There’s no doubt that the global coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on all industries around the country.
For upwards of two months, everything, including the hospitality industry and entertainment has been shut down, however, for Network Ten series MasterChef Australia, production has continued in Melbourne.
For avid fans of the show, watching the pure joy that is the Masterchef: Back to Win, has brought huge relief to this ever-changing world — and while filming is still ongoing, it doesn’t mean that it hasn’t been impacted by the pandemic.
In a statement to TheLatch—, an EndemolShine spokesperson said that “MasterChef Australia has always employed the highest standards of food safety and hygiene” and that they will now have a keener focus on that.
“All recommendations outlined by Federal and State government health authorities are being followed,” they said.
Under the current circumstances, EndemolShine is now introducing new measures for the foreseeable future. These include (but are not limited to): social distancing measures across every facet of the production and additional hand sanitising stations positioned around the set and offices.
“On the set, changes will be made to the spacing of contestant cooking benches and gloves provided for team challenges where equipment may be shared, as well as when handling food in the pantry. Additional sinks have been added as dedicated handwashing stations, so as to separate from any food preparation.
“Judges will step up to taste individually portioned meals and no cutlery or plates will be shared”.
On May 21, we watched as Poh Ling Yeow, Jess Liementara, Reece Hignell and Simon Toohey took part in an instant noodles challenge where they had to “pimp” them up in the race for immunity.
While there were over twenty-one different types of noodles for the contestants to work with, there was one omission which some fans were a little miffed by.
“The fact that we don’t get to see a pimped out Mi Goreng is beyond me…” one person wrote on Twitter.
However, there was a clear explanation for this — and it came from judge Melissa Leong.
“Before anyone asks, there are no IndoMie Mi Goreng noodles on the table because: a) it was the very early stages of Covid and y’all bulk bought them out of circulation. b) we needed to challenge these talented contestants a little further than the OG [sic],” she wrote on Twitter.
Before anyone asks, there are no IndoMie Mi Goreng noodles on the table because: a) it was the very early stages of Covid and y’all bulk bought them out of circulation. b) we needed to challenge these talented contestants a little further than the OG. 🍜 #MasterChefAU
— Melissa Leong (@fooderati) May 21, 2020
In the early days of COVID-19 being present in Australia, shoppers whipped into a buying frenzy for items like toilet paper and pasta — and apparently Mi Goreng noodles. With collective anxiety running at an all-time high, people even came to physical blows with others over household items.
It will certainly be interesting to keep watching over the next few weeks as the contestants are whittled down to the winner.
—
The current health crisis is evolving rapidly. If you suspect you or a family member has coronavirus you should call (not visit) your GP or ring the national Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
Read more stories from TheLatch— and follow us on Facebook.
