Pete Evans cops criticism after telling followers not to wear sunscreen

Pete Evans has been slammed by health experts after telling a Facebook fan not to wear sun cream as it contains “poisonous chemicals.”

In a post on his Facebook page, the celebrity chef sparked controversy after he was asked about his sunscreen use.

“I generally (wear) nothing as I keep an all-over tan all year and don’t stay out for super long periods in the sun," the My Kitchen Rules judge replied.

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If revealing to his fans that he hardly wears sunscreen wasn’t enough, Evans’ then went on a rant about how sun protecting creams are riddled with “poisonous chemicals” and that people are “silly” for using them.

He claimed he sometimes wears Surf Mud, a zinc-based product, but according to the Therapeutic Goods Administration, it’s not verified.

In response, Facebook users told the cookbook author off, with one fan saying, “All the healthy foods in the world won't help if you develop melanoma! Any respect that I had for you has dropped to zero since your statements about sunscreen. How irresponsible can you be, Pete?”

Another user became quite upset that the chef would use his high profile image to provide advice he wasn’t qualified to give. “When I want good advice, I go to a specialist… don't spout off about things you don't understand, lest you one day find yourself responsible for the death of another human being,” the Facebook user said.

The Cancer Council also caught wind of Evans’ post and said his advice was “dangerous” and “disappointing”.

“Australia experiences some of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world and we have strong evidence sunscreen reduces the risk of cancer,” said the Cancer Council's director of education, Terry Slevin.

Evans claims the UV absorbers in the sunscreen are “poisonous”, however Slevin insists they’re deemed safe and have been proven to be a very effective component of the recipe.

An Australian study conducted earlier this year found that regular sun cream use can prevent people from contracting melanoma cancer, which kills more than 1400 Australians each year.

Evans isn’t new to controversy. Last year he copped slack for his bone marrow broth recipe for babies and before that was slammed for preaching his paleo ways.

Never a dull moment with Paleo Pete.

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