A short podcast about everyday risks from germs

DALL·E image text: A person rinses fresh strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries under a modern faucet using a metal strainer. In the background, a sleek electronic fruit-washing gadget sits cracked and broken, unused on the counter. The contrast highlights the simplicity of hand-washing berries compared to the failure of the fancy device.

816. Washing Produce With Just Plain Water

August 27, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of just washing produce in plain water vs. a fancy gizmo.

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

Garrnish Pesticide Purifier: The Complete Fruit and Vegetable Cleaner – garrnish
Pesticide Residue Monitoring Report and Data for FY 2022 | FDA
Pesticide Residue Monitoring Program Questions and Answers | FDA
Pesticide Residue Monitoring Program Reports and Data | FDA
Removal of 16 pesticide residues from strawberries by washing with tap and ozone water, ultrasonic cleaning and boiling | Environmental Monitoring and Assessment

DALL·E image text: A shrimp superhero stands ready for battle, muscular and armored with its shell, wearing a red cape and a glowing radioactive emblem. Green smoke rises from a cracked glowing sphere nearby, casting an eerie glow over the dark city skyline as the shrimp radiates determination and power.

815. Radioactive Shrimp

August 25, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating shrimp impacted by the recent recall.

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

DALL·E image text: A packaged Teewurst sausage labeled “Cook to 165°F for regulatory purposes,” “Raw Pork,” and “Spread on a cracker and enjoy raw,” with a photo of the spread on a cracker. The sausage is vacuum-sealed in clear plastic with metal clips at each end.

814. Eating Dane's Raw Teewurst

August 22, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from consuming teewurst that is made from raw meat which says that it must be cooked to 165°F.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

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.

813. Squishing a Bug That Smells Like Maple Syrup

August 20, 2025 by Don Schaffner

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.

812. Soaking Cedar Planks for Salmon in Room Temperature Water

August 18, 2025 by Don Schaffner

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.

811. Raspberries at Room Temperature for About 28 Hours

August 15, 2025 by Don Schaffner

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.

810. White Bread

August 13, 2025 by Don Schaffner

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.

809. Using a Towel With a "Big Brown Streak"

August 11, 2025 by Don Schaffner

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.

808. Sushi Left on the Counter Overnight

August 08, 2025 by Don Schaffner

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.

807. Eating Raw Frozen Spinach in a Smoothie

August 06, 2025 by Don Schaffner

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.

806. Chicken From a Bag With Chicken in the Seam

August 04, 2025 by Don Schaffner

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 👍🏼

805. Mamma Birding (Chewing Food for Other People)

August 01, 2025 by Don Schaffner

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.

804. Ben's Missing Thermometer

July 30, 2025 by Don Schaffner

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.

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 ☣️

802. Sealed Jar With Sauce on the Rim and No Pop

July 25, 2025 by Don Schaffner

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

801. Letting Your Drunk Partner Cook Raw Chicken While You Prepare a Fresh Salad in a Small Kitchen

July 23, 2025 by Don Schaffner

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

800. Linda's Vichyssoise

July 21, 2025 by Don Schaffner

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.

799. Combining Breastmilk Collected in Shells Over Three Days to Feed a Healthy Infant

July 18, 2025 by Don Schaffner

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.

798. Dave's Pancakes From Old Sourdough Leftovers

July 16, 2025 by Don Schaffner

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.

797. Ben's Pants Pocket Forks

July 14, 2025 by Don Schaffner

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 👍🏼