Bon Appetit has seen its fair share of scandals over the past couple years. Many people seem to have forgotten the backlash over what was allegedly a toxic and racist work environment. Instead, my friends are whining about their new paywall - a move that perhaps comes stems from lost profits. Which could have something to do with the fact that many beloved Bon Appetit test kitchen regulars resigned after the scandal in 2020. But not Brad Leone. The New Jersey hunk, who has hosted the popular It's Alive! series, has stuck around through all the drama. But he seems to have stirred up some of his own. And this scandal regards practices that won't just harm people emotionally or psychologically - they could actually kill someone.
According to Twitter user @NoChorus, Brad Leone is being accused of misinforming his fans when it comes to food safety due to seriously sketchy curing methods he uses to cure pastrami.
The tweet above reveals that Brad Leone is on his third food safety scandal this year (later corrected to second). And honestly, we had no idea any of the drama had happened. Apparently, his methods are so questionable that Bon Appetit actually added a disclaimer to his pastrami video.
The “Brad's unique experiments” sounds so patronizing. We love it.
Next in the damning thread comes Washington Post's coverage of Brad's canned seafood scandal. This blunder involved Brad using the water bath method to can mussels and lobster - a process that isn't suitable for seafood. Experts weighed in on the dangerous video, and Bon Appetit took it down. Brad apologized, saying he'd “do better as a teacher and student of food.” That didn't last long.
After sharing the WaPo article, @NoChorus takes us on a trip through the comments section of Instagram regardBrad's pastrami video. It…ain't good.
In this comment, Instagram user @itscamillemn tells Brad that after she made the pastrami using his directions, she came down with an insane bout of diarrhea. Mind boggling diarrhea. Brad's response evokes Shaggy's “It wasn't me.” In lieu of apologizing, he informs her that there's a bad stomach bug going around. Um, okay.
Though the videos are still up, we're thinking Bon Appetit can do better than that little disclaimer. Peoples health depends on it. Botulism aside, it's become incredibly clear that people love to hate on the mag and its productions. And we're here for both the memes, sassy tweets - and the valid criticisms.