A short podcast about everyday risks from germs

ChatGPT image description: A horrified home cook realizes a bag of frozen mixed berries has been left out for two hours. Purple berry juice pools across the counter while a handwritten timing note and wall clock emphasize the mistake. The square image captures panic, thawing fruit, and a relatable kitchen food-safety dilemma.

933. Leaving Frozen Berries Out for 2 Hours, Refreezing and Reusing

May 27, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from leaving frozen berries out of refrigeration for 2 hours, refreezing and reusing later in a smoothie.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

Microbiological Surveillance Sampling: FY 19-23 Frozen Berries (Strawberries, Raspberries and Blackberries) | FDA
Full report - Microbiological Surveillance Sampling: FY 19-23 Frozen Berries (Strawberries, Raspberries and Blackberries)
Occurrence of Selected Foodborne Pathogens on Frozen Berries Collected at Retail Level in Switzerland - ScienceDirect
Scientific Opinion on the risk posed by pathogens in food of non‐animal origin. Part 2 (Salmonella and Norovirus in berries) - - 2014 - EFSA Journal - Wiley Online Library
Cannon Mills - Wikipedia

ChatGPT image description: A hand pours homemade taco seasoning into a skillet of cooked ground meat after the burner has been turned off. Bold kitchen-style text emphasizes the seasoning step, while the warm, rustic background suggests taco night preparation in a cozy home kitchen.

932. Homemade Taco Seasoning Directly Added to Cooked Meat After Turning the Heat Off

May 25, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from adding homemade taco seasoning directly to cooked meat after turning the heat off.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

Screenshot from the YouTube Video with human kibble (kibble FOR humans, not kibble FROM humans)

931. Freeze Dried Human Kibble

May 22, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating foods turned into freeze dried human kibble.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

ChatGPT image description: A rustic ceramic pot holds thick, aging pease porridge on a wooden table. The lumpy greenish stew looks dense and stale, with dried residue clinging to the sides. A parchment-style sign reads “Pease Porridge Nine Days Old,” giving the scene a medieval nursery-rhyme atmosphere.

930. Nine Day Old Pease Porridge

May 20, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating pease porridge in the pot, nine days old.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

929. Car Ranch

May 18, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating ranch dressing stored in a warm car for an extended period of time.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

928. Keeping Your Shampoo Bottle on the Floor of the Shower

May 15, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from keeping your shampoo bottle on the floor of the shower.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

ChatGPT image description: A man stands at a stove in a warm kitchen, eating chicken wings while tending a simmering pot. As he finishes each wing, he drops the bones directly into the boiling stock, blending casual eating with cooking in an unusual, slightly unsanitary preparation method.

927. Making Stock With Chewed or Licked Chicken Bones (Normal Style)

May 13, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating stock made from chewed or licked chicken bones, where are the chicken has been eaten "normal style".

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

Making stock with “chewed” chicken bones? : r/Cooking

ChatGPT image description: A man cooks in a warm, modern kitchen while wearing earbuds, pausing thoughtfully with sauce-covered hands. A woman asks him a question nearby. A thought bubble shows his dilemma: touch his phone to pause a podcast or keep cooking. Fresh ingredients and a simmering pot surround him.

926. Touching Your Phone in the Middle of Prepping Dinner

May 11, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from touching your phone in the middle of prepping dinner.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

ChatGPT image description: A conflicted man stands beside a trash can in a dim movie theater hallway, hesitating over a large tub of leftover popcorn resting on top. His hand hovers uncertainly as other patrons walk away. A nearby sign urges proper trash disposal, underscoring the awkward, tempting situation.

925. Eating Someone Else's Leftover Popcorn at the Movies

May 08, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating someone else's leftover popcorn at the movies.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

ChatGPT image description: A nervous man in a liquor store awkwardly hides a wine bottle in his pants while glancing sideways. Shelves of alcohol line the aisle. A security mirror reflects him from above, and bright store lighting emphasizes the tense yet slightly comical moment of attempted theft.

924. Drinking a Bottle of Wine That Has Been Stuffed in a Thief’s Trousers

May 06, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from drinking a bottle of wine that has been stuffed in a thief’s trousers.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

ChatGPT image description: An old, worn box of Cheez-It crackers sits open, its faded red packaging scuffed and stained. Inside, a crinkled, yellowed plastic bag holds orange square crackers. The cardboard looks brittle and aged, suggesting long-term storage, while the overall scene conveys staleness and neglect.

923. 20 year old Cheez-Its

May 04, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of consuming ~20 year old Cheez-Its.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

ChatGPT image description: A clear plastic bag of frozen tilapia fillets floats in murky, dirty dishwater inside a cluttered sink. Greasy utensils, food residue, and bubbles surround it. In the background, a box of storage bags sits on the counter, emphasizing unsafe thawing conditions and cross-contamination risk.

922. Thawing Frozen Fish in a Plastic Bag in a Flithy Sink

May 01, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks thawing frozen fish in a plastic bag in a fithy sink.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

ChatGPT image description: A freshly opened tub of cottage cheese sits on a wooden surface, its foil lid peeled back. The curds are surrounded by whey and dotted with numerous small carbon dioxide bubbles, giving a slightly effervescent appearance that suggests active fermentation or gas production within the dairy product.

921. Cottage Cheese With Bubbles In

April 29, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating cottage cheese that shows visible bubbles when opened.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

Image description: actual image from the TikTok video

920. Eating Easter Eggs Dyed in the Toilet Bowl

April 27, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating Easter eggs dyed in the toilet bowl

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

ChatGPT image description: A square image shows a bottle of ghost pepper pineapple hot sauce on a heavy metal band’s merch table. A handwritten $10 sign sits beside it. Guitar picks and dark-themed items surround the bottle, while three intense-looking band members loom in the background, slightly blurred, gesturing toward the sauce.

919. Homemade Unrefrigerated Hot Sauce From Heavy Metal Band at Their Merch Table

April 24, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from consuming homemade unrefrigerated hot sauce purchased from a heavy metal band at their merch table.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - risky ☣️