Food Safety and Waste Management in TV Cooking Shows: A Comparative Study of Turkey and the UK

This study examines food safety and waste behaviours depicted in the televised cooking competition <i>MasterChef</i>, a globally franchised series that showcases diverse culinary traditions and influences viewers' practices. The research focuses on the <i>MasterChef</i> editions aired in Turkey and the United Kingdom, two countries with distinctly different social and cultural contexts. Video content analysis, based on predefined criteria, was employed to assess observable behaviours related to food safety and waste. Additionally, content analysis of episode transcripts identified verbal references to these themes. Principal Component Analysis was employed to categorise patterns in the observed behaviours. The findings revealed frequent lapses in food safety, with personal hygiene breaches more commonly observed in <i>MasterChef UK</i>, while cross-contamination issues were more prevalent in <i>MasterChef Turkey</i>. In both versions, the use of disposable materials and the discarding of edible food parts emerged as the most common waste-related practices. These behaviours appeared to be shaped by the cultural and culinary norms specific to each country. The study highlights the importance of cooking shows in promoting improved food safety and waste management practices. It recommends involving relevant experts during production and clearly communicating food safety and sustainability messages to increase viewer awareness and encourage positive behaviour change.