bbc tv

I was all ready to post about something else, but I watched Britain's Most Disgusting Foods this morning and I thought that I had to blog about this.

In this TV episode on the BBC the host, Alex Riley, discovers what disgusting ingredients can be found in mass produced foods that are primarily used for the catering and restaurant trade.

He first focuses on a chicken breast that he finds in a Booker food manufacturers, which only has 60% real chicken in it, 40% are plumpers to make it look larger.  Off to a pretty yucky start considering those are used in 'chinese and indian restaurants,' as one employee informs.  

Riley also looks at 'cheese alternative', and is informed that the chemical that is added to make the cheese cheaper is really gross and you would never eat it by itself, but you can still find it on pizzas and other foods, where they list the ingredients as individual elements instead of just 'cheese alternative' to make it more appetising.

He then turns to some 'bangers' (a name for sausage) that he discovered, which only contains 5% real meat.  '5% meat!' you say, 'what the hell is the other 95%?'  Well, he discovers it is loads of fat, water again, the leftover gristles on the skeleton after the desirable bits are removed, 'connective tissue', and chemicals to turn it all red and get it to stick together.  The most horrifying thing is that he actually made these from the ingredient list and had people try them at a food fair, and they actually liked them!  Gross!

A positive point came when ASDA brand employees took nutrition and health seriously and would not have put his manufactured pies on their shelves, which gave hope that supermarket-brand items may care a bit more since they are representing the supermarket itself.

Overall, he points out (and all the nutritionists point out) that there is little to no nutritional value in any of these foods, and could actually promote to rise of degenerative diseases.

Lessons: 

Buy organic meat or buy from real butchers, not grocery stores or cheap restaurants; do not buy things called 'bangers', only sausages, because they are legally not allowed to call  them sausages since they are not the right amount of meat.  Also, do not buy meat that has been pre-ground for you, as you never know what exactly was put into it.

Buy real cheeses or from places that just sell cheese, not manufactured cheeses.

Do not buy cheap just because it's cheap, always know what you are putting into yourself!