14/10/2013 Inside Out South West

Hello and welcome to Inside Out. Stories and investigations from

where you live. Tonight, evidence of failings in the system that is

supposed to keep our food safe. It will give you Simpsons for up to 48

hours with a mild case of food poisoning ` ` it will give you

symptoms. In a worst`case scenario, it can kill people. The Southwest's

newest nature reserve. Welcome to Inside Out.

Whether it is eating out or taking away, letting somebody else dish up

our food has never been more popular. Sometimes, that can do was

more harm than good. Kate is of food poisoning in the South West have

gone up by 30% in the last ten years.

Kingsbridge builder Ian Mason's shopping list is a short one. I am

not allowed to drink red wine, not allowed to eat brown bread, can each

vegetables ` ` can't eat vegetables, fruits, and Apple once a week maybe.

If I eat pineapple or a strawberry, I will be off the road for about

three days. Ian's diet has not always been so restricted. His life

changed forever two years ago after a catered hot roast. ` ` hog roast.

It was a normal day. The sun was out, the kids were making sand

castles and what have you. Everything was fine and Ukraine, hog

roast, lovely. 24 hours later, Ian went down with salmonella. The hog

roast was not officially confirmed as the cause. But Ian was so ill, he

was in hospital for weak and off work for almost a year. He was

eventually diagnosed with an incurable bowel condition. I

basically wanted to die, because I felt ill all of the time. You keep

taking this tablet is going to make you better, you try not to eat

because you think maybe if I don't, I will be better, so I didn't eat

for three or four days. That did not make any difference. If I taste

something, as soon as it touches my tongue, I can say, I can't eat that.

Last year, 20,000 people in the UK ended up in hospital with food

poisoning. It could have been even worse. A mild case of food poisoning

will give you symptoms for up to 48 hours, which you will then get over.

Worst`case scenario, it kills people. It is the job of Devon and

Cornwall's local authorities to police food hygiene. That has cost

them more than ?2 million every year. That is built some councils

are struggling to afford. Torbay in South Devon. More than a million

holiday`makers swell the population here every year. That is a lot of

hungry mouths to feed and a lot of local food sellers are very happy to

fill their bellies. But the cash`strapped council here recently

decided to abandon national targets to inspect all food premises. It was

a controversial decision would split the council. The fear was that could

lead to a food scare which would harm local tourism and people. Simon

Hulstone runs one of Torbay's leading restaurants. As far as he's

concerned, fewer inspections is a worrying prospect for everybody. For

me, hygiene inspections are very important. We would like to see them

as often as possible. We work every day to make sure our kitchen is

spotlessly clean. Our idea is that at any moment and inspect a good

work through the door. Our kitchen is always at the top of it again. If

inspectors are not coming, people will start being lazy. So, what has

been the impact of reducing the inspection rate? We're going to get

a snapshot of hygiene standards in the Bay. Richard Hooton is an

environmental health officer and a food safety specialist. By not

inspecting food businesses, you stand a good chance of missing poor

standards as they develop, and as we know, that can lead on to potential

cases of food poisoning and food, planes. Richard is visiting a range

of takeaways and cafes under cover, and carrying out some on the spot

checks. This is one of the businesses in our sample. At its

last inspection in July, it got the lowest possible rating, zero. The

business voluntarily closed alpha improvements, then recently reopened

after the council gave it the all clear. Well, I went into the

butchers, and bought intentionally some sausages, raw meat first, then

asked if I could have some cooked turkey. He has given with a sausages

with his bare hands. He has gone got that icky ` ` got the turkey with

his bare hands. No washing his hands in between. He has put them on the

same pair of scales, which is an absolute no`no. No protection? There

was a plastic layer, but it shouldn't go on the same pair of

scales. A trip to the beach throws up some concerns for those who want

a bit of food on the go. Just what part of food stall, and it is three

o'clock in the afternoon and there is quite a number of bread rolls

sitting out in the sunshine. Should be at eight Celsius ` ` eight

Celsius. It is high risk food because it is cheese. We have just

probed it and we are getting a temperature of 19. What does that

mean for food safety? If there are any harmful bacteria, they will be

multiplying. Richard has bought food samples from a range of different

outlets. They will be tested for a group of organisms, some of which

like E. Coli and salmonella can be harmful. The test won't reveal

whether or not those dangerous books are definitely present, but it will

be an indicator of possible poor hygiene practices that warrant more

detailed investigation. A few weeks later, the results are in. We took

samples from 14 businesses, of which five have come back as

unsatisfactory. What does that mean? It means they have failed this test

because the group of bacteria that we have looked for contain organisms

such as salmonella and E. Coli, which in no way should be in food.

What kind of businesses did badly and which did well? We have got a

mix. We have got one from zero rated premises, the highest risk, but also

one from one of the best rated premises, five. How concerning our

these results? Of the five that are unsatisfactory, it is concerning

because the local authority have a job to do in actually keeping an eye

on all of its food business across its area. Torbay says it has decided

to target its inspections because it cannot afford to visit every

business. It is not just your highest risk

premises which can get things wrong. Aren't you worried you will miss

some dodgy places and dodgy people running them? I agree. That is why

we need more resources. The resources we have at the moment can

only do so much, and they are running at a maximum. Why take that

approach when it could be a false economy if you get a food poisoning

outbreak here that could damage the reputation of so many businesses?

That is if, and we haven't had it yet, and we are mindful of that, so

therefore we are making sure we have got our ears to the ground. We are

making sure we're getting information from people outside like

customers. But customers cannot go in kitchens, they cannot see what

inspectors say. I appreciate that, but we can get information about

different things going on. Richard turned his findings of the council

and told them about the poor food handling he saw at the butchers. It

was one of five premises where our test results came back as

unsatisfactory. Further checks would be needed to confirm whether the

high levels of bacteria found where because of poor hygiene. The council

told us it would do its own tests on the five, and it would continue to

monitor standards at the butchers. The butcher here told as he could

not comment on what our expert so because he had no idea how it could

have occurred. He said he had separate counters, separate skills,

separate bags and separate cleaning materials for the handling of raw

and cooked meat, and he would continue following the hygiene

guidelines to the best of his ability. Remember that warm cheese

sandwich our expiate bought elsewhere? Happily, it was fun to

have access of all levels of bacteria in our tests. 80% of food

businesses in Torbay have achieved the best hygiene ratings. The

victims of food poisoning would be satisfied unless everyone selling

food operates to the same high standards. You trust these people

that they've got hygiene certificates or are supposed to

have. Your life is in a handsome times, but you don't think of that.

You don't see like that, but now I do. Later in the programme, from

food safety to food for. ` ` fraud. We are lucky in the

south`west to be surrounded by a wonderful landscape and all the

outstanding wildlife that goes with it. The place doesn't have to be

beautiful to be a great haven for nature. It can be little more than a

hole in the ground. Meath Quarry near Hatherleigh right

in the heart of North Devon. 150 hectares of disused clay pit that

are fast becoming a great wildlife haven. The reserve is new to me. I

am told I am in for a treat. And what a place this is. You would have

to wait a long time for a train here, because the last wagon rolled

out of here in 1982. The last passenger service was nearly 50

years ago. Jump off the platform and you are on this cycle route that

goes through North Devon and through the heart of this nature reserve.

Something like 14 species of dragonfly are recorded here. It need

abundant water to thrive, and that water is here really because of

man's activity. Devon wildlife trust took over the site in January, but

for decades this was a clay quarry. Boys from the white stuff took

millions of tonnes of player out of the North Devon soil here to make

China goods. This is me quarry itself. There are two holes in the

ground, but this one is the largest, and it is massive. It is literally

hundreds of metres across another 50 metres deep. While it is definitely

not safe for humans, these grebe checks have no such issues as they

squabble and play. It provides everything they need, even fish. At

this time of year, in summer, there is not much more than these and a

few Canada geese. , the winter, and this should abound in wildfire. It

is not just the water helping the wildlife. This stuff, they play

spoil left after extraction, is fast becoming an important habitat in its

own right. These gleaming white spoil heaps of clay might seem

inhabitable, but pretty soon, that tough grasses, sedges and Russia's

move on and then other things follow. `` the rushes moving. Like

the Brits that trip for flower. We are used to seeing it in meadows but

here it lives in an almost lunar landscape. It provides nectar. There

are rarer plants here, too. Like this marsh orchid. It is not a

classically ready place, it is not Sissinghurst, but it is just as

beautiful. Managing a nature reserve is not about tidying things up. The

trusts have left 20 things like his. `` this'll is for these goldfinches

to take seats from. `` to take seats from. There is plenty for

butterflies and I am on my way to the central part of the reserve,

where the path 's meat. `` where the trails converge. There are trails to

all corners of the reserve. This is where the wildlife is. This is a

pond with a bit of history. It is an old settling pond. It is where the

clay water was left for the clay to settle, before the water was

discharged into the river. Now it is a playground for insects. The

dragonfly bench on one side gives you a clue, this is a dragonfly

paradise. This four spotted chaser is perching tidy waterside. They are

ready to chase any other males or species that invade their space.

Pulsing its abdomen is its way of breathing. These white butterflies

on the edge of the pond are also taking advantage of the damp

conditions. They are in piping salts from this wet piece of bark. `` they

are eating salts. This dragonfly is laying eggs, but rudely pushed out

of the way by another individual. These guys have come into contact

with the water and have drowned. Death for one species is food for

another. A pond skater is feasting on this ground butterfly. The skater

can walk on water and this pond is a fast watery food trap. `` is a big,

watery food trap. One of the things I really like about this reserve are

the footpaths. This one has a lovely shady feature and some of the more

open once our brilliant for `` some of the more open ones are brilliant

for insects. There is one very special butterfly here. It is right

where you would expect it, on the woodland edge. It is the Wood

White, a species which has been vanishing. It has suffered a 60%

decline in recent years. This leaf warbler is hiding and feeding in the

trees. It is difficult to tell when they move around so much whether it

is a chiff chaff or a willow warbler. But a close`up look at that

stripe on the head means this is probably a willow warbler. And this

bird, not so much of a stripe and dark legs, probably a chiff chaff.

That is stunning. This place is heaving with dragonflies and

damselflies. That is all you need, a sunny day, a pond, and you lose

three or four hours. The metallic beauty of an emerald damselfly, one

of the larger damselflies. They like to perch on reeds. There is also a

patch of wet woodlands, where trees are swamped by water. This greater

spotted woodpecker is busy. It is not digging holes for nesting, but

it is pecking at the tree bark searching for grabs. `` insects. The

Emperor dragonfly over the pond is patrolling its territory, keeping

away its rivals and snatching insects. In the middle of the pond,

a gathering of blue tailed damselflies shows just how much life

this small area of water is supporting. My visit here is almost

at an end. It takes a full day if you want to take in the whole

reserve. There are loads of short cuts if you only have a morning or

afternoon. I am on my way to a great view point where you can take in the

full sweep of the reserve. From up here, you can get a sense of the

scale of this place. It is already Devon Wildlife Trust's third`largest

reserve and just beyond that line of conifer trees is Ashmore. If we can

join those two nature reserves together, we are talking landscape

scale conservation, and that is where the future lies. It is great

to report from a success story, a place where wildlife is not in

retreat but on the mend. Somewhere man may have damaged the landscape

in the first place, but is now putting something back.

Earlier we found out how important it is that your food is safe. What

if you cannot be sure what is on your plate matches what it says on

the label? As Jay Rayner has been finding out, reports of food fraud

are on the increase. Spaghetti Bolognese is one of the

nation's favourite dishes. What could be better than some lovely

beef simmered in extra virgin olive oil, served over pasta made with

free range eggs? But what if the beef is a pony that should be

racing? What if the free range eggs were captured in a cage? What if the

olive oil is less innocent than it claims? All of these items have been

the subject of food fraud over the last few years. How confident can we

be in our food? How can we be certain there will not be another

horse meat scandal? How can we be sure the food does what it says on

the tin? We have seen failings in the system with less testing of the

food. A report published by the National audit of it has underlined

the problems. It says the government failed to spot the possibility of

laws being passed off as beef earlier this year. There is

confusion over the role of the Food Standards Agency, which is in charge

of food regulation. It says the detection of fraud is falling short

of what consumers should expect. It is our local Trading Standards who

are the food police on the ground during the checks. Drastic cuts to

their budgets are putting the system of detecting food fraud at risk. I

am going to take these three and do some checks. To understand the

challenges Trading Standards face, I am spending the day with this food

enforcement officer. We are visiting an award`winning yoghurt factory in

Suffolk. Is the packaging only four grams? I thought it was 12. This is

the wrong sheet. That is 200, and that is 250. The consumer needs to

know what they are getting. What Trading Standards are looking at is

a discrepancy between weights. It looks like it is an oversight but

they have to get it right so the consumer knows what they are

getting. The team have had two successful prosecutions recently.

They found out the consumers were being ripped off by customers

selling jam and sources which did not contain what they said on the

label. There are reports of `` writing reports of fraud. In the

first six months of this year, 812 incidents of food fraud were

reported in the Food Standards Agency, an increase of one third

master. Trading Standards are also reporting an increase and yet their

budgets nationally are reckoned to be down one third and the number of

samples sent for testing are said by almost `` down by almost a quarter.

I think there is a crisis in regulatory services and training

standards. They are expecting the budget to drop by a further 50% in

some cases. We must see the picture that in some cases throughout the

UK, we will have no Trading Standards service in three years'

time. With local authorities reporting cases of fraud by two

thirds last year, they need a better reporting procedure. They are taking

milk away from testing. Once Apple will be sent for testing and one

will be retained by the business. `` one sample. Bad weather has meant

milk yields are down. Dairies are being tested to make sure milk is

not being watered down. Recessions make fraud more attractive so

officers on the ground are very busy, and so is the Food Standards

Agency. It is in overall charge of our food safety. They are fraud

branch has never been busier. `` there are fraud branch. The FSA has

been criticised as being not fit for purpose. It was accused of acting

too slowly during the horse meat scandal. As the current system tough

enough? Let's put it into perspective. In the prior year,

there are over 90,000 samples collected and 20,000 authenticity

tests. A thousand were meat products. There have been several

areas we have been targeting for a number of years. I do not think the

incident was a wake`up call. This is an area in terms of food

authenticity, if we are working with local authorities, this incident is

one which has raised public awareness about authenticity and

about what is in your food. A former head of authenticity at the Food

Standards Agency told us we are now less well equipped to uncover fraud.

Dr Mark Woolfe spent nine years in charge and he believes budget cuts

are undermining the system. The FSA relied basically on local authority

results and local authorities are under financial pressure, and

therefore the amount of sampling they are doing has been quite

severely reduced. I think the whole system is really quite severely

weakened. It is clearly challenging in the current financial environment

for local authorities to do the work they need to. The FSA has invested

more in this area in the last year, to boost resources and efforts, and

it is clear that the system is detecting problems, but it is going

to be challenging in the future. The threats will keep evolving and the

services there to protect consumers and it will also leave of as things

change. Two weeks after our visit to the Derry and the samples of milk

have been tested. Everything was OK and the milk had not been watered

down. I did discover another problem in the system ` the number of public

testing laboratories has shrunk dramatically over the past decade,

down from 20 to just nine. It is another sign that less testing is

taking place and food fraud has never been more attractive to

criminals. A Food Standards Agency report lists all the products in

things have been the subject of fraud and it is quite a list.

Honey, wine, fruit juice, spices, olive oil... But should all testing

be paid for by the public purse? What about supermarkets? After all,

we buy most of our food from them. Tesco were one of those found to be

selling products containing horse meat. I have come to their lab in

Wolverhampton to find out what they are doing now. You have got

thousands of products, how do you decide what to test? We take a

balanced view of where the biggest risk might be that something could

go wrong. We could be telling consumers that there is taken in a

product and we need to be sure it is chicken and not Turkey. We need to

be certain it is chicken. That is why we DNA test and do those tests

frequently. Since horse meat was found in some products they were

selling, Tesco say they carry out eight times more DNA testing.

Crystal ball moment ` do you think something like the horse meat

scandal could happen again? Our sole objective in giving our customers

the best confidence we can in the products we produce is to ensure

that does not happen again. While Tesco are confident they have

learned lessons, the rest of the system is under increasing pressure.

The question is, can it cope? In my view it could happen again. There is

always somebody, particularly in times of austerity, there to cut

corners. When we are faced with a creaking inspectorate, that is the

perfect opportunity for someone to exploit those conditions and take

hard earned money from consumers' pockets. Whilst the majority of our

food is safe, food fraud is an established crime and it is all

about money. Where there is money to be made, fraudsters will be

attracted. Food is a global industry, it is complex and hard to

police. Making sure it is what it says it is is hard.

That is all from this week's inside out. We are back next month they ``

next Monday from more stories where you live. See you then.