Did you ever notice this while watching MasterChef?

MasterChef fans have pointed out a particularly unhygienic detail on the show. Photo: Ten

MasterChef fans have called out contestants after noticing an unhygienic detail that appears in most episodes of the show, but many of us probably didn’t notice. Previously, we’ve noticed contestants doing things like blowing on food, appearing to use the same spoon to do taste tests, or using the same utensils to handle meat and vegetables.

Now, eagle-eyed viewers have pointed out that contestants who wear jewellery are committing quite the kitchen faux pas, as they can harbour a lot of bacteria. Not exactly what you want when preparing food for others!

MasterChef contestants make major hygiene faux pas

Taking to Reddit, one viewer wrote, “I have noticed that a lot of contestants wear jewellery when cooking. I thought that was a big no no in the hospitality industry?”

“I’ve been saying this for years,” another responded. “Wearing rings while handling meat/poultry/seafood and/or working dough, etc, is genuinely repulsive.

“I don’t care how many times they wash their hands in between each step. Why on earth can’t they take off their jewellery for their cooks?!”

A lot of the contestants wear jewellery while handling food, which isn’t the best practice for food handling. Photo: Ten
“Every time I see hair swaying above food benches I feel icky, and there’s absolutely no way that Andy has never got a hair in his food,” a third wrote. “I guess, though if he complained about it like a fish bone, they would have to introduce hair nets into the MC kitchen and frankly, I believe they wouldn’t want the MC kitchen looking so clinical.”

“What about Sarah’s sleeves the other night when she was carrying her plates and they were pretty much covering her fingers,” another said. “I don’t think we need or will ever see hair nets but at least tidy, pulled back hair, and no hanging jewellery or bracelets/rings.”

One viewer was also confused about why Sarah’s sleeves were worn so far down her hands. Photo: Ten
“Some of those ladies have big ole rocks! I’d hate to have my expensive diamonds all crusty with raw meat,” yet another wrote.

“Same! It grosses me out [to be honest],” one viewer said. “Also when anyone with long hair wears it out or really loose? Jewellery carries so much bacteria so I thought it’d be an OHS rule but I guess not.”

Theo has previously been seen tasting a purée and then putting the same spoon back into the pot. Photo: Ten

 

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One viewer also pointed out that it’s worse on the American version of the show, “You’d go bats**t crazy about this issue if you’d bother wasting time watching Masterchef US. Loose hair, even one single ring or bracelet is bad/unsanitary enough, but on MC US it’s typical American TV, the more the merrier re: jewellery, all out glam and whatnot. And (it seems) the women are forced to wear heels while cooking, (who in their right mind would cook in heels, let alone in a competition/time crunch???). Insane burn and fracture risk.”

Should you wear jewellery while cooking?

The Australian Institute of Food Safety says, “Wearing jewellery is highly discouraged in food businesses, and it’s not because your boss just wants to control you. Jewellery can harbour dangerous bacteria and can also be a choking hazard if it falls into food. If you were categorising jewellery in terms of food safety hazards, it would be both physical and biological.”

“Medical alert bracelets/necklaces are the only acceptable forms of jewellery to be worn when working with food.”

They also urge chefs to “check your local regulations to find out if you’re allowed to wear your wedding ring when working with food.”

Sumeet says the show takes food safety very seriously. Photo: Ten

Surprising hygiene rules during filming

2024 contestant Sumeet Saigal tells Yahoo Lifestyle that, despite what viewers might think, there are some “pretty specific rules” on MasterChef regarding hygiene.

“You’re always briefed about hygiene and you’re always reminded, ‘No double dipping, no using spoons again, make sure anything that falls on the ground goes in the bin’,” she details. “Yes, you may have a slip-up now and again. But the thing is, when you compare what happens on the show versus what people don’t see happen in commercial kitchens, you’re looking at a pretty safe environment.”

Sumeet adds that the show 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.”