
Risky or Not?
byDon Schaffner and Ben Chapman
HealthFitnessScienceLife
Risky or Not is a short podcast from Professor Ben Chapman from North Carolina State University, and Dr. Don Schaffner from Rutgers University. Dr. Don and Professor Chapman promise to do their best not to waffle, dither, dissemble or equivocate, and to give straight up answers about whether something is risky or not.
Episodes(40 episodes)
Episode 978
Not Breaking Apart Iceberg Lettuce to Wash Every Leaf
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from not breaking apart iceberg lettuce to wash every leaf. Dr. Don - not risky ๐๐ผ Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ Butter Lettuce | What is Butter Lettuce? | Nutrition Info & Pictures Healthier eating, better tracking results in more produce-related foodborne illness cases | CAES Field Report Tossing salads - UGA Today Processing may spread E. coli - Los Angeles Times
Published: Sep 9, 2026Duration: 16m 10s
Episode 977
Boiled Peanuts Left in a Hot Car for Two Days
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating boiled peanuts left in a hot car for two days Dr. Don - risky โฃ๏ธ Professor Ben - risky โฃ๏ธ Best in Show (4/11) Movie CLIP - Naming Nuts (2000) HD - YouTube Classic Boiled Peanuts Recipe Peanut and peanut products: A food safety perspective - ScienceDirect Contamination of Nuts/Nut Butters | Food Safety Boiled peanuts culprit of salmonella outbreak | Salmonella Blog Growth of Bacillus cereus in Media Containing Plant Seed Materials and Ingredients Used in Chinese Cookery | Journal of Applied Microbiology | Oxford Academic Peanuts and Coke - Wikipedi
Published: Sep 7, 2026Duration: 14m 46s
Episode 976
Butchering a Legally Hunted Bear in a Communal Residence Hall Kitchen
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks associated with butchering a legally hunted bear in a communal residence hall kitchen. Dr. Don - risky โฃ๏ธ Professor Ben - risky โฃ๏ธ Land-Grant University FAQ - APLU (14) Post by @pkpd-babe.bsky.social โ Bluesky University Prohibits Processing Wild Animals in Communal Kitchens After Bear Skinning Uproar - The Cornell Daily Sun Cornell Students Skin Bear in Ganฤdagวซ: Hall Communal Kitchen, No Charges Filed - The Cornell Daily Sun The Cornell Bear Skinner Speaks Out | The MeatEater Podcast Ep. 770 - YouTube Ganฤdagวซ: Hall | Student & Campus Life | Cornell University Ga...
Published: Sep 4, 2026Duration: 31m 9s
Episode 975
A Bottle of Guinness From a 162-Year-Old Shipwreck
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from drinking a really old bottle of Guinness found in a shipwreck. Dr. Don - not risky ๐๐ผ Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ Alec Guinness - Wikipedia Divers recover a bottle of Guinness from a 162-year-old shipwreck - The Washington Post Verstrepen Lab - Group leader
Published: Sep 2, 2026Duration: 5m 49s
Episode 974
Leftover Rice Transported Out of Temperature Control for About 5 Hours
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating brown rice held out of temperature control for about five hours. Dr. Don - not risky ๐๐ผ Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ A response surface model to describe the effect of temperature and pH on the growth of Bacillus cereus in cooked rice - PubMed Model Bacillus Growth Predictive model for growth of Bacillus cereus during cooling of cooked rice - ScienceDirect Abhinav Mishra - People | Food Science & Technology
Published: Aug 31, 2026Duration: 11m 24s
Episode 973
Out of Date $0.85 Jalapeno Snack From a Farmers Market
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks for eating an out of date discounted snack food purchased at a farmers market. Dr. Don - not risky ๐๐ผ Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ Pop'ums Jalapeรฑo Jack | Snack Factoryยฎ Are stores allowed to sell expired food products? | Consumer Ed, brought to you by the Georgia Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division Food Safety at Farmers' Markets | Agriculture and Markets Walmart Shares Slump on Weakest Sales Growth in Over Six Years - WSJ
Published: Aug 28, 2026Duration: 15m 7s
Episode 972
Corn Chowder in the Fridge for a Week
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating corn chowder stored in the refrigerator for a week. Dr. Don - not risky ๐๐ผย Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ The Best Corn Chowder Recipe ComBase
Published: Aug 26, 2026Duration: 8m 3s
Episode 971
To Take a Bath at Ben's House Yesterday
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from taking a bath at Ben's house when the water is very dirty. Dr. Don - not risky ๐๐ผ Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ Hydrant Flushing Aqua North Carolina | Aqua
Published: Aug 24, 2026Duration: 16m 4s
Episode 970
Vaccines
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from vaccines, after Don concocts a bizarre red thread conspiracy theory because he really just wants to talk about his poor little sick doggo. Dr. Don - not risky ๐๐ผ Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ Addison's disease - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic Addison's Disease in Dogs | VCA Animal Hospitals Addison's disease | Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine Lab Leak Groundhog Day: COVID โฆ - Decoding the Gurus - Apple Podcasts
Published: Aug 21, 2026Duration: 16m 12s
Episode 969
McDonald's Ranch Found on the Side of the Road in Northern Minnesota in the Summer
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating McDonald's ranch dressing found on the side of the road in northern Minnesota in the summer. Dr. Don - not risky ๐๐ผ Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ Bike Tour Map Food Safety Talk 255: Crunchy Granola Hippie Town โ Food Safety Talk 929. Car Ranch โ Risky or Not? 87. 27 Lbs of Unrefrigerated Feta Cheese โ Risky or Not? Models for the Inactivation of Foodborne Pathogens in Salad Dressing from Challenge Studies - ScienceDirect Outbreak of campylobacter enteritis in a residential school associated with bird pecked bottle tops - PubMed
Published: Aug 19, 2026Duration: 10m 26s
Episode 968
French Toast Left on Counter for Almost a Day
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating french toast left on counter for almost a day. Dr. Don - risky โฃ๏ธย Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ Bald Head Island NC Science-Backed French Toast Recipes: Crisp, Custardy & Never Soggy Survival and growth of Bacillus cereus in bread - PubMed Evaluation and Definition of Potentially Hazardous Foods Trader Joe's SLICED FRENCH BRIOCHE BREAD | Trader Joe's Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants) Griddle Breads, Shelf Stable and Heat and Serve, Frozen (Waffles, Pancakes, French Toast, Belgian Waffles
Published: Aug 17, 2026Duration: 16m 16s
Episode 967
Eating Small Pieces of Chicken Left Behind in the Airfryer, Reheated Days Later
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 ๐๐ผ Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ Water activity - Wikipedia New Interventions and Validation for the Control of Pathogens in the Processing of Jerky
Published: Aug 14, 2026Duration: 8m 44s
Episode 966
Drinking a Mountain Dew That You Accidentally Dropped in a Port-a-Potty
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from drinking a Mountain Dew that you accidentally dropped in a port-a-potty. Dr. Don - risky โฃ๏ธ Professor Ben - risky โฃ๏ธ Man spent 8 hours in porta-potty tank retrieving Mountain Dew bottle, company says Potty Peeper Sentenced To 3 Years Behind Bars - CBS Colorado
Published: Aug 12, 2026Duration: 14m 21s
Episode 965
Cooked Frozen Hot Dogs in the Package Left in Sink Basin Over Night With Water
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating cooked frozen hot dogs in the package left in sink basin over night with water. Dr. Don - not risky ๐๐ผ Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ Controlling Listeria monocytogenes in Post-lethality Exposed Ready-to-Eat Meat and Poultry Products | Food Safety and Inspection Service Ballpark Franks Ad- They Plump When You Cook Them (1992) - YouTube We answer to a higher authority - Wikipedia Schneiders, brand since 1890 | Maple Leaf Foods Shopsy's Hot Dogs Vinyl Record, 1986 Summer Music LP - Etsy
Published: Aug 10, 2026Duration: 15m 12s
Episode 964
Eating Jalapeรฑos Right Now
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating fresh jalapeรฑos right now. Dr. Don - not risky ๐๐ผ Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ Investigations of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks | FDA Who coined "don't yuck my yum"? : r/etymology Giardiniera - Wikipedia Outbreak Investigation of Salmonella: Jalapeรฑo (August 2026) | FDA When People Got Sick: Salmonella Outbreak, August 2026 | Salmonella Infection | CDC Inside Chipotle's Contamination Crisis Chipotle - Food Safety Guys: Episode 148 - Taco Bell Guys with Brian Gaar โ Guys: With Bryan Quinby โ Overcast Products Same As It Ever Was - YouTube
Published: Aug 7, 2026Duration: 24m 16s
963. Eating Shelf Stable Tuna With Garlic in Olive Oil if the Jar Is Leaking
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating shelf stable tuna with garlic in olive oil if the jar is leaking. Dr. Don - risky โฃ๏ธย Professor Ben - risky โฃ๏ธ Premium Yellowfin Tuna Fillets | Tonnino FAD-Free Yellowfin Tuna Fillets with Garlic in Olive Oil
Published: Aug 5, 2026Duration: 10m 23s
Episode 962
Dane's Cadmium Cod Liver
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating cod liver with a Proposition 65 warning about cadmium. Dr. Don - not risky ๐๐ผ Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ Foods and Beverages - Proposition 65 Warnings Website Cancer - YouTube Lead, cadmium and mercury in canned and unprocessed tuna: six-years monitoring survey, comparison with previous studies and recommended tolerable limits - ScienceDirect Cadmium and Cadmium Compounds - Proposition 65 Warnings Website Low Levels of Heavy Metals Found in Norwegian Cod | The Fish Site A baseline study of levels of mercury, arsenic, cadmium and lead in Northeast Arctic cod (Gadus m...
Published: Aug 3, 2026Duration: 12m 28s
Episode 961
Roux Raw Dough Cookies
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from roux raw dough cookies. Dr. Don - not risky ๐๐ผ Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ Eating raw cookie dough can be risky. Here's a safer way to enjoy it. - The Washington Post Thermal Inactivation of Salmonella enterica and Nonpathogenic Bacterial Surrogates in Wheat Flour by Baking in a Household Oven - ScienceDirect Water Activity and its Role in Food Preservation (March 2025) | UC Master Food Preserver
Published: Jul 31, 2026Duration: 8m 56s
Episode 960
Drinking Water from a Source that Failed to Maintain Treatment for Removing Bacteria
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from drinking water from a source that failed to maintain treatment for removing bacteria. Dr. Don - not risky ๐๐ผ Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ Borough Public Notifications | Milltown, NJ
Published: Jul 29, 2026Duration: 9m 18s
Episode 959
Brushing Your Teeth With a Toothbrush That Was Not in a Toothbrush Protector
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from brushing your teeth with a toothbrush that was not in a toothbrush protector. Dr. Don - not risky ๐๐ผ Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ 524. Keeping Your Toothbrush Less Than 6 Feet From Your Toilet โ Risky or Not? Amazon.com: Mspan Electric Toothbrush Head Cover: Sonic Toothbrush Cap Travel Protector Plastic Brush Pod Protection Clip Case Value Pack : Health & Household
Published: Jul 27, 2026Duration: 11m 51s