Cookery programmes and hygiene

But you could certainly get other nasties, especially from uncooked poultry.

Not likely to get tapeworms of any flavour in British meat these days.

Pork yes, beef no. I have never heard of beef tapeworm.

I certainly heard that in relation to pork, narrowboatnan but have never heard it related to beef. Not sure whether it is still relevant.

I've always thought that if you didn't cook beef or pork all the way through you ran the risk of getting beef or pork tapeworm.

Its all the dipping and tasting that gets me. I was taught to take a clean spoon taste and then discard into the washing up certainly not use again one you have licked it. I never see anyone wash their hands which is the single most important thing.

This is going back a bit but I read George Orwell's Down and out in Paris and London- his novel about working in restaurants. He said the more expensive your steak is, the more people have touched it before it lands on your plate. He never ordered steak for that reason.

Rare pork or poultrey can only be presented when you know how that particular animal has been reared.
I still would not eat it.

Going back quite a few years, when Ready Steady Cook used to be on the go,all the professional chefs wore proper "cook whites" and the contestants wore an apron.Over the years it seems that it's unimportant to cover your clothes when cooking and to my mind unhygenic. Even Saturday Kitchen when JM hosted it ,I have seen him cooking in an outdoor jacket. Why? Also the amount of rings worn. Many years ago when we were taught domestic science the only acceptable ring you would wear was a plain wedding ring, certainly not several rings with stones. As for the hand washing I have noticed on some programmes were the cooks seem to have something (bowl) underneath the work surface and am guessing this may be their handwashing facility.

Also ... the amount of salt they throw on everything....

When listening to or questioning chefs about pink pork or chicken I have been assured that because their meat is from a know and reputable source then it is perfectly safe to eat pink. They apparently don't feed them scraps like they used to which could contain some nasties. I am more concerned about lack of hygiene ie hair not tied back or covered and not very frequent hand washing.

I like meat which has been shown the grill/oven! But - I would never eat pink pork or poultry! I suspect that one no longer has tape-worm in the pork, but there still is Campylobacter and Salmonella on poultry.
The way that hair is allowed to swing free everywhere, hands that barely go near soap and the tea-towel over the shoulder revolt me.

My pet hate is cooks wearing rings whilst cooking and getting their hands in to mix ingredients. I shudder at the amount of dead skin and bacteria lurking under their wedding rings etc

What about nail varnish? Even the lovely Mary Berry has painted nails during her programme. I did a City and Guilds course a few years back, in Sugarcraft, and it was drilled into us - hair tidy and tied back, chef's jacket, NO NAIL VARNISH, and wash your hands before and during food prep. ?

What annoyed me was during the whole series of James Martin's French trip cooking show a few months ago, it seemed like every single day he would attempt to wash his hands in some sort of bucket or even stream of water, but then would moan and say "Must be seen to be washing my hands or we'll get letters..."

I like steak & beef rare but poultry & pork must be well cooked. Not sure about lamb as I rarely eat it but don't think I would like it "pink".

Tea towel over shoulder is a habit of mine but it never gets near food or plate, only used for lifting hot pans (in a kitchen you would use a thick cloth either over the shoulder or tucked into waistband of apron, it becomes a habit)

Agree about spoons, I use same one & don't wash it if I'm just preparing my own food but would not do that if cooking for others

I can't stand to even look at meat which is pink, never mind bloody. When I see chefs using a spoon to taste a dish and then do it again with the same spoon without washing it I hate it, and why do they use a cloth to tidy around a plate to get rid of drops of whatever, why don't they use a paper towel.

I love certain cookery programmes but don't get the - what is to me - undercooked meat or tuna. "But it's raw!" I shout. I don't mind a bit of pink but positively bloody - no! As for chicken with any pink in - I won't eat it.
I too love Monica, scary or not.

Love Monica! She's really " glammed" up lately.

Whilst I like pork well done, I have hard that the way pigs are farmed nowadays, pork is safe to eat pink, whereas it was not safe back in the 60s when we were young. Obviously chicken still needs to be well done.

But she was so right Tizliz

On an earlier master chef for professionals I remember Monica throwing a contestant out for putting raw chicken on the same chopping board as the salad. She is scary.

The thing that I always notice is how much the professional chefs handle food when they are plating up! Every last leaf of salad seems to be fiddled with. I'd rather not have my food touched too much.

Oh for the days when the Q&A sessions used to be a regular treat.

I joined in 2012 and remember the likes of Anne Widdicombe, Jools Hudson, James Martin, Mary Berry, Alan Titchmarsh, Des O'Connor and many others.

Aren't we worth it any more?

I shudder at the touching of hair too - and the tea towel over the shoulder is another unhygienic habit imo! I agree with those who prefer their meat to be served medium to well done. I miss James M on Saturdays!

I don't watch cookery programmes like Masterchef anymore. I can't stand the way they "overhandle" the food after it has been cooked. As for meat, I love rare beef and steak (DH hates it that way - but overcooking it renders it flavourless IMO) but wouldn't dream of serving pork or poultry any way but well done. Duck is an exception for those that like it. I once saw James Martin cook a shoulder of pork, which needs long slow cooking, in about half the time it should have taken to render it tender and edible, and it was visibly pink. It could not have made good eating. We had a question and answer session with him on here some time ago and I asked him about it, but did not get a reply ?.