BfR warning TV cooking shows should endanger your health

TV cooking shows do not pay enough attention to hygiene

TV cooking shows have enjoyed great popularity for years. Unfortunately, the programs are not necessarily for health. In a study, American scientists discovered that such shows make audiences overweight. There is another negative side: In TV cooking shows too little attention is paid to hygiene. The lack of kitchen hygiene could rub off on the spectators.

Pathogens on foods

Experts repeatedly point out that one should pay more attention to kitchen hygiene in order to prevent health hazards. After all, dangerous bacteria such as Campylobacter and Co. lurk in the kitchen. Potential pathogens such as bacteria, viruses or parasites can be found on foods such as eggs, meat or lettuce. And kitchen sponges are true sprouts. Unfortunately, the health risks are often underestimated by lack of kitchen hygiene. And even by TV chefs, as a recent investigation has shown.

TV cooking shows are very popular. Unfortunately, hygiene is not so much value. According to a recent study, TV chefs make a hygiene error on average every 50 seconds. This can also rub off on the viewers. (Image: imagox / fotolia.com)

TV chefs make a hygiene error every 50 seconds

TV cooking shows enjoy great popularity both in Germany and internationally.

On German television, at least 60 different cooking programs were broadcast in the period from March 2015 to March 2016, mostly on public broadcasters.

"It is alarming, however, that the kitchen hygiene shown in TV cooking programs is often not perfect," writes the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) in its new brochure "Kitchen hygiene in the spotlight"..

The experts analyzed a total of 100 episodes of various cooking programs, focusing on hygiene. They found that the protagonists make a hygiene error on average every 50 seconds.

Wash hands after coughing and sneezing

According to BfR, mostly medium-sized mistakes are committed. "Specifically, these are hygiene errors that can spread pathogens and cross-contamination may occur," the experts report.

The most common kitchen hygiene errors in the analyzed TV cooking programs are therefore:
- Wipe dirty hands on the dishcloth.
- No thorough cleaning of the cutting board.
- Salt or season with your fingers.
- No washing hands, among other things after scratching, sneezing, coughing, nose brushing or contact with head hair and eyes.

According to the BfR, bad TV hygiene can rub off on the viewer: "People who watch cooking videos with impeccable kitchen hygiene make fewer mistakes on cooking than those who see flawed cooking videos."

Food hygiene at home is underestimated

"Many people are afraid of chemicals in the diet, but actually you get sick of bacteria, fungi or viruses in the food," said BfR President Professor Dr. med. Dr. Andreas Hensel in a message.

"Only one in five cares about home-grown food hygiene, and using food properly in your own kitchen is the best way to prevent infection. We all need to hone our awareness of health risks when preparing food. "

According to BfR, more than 100,000 diseases are reported in Germany every year, probably due to food-borne infections caused by microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses or parasites.

These include, in particular, infections with Campylobacter bacteria, Salmonella and Noroviruses. The number of unreported cases, however, is much higher.

In most cases, the symptoms are associated with symptoms such as stomach cramps, diarrhea or vomiting and are over after a few days.

However, in people whose immune system is weakened or not fully developed, a food infection can be very severe and, in extreme cases, even fatal.

Tips for better kitchen hygiene

So that it does not come so far, should:
- avoiding the contamination of food with pathogens,
- reduces the multiplication of pathogens in food and
- the survival of pathogens in food can be prevented, the BfR writes on its website.

In the current brochure, the experts explain which measures are "important to avoid food infections":

Thoroughly wash your hands with soap before cooking.

To avoid cross-contamination, prepare raw food on separate work surfaces and thoroughly clean hands, work surfaces and equipment between work steps.

Keep food well cooked: at least 70 degrees for two minutes inside the food.

Foods that are eaten raw, such as salads, herbs, vegetables and fruits, should be thoroughly washed to remove germs.

Regularly replace or replace kitchen towels, rags and sponges with the laundry. (Ad)