Disgusting or not?

[N-OS X-tasy!]

NewtonMP2100 wrote:
[quote=MikeF]
I remember watching Chopped and one of the chef contestants used the same spoon multiple times. The judges refused to eat the food because of that and he was gone...

.....I saw that episode....you should add that he was tasting the food (in his mouth) and then reusing the spoon to stir, etc.......
While I agree that this is generally considered to be unsanitary, I've always wondered whether the relatively high temperatures used to cook food also act to sterilize it and, if so, whether this practice is of any concern.