Hardware giant Bunnings is being roasted for imposing a radical change on its famous weekend sausage sizzles. And it all comes down to onions.

Bunnings management has told community groups the onions must go on the bread first, ahead of the sausage.

The new onions-first sausage sizzle policy, announced on Tuesday, has drawn widespread scorn and ridicule on social media.

Thousands of Australians took to Facebook and Twitter to voice their anger at the move. On Wednesday, TV host Karl Stefanovic piled in, insisting Bunnings’ was being “un-Australian”.

“This will ruin Australia,” he told the Today show, warning that the country would not “make it through today if this happened”.

“Bunnings, you get a lot of things right. But, I’m sorry, you got this one wrong. You don’t mess with perfection.” 

Poor #bunnings. I reckon their WHS stance hasn't gone far enough. Anyone realise the danger the edible napkin or piece of white bread poses to your health? White bread is linked to type2 diabetes, weight gain and depression. Should switch to a spelt roll #sausagesizzle :troll:

— Dutchie Down Under (@rd_roos) November 13, 2018

But the hardware giant is taking the high moral ground and claiming health and safety has prompted the change.

It says pieces of onion dropped by hungry shoppers have created “slipping hazards” outside its stores. Putting onions first, ahead of the sausage, would help avoid this, it said.

https://twitter.com/Craigsta9010/status/1062209864313651200

Chief operating officer Debbie Poole assured customers the taste of their weekend snag would not be affected. 

“Safety is always our No.1 priority and we recently introduced a suggestion that onion be placed underneath sausages to help prevent the onion from falling out and creating a slipping hazard,” she said. 

“This recommendation is provided to the community groups within their fund-raising sausage sizzle welcome pack and is on display within the gazebos when barbecues are underway.”

Don’t slip over cooking them, dangerous job according to #Bunnings

Remember to wear a hard hat, goggles, dust mask, visy vest, gloves and gum boots 🤣🌭

— Peter Oataway (@PetefromHayNSW) November 14, 2018

While the onions-first directive hasn’t gone down at all well with die-hard sizzlers, others are less anguished.

“If this is all it takes for you to get upset, medication may be required,” one person wrote.

“I’ve done quite a few sausage sizzles at my local Bunnings and I always put the onion on first,” another said.

Among the many negative remarks, one commenter commended Bunnings for taking action.

“For those mocking Bunnings for this decision, you do realise that it would have been some lazy customer who dropped onion on the floor and didn’t pick it up, therefore causing another customer to slip and carry on / complain about it.”