Risky or Not?

A short podcast about everyday risks from germs

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21: Five Year Old Candy Canes

July 29, 2020 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating five year old candy canes.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼

Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

  • (1) Julie Libarkin on Twitter: “I like candy canes as decorations this time of year. I save them - some are probably 5 years old. All in nice plastic. Very important question from someone not raised w candy canes: Can I still eat them? #candy” / Twitter

  • Water activity in candy and confectionery | METER

  • Moisture and shelf life in sugar confections. - PubMed - NCBI

July 29, 2020 /Don Schaffner
Candy, Shelf-life
frozen-pants-top.jpg

20: Freezing Your Jeans

July 27, 2020 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of freezing your jeans instead of washing.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼

Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

  • (1) Stuart Khan on Twitter: ““What Sydney’s new water restrictions mean for you” (I don’t know about that “freeze your jeans” thing, -does anyone actually do that? There may be some more practical suggestions…). https://t.co/zmNHvkQxKO” / Twitter

  • Sydney water restrictions: How you can help during the NSW drought

  • Levi’s Denim Care Tips - Hacks for Washing Your Jeans

  • Microbial Odor Profile of Polyester and Cotton Clothes after a Fitness Session | Applied and Environmental Microbiology

July 27, 2020 /Don Schaffner
Freezing, Clothing, Blue Jeans
Mayo small.jpg

19: Unrefrigerated Mayo

July 24, 2020 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of unrefrigerated mayonaise.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼

Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

  • BlackRoomSec on Twitter: “Um if mayo was refrigerated and then not for 3 days, how badly will I die if I eat it? I need a bacterial expert here.” / Twitter

  • A day in the life of a pentester, or is my job is too sexy for me?

  • What Is The Difference Between Mayonnaise And Aioli? - Food Republic

  • Effect of mayonnaise pH and storage temperature on the behavior of Listeria monocytogenes in ham salad and potato salad. - PubMed - NCBI


July 24, 2020 /Don Schaffner
Mayonaise, Refrigeration
raw-meat-black-eye-advice-ask-marilyn-ftr.jpg

18: RTE Foods in the Raw Meat Section

July 22, 2020 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of grocery stores stocking ready to eat items in the meat section.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼

Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

  • Amy Kirby on Twitter: “I’m not a fan of grocery stores stocking ready to eat items, especially those eaten without cooking, in the meat section. They have far too much trust in that little plastic barrier. #badidea #crosscontamination #publichealth #foodsafety @bugcounter @benjaminchapman https://t.co/eqemwUkxYT” / Twitter

  • Prevalence of Campylobacter, Salmonella, and Escherichia coli on the External Packaging of Raw Meat | Journal of Food Protection


July 22, 2020 /Don Schaffner
Meat, Ready-to-eat
soaking-beans.jpg

17: Soaking Beans Overnight

July 20, 2020 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from soaking beans overnight before cooking.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼

Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

  • The Occurrence of Bacillus cereus in some Dried Foods Including Pulses and Cereals - BLAKEY - 1980 - Journal of Applied Bacteriology - Wiley Online Library

  • The Traditional Four-Step Method | Bean Institute

  • Cooking Dry Beans from Scratch Can Be Quick

July 20, 2020 /Don Schaffner
Bacillus, Beans
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16: Thawed Crab Legs

March 09, 2020 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben discuss the risks from cooked, frozen crab legs thawed for 24 hours in the refrigerator.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼

Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

  • Listeria - Wikipedia
  • Listeria (Listeriosis) | FDA
  • Crab Legs Recalled Due to Listeria | Listeria Blog
March 09, 2020 /Don Schaffner
Crab legs, Thawing
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15: Salt Pigs

March 06, 2020 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben discuss the risks of cross-contamination from using a salt pig.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼

Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

  • Lee Constable on Twitter: "Also Adam Savage retweeted it to his 1.3M followers and... no one needs to come back to their phone after a couple of hours to find that level of salty condescending feedback from the world. ̆ΩÌ∏Ç" / Twitter
  • Salt pig - Wikipedia
March 06, 2020 /Don Schaffner
Salt pig, Cross-contamination
banana.jpg

14: Budnik's Banana

March 04, 2020 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben discuss the risks from eating a banana where the skin has split, exposing the flesh.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️

Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • Kevin Budnik on Twitter: "Is there a phobia for this https://t.co/6jI2sT6cSq" / Twitter
  • https://www.clemson.edu/extension/food/food2market/documents/ph_of_common_foods.pdf
March 04, 2020 /Don Schaffner
Banana
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13: Melted Styrofoam

March 02, 2020 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben on the risks of eating food that was in contact with melted styrofoam.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️

Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • Marc F. Bellemare on Twitter: "One would think that a place that features the word "Thai" in its name would know how to package pad thai so that it doesn’t melt through the styrofoam, thereby making the whole thing unsafe for human consumption. https://t.co/wqZCPNLU8Y" / Twitter

  • Styrene - Wikipedia

  • https://www.plasticfoodservicefacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Polystyrene-Report.pdf

March 02, 2020 /Don Schaffner
Styrofoam
lettuce02-md.jpg

12: Composting Recalled Lettuce

February 28, 2020 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben discuss the risks of backyard composting lettuce that was recalled for pathogenic E. coli.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼

Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

  • Group requests Salinas romaine be composted, not trashed | Packer
  • (3) Claire Zoellner on Twitter: "Was wondering about this after listening to the last #FoodSafetyTalk on composting. Risks of consumer backyard composting and industrial composting of recalled products? @bugcounter @benjaminchapman https://t.co/oahwfSkQsE" / Twitter
  • Importance of Soil Amendments: Survival of Bacterial Pathogens in Manure and Compost Used as... - Abstract - Europe PMC
February 28, 2020 /Don Schaffner
Compost, Lettuce, Recall
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11: Hot Air Hand Driers

February 26, 2020 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben discuss the risks posed by hot air hand driers.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️

Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • The Hygienic Efficacy of Different Hand-Drying Methods: A Review of the Evidence
  • Deposition of Bacteria and Bacterial Spores by Bathroom Hot-Air Hand Dryers | Applied and Environmental Microbiology
  • Quantifying the effect of hand wash duration, soap use, ground beef debris, and drying methods on the removal of Enterobacter aerogenes on hands. - PubMed - NCBI
February 26, 2020 /Don Schaffner
Handwashing, Hot air hand dryer
cotton towel disp.png

10: Cotton Towel Dispensers

February 24, 2020 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben discuss the risks posed by reusable cotton towel dispensers.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️

Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • Self strangulation by hanging from cloth towel dispensers in Canadian schools. - PubMed - NCBI
  • A study of bacterial contaminants of cloth and paper towels.
  • New Research Proves Cloth Roll Towel Systems (CRT) More Hygienic than Air Dryers | Daniel Berkhoudt, Architect
  • How to use one paper towel | Joe Smith | TEDxConcordiaUPortland - YouTube
February 24, 2020 /Don Schaffner
Handwashing, Public restrooms, Hand towels
walking-barefoot.jpg

9: Barefoot Kitchen Staff

February 21, 2020 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben discuss the risks of eating in an establishment where the kitchen staff are not wearing shoes.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼

Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

  • Home | Occupational Safety and Health Administration
  • FDA Food Code | FDA
  • Health Codes and OSHA | Society for Barefoot Living
February 21, 2020 /Don Schaffner
Kitchen, Bare feet
etrog_x850.jpg

8: Etrog

February 19, 2020 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben the safety of using Etrog Fruit for preparation of food items.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼

Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

  • https://discover.pbcgov.org/coextension/agriculture/PDF/Etrog%20handout.pdf
  • The Birth And Afterlife Of Israel's Precious Etrog Fruit : The Salt : NPR
  • Warning against using etrog for jam or vodka! : Judaism
  • Sukkot - Wikipedia
February 19, 2020 /Don Schaffner
Etrog
Used_coffee_mug_(4356081928).jpg

7: Unwashed Coffee Cups

February 17, 2020 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben discuss the risks of reusing your coffee cup without washing in between.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼

Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

  • A microbial survey of office coffee cups and effectiveness of an office cup washer for reduction of bacteria.
  • Your office coffee cup is likely covered in poop
February 17, 2020 /Don Schaffner
Washing, Coffee cup
518px-A_small_cast_iron_pan.jpg

6: Cast Iron Cleaning

February 14, 2020 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben discuss the risks of light cleaning of cast iron pans.

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

  • Food Safety Talk
  • Do By Friday
  • Matfer Bourgeat USA Kitchen Utensils
February 14, 2020 /Don Schaffner
Cast iron
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5: Doner Kebab

February 11, 2020 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben discuss whether doner kebab meat (also called gyro meat) is risky or not when it comes to food poisoning.

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

  • Time-Temperature Conditions of Gyros | Journal of Food Protection
  • Outbreak of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 infections associated with consumption of beef donair. - PubMed - NCBI
  • Management of the Risks Related to Consumption of Donairs and Similar Products (Gyros, Kebabs, Chawarmas and Shawarmas) Health Canada, 2008
February 11, 2020 /Don Schaffner
Gyro, Doner Kebab
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4: Vintage Glassware

February 07, 2020 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben venture outside of their food microbiology comfort zone to talk toxicology, specifically about the risks from eating off vintage dishware.

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

  • Vintage Pyrex Contains Unsafe Levels of Lead?
  • Charity Navigator - CN Advisory of Lead Safe America Foundation
  • Pamplin Media Group - Embattled former leader of Lead Safe America says felony charges are bogus
  • leachable lead in tableware - U.S. Food and Drug Administration Search Results
  • Is it Safe to Eat Off Vintage Plates? | Arts & Culture | Smithsonian
  • Myth Busting: Is There REALLY Lead in Vintage Pyrex? - Creative Green Living
  • Childhood Lead Poisoning from Commercially Manufactured French Ceramic Dinnerware --- New York City, 2003
  • How Radioactive Is Fiesta Ware?
  • Fiestaware (ca. 1930s)
February 07, 2020 /Don Schaffner
Glassware, Pyrex, Toxicology
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3: Out of Date Ravioli

February 04, 2020 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben discus the risky posed by consumption of Mushroom Ravioli that is several weeks past it’s use by date.

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

  • Mushroom & Creamy Cheese Ravioli - Giovanni Rana
  • Psychrotrophic strains of Bacillus cereus producing enterotoxin - van Netten - 1990 - Journal of Applied Bacteriology - Wiley Online Library
February 04, 2020 /Don Schaffner
Ravioli, Shelf-life, Refrigerator
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2: Refrigerated Grease

February 01, 2020 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and regular co-host Professor Chapman discuss the risks posed by the long term storage of refrigerated cooking grease.

  • Matfer Bourgeat USA Kitchen Utensils
  • Garlic-in-Oil Associated Botulism: Episode Leads to Product Modification
  • Schmaltz - Wikipedia
February 01, 2020 /Don Schaffner
Grease, Refrigerator
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