 0:46:59What would you normally use in a sausage, then?
0:46:59 > 0:47:02We normally use cuts of shoulder and belly.
0:47:02 > 0:47:04Shoulder is 15% fat.
0:47:04 > 0:47:05- And belly?- 30%.
0:47:05 > 0:47:07Wow.
0:47:07 > 0:47:09'Their problem now is keeping in the moisture
0:47:09 > 0:47:12'with such low fat levels.
0:47:12 > 0:47:14'And every ingredient has a part to play.'
0:47:16 > 0:47:18This is gluten-free crumb.
0:47:18 > 0:47:21I would have thought that if you put breadcrumbs into a sausage,
0:47:21 > 0:47:22it would have made it drier.
0:47:22 > 0:47:24No, quite the opposite, in fact.
0:47:24 > 0:47:26Actually, in their sausage it's got a really important function,
0:47:26 > 0:47:29and that's about locking the moisture into the sausage.
0:47:29 > 0:47:31Even the seasoning has a role.
0:47:32 > 0:47:35The salt helps to extract the protein from the meat,
0:47:35 > 0:47:38so helps us create the structure and the texture of the sausage.
0:47:38 > 0:47:40So it acts like a glue.
0:47:40 > 0:47:41This is free-range egg white.
0:47:41 > 0:47:43It helps to bind all the ingredients together,
0:47:43 > 0:47:45- to give the right structure.- Right.
0:47:45 > 0:47:49OK, breadcrumb is there to catch moisture as you cook.
0:47:49 > 0:47:50- Yes.- Trap it.
0:47:50 > 0:47:53Seasoning is there to extract protein, make it sticky.
0:47:53 > 0:47:57- Yes.- And the egg white is to stick it all together.
0:47:57 > 0:48:00'All these ingredients are helping to lock in the moisture,
0:48:00 > 0:48:03'but the real innovation here is the mixing.
0:48:05 > 0:48:08'Most sausages are mixed using a mincer.'
0:48:09 > 0:48:13But they use this bad boy - a bowl chopper.
0:48:13 > 0:48:16All the ingredients for the skinny sausage go in here.
0:48:16 > 0:48:18But the order they put them in
0:48:18 > 0:48:21is crucial to the chemistry of holding the water
0:48:21 > 0:48:23and the protein together.
0:48:23 > 0:48:27But we're not allowed to see it, because it's top secret.
0:48:28 > 0:48:31This is the secret process of how we make our skinny sausage.
0:48:31 > 0:48:34And this is where the sausage magic happens.
0:48:34 > 0:48:36Sausage magic!
0:48:36 > 0:48:37Now, everybody should see that, right?
0:48:37 > 0:48:39- But we're not allowed?- No.
0:48:40 > 0:48:44Emma hopes this unique method of chopping the meat
0:48:44 > 0:48:49will bind the water into the mixture so it won't leak out during cooking.
0:48:49 > 0:48:52After a little more secret mixing,
0:48:52 > 0:48:55our sausages are ready to be stuffed.
0:48:55 > 0:48:57So, slide the skin on...
0:49:00 > 0:49:02..and pull it off. Sorry, you're in my way there.
0:49:02 > 0:49:03Start the machine.
0:49:05 > 0:49:07What?!
0:49:07 > 0:49:10It's the fastest sausage in the world!
0:49:11 > 0:49:14- Will you let me have a go at this? - Yeah, go ahead. That's it.
0:49:17 > 0:49:19Yeah? Hold on to that, son!
0:49:28 > 0:49:30Uh-oh! Uh-oh! Uh-oh!
0:49:34 > 0:49:36I guess I shouldn't give up my day job, then.
0:49:40 > 0:49:42For these to be truly skinny sausages,
0:49:42 > 0:49:46Emma's got to be absolutely sure of their fat content.
0:49:47 > 0:49:49This is a very special machine that we use.
0:49:49 > 0:49:52- A fat-ometer?- Pretty much, yeah.
0:49:52 > 0:49:53I better not get in it.
0:49:53 > 0:49:55'Using the infra-red light,
0:49:55 > 0:49:59'the scanner analyses the fat content of the mix.
0:49:59 > 0:50:06'At 2.5% fat, it's well below the 3% threshold she needs.'
0:50:06 > 0:50:08Does it say on there whether it's going to taste any good?
0:50:20 > 0:50:23Right, well, now is the moment of truth.
0:50:23 > 0:50:26What does this sausage actually taste like?
0:50:33 > 0:50:35You look nervous.
0:50:44 > 0:50:46What you have done
0:50:46 > 0:50:49is reproduced the flavour brilliantly well,
0:50:49 > 0:50:55because it tastes like a good fat pork sausage.
0:50:56 > 0:50:58What you don't get, though, is the same texture,
0:50:58 > 0:51:01because you simply don't have fat coating your tongue.
0:51:01 > 0:51:04You don't have that slipperiness.
0:51:04 > 0:51:05The texture is different.
0:51:05 > 0:51:07The flavour is very, very good.
0:51:07 > 0:51:08Will you accept that?
0:51:09 > 0:51:12I think it's just as juicy though.
0:51:12 > 0:51:14I don't think it is as juicy.
0:51:17 > 0:51:21It doesn't feel exactly the same as a fatty pork sausage,
0:51:21 > 0:51:23but it tastes OK and, actually,
0:51:23 > 0:51:26it's a lot, lot healthier.
0:51:26 > 0:51:30But what really impresses me is all the technology and the science
0:51:30 > 0:51:31that's gone into it.
0:51:31 > 0:51:36I mean, proper molecular gastronomy for the humble banger!
0:51:44 > 0:51:47Supermarkets know that foods with big health claims
0:51:47 > 0:51:49generate big sales.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55So in the battle to stay ahead, they're worth investing in.
0:51:57 > 0:52:01And there's one tiny fruit with a massive health pedigree
0:52:01 > 0:52:03that's flying off the shelves.
0:52:03 > 0:52:07We get through a remarkable 200 million of them every week -
0:52:07 > 0:52:09the humble blueberry.
0:52:09 > 0:52:10Hailed as a superfood,
0:52:10 > 0:52:14sales of these have quadrupled in the last five years.
0:52:14 > 0:52:16And it has even given the strawberry a run for its money.
0:52:21 > 0:52:23The attraction of blueberries' health benefits
0:52:23 > 0:52:28have driven up sales by more than 20% in the last year alone.
0:52:30 > 0:52:35But for the supermarkets, this surge in sales creates a big challenge.
0:52:36 > 0:52:39How do you source the volume and quality
0:52:39 > 0:52:41to keep up with our insatiable demand for them?
0:52:41 > 0:52:44Well, there is one solution - to grow them here in the UK.
0:52:44 > 0:52:47But do you know what? It's not that simple.
0:52:47 > 0:52:5190% of these blueberries that we eat are actually imported.
0:52:59 > 0:53:04'Andy Mitchell is the soft fruit technologist for Marks & Spencer.
0:53:04 > 0:53:08'Today, he's checking on his latest shipment from Peru.
0:53:08 > 0:53:10'He can't be measuring every single one, can he?'
0:53:12 > 0:53:15I have never seen so many blueberries, Andy.
0:53:15 > 0:53:18It's a lot. But we source from South Africa,
0:53:18 > 0:53:20we're in Argentina, we're in Peru.
0:53:20 > 0:53:23We follow blueberries around the world.
0:53:23 > 0:53:27Imported blueberries can be held in storage for months.
0:53:27 > 0:53:31Andy knows that if he could source more fresh British blueberries,
0:53:31 > 0:53:33they'd be a hit with his customers,
0:53:33 > 0:53:36but there's a good reason why he can't.
0:53:37 > 0:53:40If you look at where the UK is, very northern in the world,
0:53:40 > 0:53:41doesn't get the weather
0:53:41 > 0:53:44that the likes of South Africa and Argentina get.
0:53:44 > 0:53:47So there are no native blueberry varieties here.
0:53:47 > 0:53:50No. All bushes actually come from
0:53:50 > 0:53:53places like Canada and America originally.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56So in the battle to bring us blueberries,
0:53:56 > 0:53:59the industry have invested £3 million
0:53:59 > 0:54:01in the hope it will pay off later.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06M&S have teamed up with the James Hutton Institute in Scotland
0:54:06 > 0:54:10to try and create a truly British blueberry.
0:54:11 > 0:54:16Dr Susan McCallum thinks one very special plant could hold the answer.
0:54:18 > 0:54:19There are cousins of blueberries,
0:54:19 > 0:54:22which are called the bilberries, which I have here.
0:54:22 > 0:54:26So these are native to Europe and to the UK.
0:54:26 > 0:54:28They're really pretty, but they're tiny, aren't they?
0:54:28 > 0:54:31They're grown wild in the moorlands and in the woodlands
0:54:31 > 0:54:33and they thrive there.
0:54:33 > 0:54:37'And the bilberry has another big advantage.
0:54:37 > 0:54:43'All purple fruits contain a chemical compound called anthocyanin
0:54:43 > 0:54:46'which helps to reduce cardiovascular disease,
0:54:46 > 0:54:50'and the British bilberry has far more of this compound.'
0:54:51 > 0:54:53The beauty with the bilberry is
0:54:53 > 0:54:55the purple colouring is not just on the skin,
0:54:55 > 0:54:57it's also in the flesh inside.
0:54:57 > 0:55:00- But the taste? - It's a little bit tart.
0:55:00 > 0:55:02The anthocyanins give it that bite.
0:55:04 > 0:55:05Real sharp taste to it.
0:55:07 > 0:55:11'They thrive in our climate and pack a powerful health punch,
0:55:11 > 0:55:14'and yet the bilberry is worthless.'
0:55:14 > 0:55:16They just produce so little fruit
0:55:16 > 0:55:19that it's just not worth investing that much time and money
0:55:19 > 0:55:20to try and commercialise it.
0:55:23 > 0:55:26'So Susan's doing some hi-tech match making.
0:55:26 > 0:55:30'She's using DNA profiling to pinpoint the best traits
0:55:30 > 0:55:32'of each fruit and crossbreed them.'
0:55:35 > 0:55:38What we're trying to do is find a blueberry plant
0:55:38 > 0:55:40from America that will have the yield and have the size
0:55:40 > 0:55:42and the fruit that we're after,
0:55:42 > 0:55:45and then introduce some of the markers that we've found
0:55:45 > 0:55:47for the bilberry to then get the colour
0:55:47 > 0:55:50and some of that tart flavour in there as well.
0:55:50 > 0:55:55'But there is no guarantee Susan will get everything she needs in one plant.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58'So, she's making thousands of attempts.'
0:55:59 > 0:56:016,000 seedlings, all in.
0:56:01 > 0:56:03- 6,000?- 6,000.
0:56:03 > 0:56:05Would some look better than others?
0:56:05 > 0:56:07Oh, absolutely. And that's what we want.
0:56:07 > 0:56:10Anything that doesn't perform very well in our UK environment,
0:56:10 > 0:56:11we want rid of it.
0:56:13 > 0:56:16If Susan and M&S succeed, they'll have created a blueberry
0:56:16 > 0:56:19that's not just perfect for our climate,
0:56:19 > 0:56:21but also could be better for us.
0:56:23 > 0:56:26But it won't reach your shelves for a while.
0:56:26 > 0:56:27It could be eight years
0:56:27 > 0:56:30before they see the fruits of all their hard work.
0:56:31 > 0:56:35If you grow a British blueberry, the freshness in the flavour,
0:56:35 > 0:56:37it far exceeds anything that we can import in.
0:56:37 > 0:56:41So put in the leg work now and get the long-term benefits later on?
0:56:41 > 0:56:43Absolutely, yes.
0:56:44 > 0:56:47The amount of work and research that's gone into this is huge,
0:56:47 > 0:56:50to create the local, fresh, British blueberry.
0:56:50 > 0:56:54And if they're successful, the pay-off could be phenomenal.
0:56:57 > 0:57:01'Next time, the supermarkets fight to make our lives more convenient.
0:57:03 > 0:57:05'From bringing us our food faster...'
0:57:05 > 0:57:08That looks like something out of Star Trek.
0:57:08 > 0:57:11'..making complicated cooking easy...'
0:57:11 > 0:57:12All of these are for one dish?
0:57:12 > 0:57:15- Absolutely. - That looks ridiculous to me.
0:57:15 > 0:57:18'..and even looking into our minds to make shopping simpler.'
0:57:18 > 0:57:20Why do you need to read my subconscious?
0:57:20 > 0:57:22That's quite alarming.