Risky or Not?

A short podcast about everyday risks from germs

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367. Fries Cooked in Cooking Oil With a Mouse

October 14, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of easting fries cooked in cooking oil with a mouse

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

  • TK on Twitter: "@bugcounter @benjaminchapman fries cooked in cooking oil after deep frying a mouse: risky or not? https://t.co/aBJBEsaMaa" / Twitter
  • 'It's a deep-fried rat': Man behind viral Whataburger mouse video speaks out
  • The Perfect Frying Oil Temp for Common Cooking Oils
October 14, 2022 /Don Schaffner
Cross-contamination, Cooking, Rodent

366. Unrefrigerated Ranch Dressing Topped Off for Days

October 13, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of somewhat unrefrigerated ranch dressing sent to school with a kid which topped off (not emptied and cleaned) for a week.

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

  • Amazon.com : Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Topping, Gluten Free - 16 Ounce Bottle (Package May Vary) : Grocery & Gourmet Food
  • Peggy Hill | King of the Hill Wiki | Fandom
  • Peggy Olson | Mad Men Wiki | Fandom
  • Production of Shelf-Stable Ranch Dressing Using High-Pressure Processing
October 13, 2022 /Don Schaffner
Salad dressing, Preservatives, Time temperature control for safety

365. Roadside Rúgbrauð

October 10, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of making rúgbrauð in a car instead of a volcano.

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

  • Joseph Pranay Martin on Twitter: "@benjaminchapman @bugcounter “Roadside Rúgbrauð” risky?" / Twitter
  • Dr. Julian Lozos on Twitter: "Traditionally, Icelandic rúgbrauð is baked in the hot geothermal ground: a low-and-slow process. The San Fernando Valley isn't geothermal, but we ARE in an extreme heatwave right now. Let's see if my car can achieve the low-and-slow conditions needed for baking rúgbrauð. (thread) https://t.co/bX2BrkgUAe" / Twitter
  • Rúgbrauð - Icelandic Rye bread - Iceland Food Centre
  • 5 tips for making rye bread | King Arthur Baking
October 10, 2022 /Don Schaffner
Rúgbrauð, Car cooking, Bread

364. Leeching Acorns in a Toilet Tank to Make Acorn Flour

October 07, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of leeching acorns in a toilet tank to make acorn flour.

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

  • Acorn Flour as a Source of Bioactive Compounds in Gluten-Free Bread - PMC
  • Acorn flour properties depending on the production method and laboratory baking test results: A review - Szabłowska - 2021 - Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety - Wiley Online Library
  • Facts About Raleigh, N.C. | Population, Geography, Government and More
  • Age-dependent toxicity of acorn extract in young and old male rats. - Abstract - Europe PMC
  • Acorn Poisoning in Cattle | North Carolina Cooperative Extension
  • Acorn - Wikipedia
  • Tannins and human health: a review - PubMed
  • How to Make Acorn Flour - Making Acorn Flour by Cold Leaching
  • Best in Show (4/11) Movie CLIP - Naming Nuts (2000) HD - YouTube
  • 15 Types of Oak Trees in North Carolina - ProGardenTips
October 07, 2022 /Don Schaffner
Acorn, Flour, Toilet

363. Transporting Watermelons in a Grass Lined Flume

October 05, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of transporting watermelons from the field to post harvest in a grass lined flume

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • Joe Holt on Twitter: "@bugcounter @benjaminchapman transporting watermelons in a grass lined flume, or something. Risky or not?" / Twitter
  • Internalization of Listeria monocytogenes in cantaloupes during dump tank washing and hydrocooling - ScienceDirect
  • https://ucfoodsafety.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk7366/files/inline-files/223990.pdf
  • https://www.fda.gov/media/116691/download
  • Development and Validation of a Mathematical Model for Growth of Pathogens in Cut Melons | Journal of Food Protection


October 05, 2022 /Don Schaffner
Melons, Water

362. Nyquil Chicken

October 03, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from making and eating Nyquil chicken.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • F.D.A. Warning on NyQuil Chicken Alerts Many to Existence of NyQuil Chicken - The New York Times
  • A Recipe for Danger: Social Media Challenges Involving Medicines | FDA
  • What Cooking Chicken in NyQuil Actually Does to Your Body
  • Twitter's Main Character | Know Your Meme


October 03, 2022 /Don Schaffner
Memes, Nyquil, Chicken

361. Used Egg Shells, Planted With Cress Seeds for Grandchildren

September 30, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks planting used egg shells with cress seeds as treat for grandchildren.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • bring brang brung on Twitter: "Good combo @bugcounter ? https://t.co/jQcOGZZg8L" / Twitter
  • Ep. 21: "Dead Rubber Girl in My Closet" - Roderick on the Line - Merlin Mann
  • Growing Cress in Egg Shells - Eats Amazing.
  • Garden cress - Wikipedia
  • Ep. 282: "The Grand Slam" - Roderick on the Line - Merlin Mann
  • Contamination of egg shell and contents with Salmonella enteritidis: a review - PubMed
  • Plant-Microbe and Abiotic Factors Influencing Salmonella Survival and Growth on Alfalfa Sprouts and Swiss Chard Microgreens - PMC
  • How to Grow Cress Caterpillars
  • (139) Pinterest
  • Amazon.com: Chia Pet - Willie Nelson - with Seed Pack, Decorative Pottery Planter by Joseph Enterprises, Easy to Do and Fun to Grow, Novelty Gift, Perfect for Any Occasion : Everything Else
September 30, 2022 /Don Schaffner
Eggs, Salmonella, Cress

360. Redditer's Purple Butter

September 28, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating butter that has turned purple.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • What is this purple stuff in my butter dish? : biology
  • Butter Bell | French Butter Crock - YouTube
  • Why the heck did my butter turn purple? - cooking | Ask MetaFilter
  • Purps butter - Imgur
  • First attempt at cannabutter (purple butter) : treedibles
  • Serratia marcescens - Wikipedia
  • Microorganisms | Free Full-Text | What Is Candida Doing in My Food? A Review and Safety Alert on Its Use as Starter Cultures in Fermented Foods
  • Candida glabrata: Review of Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, and Clinical Disease with Comparison to C. albicans - PMC


September 28, 2022 /Don Schaffner
Butter, Unsalted butter, Serratia, Candida

359. Cooking with Cow Dung

September 26, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the food safety of risks cooking with cow dung.

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

  • Gau Kriti Cowcake Vadic Dhoop Cone/Incense Made from Cowcake/Gobar (Brown) - Box of 5 Packets - Patented Product : Amazon.ca: Home
  • Perfect Way Cow Dung Cake/UPLAS/Kanda for HAWAN PUJA : Amazon.ca: Home
  • Dry dung fuel - Wikipedia
September 26, 2022 /Don Schaffner
Manure, Cow dung

358. Vintage Jello

September 23, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating vintage Jello that is decades old.

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

  • Jell-O - Wikipedia
  • What is Jell-O? How does it turn from a liquid to a solid when it cools? - Scientific American
  • Vintage Jello And - Etsy
  • 268. Old Outbreak Peanut Butter — Risky or Not?
September 23, 2022 /Don Schaffner
Jell-O, Gelatine, Shelf-life, Salmonella, Shelf life

357. Frog in Canadian Lettuce

September 21, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating lettuce from a container with a live frog in it.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • Woman discovers live frog in sealed lettuce container in London, Ont., grocery store | CBC News
  • C h a n t e l S c o t t on Instagram: "The now famous frog in the lettuce I found at Sobeys in London Ontario! 🐸 🥬 UPDATE: I handed the mixed salad to an employee who took it to the manager. I asked employees if they were releasing the frog and they said yes after they file a report they would release it to the local pond up the street. (Someone also commented on TikTok that the manager has a terrarium for it so idk what happened sobeys manager only knows!😇)"
  • Alive frog sealed into salad mix… @sobeys.official #sobeys #complimentssalad #frog
  • Outbreak of Salmonella Serotype Hartford Infections Associated With Unpasteurized Orange Juice | Infectious Diseases | JAMA | JAMA Network
  • There's a frog in my salad! A review of online media coverage for wild vertebrates found in prepackaged produce in the United States - ScienceDirect
  • Diversity of Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis Pulsotypes, Serovars, and Antibiotic Resistance Among Salmonella Isolates from Wild Amphibians and Reptiles in the California Central Coast | Foodborne Pathogens and Disease
  • Coliforms, Escherichia coli and Salmonella Serovars Associated with a Citrus-Processing Facility Implicated in a Salmonellosis Outbreak† | Journal of Food Protection
September 21, 2022 /Don Schaffner
Leafy greens, Frog, Salmonella

356. Uncooked Vegan Cookie Dough Stored Hot Car All Day

September 19, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating uncooked vegan cookie dough after it has been stored in a hot car all day.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️ *
Professor Ben - risky ☣️ *

* Over 350 perfect episodes and not a single mistake. We goofed. It’s right on the package. And the hot car is a red herring. If it’s safe at room temperature the hot car reduces risk.

September 19, 2022 /Don Schaffner
Raw cookie dough, Salmonella, E. coli

355. Corn Water

September 16, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of keeping a half a corn cob in a sealed bottle of water, and sipping after a few days.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • Don Schaffner 🦠 on Twitter: "@clairedwillett Please google “pruno botulism” 😬" / Twitter
  • Pruno: A Recipe for Botulism | Botulism | CDC
  • Recipe: Fermented Corn — FarmSteady
  • Southern Sour Corn Recipe - How to Make Lacto Fermented Corn
September 16, 2022 /Don Schaffner
Botulism, Corn

354. Max's Mom's Borscht

September 14, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of cooling Max's mom cooling uncovered borscht on the counter before refrigerating.

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

  • 344. Max's Unwashed Basil — Risky or Not?
  • 349. Refrigerating Food in Joshes Weird Tall Cup — Risky or Not?
  • WAC 246-215-03515:
  • Borscht - Wikipedia
  • Who really owns borsch? - BBC Travel
  • Vigor Stainless Steel Stock Pot (20 Qt.): WebstaurantStore
  • Beet Kvass - Fermented Beet Juice [RECIPE!] | Polonist
September 14, 2022 /Don Schaffner
Borscht, Cooling

353. Cooking Chicken in a Hotel Coffeepot

September 12, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of trying to cook a chicken in a "hotel" coffeepot.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • Nick Dawson on Twitter: "@bugcounter @benjaminchapman from Reddit…chicken cooked in a hotel room coffee carafe 🤢https://t.co/t1Ad7LjgcO" / Twitter
  • Dave Harbarger on Twitter: "@bugcounter Apparently satire… but…here’s a link to the original poster on Twitter. https://t.co/z8kAeeszfL" / Twitter
  • The labeled this "Career advice" : insanepeoplefacebook
  • Alex Cohen on Twitter: "This is my best LinkedIn post to date https://t.co/lfyGEGHuo8" / Twitter
  • 👨‍🍳💋 : LinkedInLunatics
  • HUTTEN 9-bottle wine rack, solid wood - IKEA
  • How hot does a coffee maker hot plate get? | Espresso Expert
  • FSIS Cooking Guideline for Meat and Poultry Products (Revised Appendix A) | Food Safety and Inspection Service
September 12, 2022 /Don Schaffner
Cooking, Chicken, Hotel

352. Slab Pancetta, 2 Months at 36 °F

September 09, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating pancetta bacon stored for 2 months at 36 °F.

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

  • Evan H B on Twitter: "@bugcounter question for the experts: what is the actual driver for safety risk for cured meat products held at low refrigeration temperatures? i have some slab pancetta that is about 2 months since it was cut from a larger piece by an unknown knife held at 36* since #riskyornot?" / Twitter
  • FoodKeeper App | FoodSafety.gov
  • Pancetta vs Bacon vs Prosciutto: What's the Difference? | Kitchn
  • Prosciutto - Wikipedia
  • Occurrence of mycotoxins in refrigerated pizza dough and risk assessment of exposure for the Spanish population - ScienceDirect
  • The Occurrence of Molds, Yeasts and Mycotoxins in Pre-Cooked Pizza Dough Sold in Southern Rio Grande Do Sul
  • Pathways of Mycotoxin Occurrence in Meat Products: A Review
September 09, 2022 /Don Schaffner
Pancetta, Bacon, Refrigeration

351. Kissing a Bird

September 07, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from kissing a parrot (Norwegian Blue, or other) or really any bird.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • Animals on Instagram: "I can’t handle how cute this is. I watched it like 20 times🥹 Credits to @tamarasbluechicken via TikTok - - - - #funnyparrot #parrot #talkingparrot #cutepets #bird #animallovers"
  • Salmonella Outbreaks Linked to Backyard Poultry | CDC
  • Isolation of Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis in Blue-Fronted Amazon Parrot (Amazona aestiva) | Avian Diseases
  • Testing for Salmonella Spp. In Released Parrots, Wild Parrots, and Domestic Fowl in Lowland Peru | Journal of Wildlife Diseases
  • Dead Parrot sketch - Wikipedia
  • The Parrot Sketch - Monty Python's Flying Circus - video Dailymotion
  • 8 Top Blue Parrot Species to Keep as Pets
September 07, 2022 /Don Schaffner
Birds, Salmonella, Kissing

350. Everything apron? Cross-contamin-apron

September 05, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of using the Everything Apron.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • Jeff Tropeano on Twitter: "This abomination should be discussed in full by @benjaminchapman and @bugcounter on Risky or Not https://t.co/Agy8ZbHBJO" / Twitter
  • I prototype absurd invention ideas and this is the Everything Apron. : funny
  • Mise en place - Wikipedia
September 05, 2022 /Don Schaffner
Cross-contamination, Grilling

349. Refrigerating Food in Joshes Weird Tall Cup

September 02, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of refrigerating food in a tall container 3 inch wide or less.

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

  • joshincypress on Twitter: "@bugcounter @benjaminchapman Food safety question. You have mentioned not refrigerating dishes no more than three inches deep. Is this three inches measured in all directions? Would it be risky to refrigerate soup in this? https://t.co/vbtMs2kLcb" / Twitter
  • Washington State, Temperature and time control—Cooling 246-215-03515:
September 02, 2022 /Don Schaffner

348. Drinking a Glass of Polluted Water From a ‘Holy River’

August 31, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of drinking drinking a glass of polluted water from a ‘holy river’, with bonus content from Ben's vacation.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • Ashok Swain on Twitter: "Punjab Chief Minister openly drinks a glass of polluted water from a ‘holy river’ to prove that water is clean. Now admitted to hospital. https://t.co/MH1OLwUlUw" / Twitter
  • Latest Golf News - PGA TOUR
  • Gulf News: Latest UAE news, Dubai news, Business, travel news, Dubai Gold rate, prayer time, cinema
  • CDC - DPDx - Giardiasis
  • CDC - DPDx - Cryptosporidiosis
  • Recreational Water Quality Criteria and Methods | US EPA
  • Understanding Water Quality on Bass Lake
  • Water ingestion during swimming activities in a pool: A pilot study | Journal of Water and Health | IWA Publishing
August 31, 2022 /Don Schaffner
Water, Fecal pollution, E. coli
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