Risky or Not?

A short podcast about everyday risks from germs

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DALL·E - An open refrigerator with various items inside. The main focus is a fast food chicken taco wrapped up tightly in packaging, which has the name of a generic fast food restaurant.

635. Eating 3-Day-Old Fast Food Chicken Tacos

July 01, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating properly refrigerated 3-day-old fast food chicken tacos.

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

  • Merch — Risky or Not?
  • Carnac the Magnificent - Wikipedia
  • Who Has The Worst Fast Food Leftovers? - YouTube
  • FoodKeeper App | FoodSafety.gov
July 01, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Chicken, Leftovers, Tacos

DALL·E - A person sitting in the stands of a baseball game, surrounded by other spectators. The person is holding a hotdog and looking at it suspiciously.

634. Before the 5th Inning Baseball Hotdog

June 28, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating a hotdog at a baseball game before the 5th inning.

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

  • Merch — Risky or Not?
  • Bad Religion (logo) | The Answer | The Bad Religion Page - Since 1995
  • Chatham Anglers | The Chatham Athletic Association | Cape Cod Baseball League
  • Pawtucket Red Sox - Wikipedia
  • Worcester Red Sox | MiLB.com
June 28, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Hotdog, Sports

DALL·E - An open mailbox with a pan of lasagna inside. The mailbox is located at the edge of a suburban street, with a neatly trimmed lawn and a few houses visible.

633. Mailbox Lasagne

June 26, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of making lasagna in your mailbox.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • Anybody remember laughter?
  • Merch — Risky or Not?
  • Kevin Budnik
  • Tennessee Weatherman Shares Recipe for "Mailbox Lasagna"
  • If I see a whole lasagna in the mailbox I'm taking it : r/USPS
  • Special Delivery: Mailbox Lasagna - BitterSweet
June 26, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Lasagna, Cooking

DALL·E - A hand pouring food out of a bag labeled 'beef', but the food coming out is clearly chicken. The hand is mid-pour, and the chicken pieces are detailed.

632. Eating a Food Recalled for Misbranding if You Are Not Allergic to Any of the Ingredients

June 24, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating a food recalled for misbranding if you are not allergic to any of the ingredients

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

  • Sage on X: "@bugcounter @benjaminchapman Just curious, assuming you’re not allergic to eggs, why does FSIS consider this so risky they need to be discarded? Is it because it was such a monumental lapse in QC that they’re hedging for other issues? https://t.co/SU0aOtSuiH https://t.co/LtUxW34tS0" / X
  • Conagra Brands, Inc., Recalls Frozen Beef Products Due to Misbranding and Undeclared Allergens | Food Safety and Inspection Service
  • Beef & Broccoli labels
  • Out of an Abundance of Caution definition | Cambridge English Dictionary
  • P.f. Chang's Frozen Orange Chicken Meal - 22oz : Target
June 24, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Allergens, Recalled food, Mislabeling

DALL·E - A very hot looking turkey sitting in a dimly lit garage. The turkey has exaggerated sweat droplets and looks exhausted.

631. Thawing a Whole Turkey in a Hot Garage Twice

June 21, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks thawing a whole turkey in a hot garage twice.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in US Meat and Poultry - PMC
  • Thawing at Ambient Temperature on the Counter - O. P. Snyder
June 21, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Turkey, Thawing, Room temperature thawing

DALL·E - A queasy-looking person sitting in a restaurant window. The person has a pale face, a hand on their stomach, and a worried expression. The restaurant window displays and inspection certificate with a big letter C.

630. Eating at a New York City Restaurant With a "C" Rating

June 19, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating at a New York City restaurant with a "C" rating.

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

  • Gallaghers Steakhouse has been a staple of New York’s Theater District since 1927. Some believe, to this day, it rivals other famous New… | Instagram
  • Restaurant Grading System - Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center
  • ABCEats-Restaurants
  • John Roderick (@johnroderick) • Instagram photos and videos
June 19, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Restaurant, Restaurant ratings

DALL·E - A hand reaching down to pick up dog poop, with the hand inside a plastic bag that is falling apart, exposing parts of the hand.

629. Picking Up Dog Poop Using a Composable Bag

June 17, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from picking up dog poop using a composable bag.

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

  • Amazon.com : Earth Rated Dog Poop Bags, Guaranteed Leak Proof and Extra Thick Waste Bag Refill Rolls For Dogs, Unscented, 120 Count : Pet Waste Bags : Pet Supplies
  • Amazon.com: Doggy Do Good Poop Bags | Dog Waste Bags | Unscented, 38% Vegetable-Based, Thick & Leak Proof, Easy Open | Standard Size | 60 Count : Pet Supplies
  • Amazon.com: BioBag (USA), The Original Compostable Bag, 3 Gallon, 100 Total Count, 100% Certified Food Scrap Bags, Kitchen Compost Bin Compatible : Health & Household
June 17, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Poop, Dog poop, Cross-contamination

DALL·E - An open automatic dishwasher filled with a variety of fresh produce. Inside the dishwasher, there are colorful fruits and vegetables.

628. Washing Produce in the Dishwasher

June 14, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of washing produce in the dishwasher.

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

  • Pamela N. Martinez Person Detail
  • Home | New Mexico State University | BE BOLD. Shape the Future.
  • Instagram video by Lara • Jun 3, 2024 at 12:35 PM
  • dishwasher - Risky or Not?
  • Do Dishwashers Use Hot Water or Heat Their Own? | Maytag
  • Dishwashers as an Extreme Environment of Potentially Pathogenic Yeast Species - PMC
  • 90. Dishwasher Seals — Risky or Not?
  • Original MayTag Repairman TV Commercial - YouTube
  • 1989 Maytag Repairman Christmas Commercial - YouTube
  • Gordon Jump - Wikipedia
June 14, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Produce, Dishwashers

DALL·E - A cocktail with a giant ice cube in a glass. The ice cube has an ominous dark black streak running through the middle of it.

627. Drinking a Cocktail Using Ice From a Core Sample From Your Birth Year

June 12, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of drinking a cocktail using ice from a core sample from your birth year.

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

  • xkcd: Ice Core
  • bioRxiv.org - the preprint server for Biology
  • Camellia sinensis - Wikipedia
  • Diversity and association of psychrophilic bacteria in Antarctic sea ice | Applied and Environmental Microbiology
  • Professor Thomas McMeekin AO | Australian of the Year
  • About Ice Cores | NSF Ice Core Facility
  • Human and Environmental Impacts of Volcanic Ash
June 12, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Ice, Volcanos, Ash, Toxicology

DALL·E - A photo-realistic image of a very angry-looking bear standing on two legs. In one hand, the bear is carrying a bag full of jerky, and in the other hand a rare steak.

626. Eating Rare Bear Meat

June 10, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating bear meat.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • Family stricken with rare brain worms after eating undercooked bear | Ars Technica
  • Outbreak of Human Trichinellosis — Arizona, Minnesota, and South Dakota, 2022 | MMWR
  • Trichiniasis: Report of an Outbreak Caused by Eating Trichinous Bear Meat in the Form of Jerky | JAMA Network
  • A common-source outbreak to trichinosis from consumption of bear meat - ProQuest
  • Outbreak of Trichinellosis Associated with Eating Cougar Jerky | The Journal of Infectious Diseases | Oxford Academic
  • Trichinella Nativa Outbreak With Rare Thrombotic Complications Associated With Meat From a Black Bear Hunted in Northern Ontario | Clinical Infectious Diseases | Oxford Academic
  • Trichinella spiralis: Effect of high temperature on infectivity in pork - ScienceDirect
  • Trichinae - Pork Information Gateway
  • RFK Jr. Says Doctors Found a Dead Worm in His Brain - The New York Times
June 10, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Bear meat, Trichina, Trichinosis, Parasite

DALL·E - A clear plastic bag filled with baby carrots. There is a small amount of liquid at the bottom of the bag, and a faint, whimsical hint of a few happy microorganisms.

625. Eating Expired Baby Carrots

June 07, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating baby carrots passed their expiration date.

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

  • 556. Storing Celery and Carrots in Water in the Refrigerator — Risky or Not?
  • 1: Non-Canonical First Episode — Risky or Not?
  • Inhibitory effects of raw carrots on Listeria monocytogenes | Applied and Environmental Microbiology
  • Inhibition of foodborne pathogens by native microflora recovered from fresh peeled baby carrot and propagated in cultures - PubMed
  • ComBase Models Are Valid for Predicting Fate of Listeria monocytogenes on 10 Whole Intact Raw Fruits and Vegetables - ScienceDirect
  • How to Store Carrots and Make Them Last | Glad®
  • Grimmway Farms Voluntarily Recalls Certain Retail-Packaged Carrots Due to Potential Salmonella Contamination | FDA
June 07, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Carrots, Listeria, Shelf-life

DALL·E A singara pastry sitting on a pile of dirty money next to a glass of sangria on a rustic table.

624. Arden's Lukewarm Singara

June 05, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of consuming lukewarm singara in Bangladesh that might have been sitting on some money.

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

  • Easy Traditional Red Sangria | Minimalist Baker Recipes
  • Singara Recipe | Bengali Shingara » Dassana's Veg Recipes
  • Dan Bern quote: So often these days eating Indian food passes for spirituality...
  • Money and transmission of bacteria | Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control
June 05, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Singara, Samosa, Time temperature control for safety food, Cross-contamination

DALL·E - An image of George Washington hiding a bottle full of cherries under the floorboards of an old house. The scene is set in a rustic, colonial-era room

623. George Washington's Cherries

June 03, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of consuming cherries found under the floor of George Washington's house.

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

  • Archaeologists Found Two Epic Treasures Under the Floors of George Washington’s Mansion
  • Archaeologists Discover Two Intact, Sealed 18th Century Glass Bottles During Mansion Revitalization at George Washington’s Mount Vernon · George Washington's Mount Vernon
  • Cherry Tree Myth · George Washington's Mount Vernon
  • George Washington's stash of centuries-old cherries found hidden under Mount Vernon floor | Live Science
  • Jason Boroughs | George Washington's Mount Vernon - Academia.edu
  • A Summer Treat: Preserve Cherries a 19th Century Way | A Taste of History with Joyce White
  • Cherries-Whole - National Center for Home Food Preservation
  • Archaeologist uncovers George Washington's 250-year-old stash of cherries : NPR
  • Taskmaster Podcasts | Taskmaster
June 03, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Cherries, Home preservation

DALL·E,- A mallard duck floating on its back in a giant glass of whiskey. The duck is spitting whiskey out of its mouth like a fountain.

622. Duck Fat Washed Whiskey Cocktail

May 31, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of making duck fat washed whiskey cocktail, including if the duck fat is stored at room temperature.

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

  • The Science of Fat-Washing Cocktails
  • Fat-Wash Your Whisky for a Richer Cocktail
  • Amazon.com : EPIC Rendered Duck Fat, Keto Friendly, Gluten Free, 11 oz Jar : Grocery & Gourmet Food
  • Duck Fat - 100% Pure and All Natural
  • Schmaltz - Wikipedia
  • Tubby Schmalz - Wikipedia
May 31, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Whiskey, Duck fat, Cocktails

DALL·E - A delicious-looking pizza with a perfectly baked crust, gooey cheese, and a variety of toppings like pepperoni, mushrooms, and bell peppers. Someone is squirting Elmers glue on the pizza.

621. Pizza With White Glue

May 29, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating pizza made with white glue.

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

  • Katie Notopoulos on X: "It’s time https://t.co/hkTO5G9Eai" / X
  • SG-r01 on X: "https://t.co/6ALCbz6EjK" / X
  • Elmer's Glue-All - CAMEO
  • Elmer's
  • Polyvinyl acetate - CAMEO
  • Polyvinyl alcohol - CAMEO
  • Propylene glycol - CAMEO
  • Homemade white glue - Creative recipes - Educatall
  • Rutgers SEBS Chairs: Departments
  • Amazon.com: Elmer's White PVA Glue | 225 mL | Washable and Kid Friendly | Great for Making Slime and Crafting : Arts, Crafts & Sewing
  • The Elmer's Glue Pizza Error Is More Fascinating Than You Think
  • Google promised a better search experience — now it’s telling us to put glue on our pizza - The Verge
  • Ethylene Glycol and Propylene Glycol Toxicity: What is Propylene Glycol? | Environmental Medicine | ATSDR
  • Public Health Statement Vinyl Acetate CAS#: 108-05-4
  • Elmers Safety Data Sheet.pdf
  • The role of beverage congeners in hangover and other residual effects of alcohol intoxication: a review - PubMed
May 29, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Pizza, White Glue, Toxicology

DALL·E - A man eating a sandwich with a cow standing next to him. The cow is trying to eat the sandwich too, slobbering and drooling a lot.

620. Making a Sandwich With Bruce the Cow

May 27, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from making a sandwich with "help" from Bruce the Cow.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • Bruce the cow loves sandwiches (and I love Bruce) : r/StupidFood
  • Does the maternal grooming of cattle clean bacteria from the coat of calves? - ScienceDirect
  • Cattle Water Troughs as Reservoirs of Escherichia coli O157 - PMC
  • Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Environments of Culture-Positive Cattle - PMC
  • An investigation of Escherichia coli O157 contamination of cattle during slaughter at an abattoir - PubMed
  • Reducing the Risks of Pathogenic E. Coli Infections
  • Trying to eat breakfast with Bruce! #cow #brucethecow #food #snack #fi... | cows | TikTok
May 27, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Cows, Cross-contamination, Aerosols, Airborne spread

DALL·E - A sausage inside a clear plastic package laying next to a baseball bat on a wooden table. The sausage looks worn and dirty, as if it has been rolled around on the ground a lot.

619. Eating the Minnesota Twins Lucky Sausage

May 24, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating the Minnesota Twins lucky sausage in its current state.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • The Twins’ new home-run sausage is fueling their winning streak | MPR News
  • How the Minnesota Twins’ lucky summer sausage got made | MPR News
  • Original Tangy Summer Sausage - Cloverdale Foods
  • Rigdon | Texture of Fermented Summer Sausage With Differing pH, Endpoint Temperature, and High Pressure Processing Times | Meat and Muscle Biology
  • Dry and Semi-Dry Fermented and Direct Acidified Sausage Validation - Pork Information Gateway
May 24, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Baseball, Summer sausage, Sausage, Packaging

DALL·E - A nice aged piece of cheddar (?) cheese with a rich, golden-yellow color and a few holes, sitting on a rustic wooden board. Around the cheese, there are a few unhappy microbes.

618. Raw Cheese Made With Milk Containing HPAI

May 22, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of consuming raw milk cheese made with milk containing highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus.

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

  • Cheddar Cheese as a Vehicle for Viruses - ScienceDirect
  • Poliovirus - Wikipedia
  • Interagency Risk Assessment for the Public Health Impact of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus in Poultry, Shell Eggs, and Egg Products (May 2010) | Food Safety and Inspection Service
May 22, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Highly pathogenic avian influenza, HPAI, Viruses, Raw milk, Cheese

DALL·E - A close-up of a clear glass filled with raw milk, placed on a wooden table. The milk looks cold and creamy. Surrounding the glass and within the milk are many happy microbes.

617. HPAI in Pasteurized Milk

May 20, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in pasteurized milk.

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

  • EPI-WIN
  • How CDC is monitoring influenza data to better understand the current avian influenza A (H5N1) situation in people | Avian Influenza (Flu)
  • Emergence and interstate spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) in dairy cattle
  • Bird Flu Highlights Concerns Around Raw Milk - The New York Times
  • Early Release - Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Clade 2.3.4.4b Virus Infection in Domestic Dairy Cattle and Cats, United States, 2024 - Volume 30, Number 7—July 2024 - Emerging Infectious Diseases journal - CDC
  • The surprising physics of cats’ drinking | MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Experiment (100x slower) - YouTube
  • Cutta Cutta (67x slower) - YouTube
  • Virginia Tech, MIT, Princeton collaborate on cat study that shows intriguing gravity issues
  • How Cats Lap: Water Uptake by Felis catus | Science
May 20, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Highly pathogenic avian influenza, HPAI, Viruses, Milk, Pasteurization

DALL·E - A refrigerated display case containing one package of ground beef. The ground beef package has a label that includes the words “The ground meats in this display have been produced using fresh and frozen meat”.

616. Thawing and Refreezing Meat Multiple Times

May 17, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of thawing and refreezing meat multiple times.

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

  • What does Chronically Online mean? | Social Media Glossary by Keyhole
  • List of diss tracks - Wikipedia
  • The Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake Beef, Explained - The New York Times
  • From east to west, ‘Canada’s Ultimate Challenge’ travels to hidden gems across the country - NOW Toronto
  • 233. 100 Hour Lasagna — Risky or Not?
  • Safely defrosting foods - Canada.ca
  • Food safety and you - Canada.ca
  • The Big Thaw — Safe Defrosting Methods | Food Safety and Inspection Service
  • Validation of Mathematical Models for Salmonella Growth in Raw Ground Beef under Dynamic Temperature Conditions Representing Loss of Refrigeration - ScienceDirect
  • The Food Professor on X: "This was shared with me; it was seen in a grocery store in Ottawa. Have you ever seen a sign like this before? https://t.co/3opruzF6xj" / X
  • 8 Mile - Ending Battles (4K/UHD) - YouTube
May 17, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Beef, Freezing, Thawing, Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7
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