“Stop Wasting It!” MasterChef Producers PANIC and Make a SHOCKING Change After Disgusting Viewer Backlash!

We finally know the answer to a question MasterChef viewers have been asking since the 2026 season kicked off.

If you’ve ever watched an episode of the Channel 10 show, you’ll often see the massive pantry stacked exactly like a supermarket, with every type of fresh produce you could imagine.

The contestants also whip up incredible dishes each night, and the judges take only a few bites of each dish.

Yahoo Lifestyle readers have wondered what happens to all this food, and whether it all gets tossed in the bin once the cameras stop rolling.

“They take a very big fish and only use about 200 grams of it,” one told us.

“What about the astronomical waste of food going on?” another demanded to know.

Yahoo Lifestyle can reveal that “nothing goes to waste” on the show’s set, and the bulk of the food is donated to the food relief organisation Second Bite.

Some items, such as proteins, vegetables, dry goods, and fruits, are also used by the contestants to practice at their accommodation, ensuring they have quality produce on hand.

It’s not surprising that MasterChef provides food to Second Bite, given that Coles, the supermarket that supplies the Channel 10 show, has partnered with the organisation since 2011.

The organisation’s main mission is to ensure “surplus” food is “rescued” and distributed to charities and community groups.

Coles donated the equivalent of 37.9 million meals in the 2024 to 2025 financial year alone.

Coles is far from the only organisation that donates to Second Bite, but it’s likely one of the largest.

Each year, Coles runs a Christmas and a Winter Appeal for the organisation, raising more than $3.1 million for Second Bite in 2024-25.

This allowed Second Bite to provide the equivalent of up to 15.6 million meals, with the funds being used to support the organisation’s network of 900 community partners.