A short podcast about everyday risks from germs

ChatGPT image description: A plate of French toast sits abandoned on a kitchen counter, with syrup residue and scattered crumbs suggesting it has been left out since yesterday's brunch. The cozy kitchen background contrasts with the forgotten meal, emphasizing the passage of time and potential food safety concern.

968. French Toast Left on Counter for Almost a Day

August 17, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating french toast left on counter for almost a day

Dr. Don - 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.

967. Eating Small Pieces of Chicken Left Behind in the Airfryer, Reheated Days Later

August 14, 2026 by Don Schaffner

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 dried, days-old tea bag stands stiffly on a ceramic dish atop a speckled kitchen counter. The paper is wrinkled and stained brown from old tea, with the string and tag lying limp beside it. Soft kitchen lighting and blurred containers create a quiet, slightly neglected atmosphere.

937. Re-Using Teabags After Hours or Days

June 05, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from re-using teabags after hours or days.

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

ChatGPT image description: A rustic bar of garlic-themed soap sits on a wooden board, its creamy surface marbled with pale yellow swirls and topped with dried herbs. Garlic bulbs and loose cloves surround the soap alongside parsley, salt crystals, and peppercorns, giving the scene a culinary, farmhouse aesthetic reminiscent of artisanal soap displays.

900. Dried Garlic in Cold Process Soap

March 11, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of making garlic soap (eventually).

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

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 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

ChatGPT image description: A rustic Italian kitchen scene shows a weathered butcher’s hand carving a thin slice from a leg of prosciutto. Warm, golden light highlights the marbled meat against dark shadows. The heavy knife glides smoothly beneath the cured flesh, capturing the timeless craft of traditional charcuterie.

852. Prosciutto Di Parma at Room Temperature for Months

November 19, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating hand sliced Prosciutto ham stored at room temperature for months.

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

829. Betty Crocker Frosting Stored Out of Refrigeration

September 26, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of storing frosting that says "Cover and refrigerate leftover frosting up to 30 days" at room temperature after opening.

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.

803. Unpasteurized Suitcase Saint Nectaire Cheese

July 28, 2025 by Don Schaffner

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 ☣️

A rustic loaf of sourdough bread is studded with dried fruit and wrapped in a kraft paper label that reads: “FRUIT SOURDOUGH – HANDMADE IN MY HOME – FARMERS MARKET.” It sits on burlap, evoking a cozy, artisanal feel typical of a farmers market setting.

791. Sourdough With Fruit Inclusions at a Farmer's Market From a Home Processor in NY

June 30, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from sourdough bread with fruit inclusions at a farmer's market from a home processor in NY.

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

A smiling man with curly hair, a beard, and glasses wears an orange turtleneck sweater. He holds a clear container filled with candied lemon peels. The background is a soft beige, giving the image a warm, cozy feel. The man appears cheerful and relaxed.

774. Room Temperature Candied Lemon Peels

May 21, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from storing candied lemon peels at room temperature.

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

A man in a cozy kitchen stirs golden honey into creamy homemade peanut butter using a wooden spoon. Sunlight streams through a window, casting a warm glow on the glass jar. Peanuts and a honey jar sit nearby on the counter, enhancing the inviting, homemade feel of the scene.

746. Homemade Nut Butter Containing Honey

March 17, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating homemade nut butter containing honey.

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

The image shows a plate of roasted Sriracha chickpeas on a plain counter. The chickpeas are dry, shriveled, and slightly moldy, with patches of white fuzz indicating spoilage. The unappetizing appearance suggests they have been left out for days, emphasizing a sense of potential hazard and neglect.

709. Homemade Roasted Sriracha Chickpeas at Room Temperature for Days

December 20, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating homemade roasted sriracha chickpeas left at room temperature for three days.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

DALL·E - A plastic bear-shaped bottle of honey with very little honey inside, leaving it about one-eighth full. There is a visible layer of water sitting on the honey.

642. Watery Honey

July 17, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from honey that diluted with water by 25%.

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

DALL·E - cut celery and carrots standing vertically in jar of dirty water

556. Storing Celery and Carrots in Water in the Refrigerator

December 29, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of storing celery and carrots submerged in water in the refrigerator.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

DALL·E - a glass container half full of syrup filled with sausage links

543. Eating Table Syrup From IHOP Containing Food Hidden by College Students

November 29, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating table syrup from IHOP containing food hidden by college students.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

DALL·E 2: glass jar half full of steaming, bubbling and boiling hot fudge on a white background

447. Repeated Hot Fudge Temperature Cycling

April 19, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of repeatedly reheating hot fudge in a microwave.

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

301. "Canning" Without "Cooking"

May 13, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from some weird recipes from 1918.

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

253. Scott's Ambiguously Sealed Mincemeat

January 23, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from a jar of ambiguously sealed mincemeat send from listener Scott.

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

205. Apple Pie on the Counter for Days

October 01, 2021 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of leaving a baked apple pie on the counter for days.

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

162. Roasted Grilled Veggies Left Out Overnight

June 23, 2021 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating roasted grilled veggies left out overnight

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️