TV cooks' kitchen habits not quite up to par
By Marlena Hartz | Avalanche-Journal | Sunday, September 14, 2008Tsk, tsk, Rachael Ray. A new Texas Tech study found that big time Food Network stars such as Ray often exhibit risky cooking practices on their shows.
Researchers from Tech's agricultural education and communications department analyzed food-safety practices on five popular Food Network shows: "30 Minute Meals with Rachael Ray," "The Essence of Emeril," "Everyday Italian," "Paula's Home Cooking" and "Semi Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee."
They counted 460 poor food handling incidents and 118 positive incidents in 49 shows that aired over a two-week period in 2007 on the network, which reaches more than 85 million U.S. households.
Hosts' most noticeable kitchen no-nos? Failing to properly wash fruits, vegetables, herbs and hands and licking fingers, according to the researchers.
"We know that these shows are only 30 minutes long and they are a form of entertainment. It's not very entertaining if we sit there and watch someone wash their dishes," but hosts should do what they can to clean up their acts, said Erica Irlbeck, an agricultural education and communications doctoral student who led the study.
Novice cooks, she said, often turn to the shows for cooking guidance and could wind up skipping simple safety precautions, such as washing their hands or checking the temperature of meats with a thermometer, because hosts neglect to do so on air, Irlbeck said.
"Many food-borne illnesses can be prevented by proper food handling, and that's why it's important these popular stars follow good safety practices," said Mindy Brashears, an associate professor who helped Irlbeck conduct her study.
Brashears is also the director of Texas Tech's International Center for Food Industry Excellence.
The Food Network adheres to food safety standards in its shows, according to its representatives.
"Our programming depicts cooking, dining and entertaining as a fun, shared experience. It would be out of context to present all the safety standards you would expect in restaurants (such as hairnets and gloves) when most of our shows portray cooking at home. It should be noted, as with any instructional or project-based program, not every step of the process is captured in the final, edited episode. But we do our very best to present viewers with the tools necessary to be safe while enjoying cooking at home," reads a statement the company sent to The Avalanche-Journal.
The Tech study has yet to be published. Irlbeck said it's under review for publication in the academic food safety journal "Food Protection Trends."
Link to: http://lubbockonline.com/stories/091408/loc_332139518.shtml
Davis College NewsCenter
-
Address
P.O. Box 42123, Lubbock, Texas 79409-2123, Dean's Office Location:Goddard Building, Room 108 -
Phone
(806)742-2808 -
Email
kris.allen@ttu.edu