A short podcast about everyday risks from germs

ChatGPT image description: A square image shows a bottle of ghost pepper pineapple hot sauce on a heavy metal band’s merch table. A handwritten $10 sign sits beside it. Guitar picks and dark-themed items surround the bottle, while three intense-looking band members loom in the background, slightly blurred, gesturing toward the sauce.

919. Homemade Unrefrigerated Hot Sauce From Heavy Metal Band at Their Merch Table

April 24, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from consuming homemade unrefrigerated hot sauce purchased from a heavy metal band at their merch table.

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

Occurrence of Salmonella in Ready-to-Eat Meat and Poultry Product Samples from U.S. Department of Agriculture–Regulated Producing Establishments. II. Salmonella in Ready-to-Eat Pork Barbecue Products, from 2005 to 2012 - ScienceDirect
Models for the Inactivation of Foodborne Pathogens in Salad Dressing from Challenge Studies - ScienceDirect

ChatGPT image description: A bunch of purple grapes sits in the child seat of a grocery cart. In the background, a toddler with a visibly soiled diaper looks back with a guilty expression. The blurred store aisle contrasts with the sharply focused cart, highlighting a humorous but unsanitary situation.

918. Naked Fruit on the Seat of a Grocery Cart

April 22, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from placing a fresh fruit on the seat of a grocery cart without a bag.

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

917. Making Butter While Running

April 20, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of making butter while running.

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

ChatGPT image description: A hand holds a spoon scooping chunky tomato sauce from a pot. Nearby, a piece of raw meat rests partially submerged in the sauce. The spoon is positioned about an inch away, highlighting a potential cross-contamination risk in a kitchen setting.

916. Tasting the Sauce Before the Meat Is Cooked

April 17, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of tasting the sauce before the meat is cooked.

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

Why do thicker sauces simmer at lower temperatures? : r/AskCulinary

ChatGPT image description: A sushi kitchen handwashing sink is shown as someone rinses their hands under running water. Nearby, an open box of disposable gloves sits too close, becoming visibly wet from splashing water. The scene highlights a cross-contamination risk, with food prep areas blurred in the background.

915. Letting Patrons Use the Handwash Sink in a Sushi Restaurant Kitchen

April 15, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks associated with letting patrons use the handwash sink in a sushi restaurant kitchen.

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

ChatGPT image description: A stainless steel toaster sits on a countertop with faint streaks and small droplets of raw chicken juice on its surface and slot edges. In the blurred background, a bowl of raw chicken rests at a distance. The image highlights subtle cross-contamination risk from minimal splashing.

914. Using Toaster After Splashing Raw Chicken Juice Inside if You Are Immunocompromised

April 13, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from using toaster after splashing raw chicken juice inside if you are immunocompromised.

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

913. Using the Top Paper Plate

April 10, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from using the top paper plate in a package of plates.

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

912. Only Rinsing a Plastic Microwave Food Cover

April 08, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of using a plastic microwave food cover that you only rinse and do not wash.

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

ChatGPT image description: A guilty-looking dog sits on a messy kitchen floor in front of an open dishwasher. Food scraps, a sponge, and a utensil are scattered around. The dog’s drooping ears and sad eyes suggest it caused the mess and knows it’s in trouble.

911. Mixing People and Giardia Infected Dog Dishes in the Dishwater

April 06, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from mixing dishes from people and from Giardia infected dogs in the dishwater.

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

ChatGPT image description: An elegant Welsh fine-dining restaurant with rustic stone walls and candlelit tables displays two Michelin stars at the entrance. A Welsh-language sign reads “Bwyty Gorau Cymru.” Nearby, a separate red placard humorously reveals a low one-star hygiene rating, contrasting sharply with the refined, upscale atmosphere.

910. Eating at a Two Star Michelin Restaurant With a One Star Hygiene Rating

April 03, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating at a two star Michelin restaurant with a one star hygiene rating.

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

ChatGPT image description: A yogurt container sits atop a snowy mountain, its lid visibly swollen from altitude. Behind it, a playful yeti peeks from behind a snow-covered tree. Rugged peaks stretch into the distance under a bright blue sky, creating a whimsical scene blending food packaging physics with a mythical alpine setting.

909. Bulging Yogurt at Elevation

April 01, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from consuming yogurt that was bulging after transport to a higher elevation.

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

ChatGPT image description: A relaxed, scruffy man with long hair and a bathrobe stands by an open refrigerator, holding a stick of butter smeared with dark residue from a dirty pan. He casually returns the contaminated butter to the fridge, while the greasy pan sits below, highlighting a clear food safety concern.

908. Using Butter Rubbed on a Dirty Pan

March 30, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from using butter that was rubbed on a dirty pan.

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

ChatGPT image description: A vibrant home vegetable garden with leafy greens, tomatoes, and carrots is shown in daylight. In the soil, a bright yellow biohazard sign warns “Composted Botulinum Toxin.” Gardening tools rest nearby, contrasting the healthy plants with the ominous, humorous food-safety warning.

907. Vegetables Grown in Soil with Composted Botulinum Toxin

March 27, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating vegetables grown in soil with composted botulinum toxin.

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

This image is generated from Don's Perfringens Predictor analysis.

906. White Castle Burgers in a Cooler for 12 Hours

March 25, 2026 by Don Schaffner

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 ☣️

ChatGPT image description: A preschooler happily bites into a sandwich while holding it with visibly dirty, mud-stained fingernails. The child’s messy hands contrast with the simple ham sandwich and bright striped shirt. The close-up emphasizes the fingernails and hands, highlighting a classic food-safety concern about hand hygiene during eating.

905. Eating With Poopy Fingernail Hands

March 23, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating with poopy fingernail hands.

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

Image description: actual screen capture from the Instagram reel.

904. Dishwasher Hot Dogs

March 20, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from making hot dogs in your dishwasher.

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

903. Three Month Old Compound Butter

March 18, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from three month old refrigerated compound butter.

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

ChatGPT image description: David Bowie and Bing Crosby sit in a festive Irish pub on St. Patrick’s Day, staring in shock at a tiny pair of denim overalls pulled from a bowl of Mrs. Murphy’s chowder. Shamrocks, Irish flags, and dark pints surround them as the absurd discovery drips chowder onto the table. 🍀

902. Overalls in Mrs. Murphy's Chowder

March 16, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from the Overalls in Mrs. Murphy's Chowder.

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

Image description: actual image from the clickbait-y video

901. Coffee Made in a Coffee Maker Used to "Wash" Underwear

March 13, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of drinking coffee from a coffee pot used to wash underware.

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 👍🏼