Risky or Not?

A short podcast about everyday risks from germs

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bar soap.jpg

28: Bar Soap

August 14, 2020 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of using bar soap

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

  • Washing with contaminated bar soap is unlikely to transfer bacteria

August 14, 2020 /Don Schaffner
Soap
closed.jpg

27: Eating at a Restaurant in Times of COVID-19

August 12, 2020 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating at a restaurant in times of COVID-19

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • Raleigh restaurant professionally cleaned after coronavirus patient ate there :: WRAL.com

  • Considerations for Restaurants and Bars | COVID-19 | CDC

August 12, 2020 /Don Schaffner
COVID-19, Restaurants
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26: Dried Pig Ear Pet Treats

August 10, 2020 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from dried pig ear pet treats to pet owners.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️

Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • Outbreak of Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella Infections Linked to Contact with Pig Ear Pet Treats | Outbreak of Salmonella Infections Linked to Pet Treats | July 2019 | Salmonella | CDC

  • The Occurrence and Anti‐microbial Susceptibility of Salmonellae Isolated from Commercially Available Pig Ear Pet Treats - Finley - 2008 - Zoonoses and Public Health - Wiley Online Library

August 10, 2020 /Don Schaffner
Pet treats, Salmonella, Pig ears
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25: Vaping

August 07, 2020 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from vaping in light of recent CDC reports.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼

Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • Update: Demographic, Product, and Substance-Use Characteristics of Hospitalized Patients in a Nationwide Outbreak of E-cigarette, or Vaping, Product Use–Associated Lung Injuries — United States, December 2019 | MMWR

  • Outbreak of Lung Injury Associated with the Use of E-Cigarette, or Vaping, Products | Electronic Cigarettes | Smoking & Tobacco Use | CDC

August 07, 2020 /Don Schaffner
Vaping
housetraining-puppies-1.jpg

24: Puppies

August 05, 2020 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the microbiological risks from puppies.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼

Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

  • Outbreak of Multidrug-resistant Campylobacter Infections Linked to Contact with Pet Store Puppies | Multidrug-resistant Campylobacter Infections Linked to Contact with Pet Store Puppies | December 2019 | Campylobacter | CDC

August 05, 2020 /Don Schaffner
Puppies, Campylobacter
germs-on-smartphones-cover.png

23: iPhones and the Immunocompromised

August 03, 2020 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from the immunocompromised handling devices like iPhones.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼

Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • (2) Todd Vaziri on Twitter: “@bugcounter I have a friend with a kid who is in chemo, and is wondering what is the best way to sanitize iPhones and electronics? My initial thought is the glass/metal of a bare iPhone is relatively easy to clean… but the plastic/rubber cases are much harder.” / Twitter

  • Your Cell Phone Is 10 Times Dirtier Than a Toilet Seat | Time

  • Why your cellphone has more germs than a toilet | College of Agriculture and Life Sciences | The University of Arizona

  • Why your cellphone has more germs than a toilet - TODAY Health

August 03, 2020 /Don Schaffner
Phones, Immunocompromised
Refrigerator-door-left-open-fridge-will-not-cool.jpg

22: Open Fridge for Two Hours

July 31, 2020 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from leaving your refrigerator open for two hours.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼

Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

  • (2) Justin on Twitter: “@bugcounter someone left the door to our fridge open since 12:00 or 12:30. It is now 2:00 when we discovered the open door and the thermometer reads 50 degrees. Throw out all the food, or shut the fridge door and continue with our lives?” / Twitter

  • ComBase

  • Food Safety During Power Outage | FoodSafety.gov

July 31, 2020 /Don Schaffner
Temperature, Refrigerator
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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
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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
il_570xN.1148911981_jw0w.jpg

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
EKvtGnpWoAEJKhU.jpg

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
C69vD.jpg

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
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