Risky or Not?

A short podcast about everyday risks from germs

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This image is from Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Mold/comments/1jc7ge8/mold_or_dirt_in_shallot/

769. Onion and Shallot Black Mold

May 09, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from onions and/or shallots with black mold.

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

  • Digital Repository Universitas Medan Area: Inventory of Fungus on Shallots (Allium ascalonicum)
  • Onions, Shallots and Garlic - Crop Post‐Harvest: Science and Technology - Wiley Online Library
  • Can you use onions with black mold?
  • Mold or dirt in shallot : r/Mold
May 09, 2025 /Don Schaffner
Onion, Shallot, Mold

DALL·E image text: A young restaurant worker in a black shirt and beige apron pulls on a white glove while a stern manager in a black suit watches disapprovingly with arms crossed. The warm, rustic restaurant setting contrasts with the tension between them, hinting that the worker skipped proper handwashing before gloving up.

768. Putting on Gloves Without Washing Your Hands

May 07, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of putting on gloves without first washing your hands as required by the FDA model food code.

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

  • Handwashing Facts | Clean Hands | CDC
  • Glove Barriers to Bacterial Cross-Contamination between Hands to Food - ScienceDirect
  • Microbiological safety assurance system for foodservice facilities.
  • FDA Food Code | FDA
  • Food Code 2022 | FDA
  • Scientific Evidence Supports the Use of Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers as an Effective Alternative to Hand Washing in Retail Food and Food Service Settings When Heavy Soiling Is Not Present on Hands - ScienceDirect
  • 2025 Biennial Meeting | Biennial Meetings | Conference for Food Protection
May 07, 2025 /Don Schaffner
Handwashing, Glove use, Cross-contamination

DALL·E image text: The image shows the entrance to "Jordan's Bar & Restaurant," with wooden double doors featuring baseball bat handles. A lake and trees are visible through the glass panels. A sign on one door reads "Shoes, Shirt, No Service," and a wooden sign above displays the restaurant's name. The image is square.

Don: The image is square, and so is DALL·E, man.

767. Eating and Drinking at Nudist Bar

May 05, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks eating and drinking at nudist bar.

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

  • 9: Barefoot Kitchen Staff — Risky or Not?
  • List of social nudity places in North America - Wikipedia
May 05, 2025 /Don Schaffner
Cross-contamination, Nudity

DALL·E image text: A glass bowl of overnight oats sits on a dark countertop, glowing ominously with green light. Wisps of toxic-looking green mist rise from the oats, surrounded by biohazard symbols, creating an eerie, dangerous atmosphere that hints at bacterial contamination.

766. Room Temperature Overnight Oats

May 02, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating overnight oats made a room temperature

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • oats search on Risky or Not?
  • Overnight Oats Recipe - How to Make Overnight Oats
  • The Pioneer Woman Unnecessarily Sends a Terrible Message : r/foodnetwork
  • The Truth About Overnight Oats - My Longevity Kitchen
  • Spore germination - ScienceDirect
  • Bacteria of Bacillus cereus group in cereals at retail - Polish Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences - Tom 59, Numer 1 (2009) - AGRO - Yadda
  • Potential of selected infant food formulas for production of Bacillus cereus emetic toxin, cereulide - ScienceDirect
  • Detection of Emetic Bacillus cereus from Ready-to-eat Foods in Markets and its Production of Cereulide under Simulated Conditions -Journal of the FoodService Safety | Korea Science
  • Bacterial Pathogens and Indicators in Oats - April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2020 - inspection.canada.ca
  • Oats: characteristics and quality requirements - ScienceDirect
May 02, 2025 /Don Schaffner
Bacillus cereus, Oats, Time temperature control for safety food

DALL·E image text: A square photo of a glass jar, half-filled with syrupy peaches. Several peach slices are covered in thick, fuzzy mold, appearing green and white. The jar has a weathered metal lid, and the syrup inside is cloudy. The scene is softly lit against a plain, neutral background.

765. Big Open Spoiled Jar of Canned Peaches at Room Temperature

April 30, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben revisit episode 759, and talk about the risks of eating from big open spoiled jar of canned peaches at room temperature.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • 759. Big Open Jar of Canned Peaches at Room Temperature — Risky or Not?
  • Further Studies on Development of Clostridium Botulinum in Refrigerated Foods 1 - Tanner - 1940 - Journal of Food Science - Wiley Online Library
  • Further Studies on Development of Clostridium botulinum in Refrigerated Foods - abstract
  • Growth and Toxin Production by Clostridium botulinum in Sauteed Onions - ScienceDirect
  • Journal of Food Science - Wikipedia
April 30, 2025 /Don Schaffner
Botulism, Peaches, Spoilage, Fungus, pH

Actual photo texted to Ben

764. Canned Pineapple From a Gray Container

April 28, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating canned pineapple from a container that's turned gray on the inside.

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

  • Periodic Tables Events | Duke University Science & Society
  • Food safety vs. food waste: Test your knowledge with this quiz - Washington Post
  • Does the inside of this aluminium [pineapple] can look normal? Or is it some weird toxic oxidation thing and i shouldn‘t eat the pineapples : r/foodhacks
  • Are pineapple steel cans supposed to look like that on the inside? It looks like it's dissolving into the pineapple juice.. Isn't the lining of the can supposed to prevent that? : r/chemistry
  • Let's look inside the can | Live Well. Eat Well. | Illinois Extension | UIUC
  • Caitlin Mellendorf | Serving DeWitt, Macon and Piatt Counties | Illinois Extension | UIUC
  • After opening canned foods, is it safe to refrigerate the unused food in the can?
  • The Real Reason You Shouldn't Store an Open Can of Food in the Fridge | Epicurious
  • Corrosive Effect of Pineapple Juice on the Fatigue and Hardness Properties of Austempered Ductile Iron
April 28, 2025 /Don Schaffner
Pineapple, Canning, Oxidation

A man in a dark hoodie stands before an open refrigerator, cautiously sneaking a spoonful of cottage cheese straight from the container. The fridge glows with soft light, revealing milk, juice bottles, tomatoes, oranges, and lettuce. His wide eyes suggest he's hoping no one catches him in the act.

763. Yogurt or Cottage Cheese Directly Out of the Container

April 25, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from repeatedly eating yogurt or cottage cheese directly out of the container.

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

  • 47: Peanut Butter Fingering — Risky or Not?
  • Effect of Biting Before Dipping (Double‐Dipping) Chips on the Bacterial Population of the Dipping Solution
  • Listeria in the domestic environment | Emerald Insight
  • 316. Using Cups to Scoop Water Out of a Shared Bowl — Risky or Not?
  • Calcium - Cheese Science Toolkit
April 25, 2025 /Don Schaffner
Yogurt, Cottage cheese, Cross-contamination

762. Garlic Yogurt Dip 10 Days Post Making, Just Prior to Surgery

April 23, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating garlic yogurt dip 10 days post making, just prior to surgery.

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

  • Opinion on leveling kits ? : r/ToyotaTacoma
  • Garlic Aroma That Could Level Tacoma question : r/Zappa
  • BEST of Tacoma, WA Garlic Knots - Yelp
April 23, 2025 /Don Schaffner
Yogurt, Surgery, Garlic

A person is cleaning a reddish-orange spill inside a refrigerator using a scrub brush and a bowl of water. Some food items, like eggs, milk, and condiments, have been removed and sit on the counter. The refrigerator shelves hold strawberries, jars, and bottles, creating a tidy but active cleaning scene.

761. Cleaning the Fridge With Water Only

April 21, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from cleaning refrigerator shelves using water only.

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

  • Domestic and Indoor Microbiology - ScienceDirect
  • Surface Sanitation and Microbiological Food Quality of a University Foodservice Operation
  • Domestic Refrigeration Practices with Emphasis on Hygiene: Analysis of a Survey and Consumer Recommendations - ScienceDirect
  • Microbiological Safety of Domestic Refrigerators and the Dishcloths Used To Clean Them in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico - ScienceDirect
April 21, 2025 /Don Schaffner
Cleaning, Water, Refrigerator

A square image of a Canadian egg carton stamped with “RECALLED” in large red block letters. The carton reads “EGGS – OEUFS” and “CANADA A” with a red maple leaf, indicating Canadian origin. The carton sits on a light wooden surface, viewed directly from above.

760. Eggs Recalled for Salmonella

April 18, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating eggs recalled for Salmonella.

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

  • Eggs In B.C., Ont., Man., Recalled Over Salmonella Concerns - Canadian Manufacturing
  • Eggs recalled in multiple provinces over salmonella concerns | CBC News
  • Costco eggs recalled: Make sure they're not still in your fridge
  • FDA designates Costco egg notice as a Class I recall : NPR
  • Investigation Update: Salmonella Outbreak, Eggs - September 2024 | Salmonella Infection | CDC
  • Eggs recalled in Alberta, B.C., Ontario, over salmonella
  • DeCosters lose appeal in Salmonella outbreak case | WATTAgNet | WATTPoultry.com
  • HHS Lays Off All Full-Time Cruise Ship Health Inspectors Amid Illness Outbreaks: Report | HuffPost Latest News
April 18, 2025 /Don Schaffner
Salmonella, Eggs, Recalls

This is a screen capture from the actual TikTok video.

759. Big Open Jar of Canned Peaches at Room Temperature

April 16, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating peaches from big open jar of canned peaches kept at room temperature.

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

  • Conference for Food Protection
  • #peachlady #peaches @Costco Wholesale | peach jar lady | TikTok
  • Zalea Peaches. Any one have experience with them? : r/Costco
  • McCullough recalls decades of food science work upon retirement from UGA-Griffin | University of Georgia Griffin Campus
  • Pathogen Modeling Program (PMP) Online
  • Further Studies on Development of Clostridium botulinum in Refrigerated Foods.
  • Clemson pH Values of Common Foods and Ingredients
  • Pruno - Wikipedia
  • Peaches En Regalia - YouTube
  • The Presidents of the United States of America – Peaches Lyrics | Genius Lyrics
April 16, 2025 /Don Schaffner
Time temperature control for safety food, Peaches

A panicked man frantically refills multiple plastic water jugs at a kitchen sink. His wide-eyed, stressed expression suggests urgency or impending crisis. The countertop and sink are crowded with empty jugs, and water spills slightly as he struggles to keep up with the task.

758. Reusing Plastic Drinking Water Jugs Without Washing

April 14, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from reusing plastic drinking water jugs without washing.

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

  • Gregory Koch: "Me wearing my #RiskyOrNot no waffles shirt for Passover. @bugcounter.bsky.social @benjaminchapman.bsky.social" — Bluesky
  • Quantifying the Influence of Relative Humidity, Temperature, and Diluent on the Survival and Growth of Enterobacter aerogenes - ScienceDirect
  • Draft Genome Sequence for Klebsiella michiganensis B199A, Originally Identified as Enterobacter aerogenes | Microbiology Resource Announcements
  • Matt Igo | LinkedIn
  • Aqua North Carolina | Essential Utilities
April 14, 2025 /Don Schaffner
Water, Cross-contamination

A close-up of a heavily rusted can opener resting on a weathered wooden surface. The corroded metal is pitted and flaking, showing deep orange-brown rust throughout. The worn texture of the tool and wood suggests age, neglect, and decay, evoking a gritty, industrial, almost post-apocalyptic aesthetic.

757. Rusty Can Opener

April 11, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from using a rusty can opener.

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

  • Eat or Toss? Is it OK to eat?
  • Rusty Linux: Advances in Rust for Linux Kernel Development | Proceedings of the 18th ACM/IEEE International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering and Measurement
  • A microbial survey of food service can openers, food and beverage can tops and cleaning methodology effectiveness - Michaels - 2003 - Food Service Technology - Wiley Online Library
  • The hygiene of slicing machines, carving knives and can-openers | Epidemiology & Infection | Cambridge Core
  • The “Germiest” Items in the Kitchen – Savannah Valley District
  • The importance of hygiene in modern society - ScienceDirect
  • Clean the Germiest Home Items | NSF
  • Clean the Germiest Kitchen Items | NSF
  • John Roderick (musician) - Wikipedia
  • Amazon.com: Chef Craft Select Can Opener with Tapper, 6.5 inches in length, Nickle Plated : Home & Kitchen
  • Should I get another tetanus shot after seeing rusts in the can opener that I used? I got my tetanus shot last year, I was wondering if I need another one after possibly ingesting rust. Should I be concerned? - Quora
  • You Don't Get Tetanus From Rust | Discovery
  • 310: Arc — Robot or Not? — Overcast
  • Tomato sprouts INSIDE the tomato?
April 11, 2025 /Don Schaffner
Can opener, Rust, Tetanus, Clostridium tetani

Today instead of stealing from all artists, we are just stealing from one. This image was originally posted on the eatortoss.com website and we're using it without permission. Hopefully Rachel will forgive us. If not I know a way to make another one.

756. Apples Bitten by Stink Bugs

April 09, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating an apple bitten by stink bugs.

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

  • Eat or Toss? Is it OK to eat?
  • Dark, dented spots on apple?
  • Fate of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on Fresh-Cut Apple Tissue and Its Potential for Transmission by Fruit Flies | Applied and Environmental Microbiology
  • 707. Eating Fruit That’s Been Bitten by a Bat — Risky or Not?
  • Brown Marmorated Stink Bug | US EPA
April 09, 2025 /Don Schaffner
Apples, Stink Bugs, E. coli O157:H7

A clear glass of milk sits on a wooden surface, featuring a vibrant purple crazy straw looping playfully above the rim. The background is softly lit with a neutral tone, highlighting the straw’s curves and the milk’s smooth texture. The image is balanced, nostalgic, and visually inviting.

755. Reusable Straws

April 07, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from using re-usable straws.

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

  • Eat or Toss? Is it OK to eat?
  • 475. Bamboo Straw Used for Smoothies Without a Brush for Cleaning — Risky or Not?
  • Food Safety Talk 33: Fresh Produce Punk Rock Hippieness — Food Safety Talk
  • View of Do reusables pose greater infectious risks than disposables for consumer goods? A systematic literature review
  • Guidance Document for the Safe Reuse of Containers | Conference-Developed Guides and Documents | Conference for Food Protection
April 07, 2025 /Don Schaffner
Straws, Cross-contamination, Cleaning

A square photo shows a crusty spoon resting in a cocoa powder container. The spoon is stained with dried hot chocolate mix and milk. Nearby, a mug of hot chocolate sits on a textured surface, capturing a cozy, slightly messy moment in making the drink.

754. Reusing a Hot Chocolate Milk Spoon

April 04, 2025 by Don Schaffner

The image shows a used spoon crusted with dried hot chocolate mix and milk, sitting inside a container of cocoa powder. It looks messy and realistic, as if it was just used to stir chocolate milk and then carelessly returned to the container. A nearby glass of chocolate milk completes the scene.

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

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from reusing a hot chocolate milk spoon.

  • Eat or Toss? Is it OK to eat?
  • Time to B. cereus about hot chocolate - PMC
  • Estimation of human dose of staphylococcal enterotoxin A from a large outbreak of staphylococcal food poisoning involving chocolate milk - ScienceDirect
  • Understanding and Controlling Microbiological Contamination of Beverage Dispensers in University Foodservice Operations
  • Profiling Bacillus cereus populations in a traditional style, hot-drinks vending machine and vended hot chocolate drink using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) techniques - ScienceDirect
April 04, 2025 /Don Schaffner
Milk, Chocolate, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus

A whimsical lasagna slice with mismatched layers—crispy and soft pasta, colorful sauces, varied cheeses, and mixed fillings—sits on a plate in a rustic kitchen. Each layer contrasts wildly, symbolizing change over time in a playful take on the Ship of Theseus paradox, now deliciously reimagined in pasta form.

753. Re-Heating Leftovers Indefinitely and the Lasagna of Theseus

April 02, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of re-heating leftovers indefinitely and the lasagna of Theseus.

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

  • Life Kit : NPR
  • Theseus - Wikipedia
  • Ship of Theseus - Wikipedia
  • Tyndallization - Wikipedia
  • How long do leftovers last? An - Life Kit - Apple Podcasts
  • How long do leftovers last? And other food safety questions, answered : Life Kit : NPR
April 02, 2025 /Don Schaffner
Leftovers

Actual old sliced lamb’s liver. Not DALL·E.

752. Frozen Sliced Liver From the Last Century

March 31, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating frozen sliced liver from the last century.

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

  • I found this sliced liver from Safeways in my... - Military Aircraft | Facebook
  • FSIS Chicken Liver Guidance
  • Campylobacter spp. in New Zealand raw sheep liver and human campylobacteriosis cases - PubMed
  • Forcemeat - Wikipedia
March 31, 2025 /Don Schaffner
Liver, Frozen food

A green juice bottle sits on a car seat, partially frozen with visible ice crystals. Frost covers the car windows, and condensation clings to the bottle. The early morning light casts a cold, bluish hue, emphasizing the chill of a winter night spent inside the vehicle.

751. Leaving Green Juice in the Car Overnight in the Winter

March 28, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from consuming Green Juice left in the car overnight in the winter.

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

  • Green Goodness® - Bolthouse Farms
  • FAQs - Bolthouse Farms
  • Botulism Associated with Commercial Carrot Juice --- Georgia and Florida, September 2006
  • 100% Carrot - Bolthouse Farms
March 28, 2025 /Don Schaffner
Time temperature control for safety food, Juice, Pasteurization

A festive kitchen decorated for St. Patrick's Day features green streamers, shamrocks, and themed treats. In contrast, a shopping bag with a forgotten package of corned beef and bread sits quietly on the counter, slightly tucked away, hinting at a small oversight amid the celebration.

750. Corned Beef Left Out for a Couple of Hours

March 26, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating corned beef left out for a couple of hours.

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

  • What is the term for a 750th anniversary in The AnswerBank: Phrases & Sayings
  • Tony Hawk - Wikipedia
  • LUCKY CHARMS - 60s 70s 80s 90s Commercials Compilation - YouTube
  • Corned beef - Wikipedia
  • No such thing as 'uncured' corned beef, Penn State meat expert says | Penn State University
  • Curing (food preservation) - Wikipedia
March 26, 2025 /Don Schaffner
Time temperature control for safety food, Corned beef, Sodium Nitrate
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