A short podcast about everyday risks from germs
ChatGPT image description: An open paperboard takeout container sits inside a car, filled with brown rice and mixed vegetables including broccoli, carrots, peppers, onions, and snap peas. The food appears slightly wilted and dried after sitting in the warm car for several hours.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating brown rice held out of temperature control for about five hours.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: An open countertop air fryer sits on a kitchen counter with only a few tiny browned chicken fragments and crumbs scattered across the basket. The appliance appears otherwise empty, suggesting small leftovers remained after cooking and serving.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating small pieces of chicken left behind in the airfryer, reheated days later.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: A plate of golden-brown French toast sits forgotten on a kitchen counter. Syrup has pooled around the slices, and the meal appears untouched. The ordinary home setting suggests it has been left at room temperature for several hours, creating a subtle food-safety concern.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating French toast that was made yesterday and sat out for 3 hours before refrigeration.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: A horrified home cook realizes a bag of frozen mixed berries has been left out for two hours. Purple berry juice pools across the counter while a handwritten timing note and wall clock emphasize the mistake. The square image captures panic, thawing fruit, and a relatable kitchen food-safety dilemma.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from leaving frozen berries out of refrigeration for 2 hours, refreezing and reusing later in a smoothie.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
Actual crazy car ranch lady.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating ranch dressing stored in a warm car for an extended period of time.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
Actual screen capture from YouTube.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of making butter while running.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
This image is generated from Don's Perfringens Predictor analysis.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating White Castle burgers in a cooler for 12 hours.
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️
Image description: Actual banana from Justin's post.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from leaving a half a cut banana at room temperature for 24 hours.
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️
ChatGPT image description: A single piece of sushi sits alone on a conveyor belt under a clear plastic dome. The fish looks dull and dried, the rice hardened. Around it, stacks of empty plates and blurred restaurant fixtures emphasize how long the sushi has been circling, forgotten.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating leftover conveyer belt sushi.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: A square close-up shows an opened metal can of caramel sauce left on a kitchen countertop. Thick amber caramel overflows the rim, dripping down the sides and pooling on the surface below. A spoon coated in caramel rests nearby, emphasizing the sticky, glossy texture.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from leaving homemade caramel sauce out over night.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: A black crockpot sits unplugged on a countertop, its white power cord coiled beside it. Inside, several chicken breasts rest in chunky red salsa. The scene looks still and slightly concerning, suggesting the food has been left at room temperature all day without cooking. Don's comment: Interesting plug design. Might not have helped to plug this one in.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of holding raw chicken at room temperature "all day" before cooking.
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️
Figure from Barbut et at., 1987 of hard cooked egg shelf life
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating air cooled hard boiled eggs after a week at room temperature.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image text: In a warehouse store, a smiling employee in a red apron offers food samples while a serious professor in a white lab coat studies the setup, arms crossed.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from consuming Costco free food samples.
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 👍🏼
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 ☣️
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 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 ☣️
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 👍🏼