Risky or Not?

A short podcast about everyday risks from germs

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ChatGPT image description: A blindfolded woman stands just outside a kitchen, smiling confidently while holding a sign that reads “COOKED.” Steam rises from a pan behind her, suggesting food on the stove. Though she can’t see, the aroma convinces her the meal is properly cooked.

888. Using Smell to Determine When a Food Is Safely Cooked

February 11, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of using smell to determine when a food is safely cooked.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • Super Disco Breakin' (Remastered 2009) - YouTube
  • Global study of variability in olfactory sensitivity - PubMed
  • I can smell the moment food is done cooking : r/Cooking
  • High Fidelity (film) - Wikipedia


February 11, 2026 /Don Schaffner
Smell, Cooking, Tip sensitive digital thermometer

256. Sniffing Milk Instead Using Expiration Dates

January 28, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of sniffing milk instead using expiration dates.

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

  • Morrisons scraps use by dates on milk in favour of sniff test | News | The Grocer
  • Short communication: Bacterial ecology of high-temperature, short-time pasteurized milk processed in the United States - ScienceDirect
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a cause of infectious diarrhoea - PubMed
  • Identification and Pathogenic Potential of Clinical Bacillus and Paenibacillus Isolates - PubMed
January 28, 2022 /Don Schaffner
Milk, Shelf-life, Spoilage, Smell

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