Episode 6

In this series, scientist Prof Alice Roberts, chef Tom Kerridge and journalist Sean Fletcher are keen to improve your cooking, your health and your bank balance by dishing up the plain facts about our food.

Can changing your surroundings alter how food and drink tastes? Prof Alice Roberts and a group of diners enjoy a culinary experience with a difference. The music, lighting and even the shape of the plates are changed throughout the meal to see what effect this has on how we perceive the taste of food. Sensory gastronomy is a new field of scientific research and although it may sound unfamiliar, its findings have practical applications. For instance, it has been found that drinks can be made to taste 10% sweeter simply by adding red food colouring. Also peanut butter - is it a health food or a junk food? Alice investigates the science behind this popular spread.

If you have ever tried and failed to cook roast potatoes, don't despair - chef Tom Kerridge has the secret to perfect roasties every time. He also reveals another of his trade secrets and this time it is how to transform a simple piece of fish into something any professional chef would be proud of.

With the help of food scientists and a panel of taste testers, our consumer journalist Sean Fletcher investigates the ingredients in the great British banger. He wants to find out if own-brand basic sausages are just as healthy and tasty as the expensive premium variety.