TV chefs who don’t get an A

Their recipes may be great but when it comes to preparing them with good hygiene in mind, the cooks on shows on the Canadian version of Food Network got failing grades from food-safety researchers at Canada’s University of Guelph.

As reported in the trade magazine Broadcasting & Cable, in about 80% of the 60 episodes reviewed, the chefs allowed raw meat to contaminate vegetables and other raw food.

Another frequent practice of the on-camera chefs was to sample the food with a spoon, then use the same spoon to serve the dish.

The magazine said most of the shows studied were on the Canadian network but were produced in the United States.

A Food Network spokeswoman said the need for programs to be educational and entertaining made it difficult for chefs to follow safe food preparation practices.