Episode 1
Aired 8.35pm Thursday 16 February on SBS.
In this new 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.
Chef Tom Kerridge is on a mission to improve our cooking skills one dish at a time. He responds to the public's kitchen disasters.
This time he's in Poole and Weymouth to help viewers who have problems cooking fish and poached eggs.
Tom also shares his trade secret for perfect pork by using a process called brining, and talks us through garnishes. Professor Alice Roberts reveals that three quarters of us are taking home a food poisoning bug with us from the supermarket. It's a health food scandal that few of us have even heard of - Campylobacter.
Alice also takes a closer look at gluten-free products and the gluten-free diet. Meanwhile consumer journalist Sean Fletcher is pulling apart the ingredients in some everyday foods - this time it’s pasta.
Professor Alice Roberts showing the right way to handle raw chicken in the kitchen. Source: BBC / Jessica Rosa
Episode 2
In this episode Prof Alice Roberts finds out about research that suggests drinking artificially sweetened drinks can encourage us to eat more than we might expect. Alice is also investigating the chemical that's causing the problem. She's also asking how worried should we be about eating meat? And… do aphrodisiacs actually work? Alice finds out.
Chef Tom Kerridge is on a mission to help with another kitchen fail. This time, Tom's going to sort out a viewer's Yorkshire puddings and risotto kitchen fails. He also cooks up fantastic pulled pork.
The supermarkets offer own-brand products across a range stretching from basic standard to premium. But is it worth paying for a premium product or is a money saving basic as good for our health and our taste buds? To find out our consumer journalist Sean Fletcher is investigating mayonnaise.
Episode 3
Can changing your surroundings alter how food and drink tastes? Proffessor 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.
Alice also takes a closer look at peanut butter - is it a junk food? Alice investigates the science behind this popular spread.
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Peanut butter – junk food or health hero?
Nutritional labels on food packaging are designed to help us make healthy choices at a glance. But as our consumer journalist Sean Fletcher has found, they can be confusing. Sean investigates why a system intended to help us choose healthy food is often doing exactly the opposite. With the help of food scientists and a panel of taste testers Sean also investigates the ingredients in bread.
Chef Tom Kerridge travels the country again to help viewers with their kitchen fails. This time it's how to cook the perfect steak; Tom's also revealing another couple of his trade secrets: how to transform a simple piece of fish into something any professional chef would be proud of, and how to make the perfect gravy. 
Watch Food Detectives on or watch episode 3 here:
Chef Tom Kerridge has lots of helpful tips to share. Source: BBC / Michelle Owen
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Eat well: Do supermarkets have your health at heart?
