0:00:02 > 0:00:08We're a nation of food lovers and today there's more choice than ever.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12Whether eating in or taking away, there's always the chance something can go wrong.
0:00:13 > 0:00:19It's a good job there's an army of people working hard to keep us safe.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21They're the food fighters.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47I'm from environmental health.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Will this takeaway be as good as it says it is?
0:00:49 > 0:00:51No business is perfect.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54They're supposed to record any problems in there.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58HE SNIFFS So, now I'll do an inspection and find out what problems we've got.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02We meet a food detective who investigates what's lurking in our lunch.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05We get sharp pieces of glass,
0:01:05 > 0:01:08we get hypodermic syringes, er...
0:01:08 > 0:01:10we'll get insects, rodents.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14And it's all very well looking after food on the ground...
0:01:14 > 0:01:19But there's one place where the dangers of food poisoning are particularly heightened - up there.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29In Britain, there's a takeaway on a street near us all.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33In fact, we are Europe's largest consumer of fast food.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36But while these places are a great place to refuel quickly,
0:01:36 > 0:01:40who's there to make sure that speed also means satisfaction?
0:01:40 > 0:01:44Each local authority has its own team of environmental health officers.
0:01:44 > 0:01:49It's their job to ensure takeaway food is safe for us to eat.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58From kebabs to pizzas, fried chicken to burgers,
0:01:58 > 0:02:02There's a takeaway for all tastes on the high street.
0:02:04 > 0:02:09This is quick, high-volume food which still has to meet the standards of our food fighters.
0:02:14 > 0:02:20Today, Oxford environmental health inspector Richard Kuziara has pizza in his sights.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28- Hiya.- Hi.- I'm from the City Council. Are you the manager?- Yes.
0:02:28 > 0:02:29Richard. Nice to meet you.
0:02:29 > 0:02:35Food inspectors award stars depending on the business's hygiene and cleanliness.
0:02:35 > 0:02:40The best get five stars. But, at its last inspection, this pizza joint got one.
0:02:43 > 0:02:48Richard wants to see if the staff have done enough to raise their game.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52Right. Talk me through it. What have we got?
0:02:52 > 0:02:56There are two things this takeaway needs to improve - storage,
0:02:56 > 0:03:00keeping their food safe from bugs and bacteria,
0:03:00 > 0:03:03and hygiene, the basic but vital hand-washing.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07First up, where the pizza toppings are stored.
0:03:08 > 0:03:15What we are looking for is to make sure the food is at or below eight degrees.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19Erm, between eight and 63 degrees, we call that the danger zone.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22That's when bacteria can multiply.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25As you start to get towards body temperature, around 37,
0:03:25 > 0:03:28bacteria can double every ten to 20 minutes.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31The sauce should be below eight degrees.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34Any warmer, and there could be trouble with this topping.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37It's running slightly high. It's running at 11.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40There's no imminent danger to public health,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43but it's something the owner needs to keep a lid on.
0:03:46 > 0:03:51When it comes to the pizza dough, the owner's fortunes start to rise.
0:03:51 > 0:03:56Great. This is just all the dough. How long does it stay in here for?
0:03:56 > 0:04:00- Er, maximum of two days. - Two days. OK.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02- And you make your own dough?- Yes. - Great.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06The state of the veg is pretty good, too.
0:04:06 > 0:04:11It's all nice fresh stuff you've got. I think stuff like this is good.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14I think it all needs a little bit of a clean, though.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19All in all, this is a pretty good start to the inspection.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22But there's still more that Richard needs to scrutinise.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30Takeaways are busiest on weekends and evenings.
0:04:30 > 0:04:35Over in the market town of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, it's the calm before the storm.
0:04:38 > 0:04:44Inspector Richard Hutchinson is dropping in on Marmaris takeaway where food prep has just begun.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48- It's Richard Hutchinson from environmental health.- Yes.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50- Are you Erkan?- I am, yes. - All right.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53I am here to do a routine food hygiene inspection.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58Marmaris serves up both pizza and kebabs.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00It's near the top end with four stars,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03but one wrong move and it could slide down the scale.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05OK. I'll have a little look at that, then.
0:05:05 > 0:05:10First up for scrutiny are the all-important food safety records.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13As part and parcel of the law,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16not only must they have written practices,
0:05:16 > 0:05:19they must be implemented and maintained in practice.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23It's no good just writing a load of stuff in a book,
0:05:23 > 0:05:25if you don't then follow it.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29This is where the business will make its commitment on paper to food safety.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33So, part and parcel of my job is to audit them against that.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35So, whatever it says in there -
0:05:35 > 0:05:38is what I am looking for, the evidence of that.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40Is what they are doing?
0:05:40 > 0:05:44And, unfortunately, this paperwork is a little past its shelf-life.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Let's see if I can find the front of this.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Have you got any more up to date than this?
0:05:49 > 0:05:51Unfortunately, they ran out.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55I went to the council and they said we will send them to you.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58I understand that, but, ultimately, it is your responsibility.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02According to where they carried out the opening and closing checks,
0:06:02 > 0:06:06the business is perfect and has been going back to when that was last filled in.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09Erm, no business is perfect.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12They are supposed to record any problems in there. HE SNIFFS
0:06:12 > 0:06:15So, now, I'll do an inspection and find out what problems we've got.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22Time for Richard to have a poke around.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25Er, I just want to see where your bins are.
0:06:25 > 0:06:26It's a bit of rubbish job.
0:06:26 > 0:06:31If you tend to leave your lid open and there is food waste, you get a bit of smell.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34If you get bit of smell, you'll attract rats and mice.
0:06:34 > 0:06:41At this stage, I will advise you you need to keep your lid shut, OK,
0:06:41 > 0:06:49to stop any smells getting about and also to stop any rats and mice getting in.
0:06:49 > 0:06:54Your biggest problem and issue is that if you attract rats and mice here by leaving your bin open,
0:06:54 > 0:06:58it will be a matter of time before they start going that way
0:06:58 > 0:07:03and you are leaving yourself open, potentially, to rats and mice coming into your business.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06If they come in, there will be one outcome - I will shut you down.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13Round the corner, Richard spots a tub of uncovered fat,
0:07:13 > 0:07:16which could be a potential lure for rodents.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22This food fighter knows about rats' eating habits.
0:07:22 > 0:07:28At night time, make sure you cover it, because one of the things with rats is they will eat anything.
0:07:28 > 0:07:33Especially in winter, one of the best sources of food for them is oil and fat.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37It's good for their coats and it provides such a lot of energy.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43There's plenty here to welcome rats and mice into the backyard.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45But, can they get inside?
0:07:45 > 0:07:48Rodents can squeeze through a gap no wider than pencil.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51That's fine, I can't get that through there, that's OK.
0:07:51 > 0:07:57Richard's happy that these well-sealed doors mean a roaming rat would have no chance.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06The owner must take away some of the rubbish if he wants to keep hold of his four stars.
0:08:06 > 0:08:11Later, Richard will find out if the state of the inside is any better.
0:08:15 > 0:08:20Back in Oxford, Richard's namesake has moved from storage to surfaces at a Pizza Roma.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25This computer is a cause for concern.
0:08:26 > 0:08:33Ahmed, bear in mind that everything in a business is the food-contact surface.
0:08:33 > 0:08:34Yeah? It's a hand-contact surface.
0:08:34 > 0:08:40So, these, every now and again... You said you had wipes for the thermometer,
0:08:40 > 0:08:43just get the keyboard cleaned up.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48It's far from filthy, but there are health risks,
0:08:48 > 0:08:51especially when food is mixed with general storage.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54What I'm saying here is, I've got flour here,
0:08:54 > 0:08:59I've got, erm, spray with bleach.
0:08:59 > 0:09:04Bleach here. I've got food. Erm, is that a prayer mat? A coat.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08Do you know what I mean? Let's get it all separated.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12So, at the end of the visit,
0:09:12 > 0:09:15has Pizza Roma risen to the food fighters' challenge?
0:09:15 > 0:09:19The scores on the doors - the good news is you've gone up.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22I've shifted you from one star to two stars.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26So, food standards here are now ranked as fair.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29It's the improvement Ahmed wanted
0:09:29 > 0:09:33and now he hopes to continue to move up the scale.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36To be honest, I'm not saying I'm happy.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39I was thinking to get more than two stars.
0:09:39 > 0:09:46But, that means we are in the right direction.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48So, that is good.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57Later, fishing out an unwelcome surprise.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00This could be a piece of mould, which does change
0:10:00 > 0:10:04the situation completely.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10Food safety is important everywhere.
0:10:10 > 0:10:15But there's one place where the dangers of food poisoning are particularly heightened.
0:10:15 > 0:10:16Up there.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33When we jet off on holiday, the last thing we want is
0:10:33 > 0:10:36a touch of dodgy belly before we've even touched down.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40So how do airlines keep their familiar trays of food free from food poisoning?
0:10:42 > 0:10:47This is Gate Gourmet, one of the world's largest suppliers of airline food.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51Every day, from their British base at Heathrow,
0:10:51 > 0:10:55they produce over 40,000 meals for 12 different airlines.
0:10:55 > 0:11:00Making sure these meals are all safe is this woman.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04My name is Aditi Zutshi and it is my job to make sure
0:11:04 > 0:11:06that all the food safety controls are in place.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09And I'm being followed.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14Aditi's food fighting starts at the beginning,
0:11:14 > 0:11:17with the sourcing of the ingredients.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20Today she's at the factory of one of her main suppliers.
0:11:20 > 0:11:25She's checking how they handle pineapple to make sure they are doing it safely.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32First up, though, are the quality control checks.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35This is mainly a vision check.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39Just look at the colour, and look at any signs of bruises.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42They check for damage, and then check for sugar levels.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45Take a sample of the pineapple.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49The unit of measurement for sugar content in fruit is the Brix.
0:11:49 > 0:11:54A measurement between 12 and 17 Brix would mean this pineapple is perfectly sweet.
0:11:57 > 0:12:03Yeah. I can see that the Brix level is reading at 12. So that's good.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06However, the real proof of pineapple quality is in the eating.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11What should be perfect pineapple taste like?
0:12:11 > 0:12:14Sweet, a bit of sharpness, a bit of acidity.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16It should be a pleasure eating pineapple.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24- That was really good. - It's good news,
0:12:24 > 0:12:29but means nothing if pineapples here make passengers sick.
0:12:29 > 0:12:35And you are not going to believe what this fruit has to go through to make it safe for public consumption.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37And it begins with a bath.
0:12:37 > 0:12:42First of all, we are removing all the debris and residue from the surface of the pineapple
0:12:42 > 0:12:46which could potentially contaminate the flesh of the pineapple on the inside
0:12:46 > 0:12:49that is the eatable part of the pineapple.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53That would be during cutting, so when you cut it...
0:12:53 > 0:12:56It's critical. If we don't do washing effectively here,
0:12:56 > 0:13:00we wouldn't be able to maintain food safety.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02You wash the pineapples whole?
0:13:02 > 0:13:05You don't cut them before you wash them?
0:13:05 > 0:13:10You don't cut them before washing. Also, microbes are reduced by chlorine.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12Right.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16The unpeeled pineapple is bathed in a chlorine solution
0:13:16 > 0:13:18to kill any germs lurking there.
0:13:20 > 0:13:25For this to work, staff must regularly check the chlorine levels are high.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28Every hour, the chlorine test is done again,
0:13:28 > 0:13:33and then, at the end of the day, confirm that the chlorine dip is working.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39After its bath, the pineapple takes a shower.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43This blast away other loitering nasties.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46Only then is it ready to be cut.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50So once it's washed, what's happening next then?
0:13:50 > 0:13:54The next step is the pineapple is decanted into the containers here,
0:13:54 > 0:13:59and our highly-skilled staff will manually chop all the pineapple here.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03Because the pineapples are clean on the outside,
0:14:03 > 0:14:08there's no danger of this knife taking bacteria from the husk and polluting the flesh.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17Now the pineapple can be added to fruit mixes and boxed up.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20But that's not the end of the checks.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23After they're sealed, it goes through the metal detector,
0:14:23 > 0:14:29therefore we make sure none of our products have any metal detectable contamination.
0:14:29 > 0:14:34No-one wants to find a screw or a knife blade in a pot of pineapple.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36So this final stage is vital.
0:14:38 > 0:14:43I'm extremely pleased that all the safety controls that should be in place are in place,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46and they're being followed which we have clearly seen today.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53So, that's how airline foods are safely sourced and processed.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00But now, I want to find out about that crucial next step,
0:15:00 > 0:15:04how that familiar tray of airline food is actually put together.
0:15:07 > 0:15:13I've come to Gate Gourmet's main processing plant, to follow the fruit as it comes in.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15But before I'm allowed to snoop around,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18it's time to slip into something a little more glamorous.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24The food fighters here don't want me bringing any
0:15:24 > 0:15:27food poisoning nasties into their nice clean factory.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37Now I'm safe to go into the building and hopefully,
0:15:37 > 0:15:39I'm just in time to see a delivery being checked in.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46This is where all the food arrives, up to 100 lorry loads every day.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53Every single item must be checked in and checked over.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58And overseeing it all once again is Aditi.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00Hi, Aditi, how are you?
0:16:00 > 0:16:03- Hi, Simon, nice to meet you. - What have we got coming in?
0:16:03 > 0:16:09We've got some pre-prepared fruits coming in from our supplier which will get plated up later on.
0:16:09 > 0:16:14Pre-prepared, meaning it's had a certain amount of process gone into it.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17It's pre-prepared things like grapefruit segments, melon,
0:16:17 > 0:16:19all of that's prepared to go into the system.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22When it comes in, what things are you looking for?
0:16:22 > 0:16:24This is our first step in the process.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28The most important check to make sure what we get into the building,
0:16:28 > 0:16:30is at the right temperatures, the right use by date,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33the right shelf-life requirement, right quality.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36When you've got 300 passengers up in the air at 30,000 ft,
0:16:36 > 0:16:40you can't afford to make any errors and this is where it all starts.
0:16:40 > 0:16:45We make sure what we get in from our suppliers is correct and the right standard for quality.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48What kind of things can go wrong from this point?
0:16:48 > 0:16:51If we've seen it come out of the dispatch point
0:16:51 > 0:16:53and the checks have been done there,
0:16:53 > 0:16:57in the interim period from it coming on the road to this point,
0:16:57 > 0:16:59what's the most likely that can go wrong?
0:16:59 > 0:17:01The most likely thing is temperature.
0:17:01 > 0:17:06Although the vehicle's temperature controlled, it could fail in the transportation process
0:17:06 > 0:17:09which would lead to product temperatures going up
0:17:09 > 0:17:13and obviously we'd not be able to accept it because it's not at the right temperature.
0:17:17 > 0:17:22At the moment as this has come in, is there anything that's not up to spec so far?
0:17:22 > 0:17:26I think we've got a problem with a couple of things which we'll have to reject and send back.
0:17:26 > 0:17:31Sandwiches and one of the food trays because it's not up to the right spec.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34So that's rather than health and safety point of view,
0:17:34 > 0:17:36- that's a quality point of view?- Yes.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38- Can we have a look? - Yes, definitely.
0:17:38 > 0:17:43Even though Aditi is happy with safety systems at her suppliers,
0:17:43 > 0:17:45she still rejects individual fruit.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48Quality of the oranges, picked up by our QC chef.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50This will be sent back to the supplier.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54So, it's a quality issue, not a safety one.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58She's not happy passengers will accept an orange that's not orange.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02But the rest of the food can now be wheeled into the kitchen,
0:18:02 > 0:18:04and we're going to follow it.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13This is where those familiar dishes of fruit and salad are put together.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17The aim is for every passenger to get exactly the same.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25This is where the fruit is put into individual portions.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27What kind of hazards can happen here?
0:18:27 > 0:18:30You've always got physical, chemical and microbiological,
0:18:30 > 0:18:33but the main one would be microbiological.
0:18:33 > 0:18:38- Meaning?- Meaning, increase in bacterial count of the food
0:18:38 > 0:18:41which could give you nasty diseases if it's not controlled properly.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43So how do you prevent that?
0:18:43 > 0:18:46This is a temperature controlled area.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50- I've noticed that. We're working in a fridge, basically.- Yes.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54The temperature here's less than 15, so that's our first control.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57Although the product comes out of the fridge,
0:18:57 > 0:19:00it still stays in a controlled environment.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02It comes out of the fridge and it's got up to 90 minutes,
0:19:02 > 0:19:06to stay out here and be handled and then go back into a fridge.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10And now that this has all been portioned and the lids go on,
0:19:10 > 0:19:14this goes straight onto the airline? We're happy with this now?
0:19:14 > 0:19:17We're happy, this is what the economy passenger gets for breakfast.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19- Looks nice.- Yeah.
0:19:19 > 0:19:24So, the fruit is ready to fly, but what about the main course?
0:19:24 > 0:19:29Later, I'll be finding out how they make the hot stuff.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35A difficult balancing act keeping these meals safe.
0:19:35 > 0:19:41What you've got to be careful of when temperature monitoring, don't let it get too cold,
0:19:41 > 0:19:46because these babies are that fierce that they can freeze.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50And a backyard banquet for some unwelcome guests.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52This is for the oil.
0:19:52 > 0:19:53HE SIGHS
0:19:53 > 0:19:57OK. What I'm concerned with here is rats coming.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Things like that, that's a proper rat snack, that.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08Now, have you ever found something in your dinner that really shouldn't be there?
0:20:08 > 0:20:11A hair, maybe a plaster or a fingernail?
0:20:11 > 0:20:14What do you do if you do find something dodgy in your dish?
0:20:14 > 0:20:17There's one food fighting detective who'll take up your case
0:20:17 > 0:20:20and find out exactly what's lurking in your lunch.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29Staffordshire County Council Scientific Services HQ.
0:20:29 > 0:20:34This laboratory is filled with all manner of weird and wonderful specimens.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38If you've found something nasty in your dinner,
0:20:38 > 0:20:40this is where it would come.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46It'd be down to the doctor with a chart-topping name to investigate.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51My name is Doctor Frank Hollywood,
0:20:51 > 0:20:54and it's my job to look for foreign bodies in your food.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57# When two tribes go to war
0:20:57 > 0:21:00# A point is all that you can score. #
0:21:00 > 0:21:04That's right, it's war.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06War against dodgy food.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Frank is a public analyst on the frontline of that war
0:21:11 > 0:21:14to keep our food safe to eat.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18Our job, it is very important because we've got to make sure
0:21:18 > 0:21:23food in the supermarkets, in the shops, is fit for consumption.
0:21:23 > 0:21:29As head of the science team, when it comes to foreign bodies,
0:21:29 > 0:21:32Dr Hollywood really has seen it all.
0:21:32 > 0:21:37We get sharp pieces of glass, pieces of wood, plastic, metal.
0:21:37 > 0:21:43We get hypodermic syringes, we get insects, rodents.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47By us testing this, generating reports,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50it is a policing of manufacturers and shopkeepers
0:21:50 > 0:21:53to make sure they get their jobs right.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00Right, now we've got that out of our system,
0:22:00 > 0:22:03let's see what's on the manky menu for today.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08And it's this cake, thought to contain a piece of chewing gum.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Obviously somebody has been biting into it,
0:22:11 > 0:22:14and they've come across a foreign body,
0:22:14 > 0:22:17it didn't feel right and they've spat it out
0:22:17 > 0:22:21and they've noticed that it looked different to the rest of the cake.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25So we've got to identify what the foreign object is.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30Of course, there's always the chance that the mystery item
0:22:30 > 0:22:32was planted by the consumer.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36But Frank has a way of flushing out a hoax.
0:22:36 > 0:22:41With this, we can see there's lots of pastry and sugar,
0:22:41 > 0:22:44and it's strongly adhering to the product,
0:22:44 > 0:22:47so it has been baked with a cake such as this,
0:22:47 > 0:22:49so it's looking genuine at the moment.
0:22:52 > 0:22:57Dr Hollywood is far too experienced to jump to conclusions about what this is.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01He places the object in warm water to see how it reacts.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05And we can see the sugar is dissolving,
0:23:05 > 0:23:08some of the pastry is separating,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11but there is a foreign object which is still there.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17But as Dr Hollywood begins to prod and poke around,
0:23:17 > 0:23:21the idea that this is chewing gum begins to fall apart.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24I've broken it into many fragments,
0:23:24 > 0:23:29and it looks as though it is just a hardened piece of pastry,
0:23:29 > 0:23:33which the consumer thought was a complaint,
0:23:33 > 0:23:35he thought it was a piece of chewing gum,
0:23:35 > 0:23:40but it's just a dehydrated piece of pastry, so it's been overcooked.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44So that's not desirable, but there is no contamination.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51OK, so that turned out to be a false alarm,
0:23:51 > 0:23:54but Dr Frank Hollywood can't relax.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56This chocolate milkshake has just arrived
0:23:56 > 0:24:00after a customer complained that there was mould in it.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03Mould can arise from different organisms,
0:24:03 > 0:24:07and these organisms can produce toxic metabolites,
0:24:07 > 0:24:10and so it's toxic to humans.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12A mouldy milkshake just won't do,
0:24:12 > 0:24:14so this calls for closer inspection.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18I can't see any obvious signs of any mould at the moment.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22There is some bacteria, but obviously...
0:24:22 > 0:24:27there's always some natural amount of bacteria present in food.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32It seems that the coast is clear,
0:24:32 > 0:24:37but just then the doctor discovers that something is indeed lurking in the bottle.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40This...
0:24:40 > 0:24:45..could be a piece of mould, which does change the situation completely.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50But this is no measly piece of mould.
0:24:53 > 0:24:58A mould like this indicates that the contaminant has been there for some time,
0:24:58 > 0:25:03so it hasn't been a couple of days, it's been weeks.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06Dr Hollywood takes a sample,
0:25:06 > 0:25:09and this will be sent off for more tests.
0:25:09 > 0:25:14So that will be labelled up, it'll be stored in an incubator,
0:25:14 > 0:25:18and in two or three days we'll see what's grown.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23And a few days later the results did come back.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27They proved that the milkshake had been sold after its use-by date
0:25:27 > 0:25:29and the customer received compensation.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35But Dr Hollywood's war is a never-ending one,
0:25:35 > 0:25:37and he'll continue his detective work,
0:25:37 > 0:25:41hunting out those nasty little surprises none of us want to find.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50Later, the food fighters making sure speed doesn't make us sick.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54I think when there's a big queue, and people have had a few to drink,
0:25:54 > 0:25:58and want it fast, that's when there's pressure to put stuff out too early,
0:25:58 > 0:26:01so it'll be interesting to see how they deal with that, what they do.
0:26:07 > 0:26:12Earlier we saw how pineapple and other fruits and salads
0:26:12 > 0:26:14are prepared for their journey to the skies.
0:26:14 > 0:26:19Along the way, they face numerous safety checks before finally hitting your tray.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24So all the fruit and salad stuff is ready to go on to the food trays,
0:26:24 > 0:26:26but what about the hot stuff?
0:26:26 > 0:26:29If you think that airline food is all processed junk,
0:26:29 > 0:26:32you're in for a bit of a surprise.
0:26:34 > 0:26:39The airline food here is largely cooked from scratch using fresh ingredients.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42This is Gate Gourmet's main kitchen.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44As you can see, it's a big production unit.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48They can make somewhere in the region of 800 different products every day.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52Like all big kitchens, it's got an executive chef who calls all the shots.
0:26:52 > 0:26:53Time to meet him.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57My name is Jim Hedrick, executive chef and head of quality control.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00My job is to ensure the food leaves this building
0:27:00 > 0:27:02to the highest possible standards.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07Jim, I'd imagine that an awful lot of people, when they think of airline food,
0:27:07 > 0:27:11wouldn't imagine they'd go to a kitchen and see a huge wok range like this.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15No, well, what Mr Lee's doing here, he's actually cooking the pak choi
0:27:15 > 0:27:17for a Chinese airline,
0:27:17 > 0:27:21so we have Chinese chefs specifically for the Chinese airlines,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24and we do the same throughout the kitchen,
0:27:24 > 0:27:27we'll have specific chefs for specific airlines on route specifics,
0:27:27 > 0:27:30like India, Middle East, Africa and the Americas.
0:27:30 > 0:27:35Rather than you and I, who would have an idea of what would go on with a stir fry,
0:27:35 > 0:27:37I guess our knowledge isn't quite the same as Mr Lee's?
0:27:37 > 0:27:41No, no. I mean, you do get...
0:27:41 > 0:27:44Specific food does get westernised over time,
0:27:44 > 0:27:47so what we have to do is menu develop
0:27:47 > 0:27:50using authentic Chinese ingredients,
0:27:50 > 0:27:53using Chinese chefs to Chinese recipes,
0:27:53 > 0:27:55based on the customer.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57This is an impressive piece of kit you've got.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01This has been brought in especially for us from Hong Kong.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04Mainly because the ones that are built in Europe and the UK
0:28:04 > 0:28:06don't get that specific power.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09If you have a look at the water on top there,
0:28:09 > 0:28:14that is to cool the whole work station down because it gets too hot.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17You need that pure heat to get the spices going,
0:28:17 > 0:28:21to get the herbs going, and to get the full flavour through.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24To use a very good analogy,
0:28:24 > 0:28:27they've got the power of a jet engine, that gas under there.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30- I've never used one of these, I'd like to have a go.- Yes, of course.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34- Mr Lee, would you let Simon have a go?- Yeah, OK.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40This is fantastic, the power you can feel in this fella.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43It's like a jet engine actually firing up under it,
0:28:43 > 0:28:46which gives you that instant heat
0:28:46 > 0:28:48that actually generates the flavours.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52The Chinese always like those sort of flavours.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56What about things like the safety of stuff like this?
0:28:56 > 0:28:58What do you do in terms of safety checks?
0:28:58 > 0:29:02What we have to do is once the dish is finished,
0:29:02 > 0:29:06we will go in and probe it to make sure it meets the correct core temperature
0:29:06 > 0:29:08based on our food safety standards.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10And, just like in my kitchens,
0:29:10 > 0:29:13food has to be above 85 degrees to be safe.
0:29:16 > 0:29:21With this, we're going to be up at 95,
0:29:21 > 0:29:22so that can now come off
0:29:22 > 0:29:25because we want to be careful we don't overcook it.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28As you can still see, it's got the colour,
0:29:28 > 0:29:33- still looking nice and fresh, nice and vibrant.- Beautiful.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37I tell you what, there's some very, very lucky customers this time.
0:29:37 > 0:29:42This stir-fry is destined to be served on tomorrow's flight from Heathrow to Hong Kong.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47That is, if it passes the taste test at the top table.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52Interesting. So what's this then?
0:29:52 > 0:29:54What we do here is the top table testing.
0:29:54 > 0:29:59The chef de parties of the kitchen taste every product that is cooked.
0:29:59 > 0:30:04- Every day?- Every product, every day. Seven days a week, 365 a year.
0:30:04 > 0:30:10What they do then is they put that in this sheet here, sign it off.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13The chef signs it off first, then the chef de partie
0:30:13 > 0:30:16and then I'll come up with the quality control team
0:30:16 > 0:30:18and we'll countersign to see if it's right.
0:30:18 > 0:30:22That could mean tasting up to 800 dishes daily!
0:30:22 > 0:30:25If you'd like to help yourself to something to eat.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28It's a skilled job because food tastes different in the air.
0:30:30 > 0:30:34Our taste buds are dulled by up to 30% by altitude,
0:30:34 > 0:30:37so plane food must be anything but plain.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40That's delicious.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43That's the lamb Berber for the Middle Eastern routes.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45- Once things have been cooked... - Yeah.
0:30:45 > 0:30:49..it must be important to get them right down to temperature to stop bacteria forming.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51It does.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54The chef that brings the sample here also goes to this table,
0:30:54 > 0:30:58where he writes down the core temperature to start off with.
0:30:58 > 0:31:00From there, we walk through into the blast chiller.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03- Can we look in the blast chiller? - Of course.
0:31:10 > 0:31:11Chilly in here!
0:31:11 > 0:31:13Now, blast chilling.
0:31:13 > 0:31:18Why do we blast-chill products rather than allowing them to cool in a normal refrigerator?
0:31:18 > 0:31:19It's all to do with bacteria.
0:31:19 > 0:31:23We cannot allow the food to stay hot for long because as it comes down,
0:31:23 > 0:31:27it allows that optimum temperature for the bacteria to multiply,
0:31:27 > 0:31:30which of course in itself will cause us problems.
0:31:30 > 0:31:32These blast chillers are all about getting the food
0:31:32 > 0:31:36down below eight degrees as quickly as possible
0:31:36 > 0:31:39because once the food is down there, ideally at five degrees or so,
0:31:39 > 0:31:44no bacteria stands a chance.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47If we'd cooked off, say, some salmon,
0:31:47 > 0:31:51what's the time that you have to get that down to a specific temperature?
0:31:51 > 0:31:56The guidelines are between 65 and five degrees within four hours,
0:31:56 > 0:31:59but obviously some things will come down quicker than that.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02You've got to be careful that when you're temperature monitoring,
0:32:02 > 0:32:04you don't allow it to come down too cold
0:32:04 > 0:32:08because these babies are that fierce that they can freeze,
0:32:08 > 0:32:14so the guys that are doing the blast chilling are very important in the industry
0:32:14 > 0:32:19because they can either take it out when it's too hot or take it out when it's frozen.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21Frozen affects the quality.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24It's good on the food safety but on the quality, it's not so good.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28Now the food has reached a temperature where germs can't breed.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32All of it is moved to the assembly area.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36Again, this is chilled to keep bacteria at bay.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39We've seen the whole process from the goods arriving
0:32:39 > 0:32:42to them being cooked, everything going through the system.
0:32:42 > 0:32:47Now, how do you ensure that all the passengers get the same food?
0:32:47 > 0:32:52The assemblers will put the steaks in each individual component,
0:32:52 > 0:32:55which is weighed and based on this touch-screen,
0:32:55 > 0:32:58she'll look at the spec, she'll make a golden sample
0:32:58 > 0:33:02and put it beside the specification so she's got a visual aid
0:33:02 > 0:33:06that she can check, that every one will be virtually the same.
0:33:06 > 0:33:11Obviously your steaks will differ in size, but generally we'll be
0:33:11 > 0:33:15working to the specification which has been agreed by the customer.
0:33:15 > 0:33:21And at this point, are we still looking out for any issues that might arise with the food?
0:33:21 > 0:33:25We'll be looking at quality issues that may have happened in the kitchen.
0:33:25 > 0:33:31They may have overcooked the beans, they may have not mixed correctly the potatoes
0:33:31 > 0:33:34but we have a quality control chef that monitors that anyway
0:33:34 > 0:33:37and feeds back to the production department.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40Obviously this is being assembled cold
0:33:40 > 0:33:42so cooking on the plane, what happens then?
0:33:42 > 0:33:46The girls will actually put the meals together, they'll wrap them
0:33:46 > 0:33:48and they'll put on the ovens.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52The ovens then will be put on the trolleys, taken from here
0:33:52 > 0:33:55and put on the aircraft, where the crew will actually heat them up,
0:33:55 > 0:33:58ready for the passenger to eat.
0:33:58 > 0:34:03From this point on, the food is kept in these chilled oven trolleys.
0:34:05 > 0:34:11Throughout its trip to the plane, Food Fighters must maintain the chill chain,
0:34:11 > 0:34:14so that everything stays cool in dispatch and on to the lorries.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23And if you think you face a lot of checks before flying,
0:34:23 > 0:34:26it's nothing compared to your dinner.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38Pizza, fried chicken or maybe a Chinese.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41We all have our favourites when it comes to fast food
0:34:41 > 0:34:46and if the figures are to be believed, we eat it in abundance.
0:34:46 > 0:34:50As a nation, we spend up to £7 million a day on takeaways
0:34:50 > 0:34:54so our Food Fighters need to make sure our money's going into safe hands.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57Let's catch up with the two environmental health officers
0:34:57 > 0:35:00battling to keep food safety at the top of the takeaway menus.
0:35:05 > 0:35:07It's mid-afternoon in Oxford.
0:35:07 > 0:35:12The town's fast-food restaurants are gearing up for another busy night.
0:35:13 > 0:35:18Environmental health inspector Richard Kuziara continues his fight
0:35:18 > 0:35:21to make sure quick also means quality.
0:35:21 > 0:35:22Whatcha.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25Today he's checking up on Branos Fried Chicken
0:35:25 > 0:35:30to see if its good three-star rating is deserved.
0:35:30 > 0:35:34The risks with fried food are really quite low.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38Because it's often pressure cooked at extremely high temperature,
0:35:38 > 0:35:43the chances of getting food poisoning from something like this is fairly limited.
0:35:43 > 0:35:47But they've got shish kebabs and things like that,
0:35:47 > 0:35:51so handling of raw products, making sure it's cooked properly.
0:35:51 > 0:35:55When there's a big queue and people have had a few to drink and want it fast,
0:35:55 > 0:35:58that's when there's pressure to perhaps put stuff out too early,
0:35:58 > 0:36:01so it'll be interesting to see how they deal with that.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04Richard's first impressions are promising.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08Already it's looking smarter than when I was last here.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13With such a high turnover of food,
0:36:13 > 0:36:15takeaway temperature control is vital.
0:36:17 > 0:36:23Richard's keen to make sure the thermometers here are working by comparing readings.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26Let's do the same one and then we'll see what it comes out as
0:36:26 > 0:36:29and we'll see if they roughly come out the same.
0:36:29 > 0:36:33The temperature's good, that's the main thing.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36Yeah. It's working.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39So yours is good enough.
0:36:39 > 0:36:44The poultry's perfect. Time to catch up with the kebabs.
0:36:48 > 0:36:54Kebabs are cooked from the outside in, so it's important any doners they dish out are done so with care.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56When did this go on? When will it get thrown away?
0:36:56 > 0:36:59What happens to it at the end of the night? That kind of stuff.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02We sell every day one of these.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05So every day, you have a fresh one?
0:37:05 > 0:37:06Every day, fresh one.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08OK, good. Right.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14Do you cook it for a certain amount of time? Do you cut into it?
0:37:14 > 0:37:21- No. We cut them into small slices and we see everything is ready.- OK.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24And you do that with all of them or just some of them?
0:37:24 > 0:37:26- All of them.- OK.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29So you cut into it and check it's thoroughly cooked? Good.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32What I'm concerned about is when you're busy,
0:37:32 > 0:37:35a lot of people come in and they've had a few drinks.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38There's pressure to serve it quickly, that you're just...
0:37:38 > 0:37:41- We always check it.- OK, good.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46Next up, hand washing,
0:37:46 > 0:37:49and this takeaway really is cleaning up in this area.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52The basin is operated by knee.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56I like the way you've got the no-hands.
0:37:58 > 0:38:04What we've got here is with chicken, it's really often a very heavily contaminated product
0:38:04 > 0:38:08just cos of the nature of the way chicken's produced,
0:38:08 > 0:38:14so here they're covering all the chicken, handling it lots.
0:38:14 > 0:38:18The last thing you want is all chicken blood, salmonella,
0:38:18 > 0:38:21getting all over tap handles.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24What we've got here is a knee-operated wash-hand basin.
0:38:24 > 0:38:30The opportunity for cross-contamination is much reduced.
0:38:30 > 0:38:34Very rare that people put their knee in the food.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40Branos seems to be up there with the best takeaways
0:38:40 > 0:38:45but will this good news continue when Richard heads out back?
0:38:45 > 0:38:47Right.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50Over at the Marmaris in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire,
0:38:50 > 0:38:55Richard Hutchinson's inspection is turning into a game of two halves.
0:38:55 > 0:39:01While outside scored a bit of an own goal, inside is faring much better.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07- When was that last pulled out? - Sunday.
0:39:07 > 0:39:12The level of dirt underneath there is what I would expect from Sunday to Thursday.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19Although he's scouring for trouble spots,
0:39:19 > 0:39:23he's aware the place can't be spotless all the time.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25They've got a business to run.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28We don't expect them to spend all their time on cleaning
0:39:28 > 0:39:30cos they wouldn't be selling anything.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33After looking at all the obvious places,
0:39:33 > 0:39:35Richard take a gander at some hard to reach ones.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39It's not just what you can see, it's what you can smell.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42You start to get a slight stagnant water smell in these areas,
0:39:42 > 0:39:46but this one's fine, no issues at all.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49With Richard's visit at an end...
0:39:49 > 0:39:53- Any other questions? OK with that? - Yeah, I'm fine, thank you.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56..It's a good result for the owner.
0:39:56 > 0:40:01He's pleased to keep his four stars and that Richard is keeping him on his toes.
0:40:01 > 0:40:07I'm happy. Finally he came and he's happy on many things.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10Of course we've got a couple of mistakes
0:40:10 > 0:40:12and we need to do that and sort that out.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18They seem to be aware of all the important things.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21They were aware of cleaning,
0:40:21 > 0:40:24making sure that the place is clean and tidy.
0:40:24 > 0:40:29It was a bit disappointing that they haven't really got any written practices and procedures
0:40:29 > 0:40:33but generally as businesses go, that was quite decent.
0:40:36 > 0:40:40Back in Oxford, it's another mixed bag.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42These temperatures are really good. Excellent.
0:40:42 > 0:40:46While everything in the kitchen is looking rosy...
0:40:46 > 0:40:48Let's have a look.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50The backyard has one or two thorns.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53It's always a horrible area, this, isn't it?
0:40:53 > 0:40:56OK.
0:40:56 > 0:40:57This is for the oil.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00HE SIGHS OK.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03Right, what I'm concerned with here is rats coming.
0:41:03 > 0:41:08Bins like that, that's a proper rat snack that.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10- Have you had any problems?- No.
0:41:10 > 0:41:14I can't believe, with this much food, there's not rats. It's not great,
0:41:14 > 0:41:16but the main thing is they're not inside.
0:41:19 > 0:41:23It's often a grey area over who should clean up communal spaces.
0:41:23 > 0:41:27The takeaway or the landlord. But someone has to do it.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30It's just this area, I'd really like to see that cleaned up.
0:41:30 > 0:41:34At the end of the day, it's your business, so...
0:41:36 > 0:41:41So although the inside is good, the situation outside is letting this place down,
0:41:41 > 0:41:45but can it redeem itself with how the food is stored?
0:41:45 > 0:41:48- So this is just defrosting?- Yeah.- OK.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50It's good you're doing it in the fridge.
0:41:50 > 0:41:54So everything on this side is all ready to eat?
0:41:54 > 0:41:57And your raw stuff you keep separate over here?
0:41:57 > 0:41:58- Yes.- That's very good.
0:41:58 > 0:42:03With the inspection over, Richard can now deliver his verdict.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06The scores on the doors, that gives you 25.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08That gives you three stars again.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11So overall, you're good.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13The chances of you causing food poisoning are low, yeah?
0:42:13 > 0:42:17But what I'm bothered about is that yard out the back
0:42:17 > 0:42:20might attract rodents and if you've got rodents, that's a disaster.
0:42:20 > 0:42:25But, you've come out as good, so you've kept your three stars so I'm pleased about that.
0:42:25 > 0:42:30I always like it when people manage to maintain their stars.
0:42:30 > 0:42:34It's a big thing, it's their business.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36So putting people down is not something I relish.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38It's good to see people are listening to you,
0:42:38 > 0:42:41and that standards are being maintained.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45For Branos, their hat-trick of three stars still stands.
0:42:45 > 0:42:50But Richard's hoping by the next visit, they'll have cleaned up the backyard
0:42:50 > 0:42:54and be well on their way to adding a fourth.
0:43:04 > 0:43:08Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:43:08 > 0:43:11E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk