The Keuringsdienst van Waarde, our favourites

I think Keuringsdienst van Waarde is one of the best Dutch television programmes ever made. It forces people to think about what they eat, without the programme being preachy. The humour puts the sometimes shocking discoveries into perspective. Here are seven of my favourite episodes.

Saffron
Saffron is an expensive product and therefore susceptible to fraud, as it turns out. KvW travels to Iran in search of the origin of this precious spice.

Pulled pork
‘You can’t think of anything so crazy that you can’t pull it’, says presenter Teun van de Keuken.

Natural flavouring
Do you actually know what natural flavourings are? What are the ingredients of a natural flavouring? No idea? Watch this episode.

Dates
If you ever want to put a date in your mouth again without thinking, you shouldn’t watch this episode. Hint: bugs and excrement are abundantly represented.

Risotto
The faces of the Italians in particular when you present them with ‘stir-fried risotto’ are a joy to watch. They then ask, completely seriously, whether this food is intended for people or animals.

Hair in bread
The title of this episode may already say enough.

Tea
What are the pink granules in a bag of Pickwick tea made of? Just watch.