Episode 9 Food Fighters


Episode 9

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We're a nation of food lovers, and today there's more choice than ever.

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Now, whether you're eating in or taking away, there's always the chance something could go wrong.

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So it's a good job there's a whole army of people working hard to keep us safe.

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They're the Food Fighters.

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..clear and present danger,

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keeping E coli at bay in this stir-fry staple.

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It's there all the time. What we try and do is minimise the risk to the process.

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The creepy-crawlies looking out for our cucumbers.

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These will hunt down and they will kill.

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And I take to the streets...

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I've got a challenge for you.

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..with a unique taste test.

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-The first one you tried is actually over two months past its best-before date.

-Oh, no!

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First, though, we're off shopping.

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For hundreds of years, the independent butcher's, baker's and greengrocer's

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were an everyday sight on our High Street.

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Now, though, there's been huge competition from the supermarkets,

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and this means that those small, independent businesses must be at the top of their game.

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But across the country there's a team of environmental health officers working with these shops

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to help them provide customers with good, safe food.

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We've been on the road with two of them.

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In Westcliff-on-Sea, David Harrison's been the local butcher for 50 years.

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He's well aware of how vital keeping up to date with food safety standards is to his livelihood.

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We're in the food business, we don't want people being ill,

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so it's absolutely imperative that we get everything absolutely right.

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And now there's about to be a big test for that reputation.

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Environmental health inspector Steve Ram is en route for his latest inspection.

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And today there are some brand-new strict guidelines which David's going to have to take onboard.

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There is a little bit of extra guidance that's come out recently from the Food Standards Agency

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about special risks concerning cross-contamination,

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and it's particularly important in a butcher's.

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In the past, this butcher's merited a five-star rating.

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Hello there! I recognise you. How do you do?

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But one small slip-up and it could easily slip down the scale.

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First, getting back to basics.

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David's paperwork must be top-notch.

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Keeping careful records is a legal requirement,

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and helps speed up investigations, should any problems occur.

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So that's our daily cleaning schedule...that we do.

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We obviously keep the records for a fair while.

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Our temperature controls within the shop...

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-so that twice a day, temperature records...

-Mmm.

-I know we don't need to take the ambient temperature,

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-but it's just of interest to us.

-I bet it is.

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With the raw meat all accounted for, Steve turns his mind to how they deal with the cooked.

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How long do you cook for and how do you check that that is a sufficient process?

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Right, well, we have... What have we got here?

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Correct cooking to an internal temperature of 75 degrees C...

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-For 30 seconds.

-That's a minimum.

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-This is for turkey.

-With a probe thermometer, yes?

-Yes.

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I tell you, if every place I went to had the same reception as this, I wouldn't be in a job for very long.

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I think I've seen enough of your documentation to satisfy me.

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I'm going to put my white coat on and just have a little look round

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-to check that what you say you're doing is what you're doing.

-Yeah.

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Donning the clean white coat looks like Steve's visit is about to get a lot more serious.

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But there are two reasons why this is good practice.

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The idea of putting on a coat like this one is so that I don't contaminate the foods out there,

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but I must say I also like the fact that it keeps any grease and such like off of my own clothes.

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It's a bit of a double whammy. Don't mind that.

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But what will the verdict be when the white coat comes off?

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Are any of these five stars about to face the chop?

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So, that's the meat, now for the veg.

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In Preston, Lancashire, Steve's colleague Simon Neighbour is at a greengrocer's.

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With fruit and veg, people can spot what is and isn't rotten,

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but there's still plenty for Simon to check.

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Just looking at the condition of the fruit, make sure there's nothing mouldy or out of condition.

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Then again, making sure it's high up off the floor.

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You don't want people walking past with their dogs or kids in prams leaning out and grabbing hold...

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and damaging it, chewing it, doing whatever they might do with it.

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This being Britain, the outside temperature can fluctuate wildly from day to day.

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But at least the shop owner here has provided protection from the elements.

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Sheltered from the sun with the shield over the top of it.

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No, it looks fine.

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And as the range of fruit and veg is now truly global,

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Simon must know his okra from his onions.

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Obviously, if you're inspecting the fruit and vegetables,

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you need to know what they are, what they should look like...

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The karela here, as this ripens, this will go the same as the peppers will go,

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you see yellow bits, and then red pieces on it as well,

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and it's just about knowing what condition it should be in, how it should look.

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You've got to know what it is and what it should look like to make sure it's fit for consumption.

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The fruit on display looks good.

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Simon now needs to check out what they're doing with the waste.

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They're sort of getting roughly stacked up.

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The yard's getting washed out, so that's actually pretty clean and tidy.

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For premises which is just low-risk retail,

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which is all the canned stuff, packaged stuff,

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really all you're looking at is cleaning, pest control and refuse storage.

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Simon's had some complaints that the rubbish here is being left around for too long.

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But it looks like the owners are on top of things, and this greengrocer's inspection is over.

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Later I visit a very unusual food shop.

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This warehouse is full of food that's out of date, but is it safe to eat?

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Something that hit the headlines recently for all the wrong reasons are these,

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bean sprouts, a favourite ingredient of course for stir fries and salads.

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But the seeds that they're grown from can contain food poisoning nasties.

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In the German case, this was E coli.

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So it's vital in the home that we properly handle them,

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but it's also very important that they're safely produced.

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So we've been behind the scenes of a farm in the UK

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to see what's being done to protect us against an outbreak.

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Place UK in Norfolk produces up to 80 tons of bean sprouts every week.

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It takes under a week for a bean sprout seed to hit our shelves,

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so if anything went wrong it would be a real problem.

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No-one wants a repeat of the German case,

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so the humble bean sprout is subject to some incredible checks.

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And it all starts in the lab.

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This lab checks the bean sprouts at every stage of their journey,

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and, of course, this starts with the seeds.

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E coli, salmonella and listeria naturally occur

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in soil and the environment,

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so it's there all the time. What we try and do is minimise the risk to the process.

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Well, what we do is take a sample of the raw material

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and we assess it physically for the quality, make sure that it is the right material,

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with no defects, no split beans, and that the beans are actually going to grow.

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We also collect a sample and send that away for microanalysis,

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to make sure that it is clear from listeria, salmonella and E coli before we start to grow it.

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So, once the team know the seeds are safe, they can be sent through to the next stage, for germination.

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Now they're constantly washed to keep the germinating seeds germ-free.

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But this is not with any old water. This water is mixed with chlorine

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to help wash away those food-poisoning nasties.

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Another on-site crucial test that we do is check the chlorine level in the final-rinse water.

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We're just doing the test here now.

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She's mixing the water with the test tablets...

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..and then what she will do is read the scale to see what the levels are,

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and if it's less than 50 the products will have to be rewashed and we'll have to start again.

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If the chlorine level is too low, then any lurking bacteria could have survived the deep clean.

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And the results are OK, within specified limits.

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And now finally the growing can begin.

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These days we like our food not only to taste good but to look good too.

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So the bean sprouts are grown in the dark.

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In daylight, they'd turn an unappealing green colour.

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It takes less than seven days for the sprouts to grow,

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and now the real battle against bacteria begins.

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If bacteria were found, it would generally be in the seed husk,

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so removing this removes the risk.

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And this is done in these huge tumbling machines.

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But just to be sure...you've got it! It's back to the lab where scientists check the final product

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before it hits our shelves.

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These beans have passed all of our tests and they're nice, crisp and ready to go out to the final customer

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and safe for eating.

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So there you have it...the story of the Food Fighters working to make sure our bean sprouts are safe.

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It's incredible to think that such a simple sprout has been through five separate safety checks.

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But ultimately the final food fighting is down to us, the consumer.

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These beans should be stored at chill temperature, consumed within three to four days,

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and fully cooked for three to four minutes as part of a stir fry or similar before you eat them.

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Now, before scientists realised bean sprouts were to blame in the German case,

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the spotlight was on cucumbers.

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They were of course innocent but the scare did have a huge impact on the cucumber industry.

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Almost half of us became more worried about the safety of our fruit and veg.

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The result was a dip in sales costing millions of pounds.

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So we decided to take a look at the cucumber industry in the UK and see what's being done to protect us.

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This is Anchor Nurseries near Hull.

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They grow a whopping four million cucumbers every year.

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But it's true that they can be susceptible to E coli if not properly handled.

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So every single week they get a visit from a man trying to keep the bad stuff away from our salads.

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My name's Derek Hargreaves

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and my job is to make sure this cucumber crop is safe for consumers to eat.

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Derek is the technical director from the local cucumber growers' association.

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Because cucumbers grow incredibly quickly, he visits weekly to keep on top of the crop.

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This is one of my normal weekly visits

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where I'll be looking at all aspects of production, nutrition, pest and disease control,

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and food hygiene.

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Today is of particular significance because of the recent outbreak of E coli in northern Germany,

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which has affected cucumber production and sales across the whole of Europe.

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The farm manager is Trevor Brockhausen.

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He and Derek are working together to make sure that our much-loved cucumbers can bounce back.

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-Morning, Trevor.

-Morning, Derek.

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The crop is closely guarded against all contamination, including that nasty E coli.

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One of the biggest risks is disease brought in by visitors,

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so, before he's even allowed in this greenhouse, Derek has to scrub up.

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This is actually quite significant.

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We don't want to be transferring any disease into the crop.

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Finally, Derek and Trevor can enter the huge greenhouses.

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The first job, a general poke around to check the crop is healthy.

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They're looking OK, reasonably vigorous.

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Right, then, let's take a look at what's being done here to keep the cucumbers free from bacteria.

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E coli can be found in water. Clearly, a top priority must be checking that supply.

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Right, Trevor, with all this problem with E coli, we ought to be looking

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at microbiological levels in the water. When did you last do it?

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It's about due now, Derek.

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We just have to take one of three measures for the bacterial levels.

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Yeah, it's obviously important because that water there feeds the whole crop.

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And it's important to make sure the bacterial levels are as low as possible.

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Samples are taken and these are sent away to check nothing is lurking.

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But that's not all they do here.

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Each cucumber has its personal water supply,

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yet another safeguard to stop bacteria spreading between the plants.

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The plant is brought in in this small cube.

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There's plenty of water there.

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That water is supplied through this dripper.

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The water runs down this stick, so there's no possible way that it can get on to the foliage

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or even on to the fruit.

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The cucumbers down here could never get contaminated with water.

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It looks like E coli wouldn't have a chance of breaking through these defences,

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but what about the cucumber's other arch enemy?

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The pests.

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Red spider mites and whitefly love nothing more than a mouthful of cucumber for lunch.

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Pesticides do kill them, but can be harmful to us.

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So this farm uses its very own natural Food Fighter...

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We use a biological control to control the pests of the crop.

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This particular bag here contains a predator that controls pests of the crop which damages the cucumbers.

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And we have various predators for various pests on the crop.

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If we don't put these on, the bad guys will just overrun us.

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So we have to put the good guys,

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what I have in the bottle, I have to put them on to the plant.

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These will hunt down and they will kill.

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So it's a duel to the death between the good and the bad.

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This crop is given the green light. It's clearly well protected against the bugs and the bacteria,

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and us consumers can be satisfied that everything is being done to make sure our salads are safe.

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Later will everything come up "rose" when the inspector visits this vineyard?

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He could remove the wine,

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stop me selling any and all of our wine.

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Best-before dates are the subject of long-running debates on how closely we should be following them.

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Well, according to this company in Sheffield, not at all.

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Because almost everything that you see here is well past its best-before date,

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and it's all for sale. But how can we be sure that it's safe to consume?

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This is the main depot of Approved Foods in Sheffield.

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If I want to find out how they can sell food that's past its best-before date,

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I better catch up with boss Dan Cluderay.

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-Hi, Dan, how are you?

-Hi there, Simon. Pleased to meet you.

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This is incredible.

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It's an Aladdin's Cave. How do you get the goods?

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The goods come from practically every place you can think of,

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and it's basically whole cases or whole pallets of stock.

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They've either been lost in a warehouse, it's a label change...

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there's a variety of different reasons why it's become short-dated.

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-Can we have a wander around?

-You're welcome, yeah.

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Here they sell everything from pop to popcorn,

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crisps to crackers, so just how out of date are their products?

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I'm just intrigued to see what you've got.

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Anchovy fillets. Best before the end of November 2010.

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So they're six months past their best-before date.

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And yet there's no reason at all why they shouldn't be eaten.

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They've been stored perfectly.

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-And yet people will probably turn their nose up at that.

-Some will, but some won't.

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What kind of safety mechanisms do you put in place to ensure

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that everything that's going out to your customers is safe?

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OK, firstly, if any product was going to make you ill if it went past its date,

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it's going to have a use-by date on it. We only sell products with best-before dates on them,

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so there the key thing is it's about the optimum quality of the product.

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This distinction is crucial.

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Use-by dates are all about safety.

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Do not eat anything after its use-by date.

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However you can safely eat food after its best-before date,

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though the quality will be reduced.

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But Dan believes that quality doesn't necessarily go from good to bad overnight.

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We're working about a month, two months past that product's date.

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So if you're buying like a can of beans, if it goes a month past its date,

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but it's had a lifespan of two years, does it really make a difference?

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-Can we have a little taste test?

-Sounds fantastic!

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-Best part of the day!

-All right.

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Now, I think we definitely waste too much food in this country,

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each year throwing away a staggering ten billion pounds' worth.

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But still I'm not prepared to eat food past its best-before date if it tastes rubbish.

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-Can we try some stuff, then, Dan?

-Yeah, yeah.

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So, like, pop. Out of date, April. HISS!

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Sounds all right to me, yeah?

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-So, you know, chocolate biscuits.

-What's the date on these, then?

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-These are March-dated.

-So they're a couple of months over.

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-So you're expecting a chocolate biscuit that's covered in white stuff.

-Yes.

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You know, it's just a standard chocolate biscuit.

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Yeah, looks fine.

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Perfect. Absolutely delicious.

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People talk about crisps going soggy, so these are April-dated crisps.

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CRUNCH! Mmm...still got their crunch. Pardon me!

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Nice after my chocolate biscuit as well.

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Yeah?

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-You would have no idea whatsoever that that is not well within date.

-That's right.

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Those are crunchy, full of flavour, the chocolate biscuit was absolutely fine,

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we opened the pop and the pop fizzes.

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It's all about optimum quality, best-before dates, and there's nothing wrong with the quality here.

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I've done the taste tests and I'm quite happy,

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but with a packet of crisps past its best-before date and a packet of biscuits past its best-before date

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and a choccy bar, all past their best-before date,

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can members of the public spot the difference between these and the ones still within date?

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I'm taking my samples out on to the streets of Sheffield to find out. First up, the chocolate biscuits.

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I've got a challenge for you.

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Free chocolate, you can't turn down free chocolate, can you?

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Have a taste of each, see if you can see any difference at all.

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-Nice? Lovely? Delicious? Any difference?

-None at all.

-No.

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-No difference.

-No difference at all?

-I think they taste exactly the same.

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-The first one you tried is actually over two months past its best-before date.

-Oh, no!

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-No, that doesn't bother me at all.

-It bothers me!

-No, I can go back several years on stuff.

-Yeah.

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Not a problem.

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Well, no-one could spot any difference at all with the chocolate,

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but what about the biscuits?

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-Try that one first, then that one.

-Right. I've just had a burrito. Does that matter?

-No...

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Nice, yeah?

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Try the other one. See if you can tell any difference.

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Those taste like they've got real ginger in them. They taste a bit...artificial.

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-Not as tasty.

-The one that you don't think is quite as tasty

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-is a couple of months past its best-before date...

-Oh, right.

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Oh, right.

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-So there's a definite difference between the two?

-Yeah, absolutely. You can see in the colour...

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and they taste... well, they taste fresh.

0:22:580:23:02

Well, there was definitely a difference in the ginger nuts.

0:23:020:23:05

Everyone could tell which of the biscuits was past its best-before date.

0:23:050:23:08

Now, crunch time... what will they think of the crisps?

0:23:080:23:11

I've a little test for you.

0:23:120:23:14

Taste one crisp from each of those plates to see if you can tell the difference. It's nothing horrible.

0:23:140:23:18

-Are you sure?

-Promise.

-Cross my heart.

0:23:180:23:21

Both plates are cheese and onion.

0:23:210:23:23

Nice?

0:23:230:23:24

-Not very cheesy.

-OK.

-Or oniony.

0:23:240:23:27

-Cheese and onion.

-Mm-hm.

0:23:270:23:30

-They're both cheese and onion.

-That's all right, then, my favourite.

0:23:300:23:33

-Any difference?

-I thought that one...

-That one's stronger.

0:23:350:23:39

I thought that one was...

0:23:390:23:41

-No.

-No difference at all?

-No.

-They taste absolutely fine?

-There's no difference.

0:23:410:23:46

So we've asked the people of Sheffield and they've replied with one voice...

0:23:470:23:51

"It depends." So that's quality, but what about safety for all you doubters out there?

0:23:510:23:57

I want to know if there are any food-poisoning nasties lurking in our samples.

0:24:020:24:06

Our products have been sent to Leeds Metropolitan University biomedical sciences labs

0:24:090:24:15

to meet microbiologist Chris Boothby.

0:24:150:24:17

-Chris, we sent you a couple of things to test, a chocolate bar, in particular.

-Mm-hm.

0:24:180:24:24

On something like a chocolate bar, chocolate biscuit, what kind of things would you test for?

0:24:240:24:28

We test for total bacteria that we can find in there,

0:24:280:24:32

and then we specifically try to find individual nasties that might be hidden,

0:24:320:24:37

salmonellas, bacillas... We test for staphylococcus

0:24:370:24:42

and all the things you would sort of find if somebody's been handling the food in a wrong way.

0:24:420:24:48

For a control sample, Chris examined in in-date choccy biscuit

0:24:500:24:54

and clearly this got a clean bill of health.

0:24:540:24:57

But what about our bar that's past its best?

0:24:570:25:00

It's faced a general overall test, then four separate ones looking for specific bacteria.

0:25:000:25:06

So...our first sample, how's that looking?

0:25:060:25:10

It is looking excellent. If we have a look at the colonies here, it's clean.

0:25:100:25:16

And there is no more bacteria on this than on the fresh, clean, in-date one.

0:25:160:25:21

And of all of them that would be the one you would expect to find...?

0:25:210:25:25

That would be the one we would pick things up on, yes. That picks everything up.

0:25:250:25:29

-So that means that sample number 2...

-Is clean.

0:25:290:25:33

-Sample number 3...

-Is clean.

-Sample number 4...

-Excellent.

0:25:330:25:37

-Sample number 5...

-Nothing on it.

-And our final one, salmonella, that we're all terrified of...

0:25:370:25:41

Clean, safe...and everything is edible and perfectly good.

0:25:410:25:47

So, Dan has got a good business and a safe business.

0:25:470:25:52

A very safe microbiological business there, yes.

0:25:520:25:55

Have a delicious day.

0:26:010:26:03

An inspection with a difference at the world's smallest bakery.

0:26:030:26:06

Because most of our customers are our friends, we put a lot into it.

0:26:060:26:10

It means a lot to us, what we do.

0:26:100:26:12

Now, whether you use it to add flavour to your cooking or simply serve it to enjoy with the meal,

0:26:190:26:25

there's no doubt that wine is important to chefs like me.

0:26:250:26:28

And although we might normally associate wine with Australia, France or Italy,

0:26:280:26:32

there is a growing number of vineyards right here in Britain.

0:26:320:26:35

And making sure they're doing it properly...you've guessed it, it's the Food Fighters!

0:26:350:26:39

FRENCH ACCORDION MUSIC

0:26:420:26:45

At this picturesque vineyard, spring has sprung and the vines are starting to bud.

0:26:490:26:54

But this is not Bordeaux.

0:26:570:26:59

This is not the Dordogne.

0:26:590:27:01

-MUSIC STOPS

-This is Dudley... in the West Midlands.

0:27:010:27:05

At Halfpenny Green Vineyard, they produce 15 varieties

0:27:090:27:14

and some 50,000 bottles of wine every year.

0:27:140:27:17

It all has to be safe, so let's raise a glass to this man.

0:27:190:27:23

My name's Clive Vickers and I'm a winemaker.

0:27:240:27:27

Clive is the vineyard manager. He has to get things right at every stage of production,

0:27:270:27:32

or customers could suffer from more than just a hangover.

0:27:320:27:36

So here we are on a spring day, a great variety called Rondo which is fantastic in England for red wine.

0:27:390:27:45

And we've actually got bud burst. These'll start growing

0:27:450:27:48

literally like triffids, an inch a day, up through these retaining wires,

0:27:480:27:52

and after a while the vines... the growth is so intense

0:27:520:27:57

that we have to pull leaves off to allow the grapes to literally search for the light

0:27:570:28:02

or expose them to the light.

0:28:020:28:04

And they will sort of poke out from the canopy as if to say, "Pick me!"

0:28:040:28:09

There are no real safety concerns when the grapes are growing. It's in here

0:28:100:28:15

where things could really go wrong.

0:28:150:28:17

Last year's grapes have been fermenting in these tanks for six months.

0:28:220:28:26

Clive is now getting ready to begin the bottling.

0:28:260:28:29

But it's vital mould and any bacteria from the grapes doesn't get into our bottles of red,

0:28:290:28:35

so special measures are called for.

0:28:350:28:38

Key to keeping your wine bug-free is the use of these filters.

0:28:380:28:43

It comes into the machine, through the plastic plates, through a little hole,

0:28:430:28:46

and the only place it can go then is through one of these sheets,

0:28:460:28:50

and these are capable of taking out everything we don't want in the wine.

0:28:500:28:53

And if that doesn't catch the nasties, then this monster membrane will.

0:28:530:28:58

It really is the belt and braces.

0:28:580:29:00

These are membrane cartridges

0:29:000:29:02

which take anything out that could just possibly have got through the previous filter.

0:29:020:29:07

They go down to .45 micron and take out things that the eye can't see, you'd need a microscope to see.

0:29:070:29:14

But they will give us that absolute guarantee of sterility.

0:29:140:29:17

But all this is pointless if the filters themselves aren't clean.

0:29:180:29:22

Bacteria could cling to these racks which could make us very ill.

0:29:240:29:28

Everything must be ultra clean.

0:29:310:29:34

There he goes.

0:29:340:29:35

Time to get steaming!

0:29:350:29:37

So here we've got the steam coming in, boiling-hot pipe into the inlet of the filter.

0:29:410:29:48

So the steam is working its way through these sheets,

0:29:480:29:51

making sure they're totally sterile. All the different vents are now shut.

0:29:510:29:56

This machine is sealed and sterile.

0:29:560:29:58

Once Clive is happy, a simple push of a button sets the wheels in motion.

0:30:000:30:05

And to keep any dodgy germs out, it all happens inside a sealed unit.

0:30:090:30:13

Even people are banned!

0:30:150:30:18

Clive is pleased as Punch about the set-up here.

0:30:200:30:24

But to make sure everything is as good as he says it is,

0:30:250:30:29

every six months this man pays the vineyard a little visit.

0:30:290:30:33

I'm Ian Clarke and my job is to ensure that the wine you buy is safe to drink.

0:30:350:30:40

Ian is a government wine inspector. He visits vineyards up and down the country

0:30:410:30:46

to check the wine they're making. Sounds like a great job to me.

0:30:460:30:50

It's important that the consumer knows

0:30:500:30:52

that what they're drinking is as described on the bottle, that's the first thing.

0:30:520:30:57

But also they don't want to be ill when they drink it,

0:30:570:30:59

so they want to know that it's safe for them to drink

0:30:590:31:02

and that's part of the remit of the Food Standards Agency to ensure that all food is safe.

0:31:020:31:06

So will it be a vintage performance or will it be a case of sour grapes?

0:31:090:31:14

He could remove the wine,

0:31:140:31:16

if I've overdone any of the... within the parameters of sulphur levels, alcohol levels,

0:31:160:31:21

per the label, that sort of thing...

0:31:210:31:23

Yeah, he could stop me selling any and all of our wine.

0:31:230:31:27

So, you see, there's a lot at stake for Clive.

0:31:290:31:33

First up, Ian wants to see those filters we saw are doing what they should be doing.

0:31:330:31:38

So what are we doing in the winery today, then, Clive?

0:31:380:31:42

Just set up for bottling, everything's sterile, been steamed for the last couple of hours.

0:31:420:31:47

-We've got our own Madeleine Angevine coming through, single variety...

-Right.

0:31:470:31:52

-This is what we would be doing the sulphur dioxide test on today?

-Yes, it would.

-Excellent.

0:31:520:31:56

Checking for the sulphur dioxide is Ian's priority today.

0:31:580:32:03

This chemical does keep the bacteria at bay, but in high doses it can be lethal.

0:32:030:32:08

Sulphur dioxide is used as a preservative in the wine,

0:32:080:32:12

but of course it is a dangerous substance in itself.

0:32:120:32:14

And it is an allergen,

0:32:140:32:17

and I believe that it is particularly asthmatic sufferers who are prone to attacks

0:32:170:32:23

if they have too much sulphur dioxide.

0:32:230:32:26

So, with a large glass of wine poured,

0:32:270:32:31

Clive takes a precise measure.

0:32:310:32:33

Then he adds some special indicator fluid.

0:32:360:32:39

This needs to turn purple to prove the levels here are safe.

0:32:410:32:45

If they're too high, Ian could pull the whole production.

0:32:460:32:48

We want it to change colour completely...so you start... bit of a purple tinge.

0:32:510:32:56

not quite there...

0:32:560:32:58

and that's completely gone, look.

0:32:580:33:00

-Very good.

-OK?

-Yeah.

0:33:000:33:02

The levels here are within the legal limits,

0:33:050:33:07

but because sulphur dioxide is poisonous to some people

0:33:070:33:10

they need to know what they're buying, so Ian reads the label.

0:33:100:33:14

There are certain bits of information which have to be on the label by law.

0:33:140:33:19

One is provenance and on here it says "English regional wine", so that tells you where it's from.

0:33:190:33:24

It also has the alcohol content on there displayed correctly.

0:33:240:33:28

There's the nominal volume on there displayed correctly.

0:33:280:33:30

And it also has...this is one of the most important pieces...

0:33:300:33:33

this bit at the bottom, tells me where the wine was bottled.

0:33:330:33:35

And it was bottled here, we've just seen it bottled.

0:33:350:33:38

So there's traceability. Very important for the consumer to know where it came from.

0:33:380:33:41

Then I turn the bottle around and I'm looking for another vital piece of information,

0:33:410:33:45

and it's the sulphur dioxide warning which is displayed as "contains sulphites". Absolutely vital.

0:33:450:33:51

And, at the end of the visit, Ian is happy everything here is above board.

0:33:570:34:02

-How's that, then, Ian, all right?

-That's fine, Clive, yes.

0:34:020:34:05

-I think I've seen everything I want to see, so see you in six months' time.

-OK, nice to see you.

-Bye.

-Bye.

0:34:050:34:11

All right.

0:34:110:34:13

It's always a relief because you can never be sure he won't find something

0:34:130:34:17

that isn't, you know, absolutely spot-on, and he might pick on that, but, no, today was fantastic.

0:34:170:34:23

So, after a corking inspection, Clive can celebrate,

0:34:250:34:29

and it's business as usual for this West Midland vineyard.

0:34:290:34:33

Now we're back with our Food Fighters inspecting our small independent retailers.

0:34:430:34:48

We've already seen a greengrocer's and a butcher's receiving an unexpected visit.

0:34:480:34:52

The next stop is a baker's, but this is a baker's with a difference.

0:34:520:34:56

Strolling through this picturesque village on the outskirts of Oxford,

0:35:020:35:05

environmental health officer Richard Cugiara in on the hunt for what's claimed to be

0:35:050:35:09

the world's smallest bakery.

0:35:090:35:11

Love Loaves is run in a real country garden shed by husband and wife Dragan and Penny.

0:35:130:35:19

They're proud of their reputation

0:35:190:35:22

and deliver its handmade artisan products to just two carefully selected local shops.

0:35:220:35:27

Hello! Good loafing to you!

0:35:270:35:30

Good bread for the hungry villagers!

0:35:330:35:36

Although it might be a small fish in business terms...

0:35:360:35:40

-Have a delicious day!

-OK, and yourself.

0:35:400:35:42

..that doesn't mean it can slip through the food safety net.

0:35:420:35:45

Richard's hoping this baker is getting food safety just right.

0:35:470:35:51

-Hello, Dragan?

-Hello.

-Richard. It's the world's smallest bakery, this, isn't it?

0:35:540:36:00

-That's right.

-Excellent.

-Nobody has contested it yet.

0:36:000:36:04

And there's something more unusual about this place...

0:36:040:36:07

this backyard bakery supplements Dragan's income as a magician!

0:36:070:36:11

-We've got some ready. Let me just see.

-Fantastic!

0:36:130:36:16

From rabbit out of the hat to loaf out of the oven.

0:36:160:36:19

-Wholemeal. They're all organic.

-Excellent.

-And it's still not ready, it needs another five minutes.

0:36:190:36:25

-But all organic, no chemicals... you know...

-Beautiful.

-Fresh yeasts.

0:36:250:36:31

But Richard needs to make sure that any dirt or crumbs here are quick to vanish.

0:36:330:36:38

This is here for the cleaning materials.

0:36:380:36:40

Cleaning equipment. Right.

0:36:400:36:42

Small bakery, short inspection...

0:36:420:36:46

Richard's happy with Dragan's baking den.

0:36:460:36:49

Yeah, awesome.

0:36:490:36:51

And as every magician needs a glamorous assistant...

0:36:510:36:54

-All right, Penny?

-Morning. Come in.

-Cheers.

0:36:550:36:58

Next up it's paperwork time with baker's wife and business partner Penny.

0:36:580:37:04

And just refresh me on when you are actually baking again?

0:37:040:37:08

At the moment we're doing Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

0:37:080:37:14

If anything ever goes wrong with bakeries when they're just doing bread,

0:37:140:37:18

it's things like when they get filthy and you get pests, and it's cockroaches, backs of ovens,

0:37:180:37:23

and things like that, but, you know, that's far from the reality here, so, I mean...

0:37:230:37:29

-No room for cockroaches in that bakery!

-No room for cockroaches! Which I'm entirely happy with!

0:37:290:37:34

Love Loaves might be small, but it gets a big score from Richard...

0:37:340:37:39

five stars out of five.

0:37:390:37:41

So, very high standards...

0:37:440:37:47

..of hygiene practice. Can't give a better compliment than that as a health inspector, really!

0:37:480:37:53

I'm very pleased.

0:37:530:37:54

We put a lot into it. It means a lot to us, what we do.

0:37:580:38:01

It means a lot to the village,

0:38:010:38:04

and because most of our customers are our friends,

0:38:040:38:08

we kind of treat the bakery as something...well, it's like having people round for dinner.

0:38:080:38:16

-You always do your best.

-People love to eat this bread that we make,

0:38:160:38:21

so, you know, we became popular in the village for a start.

0:38:210:38:24

So no cockroaches! I think people will be happy.

0:38:240:38:28

Back at the butcher's at Westcliff-on-Sea and things are also going well,

0:38:340:38:39

but there's one key area Steve Ram needs to check.

0:38:390:38:42

3.5 degrees.

0:38:440:38:47

Got some olives here that are 4, so this is looking good.

0:38:470:38:51

It's time to make sure the butcher is doing everything he can

0:38:520:38:55

to make sure no-one is handling cooked and raw at the same time.

0:38:550:38:59

Now, the requirement of separation from raw foods is being met

0:39:010:39:05

by virtue of this divider which makes very clear that we've now come into a raw food area.

0:39:050:39:10

What's your method, if you served a customer with some raw meat

0:39:100:39:13

and then they want some cooked meat, what do you do?

0:39:130:39:15

-Straight over to the sink...

-Yeah.

0:39:150:39:18

-Use that soap, wash the hands, dry the hands...

-Over to there.

0:39:200:39:26

-That's great.

-Total separation.

0:39:260:39:28

The butcher has two other staff on his books

0:39:300:39:32

and he's made sure they have been put through special food safety courses.

0:39:320:39:37

Is it very difficult for you and your staff to follow these rules, to prevent cross-contamination?

0:39:370:39:43

No, it's just a matter of training, really. You get into a routine.

0:39:430:39:47

-You must get into a routine of doing it. Getting the routine is second nature.

-Mm-hm.

0:39:470:39:53

But these routines may need to change.

0:39:540:39:58

The Food Standards Agency has just announced new guidelines for butchers,

0:39:580:40:02

and this could have serious implications for small businesses like David's.

0:40:020:40:06

This is saying, can we even make better efforts in certain areas?

0:40:080:40:13

Food poisoning is all about a probability, a matter of chance,

0:40:130:40:18

and the more things that go wrong, the bigger the chance is.

0:40:180:40:21

In the past, people were allowed to use the same surfaces for raw and cooked meat,

0:40:240:40:29

as long as they were cleaned properly.

0:40:290:40:31

Now the FSA wants to see two completely separate areas

0:40:310:40:34

to prevent bacteria from raw meat infecting the cooked.

0:40:340:40:37

Previously we've said that sanitising an area and doing things at a different time is good practice.

0:40:410:40:49

We're now saying best practice is to actually designate an area that only has the ready-to-eat foods.

0:40:490:40:55

It also means David might have to invest in some new equipment

0:40:550:40:58

when it comes to slicing and packing his meat.

0:40:580:41:02

-So it is an important factor. How much are these machines, roughly?

-£2,500.

-£2,500.

0:41:020:41:07

I've seen older machines where I would agree with this guidance.

0:41:070:41:10

I'm looking at that one and thinking, "I think you can sanitise that,"

0:41:100:41:14

so what I'm doing today is to say that this is new guidance, you know what it says...

0:41:140:41:18

-I'm aware of it.

-You're aware of it. Yeah? And we'll keep under review how clean this is.

0:41:180:41:24

A third change asks butchers to have a hands-free sink to help prevent cross-contamination.

0:41:240:41:30

And David has one. He's well ahead of the game here.

0:41:300:41:36

And you never have to worry about this hygiene risk because you've always got that type.

0:41:360:41:41

Well, that's really good.

0:41:410:41:43

Steve's visit's over and there's some good news for the butcher.

0:41:430:41:47

He's retained his meaty score.

0:41:470:41:50

And what I've seen concurs with the last inspection you had.

0:41:520:41:55

-You'll be getting another top score of five, very good.

-Thank you very much.

0:41:550:41:59

And although these visits aren't without a certain amount of stress,

0:42:010:42:04

both butcher and Food Fighter agree they're essential

0:42:040:42:08

to help keep a vital part of our High Street alive.

0:42:080:42:11

In Southend, we've got a reducing number of this type of butcher's shop.

0:42:120:42:18

I would imagine, I don't know, that the supermarkets are probably competing,

0:42:180:42:22

so it's important that this business is profitable to stay around,

0:42:220:42:26

to produce the sort of foods for the local community that it does,

0:42:260:42:29

and I think when it has its five score in the window,

0:42:290:42:33

when people are reassured that hygiene standards are good,

0:42:330:42:35

then they're more likely to come and continue to give trade here, which I think is important.

0:42:350:42:40

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0:42:550:42:59

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0:42:590:43:03

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