The Big Waste

{{short description|American food reality television special}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}

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| image = Big Waste intertitle.jpeg

| image_size = 240

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| genre = Food reality television

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| starring = {{plainlist|

• Anne Burrell
• Bobby Flay
• Alex Guarnaschelli
• Michael Symon}}

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| country = United States

| language = English

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| runtime = {{duration|m=41}}

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| channel = Food Network

| released = {{Start date|2012|01|08}}{{cite web|url=http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/the-big-waste/339180|title=The Big Waste TV Show: News, Videos, Full Episodes and More {{!}} TV Guide|work=TV Guide|publisher=CBS Interactive|accessdate=June 28, 2018}}

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The Big Waste is an American cooking reality competition television special that aired on Food Network on January 8, 2012. Two two-chef teams (Anne Burrell/Alex Guarnaschelli and Bobby Flay/Michael Symon) competed to cook the best meal using foods that were on their way to being discarded.{{cite web|url=https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/food-network-specials/episodes/the-big-waste|title=The Big Waste {{!}} Food Network Specials {{!}} Food Network|work=Food Network|publisher=Scripps Networks Interactive|accessdate=June 28, 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://insteading.com/blog/the-big-waste-food-network-looks-at-food-waste-in-america|title=The Big Waste: Food Network Looks at Food Waste in America • Insteading|work=Insteading|last=Carr|first=Heather|date=January 9, 2012|accessdate=June 28, 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.solidwaste.com/doc/food-network-guarnaschelli-glad-food-waste-homes-america-0001|title=Food Network Star Alex Guarnaschelli Joins Glad To Tackle Food Waste In Homes Across America|work=SolidWaste.com|publisher=VertMarkets|date=October 16, 2013|accessdate=June 28, 2018}} All of the foods that were used were inspected before the chefs utilized them.