The Food Network Pet Peeve That Has Reddit Raging
From cutthroat competitions to wholesome cooking tutorials (we're looking at you Ina Garten), there's so much to love about the Food Network. That said, there's no denying that this channel has a sordid past. The Food Network has made some pretty bad decisions over the years, from making xenophobic jokes to accidentally airing pornography.
Those "bad decisions" made by the channel still trickle into the shows airing to this day. Take food waste, for example. Once the cooking show is complete, some spoiled food needs to get thrown out because, after hours spent under hot lights, most food is no longer edible (via Insider). Additionally, the picture-perfect dishes that are presented on TV are not exactly how they appear.
According to Insider, cooking shows commonly utilize styling hacks to make food look tastier than it is. Shanti Hinojos, a food stylist, revealed to LA Weekly that she places marbles in soups to help the other ingredients rise and stuffs food with plastic wrap and towels to make it look juicier, among other things. "It's similar to architecture," she shared. If your food doesn't look the way that it does on TV, well, this is why.
While there may be some things we deem "wrong" when it comes to the Food Network, there's one common, unhygienic, occurrence that Reddit users just can't stand — and for good reason.
Reddit users are appalled at this common Food Network occurrence
From running back and forth to the food pantry to dealing with hot ovens and stoves, it's easy to get sweaty in the kitchen, and fast, especially if you are a contestant in a culinary competition. The added fear surrounding the stressful situation contestants are in most likely adds to the tension. And yet, none of the contestants are seen wearing hairnets or sweat bands to help alleviate the hot, drippy mess atop their heads. Some contestants don't even tie their hair back at all. If you tend to fall into this category, add it to the list of dangerous cooking mistakes you didn't know you were making.
This poor hygiene decision hasn't gone unnoticed and Reddit users are truly appalled by this behavior. On one thread related to this issue, users took to the platform to criticize the unsanitary practice. "My mom's biggest pet peeve when we watch FN together is hair down and when they're plating and just dripping sweat into everything lol," one user wrote. "I remember an episode of Hell's Kitchen that Gordon was screaming at a chef because of the amount of sweat that was dripping onto the plate while plating," another user shared. 85 others jumped on board the thread to express their disgust as well.
According to The Daily Mail, "Food Safety regulations state that when working in a kitchen long hair must be tied back, but the use of a hairnet is not enforced." Perhaps the Food Network needs a refresher in food safety.