TV CHEFS ARE TOLD TO CLEAN UP THEIR ACT

TOP television chefs have been accused of giving viewers a recipe for trouble in the kitchen.

Shows such as Ready, Steady Cook and Can't Cook, Won't Cook have become a big hit in millions of households - but a disappointment to some food hygiene experts.

The tables are turned on celebrity chefs tomorrow when BBC1's Here and Now programme shows clips of them wiping their noses, using dirty knives and chopping boards, and failing to wash their hands.

And they are roasted by health consultant Clive Wadey who told the Sunday Mirror: "There is a golden oppor-tunity on these shows to give some food safety information to the public.

"And they are just not doing it. Whatever they do off-camera, they are broadcasting unsafe practices, such as using cutting boards which they have already cut raw meat on. There is clearly a risk of contamination."

Here and Now is set to show Richard Crawley, star of BBC1's Can't Cook Won't Cook, wiping his nose then handling raw chicken.

A clip from BBC2's Ready Steady Cook shows Brian Turner, also a star of ITV's This Morning, handling raw meat then wiping his hands on his apron.

Channel Five's Light Lunch chef Eric Chavot is shown rubbing his nose and then handling food and cooking utensils, apparently without washing his hands.

Caroline Officer, producer of Can't Cook, Won't Cook, said: "We trust that our viewers are aware of domestic hygiene rules.

"Our transmission time is only 24 minutes. Our chefs always wash their hands when appropriate and always wipe down thoroughly and turn over their chopping boards, usually off camera."

Helen Ramsay, series producer of Ready Steady Cook, said: "We trust that our viewers know basic rules of hygiene.

"Food poisoning is a problem we take very seriously on Ready Steady Cook. But, ultimately, the aim is to entertain, and to issue health warnings with every show would be both patronising and tedious."

Jeremy Salsby, producer of Light Lunch, said: "We believe our audience are bright enough to know the basics of kitchen safety and hygiene."

But Mr Wadey said: "It is not enough to say that viewers should know how to prepare food. A lot of people do not realise the risks in the kitchen."

National Food Safety Week starts tomorrow.

A spokesman said: "The key messages are: Control temperatures, keep raw and cooked food apart, wash hands properly before and after touching food, keep kitchens clean and avoid waiting times between cooking, preparation and eating."

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