Risky or Not?

A short podcast about everyday risks from germs

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Image description: The actual gummy bear in question.

893. Eating an Opened Two-Year-Old 5-Pound Gummy Bear

February 23, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating an opened two-year-old 5-pound gummy bear,

Dr. Don - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • GGB Candies - Giant Gummy Bears - The Original Manufacturer
  • Osmosis Experiment With Gummy Bears
  • Longer Contact Times Increase Cross-Contamination of Enterobacter aerogenes from Surfaces to Food - PubMed
February 23, 2026 /Don Schaffner
Gummy bear, Shelf life, Water activity

Image of the actual expired beef jerky

887. Four Year Expired Beef Jerky From a Safe at the Bottom of the Ocean

February 09, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating four year expired beef jerky from a safe at the bottom of the ocean.

Dr. Don - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • Mystery over safe with beef jerky inside recovered from Shark Bay's ocean floor - ABC News
February 09, 2026 /Don Schaffner
Beef jerky, Shelf life, Seawater

The image depicts a doctor in a white coat and stethoscope, holding a container of expired pasteurized milk with a puzzled expression. Behind them, on a clean kitchen counter, lies an open yogurt-making manual alongside utensils, suggesting a potential plan to repurpose the milk creatively despite its expiration.

708. Expired Pasteurized Cows Milk Used for Yogurt

December 18, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from using expired pasteurized cows milk used for yogurt.

Dr. Don - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • 563. Chris's Yogurt Without Heating โ€” Risky or Not?
  • 128. Milk on the Counter Over Night โ€” Risky or Not?
  • Foods Near the End of Their Shelf Life - Consumption Recommendations | Consumer Food Waste Community of Practice | Connect
  • Staphylococcus aureus Toxin Formation in Hydrated Batter Mixes
December 18, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Yogurt, Shelf life, Expiration dates, Use by dates, Milk

DALLยทE - Unopened Carton of Heavy Cream Almost 3 Weeks Past It's Expiration Date in an empty refrigerator in the style of Edward Hopper

497. Unopened Carton of Heavy Cream Almost 3 Weeks Past It's Expiration Date

August 14, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of consuming heavy cream from an unopened carton almost 3 weeks past it's expiration date.

Dr. Don - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ Bobby Blue Byrd ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ on Twitter: "@pdnell @gastropoda What say you @bugcounter @benjaminchapman ? https://t.co/G4RrFHGOIN" / X
  • Short communication: Bacterial ecology of high-temperature, short-time pasteurized milk processed in the United States - ScienceDirect
  • Sudden Death of a Young Adult Associated with Bacillus cereus Food Poisoning - PMC
  • National Outbreak Reporting System (NORS) Dashboard | CDC
  • Don's Milk Shelf Life Article


August 14, 2023 /Don Schaffner
Cream, Dairy, Shelf life, Bacillus

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 ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • 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 โ€” Risky or Not?
September 23, 2022 /Don Schaffner
Jell-O, Gelatine, Shelf-life, Salmonella, Shelf life

236. Eating 2,400 Year Old Soup

December 13, 2021 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating 2,400 year old soup.

Dr. Don - risky โ˜ฃ๏ธ
Professor Ben - risky โ˜ฃ๏ธ

  • Merch โ€” Risky or Not?
  • (4) Brett Weed on Twitter: "Hey @benjaminchapman and @bugcounter, eating 2,400 year old soupโ€”#riskyornot?" / Twitter
  • Museum Archive on Twitter: "In 2010, Chinese archaeologists unearthed a 2,400-year-old bone soup in a sealed bronze cooking vessel near Xi'an in Northwest China. Because of oxidization, the soup turned green, but it was still in liquid form, and the bones were still floating on top https://t.co/IPolPGproi" / Twitter
  • In 2010, Chinese archaeologists unearthed a 2,400-year-old bone soup in a sealed bronze cooking vessel near Xi'an in Northwest China. Because of oxidization, the soup turned green, but it was still in liquid form, and the bones were still floating on top [500x750] : ArtefactPorn
  • Chinese archaeologists unearth 2,400-year-old 'soup' - BBC News
  • Crystalline Preparation of Botulinum Toxin Type a (Botox): Degradation in Potency with Storage - Michael G. Gartlan, Henry T. Hoffman, 1993
  • Measuring the potency labelling of onabotulinumtoxinA (Botoxยฎ) and incobotulinumtoxinA (Xeominยฎ) in an LD50 assay | SpringerLink
  • Botox: A review - ProQuest
  • Chinese archaeologists soon to taste 2400-year-old soup and wine?
December 13, 2021 /Don Schaffner
Soup, Shelf life

221. Frozen Food From 1972

November 08, 2021 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating frozen food from 1972.

Dr. Don - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • Merch โ€” Risky or Not?
  • Lee Katz ๐Ÿž on Twitter: "@bugcounter @benjaminchapman I don't know if I hear enough about obviously risky foods on #riskyornot. Has anyone has sent this to you yet? https://t.co/pAdnER471x https://t.co/G3IT52rJ3V" / Twitter
  • Woman Finds Food in Grandparents' Freezer Dating Back to 1972 Then Defrosts It
November 08, 2021 /Don Schaffner
Frozen food, Shelf life

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