A short podcast about everyday risks from germs
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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 ☣️
ChatGPT image description: A bunch of purple grapes sits in the child seat of a grocery cart. In the background, a toddler with a visibly soiled diaper looks back with a guilty expression. The blurred store aisle contrasts with the sharply focused cart, highlighting a humorous but unsanitary situation.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from placing a fresh fruit on the seat of a grocery cart without a bag.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
Actual screen capture from YouTube.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of making butter while running.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: A hand holds a spoon scooping chunky tomato sauce from a pot. Nearby, a piece of raw meat rests partially submerged in the sauce. The spoon is positioned about an inch away, highlighting a potential cross-contamination risk in a kitchen setting.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of tasting the sauce before the meat is cooked.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: A sushi kitchen handwashing sink is shown as someone rinses their hands under running water. Nearby, an open box of disposable gloves sits too close, becoming visibly wet from splashing water. The scene highlights a cross-contamination risk, with food prep areas blurred in the background.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks associated with letting patrons use the handwash sink in a sushi restaurant kitchen.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: A stainless steel toaster sits on a countertop with faint streaks and small droplets of raw chicken juice on its surface and slot edges. In the blurred background, a bowl of raw chicken rests at a distance. The image highlights subtle cross-contamination risk from minimal splashing.
Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from using toaster after splashing raw chicken juice inside if you are immunocompromised.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
Image from the video discussed
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from using the top paper plate in a package of plates.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
Don’s actual cover
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of using a plastic microwave food cover that you only rinse and do not wash.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: A guilty-looking dog sits on a messy kitchen floor in front of an open dishwasher. Food scraps, a sponge, and a utensil are scattered around. The dog’s drooping ears and sad eyes suggest it caused the mess and knows it’s in trouble.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from mixing dishes from people and from Giardia infected dogs in the dishwater.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: An elegant Welsh fine-dining restaurant with rustic stone walls and candlelit tables displays two Michelin stars at the entrance. A Welsh-language sign reads “Bwyty Gorau Cymru.” Nearby, a separate red placard humorously reveals a low one-star hygiene rating, contrasting sharply with the refined, upscale atmosphere.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating at a two star Michelin restaurant with a one star hygiene rating.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: A yogurt container sits atop a snowy mountain, its lid visibly swollen from altitude. Behind it, a playful yeti peeks from behind a snow-covered tree. Rugged peaks stretch into the distance under a bright blue sky, creating a whimsical scene blending food packaging physics with a mythical alpine setting.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from consuming yogurt that was bulging after transport to a higher elevation.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: A relaxed, scruffy man with long hair and a bathrobe stands by an open refrigerator, holding a stick of butter smeared with dark residue from a dirty pan. He casually returns the contaminated butter to the fridge, while the greasy pan sits below, highlighting a clear food safety concern.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from using butter that was rubbed on a dirty pan.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: A vibrant home vegetable garden with leafy greens, tomatoes, and carrots is shown in daylight. In the soil, a bright yellow biohazard sign warns “Composted Botulinum Toxin.” Gardening tools rest nearby, contrasting the healthy plants with the ominous, humorous food-safety warning.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating vegetables grown in soil with composted botulinum toxin.
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
This image is generated from Don's Perfringens Predictor analysis.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating White Castle burgers in a cooler for 12 hours.
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️
ChatGPT image description: A preschooler happily bites into a sandwich while holding it with visibly dirty, mud-stained fingernails. The child’s messy hands contrast with the simple ham sandwich and bright striped shirt. The close-up emphasizes the fingernails and hands, highlighting a classic food-safety concern about hand hygiene during eating.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating with poopy fingernail hands.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼