A short podcast about everyday risks from germs
DALL·E image text: An older male food microbiology professor in a lab coat stares puzzled at a Boxelder bug on his finger. He wears glasses and has a gray beard. A bottle of maple syrup and a microscope are in the background, adding context to the quirky, scientific setting.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from squishing a bug that smells like maple syrup.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
DALL·E image text: A stack of smooth cedar planks soaks in a stainless steel tub filled with water. In the background, fresh salmon fillets rest on a metal tray, ready for cooking. The warm wood tones contrast with the cool, clean kitchen setting, evoking preparation for cedar plank grilling.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from soaking cedar planks to be used for cooking salmon in water at room temperature.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
DALL·E image text: A ceramic bowl overflows with ripe, red raspberries, sitting on a sunlit kitchen counter. Soft daylight filters through a nearby window, casting a warm, nostalgic glow. The slightly worn surfaces and muted tones of the background contrast with the vivid freshness of the berries, suggesting they were recently picked and forgotten.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of leaving raspberries at room temperature for about 28 hours.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
DALL·E image text: A golden-crusted loaf of sliced white bread sits on a pastel blue countertop in a cheerful 1950s kitchen, surrounded by mint-green tiles, yellow curtains, and red accents, all bathed in soft daylight, creating a warm, nostalgic atmosphere.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from white bread.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
DALL·E image text: A woman in a white bathrobe stands in a hotel bathroom, holding a white towel with a large brown stain. She looks shocked and disgusted, her eyes wide and mouth open. The warm-toned bathroom shows a sink, mirror, and a glimpse of the hotel room in the background.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from using a towel with a "big brown streak".
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
Six pieces of assorted sushi sit on a beige kitchen counter. The lighting is dim and moody, suggesting the sushi has been left out overnight. The rolls and nigiri look slightly dried, with a soft focus on the background showing tiled walls and part of a stainless steel utensil holder.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating sushi left on the counter overnight.
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️
A person pours frozen spinach leaves from a green retail bag into a blender. The spinach appears frosty and leafy, not cubed. The scene is set on a beige countertop with soft lighting, and the person wears a gray T-shirt, focusing attention on the action and the vibrant green ingredients.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating raw frozen spinach in a smoothie.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
A sealed bag of chargrilled cooked chicken sits upright against a neutral background. One chicken piece is stuck in the top seam, with the exposed end unusually blue. The packaging features clear plastic with bold blue labels reading “COOKED CHICKEN” and “CHARGRILLED 60g,” showing grilled chicken pieces inside.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating cooked chicken from a bag where one piece of chicken was caught in the bag seam.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
Instagram screenshot
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating food someone else has chewed and sent through the mail to you.
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️
A frazzled Canadian food microbiologist stands on a beach house deck, clutching raw burger patties and staring in panic at a grill. Behind him, his relaxed family enjoys the seaside view. A cooler and beach towels add to the vacation setting, contrasting his anxiety over a missing meat thermometer.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating a beef hamburger cooked by Professor Ben without a thermometer.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
A man walks through a sunlit airport terminal holding a vintage suitcase that's popped open. A full wheel of Saint-Nectaire cheese is slipping out, partially exposed. He appears unaware, continuing forward casually. The scene blends travel routine with unexpected humor, set against a backdrop of windows and lounge seating.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of transporting unpasteurized Saint Nectaire Cheese from France to Canada
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️
Rachaels actual jar
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of consuming food from a sealed jar that has dried sauce on the rim and might not have had the safety button down.
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️
“Figure” from Deep States original message
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of preparing a salad in a small kitchen while your drunk partner cooks raw chicken.
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️
The actual photo of the soup in question
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from consuming a very old swollen can of soup linked to a company that caused a botulism outbreak in 1971.
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️
This image shows a refrigerator shelf with four labeled bottles of breast milk and three sealed storage bags neatly stacked. The containers are marked with volume measurements, and a breast pump part is placed nearby. The scene is clean, organized, and well-lit, emphasizing safe and tidy milk storage.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of collecting breastmilk in shells over three days to feed to a healthy infant.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
A man in a white fencing jacket stands in a warm, wood-toned kitchen making pancakes. He holds a spatula in one hand and a proper épée with a large bell guard in the other. A plate of pancakes and jars of sourdough starter sit on the counter beside him.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of making pancakes from old sourdough leftovers.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
A Canadian man in a red maple leaf cap slyly slips two plastic forks, tines down, into his jeans pocket inside a colorful Mexican chain restaurant. He looks around nervously, framed by a neon cactus sign and a bright menu board in the background.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of putting plastic forks in your pants pocket for later use.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
An open white cooler sits on the ground, filled with raw chicken pieces. A digital thermometer inserted into one piece reads 67°F. There’s no ice inside, and the cooler appears stained and weathered, suggesting it’s been sitting outdoors for a while during a camping trip.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating properly cooked chicken that warmed up to 67 °F after about 12 hours prior to cooking.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
A fried egg sizzles in a cast iron skillet filled with dark bacon or sausage grease. The yolk is vibrant and intact, surrounded by bubbly whites. In the background, a small jar of congealed grease sits on a beige cloth, suggesting long-term room temperature storage.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from cooking in bacon and/or sausage grease stored room temperature for up to 30 days.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
A hotel breakfast buffet features a large stainless steel vat filled with lumpy oatmeal. A sign above reads “COMMUNITY VAT OF OATMEAL MADE EARLIER THAT DAY.” Surrounding the vat are stacked plates, bagels in a wire rack, glass cups, and coffee dispensers, creating a utilitarian yet oddly inviting scene.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks eating cold-ish, prepared oatmeal from a community vat made earlier that day.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼