Risky or Not?

A short podcast about everyday risks from germs

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DALL·E - a can of food in a pantry next to a thermometer reading 105 degrees Fahrenheit

547. Overheated Canned and Jarred Foods

December 08, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of consuming canned and jarred foods that were exposed to temperatures over 100°F for several days.

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

  • Spoilage of Canned Foods - Food Microbiology: Principles into Practice - Wiley Online Library
  • Thermophilic Organisms Involved in Food Spoilage: Thermophilic Anaerobes not Producing Hydrogen Sulfide - PubMed
  • Thermophilic Organisms in Food Spoilage: Flat-Sour Aerobes - PubMed
  • FSIS Microbiology of Thermally Processed Foods
  • Mathematical Models for the Effects of pH, Temperature, and Sodium Chloride on the Growth of Bacillus stearothermophilus in Salty Carrots | Applied and Environmental Microbiology
December 08, 2023 /Don Schaffner
Canned food, Thermophilic spoilage

DALL·E - a pile of canned food in a bonfire

546. Canned Food From a Fire

December 06, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of consuming canned foods from a house where there was a fire.

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

  • Fires and Food Safety | Food Safety and Inspection Service
  • Men At Work - Down Under (Lyrics) - YouTube
  • https://Victoria Food Safety After A Fire
  • Food Safety After a Fire - Boulder County
  • Consumer Tips For Food Safety After Fires - MN Dept. of Health
  • What foods are safe if exposed to a fire?
  • Fires and Food Safety | Food Safety and Inspection Service
  • Food Safety Issues After a Fire - Extension
  • Food safety after a fire - Better Health Channel
  • Keep Food Safe After a Disaster or Emergency | Natural Disasters and Severe Weather | CDC
  • ‎SJ Gould Essay Summaries
  • Amazon.com: Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History: 9780393307009: Gould, Stephen Jay: Books
December 06, 2023 /Don Schaffner
Fire, Canned food

545. Steak House Pub Cheese in a Shared Crock

December 04, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of steak house pub cheese in a shared crock at Ye Olde Steak House in Knoxville, pre-pandemic.

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

  • (3) Ryan on X: "@bugcounter @benjaminchapman Risky or Not: “steakhouse pub cheese passed around from table to table in a shared crock” here’s the source clip and link from the @aragusea podcast https://t.co/y6zwRtkbVi https://t.co/MLAuxOybJY" / X
  • Ye Olde Steak House and associated history (E71) — The Adam Ragusea Podcast — Overcast
  • What Is Pub Cheese?
  • Beer Cheese Dip - Pub-Style {with Video} - TidyMom®
  • Ye Olde Steak House - Knoxville, TN
  • Cheese dip served with a wooden tongue depresser ~ really? - Review of Ye Olde Steak House, Knoxville, TN - Tripadvisor
  • Underunderstood


December 04, 2023 /Don Schaffner
Pub cheese, Cross-contamination

DALL·E - a toddler stepping on a trash can pedal to open the trash can and sticking their head in the trash.

544. Toddler Getting Into Kitchen Trash

December 01, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks a toddler getting into kitchen trash.

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

  • Norovirus Outbreak Related to Contaminated Surfaces | The Journal of Infectious Diseases | Oxford Academic
  • Full article: Occurrence of bacteria and biochemical markers on public surfaces
December 01, 2023 /Don Schaffner
Trash can, Botulism, Listeria

DALL·E - a glass container half full of syrup filled with sausage links

543. Eating Table Syrup From IHOP Containing Food Hidden by College Students

November 29, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating table syrup from IHOP containing food hidden by college students.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • IHOP's New Syrup Containers
  • Amazon.com - 6 Oz. (Ounce) Glass Bulb Jar Syrup Dispenser, Sugar Dispenser, Retracting Spout, Dispensing Thumb-Lever, Pancake House Style (2) - Food Dispensers
November 29, 2023 /Don Schaffner
Syrup, Water activity, pH, Clostridium botulinum

DALL·E - a can of blueberries, with lots of foam coming out

542. Hissing Foaming Canned Blueberries

November 27, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating canned blueberries that hiss and foam on opening.

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

  • Krusteaz Mixes | Pancake, Waffle, Baking & Gluten Free Mixes
  • Krusteaz - Wikipedia
  • Clemson pH of common foods pdf
  • Spoilage of Canned Foods - Food Microbiology: Principles into Practice - Wiley Online Library
  • Krusty the Clown - Wikipedia


November 27, 2023 /Don Schaffner
Canning, Blueberries, pH

541. Unlicensed San Francisco Street Vendors

November 24, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of consuming food (specifically hot dogs wrapped in bacon) from unlicensed San Francisco street vendors.

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

  • jonathan rauch: "@bugcounter hi dr don! is this…" - SFBA.social
  • lisa c: "I don't know who is running th…" - Mastodon
  • Don’t let the intoxicating aroma of frying onions trick you into eating unsafe food. Protect yourself from illnesses by not buying from… | Instagram
  • Negotiating Informality: Social and Economic Strategies of Latino Food Vendors in San Francisco’s Mission District | Participatory Urbanisms
November 24, 2023 /Don Schaffner
Street food, Licensed establishment

DALL·E - a turkey on a container of water

540. Cold Water Turkey Thawing

November 22, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of the USDA recommended cold water turkey thawing method.

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

  • turkey - Risky or Not?
  • thawing - Risky or Not?
  • Turkey Basics: Safe Thawing | Food Safety and Inspection Service
  • Is it true thawing a turkey on the counter will make you sick? - The Washington Post
  • Prevalence of Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Shiga Toxin–Producing Escherichia coli on the Surfaces of Raw Poultry Packages - ScienceDirect
  • How is heat transferred when frozen meat is thawed by putting the container in a tub of cold water? | Homework.Study.com
  • Fluid dynamics and heat transfer in cold water thawing - ScienceDirect
  • Heat transfer - Wikipedia
November 22, 2023 /Don Schaffner
Turkey, Thawing, Cross-contamination

539. Using Tattler Reusable Plastic Canning Lids

November 20, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of using tattler reusable plastic canning lids for home canning.

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

  • 43 Folders | Time, Attention, and Creative Work
  • The Guy Who Invented Inbox Zero Says We're All Doing It Wrong | Inc.com
  • Bob Barker - Wikipedia
  • Whose Line: If You Know What I Mean Compilation - Part 1 - YouTube
  • Tattler Reusable Canning Lids – Tattler Lids
  • Information – Tattler Lids
  • National Center for Home Food Preservation | How Do I? Can
  • The Band - Wikipedia
November 20, 2023 /Don Schaffner
Home canning, Tattler reusable canning lids

DALL·E - A fast food soda dispenser with a dirty glass of water

538. Bacteria in Fast-Food Soda Fountains

November 17, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of bacteria in fast-food soda fountains

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

  • Salmonella, E-coli found in fast food soda fountain drinking water
  • Microbial contamination analysis of drinking water from bulk dispensers and fast-food restaurants in the Eastern Coachella Valley, California | Water Supply | IWA Publishing
  • Repeated detection of microbes in beverages dispensed from soda fountain machines and the effect of flushing on microbial density - ScienceDirect
  • Surface Sanitation and Microbiological Food Quality of a University Foodservice Operation
  • https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=e279d59f294da52a1fdecd2a74627bdb2bb5b477
  • Statistical Distributions Describing Microbial Quality of Surfaces and Foods in Food Service Operations - ScienceDirect
November 17, 2023 /Don Schaffner
Soda fountains, Dispenser tips

DALL·E - A turtle in a groceries cart in the fresh produce section of a store

537. Shopping in the Produce Section of a Store Where Someone Has Brought Their Pet Turtle

November 15, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks shopping in the produce section of a store where someone has brought their pet turtle.

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

  • Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Small Turtles | CDC
  • Veterinary Sciences | Free Full-Text | A Review of the Public Health Challenges of Salmonella and Turtles
  • Salmonella excretion by turtles. - PMC
  • Prevalence of Campylobacter, Salmonella, and Escherichia coli on the External Packaging of Raw Meat - ScienceDirect
  • Prevalence of Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Shiga Toxin–Producing Escherichia coli on the Surfaces of Raw Poultry Packages - ScienceDirect
  • Enumeration of Campylobacter and Salmonella on chicken packs | Emerald Insight
  • Incidence of Campylobacter and Salmonella isolated from retail chicken and associated packaging in South Wales | Letters in Applied Microbiology | Oxford Academic
  • Contamination by Meat Juice When Shopping for Packages of Raw Poultry - ScienceDirect
November 15, 2023 /Don Schaffner
Salmonella, Turtles, Fresh produce, Grocery store

536. Tajarin Dalla Forma

November 13, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks posed by Tajarin Dalla Forma as prepared by at Casa Bovina in Lincoln, Nebraska.

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

  • French Chef makes Pasta from Giant Cheese Wheel on Paris Street #shorts #paris #pasta - YouTube
  • The Talk Show ✪: Ep. 388, With Christina Warren
  • Video from Casa Bovina on Facebook
  • Paper Hand Towels: C-Fold vs. Multifold vs. Singlefold
  • Consensus categorization of cheese based on water activity and pH—A rational approach to systemizing cheese diversity - ScienceDirect
  • The Producers (1967 film) - Wikipedia
November 13, 2023 /Don Schaffner
Tajarin Dalla Forma, Parmesan Cheese, Cross-contamination

DALL·E 2 - a brown wood picnic table with two small white spots

535. Adults Eating at Picnic Tables With a Little Bit of Dried Bird Poop

November 10, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks to adults eating at picnic tables with a little bit dried bird poop.

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

  • Abundance, diet and Salmonella contamination of gulls feeding at sewage outfalls - ScienceDirect
  • Can domestic pigeon be a potential carrier of zoonotic Salmonella? - PMC
  • Survival of Salmonella in Various Wild Animal Feces That May Contaminate Produce - ScienceDirect
November 10, 2023 /Don Schaffner
Salmonella, Birds, Feces, Cross-contamination

DALL·E - calculus and probability symbols in black text on a white chicken egg

534. Getting Your Food Safety Advice From (Our) Podcasts

November 08, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of getting food safety advice from their podcasts, in light of a long standing error.

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

  • The Psychedelic Sixties: Ken Kesey & the Merry Pranksters
  • Your Ultimate Convenience Store for Food, Drink, Fuel, and More | Wawa
  • Home - Buc-ees
  • Risk Assessment for Salmonella Enteritidis in Eggs and Egg Products | Food Safety and Inspection Service
  • Production Module: Risk Assessment for Salmonella Enteritidis in Eggs and Egg Products
  • Ad Hoc Group on Eggs, An update on the microbiological risk from shell eggs and their products - Advises the Food Standards Agency (UK) on the Microbiological Safety of Food


November 08, 2023 /Don Schaffner
Risk, Salmonella, Eggs, Podcasts

DALL·E - someone washing mud off their hands in the kitchen (DALL·E would not let me say “poop”)

533. Using the Kitchen Sink to Wash Your Bathroom Hands

November 06, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of using the kitchen sink to wash your hands after pooping in the bathroom.

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

  • Observational Study of the Impact of a Food Safety Intervention on Consumer Poultry Washing - PubMed
  • Reduction of faecal coliform, coliform and heterotrophic plate count bacteria in the household kitchen and bathroom by disinfection with hypochlorite cleaners | Journal of Applied Microbiology | Oxford Academic
November 06, 2023 /Don Schaffner
Handwashing, Cross-contamination, Pooping

532. Eating Raman Noodles Straight From the Package

November 03, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating Ramen noodles straight from the package without exposing to boiling water first.

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

  • Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad - The Defined Dish - Recipes
  • Quality and Public Health Concerns of Instant Noodles as Influenced by Raw Materials and Processing Technology: Food Reviews International: Vol 36, No 3
  • 99. Drinking Soda Through Raw Pasta Straw — Risky or Not?
  • How to eat Ramen like a boss : r/comics
November 03, 2023 /Don Schaffner
Ramen noodles, Cooking directions

531. Hot Dog Bun Printed With the Expiration Date

November 01, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating a hotdog bun that has been printed with the expiration date on the bun instead of the package.

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

  • Mistadobalina - Wikipedia
  • Who Was Mistadobalina, Mista Bob Dobalina, Anyway?
  • The Use of Printing Inks for Food Packaging in the United States | 2021-02-26 | Food Safety
  • Health Risks of Newspaper Ink when Used as Food Packaging Material
  • HEALTH HAZARD EVALUATION DETERMINATION Report No. 77-69-522
  • Hazard prioritisation of substances in printing inks and adhesives applied to plastic food packaging - PubMed
  • Hazard prioritisation of substances in printing inks and adhesives applied to plastic food packaging: Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A: Vol 38, No 9
  • Contamination of food with newspaper ink: An evidence-informed decision making (EIDM) case study of homemade dessert
November 01, 2023 /Don Schaffner
Toxicology, Printing inks

DALL·E - a red bucket on a restaurant table filled with dirty water and a dirty rag

530. Foodservice Red Bucket

October 30, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks posed by the use of the red sanitizer bucket in food service.

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

  • GOJO, maker of Purell, laying off staff; no longer for sale
  • Is It Time to Change How We Clean and Sanitize Food Contact Surfaces with Reusable Wiping Towels? | Food Safety.)
  • Chicopee 8507 Chix Competitive 11 1/2" x 24" Pink Foodservice Wet Wiper - 200/Case
  • Characterizing Microbial Cross-Contamination on Large Surfaces Using a Traditional “Cloth and Bucket” Disinfection Method - International Association for Food Protection
  • ‎Characterizing Microbial Cross-Contamination on Large Surfaces Using a Traditional “Cloth and Bucket” Disinfection Method
  • Allergen Removal and Transfer with Wiping and Cleaning Methods Used in Retail and Food Service Establishments - PubMed
  • PURELL Surface Disinfecting & Sanitizing: No Harsh Chemicals
October 30, 2023 /Don Schaffner
Sanitizer, Foodservice

529. Ben's Random Biker Mushroom Advice

October 27, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks posed by taking advice from a random stranger who rides past you on a bike trail and recommends that you eat a mushroom.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • Foraging for "Gourmet Food That's Lying Around for Free" Alongside Durham’s Fungi Devotees - INDY Week
  • Why There Are No Old Bold Mushroom Hunters
  • With His Handy New Guide to Mushrooms, Frank Hyman Wants to Make Foraging Accessible for Everyone - INDY Week
  • Champignouf
October 27, 2023 /Don Schaffner
Mushroom, Wild mushrooms

DALL·E - focaccia bread on a counter surrounded by 8 cats

528. Richard's One Time, Eight Cat Focaccia

October 25, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating focaccia made on a counter where 8 cats have walked.

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

  • All The Great Shows - The Story of John Roderick
  • Focaccia - Wikipedia
  • Toxoplasmosis - Wikipedia
  • Full article: Animal Hoarding: Beyond the Crazy Cat Lady
  • Effect of High Temperature on Infectivity of Toxoplasma gondii Tissue Cysts in Pork on JSTOR
  • SciELO - Brazil - Techniques for inactivating Toxoplasma gondii oocysts: a systematic review
  • The global serological prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in felids during the last five decades (1967–2017): a systematic review and meta-analysis | Parasites & Vectors | Full Text
  • Detection of Toxoplasma gondii-like oocysts in cat feces and estimates of the environmental oocyst burden
  • A review on inactivation methods of Toxoplasma gondii in foods - PMC
October 25, 2023 /Don Schaffner
Focaccia, Toxoplasma
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