EXCLUSIVE: Former contestant Sumeet Saigal shares an insight on the show’s safety procedures.

MasterChef's Poh Ling Yeow / Snezana Calic and Theo Loizou.

A former MasterChef contestant has revealed the strict set of hygiene rules competitors must follow. Photos: Channel 10

Ever since the reality show premiered in 2009, viewers have expressed concern over the hygiene and food safety showcased on MasterChef Australia. There have been many complaints about contestants not wearing hair nets or gloves, as well as licking spoons and continuing to use them, with people questioning if there are any guidelines in place at all.

Following a recent incident on the show, former contestant Sumeet Saigal has lifted the lid on the “specific” set of rules competitors must follow throughout filming. The fan favourite, who made the top 8 in last year’s season, tells Yahoo Lifestyle that contestants aren’t allowed to cook with their hair down.

“We’re always told before we go onto the set that our hair has to be tied up and away,” she details. “In the heat of the kitchen, sometimes something may happen. However, when the final food is actually brought onto the table, everything’s made sure of that there’s no contamination on it or there’s no hair on it, for example.”

MasterChef's Sumeet Saigal.

Sumeet Saigal says the show takes food safety very seriously. Photo: Channel 10

Sumeet, who is currently working on her own line of sauces to be released at the end of the year, adds that MasterChef employs a large team of people to monitor food safety behind the scenes.

“We actually have very active food teams that stand along the side. So you don’t see them, but every bench has got a representative of the food team that stands watching this stuff,” she continues. “So they’re constantly watching to see that you’re not double dipping and anything that falls on the floor is picked up and thrown in the bin, because food hygiene is a very big part of it.

“Even things like meat temperatures when you’re doing service challenges, after the clock goes off, people come around and check the meat temperature. It’s very deeply and very seriously considered in the MasterChef kitchen, including washing hands before we start the cook.”

MasterChef's Theo Loizou tasting his purée.

Theo tasted his purée and then put the same spoon back into the pot. Photo: Channel 10

This comes after Theo Loizou was caught licking a spoon and continue using it during this week’s Mystery Box Challenge. Fans took to social media to call out the cook, who finished fourth in season 15, and describe it as “the biggest ick”.

“Totally fine if you’re only cooking for yourself, but not if you’re going to serve the food to others. I really don’t want someone else’s saliva in the food I’m going to eat, that’s disgusting and unhygienic and a potential health risk,” one person wrote.

“This is one of the things I notice every year that I assume is just due to not many of them having ever worked in a real restaurant,” another added. “Chefs usually have a jar of spoons at their work station for testing, each spoon gets used once and then goes in a container of water and over to the dishwashing station when full.”