A short podcast about everyday risks from germs

ChatGPT image description: A husband concentrates on peeling a produce sticker from an apple while his wife watches with amused resignation. Stray fruit stickers cling to their faces, hair, clothes, and kitchen surfaces, suggesting this seemingly simple task has somehow gotten hilariously out of hand.

999. Washing Produce With the Sticker On

October 28, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from washing produce without first removing the sticker.

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

banana - Risky or Not?
Microbiological safety evaluations and recommendations on fresh produce - ScienceDirect - C. De Roever
Microbiological safety evaluations and recommendations on fresh produce - ScienceDirect - National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods
Natural-Light Labeling of Tomatoes Does Not Facilitate Growth or Penetration of Salmonellainto the Fruit - ScienceDirect
CO2 Laser-labeling on Fresh Produce: Evaluating Postharvest Quality, Microbial Safety, and Economic Analysis - ScienceDirect

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998. Eating Off Dishes Washed by a Scrub Brush Previously Used to Wash Raw Chicken Dishes

October 26, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating off dishes washed by a scrub brush previously used to wash raw chicken dishes, with no sanitation step in between.

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

997. Cutting Carrots With Your Mouth for a Slow Cooker Meal

October 23, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from "cutting" carrots with your mouth for a slow cooker meal.

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

996. Two Decade Old Fish Sauce

October 21, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating two decade old fish sauce.

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

ChatGPT image description: A six-panel illustration depicts an 1883 kitchen where a woman preserves fresh corn in tin cans. She fills them with water, solders them shut, boils them, releases accumulated gas through a small hole, reseals them, and boils them again. The historical method poses serious botulism risks.

995. Canning Corn in Hand-Soldered Tins

October 19, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating canned corn in hand-soldered tins.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

ChatGPT image description: A surprised hockey player, dressed in full uniform and wearing oven mitts, removes a tray of steaming buffalo wings from the oven. Two sauce-covered wings have accidentally fallen into a clean stainless-steel kitchen sink. His wide-eyed expression captures the unexpected mishap.

994. Reheated Buffalo Wings That Fell Into a Clean Sink

October 16, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating reheated Buffalo wings that fell into a clean sink.

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

ChatGPT image description: A golden-brown roasted turkey filled with bread stuffing rests in a roasting pan, surrounded by Canadian Thanksgiving decorations. Although the turkey appears perfectly cooked, no thermometer has been used to verify that the stuffing has reached a safe internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), raising food safety concerns.

993. Cooking Stuffing in a Turkey Without a Thermometer

October 14, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from cooking stuffing in a turkey without a thermometer.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

Image description: the actual deli meat and cheese in question

992. Wegman's Deli Meat and Cheese Left on the Counter for 10 Hours

October 12, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks to a teenage boy from consuming deli meat and cheese left on the counter for 10 hours

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

Image description: the actual toothpaste in question

991. Toothpaste From Kristin's Split Toothpaste Tube

October 09, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from using toothpaste that came from a tube split during the packaging process.

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

Image description: the actual bacon in question

990. Bacon With a Pinhole Leak in the Package

October 07, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating bacon with a pinhole leak in the package.

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

ChatGPT image description: A large serving of meat lovers lasagna sits on a white plate on a kitchen counter. Layers of pasta, tomato sauce, melted mozzarella, sausage, and pepperoni are visible. The Stouffer’s package stands behind it, suggesting the cooked lasagna has been left sitting at room temperature.

989. Eating Re-cooked Store Bought Lasagna Left Out Over Night

October 05, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating re-cooked store bought lasagna left out over night.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

ChatGPT image description: Three medieval French soldiers prepare an absurd dish outdoors. One pours creamy soup over a squirrel into a bowl while another squirrel sits angrily in a wooden cage. Potatoes, leeks, onions, herbs, a mortar and pestle, and a large pot complete the comically elaborate “Vichy squirrel” preparation.

988. Consuming or Preparing Vichy Squirrel

October 02, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from consuming or preparing Vichy squirrel.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

987. Ant Yogurt

September 30, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating ant yogurt.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

986. Eating an Unopened Package of Live It Up® Super Greens That Was Recalled Due to Potential Salmonella Contamination

September 28, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating Super Greens recalled for Salmonella contamination.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

ChatGPT: A man eagerly eyes a leftover slice of pizza on a recently abandoned restaurant table, clasping his hands with anticipation. Beside him, his wife gives him a stern, disapproving look, clearly unimpressed by his apparent plan to eat the previous diners’ leftovers.

985. Eating Untouched Leftovers From the Previous Patron at a Restaurant

September 25, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating apparently untouched leftovers from a previous patron at an outdoor restaurant.

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

ChatGPT image: A man sits on a couch beside a black-and-white dog. Holding a used tissue near the dog’s nose, he appears poised to wipe his own nose with it. The dog watches him intently, as if questioning his questionable hygiene decision.

984. Sharing a Tissue With a Dog

September 23, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from using a tissue used for a dog (but not for a big snot glob).

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

983. Reheating Milk From Nespresso Aeroccino Left in the Refrigerator for a Few Days

September 21, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from reheating milk from Nespresso Aeroccino left in the refrigerator for a few days.

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

ChatGPT image description: The three hosts of the Accidental Tech Podcast enjoy bowls of macaroni and cheese at a lively autumn football tailgate. Surrounded by fall foliage, grills, coolers, football gear, and playful tech-themed decorations, the scene combines their enthusiasm for technology, friendship, food, and football.

982. Casey's Leftover Tailgate Mac and Cheese

September 18, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating Casey's* Leftover Tailgate Mac and Cheese.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

* who the hell is that guy in the middle of the image? No seriously, that's not Casey. I mean, the other two are recognizable as vaguely Marco and vaguely John, but that guy in the middle?

ChatGPT image description: A cork-sealed bottle of organic agave nectar sits unopened on a kitchen counter. The dark, aged nectar shows crystallization and residue inside the bottle. Its weathered label prominently displays a “Best By July 2012” date, emphasizing that the product is extremely expired.

981. Very Expired Agave Nectar, Unopened in a Cork-Sealed Bottle

September 16, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from consuming very expired agave nectar, unopened in a cork-sealed bottle.

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

ChatGPT image description: A bowl of Cajun red beans and sausage sits uncovered on a kitchen counter after being left out overnight. The thick bean mixture is surrounded by Louisiana-themed décor, including fleur-de-lis designs and a “N’Awlins” container.

980. Cooked Cajun Red Beans Left Out Overnight

September 14, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating cooked Cajun red beans left out overnight.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️