Shows on TV have been proven to influence the public and cooking shows might be influencing people in the wrong way. Many cooking shows use gas stoves which leak chemicals that are harmful to health and the climate (even when they are off). These shows also waste an abundance of food in different ways. This happens from overstocking the kitchens for TV appearances to the dishes that are created for judging. Large quantities of the food are thrown away by many shows and the dishes that are to be judged often only have a few bites of it eaten before being disposed of. Although some shows participate in donating the leftover foods or allowing the cast to eat the meals, many do not (costs, accessibility, and food safety are the main reasons this does not occur). Both cases could be influencing the public in a negative way to take similar actions (such as switching to gas stoves or having an overabundance of food).

Bauck, Whitney. “Recipe for Disaster: How Good Cooking Shows Can Be Terrible for the Planet.” The Guardian, 24 Oct. 2023. The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/oct/24/food-cooking-tv-shows-climate-change-sustainability.