Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dirt: A Letter to the Food Network

This is a real letter I e-mailed to the Food Network in the wee hours of the morning on Saturday, April 17th when I just couldn't take it anymore. I'll post an update if/when I hear back.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Food Network:

While I thoroughly enjoy your show, "Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives," I am appalled by the host, Guy Fieri, and his complete lack of regard for any type of sanitation whatsoever. For instance, at this very moment, 12:53 am EST on Saturday April 17th, I am watching a chef who is wearing bright blue sanitation gloves walk Guy through his recipes. For some reason, however, Guy does not take a cue from this chef that perhaps wearing gloves is proper protocol. I watch this show on a regular basis, and Guy never wears gloves yet is always sticking his fingers in the food. Can you honestly say that he is washing his hands each and every time he touches someone else's cooking? I have seen numerous instances on this show of this "host" putting his hands in others' dishes, and even worse, sticking his dirty fingers in his mouth to taste whatever it is he can get his hands on.

I can honestly say I would never eat at any of the establishments that Mr. Fieri frequents on this show, as I am disgusted by the way he puts his hands in their food with no regard to cleanliness or sanitation. The fact that these institutions would allow this to occur without incident merely to promote their business on a nationally televised production is sad. Further, I am nauseated by Mr. Fieri's continued insistence on speaking with his mouth full! Between watching him stick his dirty hands in the food, then into his mouth, then watching that food be macerated by him as he attempts to speak, "Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives" is a thoroughly unpleasant experience.

Perhaps you should look to the Travel Channel's Adam Richman, who represents the "Everyman" middle America is searching for, without their disgusting sanitation habits (or lack thereof). While I understand Mr. Fieri represents a certain demographic to which you are trying to appeal, I do not appreciate the horrendous representation of restaurant hygiene. How does a person who runs a restaurant of his own not succeed in representing what a proper restauranteur should present in terms of, at bare minimum, basic hygiene requirements? Perhaps instead of using a dirty finger or hand and stealing bites of food from these chefs, he could consider using a clean utensil, i.e. a fork, spoon, chopsticks, and the like.

Please tell Mr. Fieri to stop sticking his dirty fingers in the food, into his mouth, then repeating (a.k.a "double dipping") as he has done so many times on this show. Not once have I seen Giada, Alton, Paula, Tyler, Bobby, Ina, Mario, or even Michael Chiarello stick a dirty hand into their dish in order to taste it. Just because this guy won "The Next Food Network Star," why is he allowed to get away with this abhorrent behavior? He looks like a greedy child who can't wait to get his greasy hands all over everyone else's meal.

Please consider putting a new host in charge of this show, or at the very least, re-training him in the basics of food hygiene.

Thank you,

Deborah Horton

www.deborahhorton.com

www.deborahspeaksthetruth.blogspot.com