Risky or Not?

A short podcast about everyday risks from germs

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DALL·E - A close-up view of a slow cooker filled with beans, where the beans are arranged in two different colors to form a skull and crossbones pattern.

667. Cooking Dry Beans in Slow Cookers

September 13, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from cooking dry beans in slow cookers.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • Chow Line: Dry kidney beans need to be boiled | CFAES
  • Cooking (and Canning) Kidney Beans
  • Canning Dry Beans: It Matters How They Go in the Jar - National Center for Home Food Preservation
  • FDA Bad Bug Book
  • Toxicity of Kidney Beans (Phaseolus Vulgaris) With Particular Reference to Lectins: Journal of Plant Foods: Vol 4, No 1
  • Differentiating the Lectin Activity in Twenty‐Four Cultivars of Dry Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) - KOEHLER - 1986 - Journal of Food Science - Wiley Online Library
September 13, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Dry beans, Slow cookers, Lectin, Phytohemagglutinin
DALL·E - A dark, demonic figure with a menacing presence, featuring sharp, twisted horns and glowing red eyes. The figure is extending a glowing glass filled with a liquid.

DALL·E - A dark, demonic figure with a menacing presence, featuring sharp, twisted horns and glowing red eyes. The figure is extending a glowing glass filled with a liquid.

666. Drinking Alcohol from Uranium Glassware

September 11, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of drinking alcohol from uranium glassware.

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

  • Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Helpless Lyrics | Genius Lyrics
  • Conversion: Port Hope | Cameco
  • Port Hope, Ontario - Wikipedia
  • Port Hope Area Initiative - Canadian Nuclear Laboratories
  • Marie Curie - Wikipedia
  • The Black Hole of the Canadian Nuclear Industry
  • Max & Anita Pochon, 1920 | Title: Max & Anita Pochon Accessi… | Flickr
  • Uranium glass - Wikipedia
  • Uranium Glass Bottle - Etsy
  • What to know about collecting uranium glass - The Washington Post
  • Vaseline and Uranium Glass (ca. 1930s) | Museum of Radiation and Radioactivity
  • Leaching of uranium from glass and ceramic foodware and decorative items - PubMed
  • Dan McClellan (@maklelan) | TikTok
  • #maklelan666 | TikTok
  • (#maklelan1854 #markofthebeast | TikTok
  • SLAYER To Release 6/6/06 T-Shirt, Limited To 666 Units, Priced At $16.66 - BLABBERMOUTH.NET
September 11, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Uranium, Radiation, Ethanol

DALL·E - A realistic image of a cut avocado wrapped in plastic wrap, sitting on a kitchen counter. The kitchen counter is dimly lit, indicating it's the middle of the night.

665. Leaving a Cut Unripe Avocado at Room Temperature for a Day

September 09, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from leaving a cut unripe avocado at room temperature for a day.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street | Recipes, TV and Cooking Tips
  • America's Test Kitchen: Recipes & Reviews You Can Trust | Stream Every Episode | America’s Test Kitchen
  • Richard Kimble | The Fugitive Wiki | Fandom
  • Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Indicator Microorganisms on Hass Avocados Sold at Retail Markets in Guadalajara, Mexico - ScienceDirect
  • Behaviors of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes on whole avocado during storage at 21 or 7°C and their reduction by aqueous chlorine dioxide and peroxyacetic acid - ScienceDirect
  • Effect of storage temperature and time on the behavior of Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and background microbiota on whole fresh avocados (Persea americana var Hass) - ScienceDirect
  • Survival of Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes in Ready-to-Eat “Guacamole”: Role of Added Antimicrobials - PMC
  • Quality variables of “Hass” avocado stored in modified atmosphere packaging
September 09, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Avocado, Salmonella, Listeria, Time temperature control for safety food

DALL·E - A dimly lit restaurant at night, with all the chairs placed upside down on the tables. The restaurant has a slightly dirty and unkempt appearance.

664. Putting Chairs on a Sanitized Restaurant Table

September 06, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks posed to diners when chairs are placed on sanitized tables.

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

  • Consumer Perceptions, Pathogen Detection, and Removal Rate Determination in Market-style Restaurants
  • A Survey of Microbial Contamination on Restaurant Nonfood‐Contact Surfaces - Patel - 2017 - Journal of Food Safety - Wiley Online Library
  • Are Ball Pits the Playground for Potentially Harmful Bacteria? - Document - Gale Academic OneFile
September 06, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Restaurant, Cross-contamination, Chairs, Tables

DALL·E - A person sitting at a table eating a rare hamburger. The person looks slightly nauseous, possibly due to the undercooked meat. They are holding a beer.

663. Eating Foods With Pathogens as Long as You Are Drinking Alcohol

September 04, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating pathogen laden food while drinking alcohol.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • ཨ་རིའི་གླུ་མ་ Amalia སེང་འབྲུག་མཚོ། | #foodsafety #health #sterilization #sanitization #lifehack | Instagram
  • Epidemiology
  • The protective effect of alcohol on the occurrence of epidemic oyster-borne hepatitis A - PubMed
  • Bellido-Blasco: The protective effect of alcoholic... - Google Scholar
  • Wine is Bactericidal to Foodborne Pathogens - Møretrø - 2004 - Journal of Food Science - Wiley Online Library
  • The antimicrobial effect of wine on Listeria innocua in a model stomach system - ScienceDirect
  • When beer is safer than water: Beer availability and mortality from waterborne illnesses - ScienceDirect
  • The Claim: Drinking Alcohol With a Meal Prevents Food Poisoning - The New York Times
  • ALCOHOLIC DRINK CUTS HEALTH RISK IN OYSTERS – Orlando Sentinel
  • Betteridge's law of headlines - Wikipedia
September 04, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Alcohol, Foodborne Disease

DALL·E - A detailed scene of a person sitting at a bar, holding a drink with a surprised expression on their face. The drink in front of them has a human toe.

662. Enjoying a Sourtoe Cocktail

September 02, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of drinking a cocktail made with a mummified toe.

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

  • The history of the Sourtoe Cocktail: a shot of whiskey garnished with a human toe | Short Docs
  • Food Safety Talk 176: Bug Book — Food Safety Talk
  • Sourtoe: The Story of the Sorry Cannibal | Short Docs
September 02, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Alcohol, Mummified tissue

DALL·E - A detailed image of a spatchcocked chicken resting in a refrigerator. The chicken is spread out flat, with the skin facing up, and placed on a rack next to a fan.

661. Blowing Air Over Raw Chicken

August 30, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of blowing air over raw chicken.

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

  • Alton Brown | Dry that chicken! #chicken #refrigeratorlife #goodeats | Instagram
  • Brian Brozovic on X: "#riskyornot, taking into account FSIS Appendix A will be followed for cooking, so specifically airborne risk from household fan being applied to direct surface of raw poultry for rapid thawing @benjaminchapman @bugcounter https://t.co/VYPEPFokjd" / X
  • Airborne Bacteria and Carcass Contamination in Slaughterhouses - ScienceDirect
  • Distribution and Prevalence of Airborne Microorganisms in Three Commercial Poultry Processing Plants - ScienceDirect
  • Microbial Composition in Bioaerosols of a High-Throughput Chicken-Slaughtering Facility - ScienceDirect
  • Mechanically Ventilated Broiler Sheds: a Possible Source of Aerosolized Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Escherichia coli | Applied and Environmental Microbiology
  • Temperature control: food safety tips | North Devon Council
August 30, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Aerosols, Chicken, Salmonella, Campylobacter

DALL·E - A detailed image of a person in an office, sneaking behind a coffee maker, with only a small part of them visible, such as an eye peeking out...

660. Coffee Made With Water From a Strangers Water Bottle

August 28, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from drinking coffee made with water from a strangers water bottle.

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

  • The Cleanliness of Reusable Water Bottles: How Contamination Levels are Affected by Bottle Usage and Cleaning Behaviors of Bottle Owners
  • Bacterial water quality in the personal water bottles of elementary students - PubMed
  • saliva - Risky or Not?
  • Detection of Norovirus in Saliva Samples from Acute Gastroenteritis Cases and Asymptomatic Subjects: Association with Age and Higher Shedding in Stool - PMC
  • Merch — Risky or Not?


August 28, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Coffee, Bottled water, Water bottle, Saliva

DALL·E - A cup of coffee placed on an airline tray table, with a mysterious and eerie atmosphere. The coffee is steaming, but the steam forms into strange shapes.

659. Drinking Coffee or Tea on an Airplane

August 26, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from drinking coffee or tea brewed on an airplane.

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

  • Why You Shouldn't Order Coffee or Tea on an Airplane
  • 2019 Airline Water Study by CUNY's Hunter Col | EurekAlert!
  • IJERPH | Free Full-Text | Bacteria that Travel: The Quality of Aircraft Water
  • IJERPH | Free Full-Text | Microbial Contamination in the Coffee Industry: An Occupational Menace besides a Food Safety Concern?
  • Factors That Impact Survival of Salmonella during Storage of Beans and Batch Production of Cold Brew Coffee
August 26, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Coffee, Tea, Airplane, Water

DALL·E - An Olympic athlete sitting at a table in the Olympic village, holding a piece of fish with a surprised expression as they notice a small worm in the fish.

658. Eating Fish in the Olympic Village

August 23, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating fish in the Olympic Village.

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

  • Food Vision - Paris 2024
  • ‎Illness-Causing Fish Parasites (Worms)
  • Effect of Lime Juice on Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Salmonella enterica Inactivation during the Preparation of the Raw Fish Dish Ceviche - ScienceDirect
  • Response to the questions posed by the Food and Drug Administration and the National Marine Fisheries Service regarding determination of cooking parameters for safe seafood for consumers - PubMed
  • About Anisakiasis | Anisakiasis | CDC
August 23, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Fish, Parasites, Anisakiasis

DALL·E - An Olympic swimmer swimming on their back in the river Seine in Paris, surrounded by iconic Parisian landmarks like the Eiffel Tower in the background.

657. Swimming in the Seine during the 2024 Olympics

August 21, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from swimming in the Seine during the 2024 Olympics.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • Merch — Risky or Not?
  • Olympic Marathon Swimming | Paris 2024 Olympics
  • Three German swimmers fall ill after Olympic races in the Seine | AP News
  • Triathlon - Wikipedia
  • Why Olympic athletes may be getting sick from swimming in the Seine - The Washington Post
  • Don Schaffner 🦠 on X: ""And it’s actually backed by science. Proven methods." Um. No. https://t.co/oMgSsRizTJ" / X
  • How one U.S. Olympian is prepping for Seine’s E. coli problem: Not washing his hands - The Athletic
  • The Paris Museum of Sewers
  • Olympic poop protest postponed after politicians cancel swim in feces-filled Seine


August 21, 2024 /Don Schaffner

DALL·E - A large container filled with liquid labeled 'Cleaning Vinegar.' Inside the container, there are various fruits and vegetables submerged in the liquid.

656. Eating Fruit and Vegetables Washed With Cleaning Vinegar

August 19, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating fruit and vegetables washed with cleaning vinegar.

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

  • 628. Washing Produce in the Dishwasher — Risky or Not?
  • Great Value Cleaning Vinegar All-Purpose Cleaner, 64 fl oz - Walmart.com
  • Ingredient Disclosure - Great Value Cleaning Vinegar All Purpose Cleaner
  • CAS REGISTRY | CAS
  • CAS 64-19-7 | Sigma-Aldrich
  • 476. Worlds Purest Cookie — Risky or Not?
August 19, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Fruit, Vegetable, Washing, Vinegar

DALL·E - An airplane meal on an airplane tray. The meal consists of rice, green beans, and chicken tikka masala. There are several spots of black mold on the food.

655. Eating Moldy Food on a Delta Flight

August 16, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating moldy food on a flight.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Helpless Lyrics | Genius Lyrics
  • Delta Flight Diverts Plane After Serving Contaminated Food | Inside Edition
  • Flight diverted to JFK after passengers served spoiled food: Delta
  • Photos of Delta Airlines’ ‘Spoiled’ Meals Show Mold Growing on Food
  • An overview of mycotoxin contamination in foods and its implications for human health: Toxin Reviews: Vol 29, No 1
  • Merch — Risky or Not?
August 16, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Mold, Airplane

DALL·E - A half of a cut watermelon sitting on a kitchen counter in the middle of the night. The kitchen is dimly lit, with a soft glow from a nearby light.

654. Cut Watermelon at Room Temperature for One Day or More

August 14, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating cut watermelon at room temperature for a day or more.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • Modeling the growth of Listeria monocytogenes on cut cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon - ScienceDirect
  • Survival and Growth of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Cantaloupe and Watermelon - ScienceDirect
  • Growth of Salmonella spp. in Cantaloupe, Watermelon, and Honeydew Melons - ScienceDirect
  • Merch — Risky or Not?
  • Caricature Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
August 14, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Watermelon, Time temperature control for safety food, Listeria, Salmonella

DALL·E - A plate of Jamaican dish Escovitch on a wooden table. The dish features fried fish topped with pickled vegetables such as carrots, and bell peppers.

653. New York Times Escovitch Fish Recipe at Room Temperature for 12 Hours

August 12, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating escovitch that has been held at room temperature for 12 hours.

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

  • Escovitch Fish Recipe
  • Ceviche - Wikipedia
  • Escovitch food poisoning - Google Scholar
  • Effect of Lime Juice on Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Salmonella enterica Inactivation during the Preparation of the Raw Fish Dish Ceviche - ScienceDirect
  • Microbiological safety and quality of ceviche, poke, and sushi dishes sold at retail outlets in Orange County, CA: Heliyon
  • Fried Jamaican Escovitch Fish | Meiko and The Dish
  • The Caribbean people have created a wealth of unique dishes based on native foods
  • BEAM Dashboard | CDC
  • Merch — Risky or Not?
August 12, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Fish, Time temperature control for safety food, Escovitch, pH

Picture of New York State Jam and Relish Purchased From a Farmers Market

652. New York State Jam and Relish Purchased From a Farmers Market

August 09, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from New York State jam and relish purchased from a farmers market.

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

  • Guidance on Sanitary Regulations for
  • Something for everyone at Mennonite/Amish stores | | communitymediagroup.com
  • Merch — Risky or Not?
August 09, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Jam, Relish, Cottage foods, Farmers markets

DALL·E - An old creepy man with a sinister expression, clean shaven and wearing tattered clothes, loading a small actual bear into the back of a white van.

651. Eating Fresh New York State Roadkill Bear Meat That's Properly Cooked

August 07, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating fresh New York State roadkill bear meat that's properly cooked.

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

  • Merch — Risky or Not?
  • RFK Jr. admits he placed a dead bear cub in Central Park 10 years ago | CNN Politics
  • RFK Jr. Says Doctors Found a Dead Worm in His Brain - The New York Times
  • 626. Eating Rare Bear Meat — Risky or Not?
  • South Dakota governor says she shot 'extremely dangerous' dog to protect her children
  • Can You Legally Take Roadkill Home in New York State
  • Is it Safe to Eat Roadkill? | Live Science
  • Destruction of Trichinella spiralis During Cooking - KOTULA - 1983 - Journal of Food Science - Wiley Online Library
August 07, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Roadkill, Bear, Trichinella

DALL·E - A grocery store refrigerated case filled with yogurt. The glass door is missing, and instead, two-thirds of the space is covered by a plastic bag that is waving.

650. Yogurt From a Grocery Store Fridge With No Door

August 05, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from yogurt purchased from a grocery store from a fridge with no door.

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

  • Risky or Not: Yogurt fridge with no door - Imgur
  • A Horse with No Name - Wikipedia
  • Behavior of Listeria monocytogenes in Skim Milk and in Yogurt Mix during Fermentation by Thermophilic Lactic Acid Bacteria - ScienceDirect
August 05, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Yogurt, Refrigeration, Grocery Store

DALL·E - A man standing on a Chicago street corner, holding a shot of alcohol in one hand. He is about to put a giant insect in his mouth. The street is bustling.

649. Drinking Cicada-Infused Malört Shots

August 02, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from drinking cicada-infused Malört shots.

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

  • Hot Italian Giardiniera Recipe
  • Chicago-style pizza - Wikipedia
  • Flag of Chicago - Wikipedia
  • Fort Dearborn - Wikipedia
  • New Raleigh Flag
  • Jeppson's Malört | A Chicago Icon : Malört
  • John Hodgman Loves Malort: "It Tastes Like Pencil Shavings And Heartbreak" - The Chicagoist
  • Cicada-infused Malört: Chicago area brewpub offering cicada shots
  • Periodical Cicadas | Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
  • Hygienic indicator bacteria in the 2 species of wild-caught Japanese cicadas, large brown cicadas and robust cicadas in: Journal of Insects as Food and Feed Volume 10 Issue 6 (2024)
  • Can you eat cicadas? Yes, but those with seafood allergies might want to steer clear – NBC Chicago
  • Allergic risks of consuming edible insects: A systematic review - Ribeiro - 2018 - Molecular Nutrition & Food Research - Wiley Online Library
  • Burnt Tires and Bug Spray: We Asked Our Readers to Describe the Taste of Malört. They Delivered. | WTTW Chicago
August 02, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Insects, Cicadas, Alcohol, Malört

DALL·E - A turtle standing on a golf course. The turtle is holding a golf club in one hand and a can of beer in the other. The golf course has green grass...

648. Using a Turtle to Open a Beverage On a Golf Course

July 31, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from using a turtle to open a beverage on a golf course.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • The Game Changerz | Turtle woods with the assist #golf #golfswing | Instagram
  • Anheuser-Busch brands - Wikipedia
  • 482. Using a Turtle to Open a Beverage — Risky or Not?
  • Traumatic Amputation of Finger From an Alligator Snapping Turtle Bite - ScienceDirect
  • Beer Time Billy 🍺 | Who knew turtles were so useful?! I’ll name him squirtle.😂 Follow @beertimebilly if need a squirtle right now!🍻 Credit: @tooturnttony | Instagram
  • Traumatic Amputation of Finger From an Alligator Snapping Turtle Bite - ScienceDirect
  • Doowutchyalike - Wikipedia
July 31, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Turtle, Reptiles, Salmonella, Beer, Golf
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