Many foodie and celebrity chef followers would often rave about the fabulous dishes prepared by their favorite culinary expert. Who would not like to taste the perfect risotto made by Gordon Ramsay, the healthy alternative by Jamie Oliver or Rachel Ray's home cooked meals?
However, according to a recent study, it looks like cooking show presenters may pose a food safety hazard. Research suggests that celebrity chefs or TV culinary personalities fail to wash their hands and change chopping boards.
This food safety study was done by two American university research teams. They analyzed the hygiene habits of famous chefs, as reported by News Talk. The results showed a food safety issue that prompted them to advice people not to eat the food prepared by TV chefs.
These researchers explored about 100 different cooking shows on television and paid close attention to 24 of the most popular celebrity chefs on American television. Every move they made, the researchers took note of every behavior.
They found that 25 percent of these celebrity chefs are licking their fingers, touching their hair, touch raw food and then touch other ingredients. And the most common food safety hazard they saw was that these personalities do not was their hands in between and change chopping boards between vegetables and raw meat. These findings were published in the Journal of Public Health.
A food safety expert from Kansas University (Edgar Chambers) said that washing one's hands should not be a one-time thing. He emphasizes that TV shows should not only entertain viewers with food but also educate them about proper food preparation. For Chambers, it can be as simple as telling the viewers to wash their hands or change their boards.
The authors of the study did not mention any particular TV celebrity chef but they are pointing to the food television industry in general. Basic food hygiene and safety counts.
Want to know more food safety tips? Here is a video from Eat Right, below:
