Podcast · Tech & Science

Risky or Not?

by Don Schaffner and Ben Chapman · English · Tech & Science

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 somethi

New episodes: Several times a week
Typical length: 15 min
Latest: 14 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

14 Oct 2026 · 27 minNew

993. Cooking Stuffing in a Turkey Without a Thermometer

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from cooking stuffing in a turkey without a thermometer. Dr. Don - risky ☣️ Professor Ben - risky ☣️ Thanksgiving (Canada) - Wikipedia Texas Environmental Health Association Stuffing and Food Safety | Food Safety and Inspection Service Turkey Basics: Stuffing | Food Safety and Inspection Service Stuffing the turkey and other Thanksgiving food-safety mistakes | Penn State University Stuffing Your Turkey Could Make You Sick—Here's What Our Editors Do Instead

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

E992 · 12 Oct 2026 · 12 min
992. Wegman's Deli Meat and Cheese Left on the Counter for 10 Hours
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 👍🏼 Wegmans Oven Roasted Off The Bone Turkey Breast | Wegmans ComBase Retail Deli Slicer Inspection Practices: An EHS-Net Study Retail Deli Slicer Inspection Practices: An EHS-Net Study - PMC
E991 · 9 Oct 2026 · 11 min
991. Toothpaste From Kristin's Split Toothpaste Tube
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 👍🏼 Contents of toothpaste - safety implications - Australian Prescriber US7135163B2 - Prevention of crystal formation in toothpaste - Google Patents Antimicrobial Efficacy of Different Toothpastes and Mouthrinses: An In Vitro Study - PMC Antimicrobial Effect of Newly Formulated Toothpastes and a Mouthrinse on Specific Microorganisms: An In Vitro Study - PMC
E990 · 7 Oct 2026 · 18 min
990. Bacon With a Pinhole Leak in the Package
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 👍🏼 Great Value Hickory Smoked Sliced Bacon, 12 oz Naturally Smoked Pork Bacon Slices - Walmart.com Bacon Prices Set to Surge Anew in Threat to More Meat Inflation - Bloomberg Use of Optical Oxygen Sensors in Non-Destructively Determining the Levels of Oxygen Present in Combined Vacuum and Modified Atmosphere Packaged Pre-Cooked Convenience-Style Foods and the Use of Ethanol Emitters to Extend Product Shelf-Life Bacon and Food Safety | Food…
E989 · 5 Oct 2026 · 10 min
989. Eating Re-cooked Store Bought Lasagna Left Out Over Night
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks Dr. Don - risky ☣️ Professor Ben - risky ☣️ Fulminant Bacillus cereus food poisoning with fatal multi-organ failure | BMJ Case Reports Predictive Model for Growth of Bacillus cereus at Temperatures Applicable to Cooling of Cooked Pasta - Juneja - 2019 - Journal of Food Science - Wiley Online Library Heat-stable toxin production by strains of Bacillus cereus, Bacillus firmus, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus simplex and Bacillus licheniformis | FEMS Microbiology Letters | Oxford Academic
E988 · 2 Oct 2026 · 15 min
988. Consuming or Preparing Vichy Squirrel
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from consuming or preparing Vichy squirrel. Dr. Don - risky ☣️ Professor Ben - risky ☣️ Vichy - Wikipedia Mortar and pestle - Wikipedia Monty Python - The French Taunter - HD WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES - YouTube Native and introduced squirrels in Italy host different Cryptosporidium spp. - ScienceDirect A Peek into the Bacterial Microbiome of the Eurasian Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) What Diseases Can Squirrels Carry? - Varmint Gone All About Squirrels: 6 Common Questions - Waltham Pest Services Bucknell University EHS/Risk Compliance Guide…
30 Sep 2026 · 17 min
987. Ant Yogurt
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating ant yogurt. Dr. Don - risky ☣️ Professor Ben - risky ☣️ Rob Dunn | Applied Ecology Making yogurt with the ant holobiont uncovers bacteria, acids, and enzymes for food fermentation: iScience Ant Yogurt Is a Traditional Recipe That Crawls on 6 Legs - The New York Times
E986 · 28 Sep 2026 · 19 min
986. Eating an Unopened Package of Live It Up® Super Greens That Was Recalled Due to Potential Salmonella Contamination
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating Super Greens recalled for Salmonella contamination. Dr. Don - risky ☣️ Professor Ben - risky ☣️ Actual distribution of Cronobacter spp. in industrial batches of powdered infant formula and consequences for performance of sampling strategies - ScienceDirect Superfoods Inc. dba Live it Up. Recalls Live it Up Super Greens Because of Possible Health Risk | FDA Survival of Salmonella enterica in Military Low-Moisture Food Products during Long-Term Storage at 4, 25, and 40°C - ScienceDirect Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Moringa Leaf Powder…
E985 · 25 Sep 2026 · 12 min
985. Eating Untouched Leftovers From the Previous Patron at a Restaurant
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 👍🏼 An Outbreak of staphylococcal food poisoning in a commercially catered buffet | Communicable Diseases Intelligence An Outbreak of gastroenteritis linked to a buffet lunch served at a Canberra restaurant | Communicable Diseases Intelligence A cohort study investigating a point source outbreak of Clostridium perfringens associated with consumption of roasted meat and gravy at a buffet on Mothering Sunday…
E984 · 23 Sep 2026 · 14 min
984. Sharing a Tissue With a Dog
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 👍🏼 Bacterial microbiome of the nose of healthy dogs and dogs with nasal disease | PLOS One The Surprising Reason Your Nose Runs When You Eat | Banner Is Kennel Cough Contagious to Humans: Symptoms and Treatment Review of bacterial and viral zoonotic infections transmitted by dogs - PMC About Dog Flu | Influenza in Animals | CDC Elton John - Bennie And The Jets (Official Music Video) - YouTube Enteric Campylobacteriosis in Animals -…
E983 · 21 Sep 2026 · 19 min
983. Reheating Milk From Nespresso Aeroccino Left in the Refrigerator for a Few Days
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 👍🏼 Amazon.com: TASSIMO Single Serve Coffeemaker, T45: Single Serve Brewing Machines: Home & Kitchen Nespresso Aeroccino Milk Frother Black : Target Amazon.com: Baratza Virtuoso - Conical Burr Coffee Grinder : Home & Kitchen Development of Molecular Typing Methods for Bacillus spp. and Paenibacillus spp. Isolated from Fluid Milk Products - Durak - 2006 - Journal of Food Science - Wiley Online Library Ebay -…
E982 · 18 Sep 2026 · 20 min
982. Casey's Leftover Tailgate Mac and Cheese
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating Casey's* Leftover Tailgate Mac and Cheese. Dr. Don - risky ☣️ Professor Ben - risky ☣️ Food Safety Talk 254: Bridge-Tunnel-Bridge-Tunnel — Food Safety Talk Accidental Tech Podcast Is you taking notes? 😂 (The Wire) #stringerbell #thewire #youtubeshorts - YouTube Emetic food poisoning caused by Bacillus cereus - PubMed https://www.co.monmouth.nj.us/documents/118/TimeasaPublicHealthControlApplication1.pdf Cheese sauce linked to Clostridium perfringens outbreak | Food Safety News The Worst Person in the World - Wikipedia * who the hell…
E981 · 16 Sep 2026 · 8 min
981. Very Expired Agave Nectar, Unopened in a Cork-Sealed Bottle
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 👍🏼 Frontiers | Lipase-Catalyzed Synthesis of Sugar Esters in Honey and Agave Syrup Agave syrup - Wikipedia Case Report Infant Botulism in a 2-Month-Old Female Simple Truth Organic® Light Golden Blue Agave Nectar Syrup, 23.5 oz - Fred Meyer
E980 · 14 Sep 2026 · 14 min
980. Cooked Cajun Red Beans Left Out Overnight
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating cooked Cajun red beans left out overnight. Dr. Don - risky ☣️ Professor Ben - risky ☣️ Growth of Clostridium perfringens during Cooling of Refried Beans - ScienceDirect Tyndallization - Wikipedia A systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence of Bacillus cereus in foods - ScienceDirect The Occurrence of Bacillus cereus in some Dried Foods Including Pulses and Cereals - BLAKEY - 1980 - Journal of Applied Bacteriology - Wiley Online Library 821. Consuming a Fly in Wine, Twice — Risky or Not?
E979 · 11 Sep 2026 · 12 min
979. Cooking S'mores With Marshmallows Over a Burning Circuit Board
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks cooking s'mores with marshmallows over a burning circuit board. Dr. Don - risky ☣️ Professor Ben - risky ☣️ xkcd: Toasting Marshmallows 3270: Toasting Marshmallows - explain xkcd 374. Eating Meat of a Properly Cooked (160 °F) Rabid Animal — Risky or Not? Occupational health hazards related to informal recycling of E-waste in India: An overview - PMC The Hidden Threat: Unmasking the Environmental Hazards of E-waste | Landbell Canada Heterocyclic Aromatic Amines in Cooked Meat Products: Causes, Formation, Occurrence, and Risk Assessment - Gibis -…
E978 · 9 Sep 2026 · 16 min
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 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 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
E977 · 7 Sep 2026 · 15 min
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 ☣️ Professor Ben - risky ☣️ 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…
E976 · 4 Sep 2026 · 31 min
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 ☣️ Professor Ben - risky ☣️ Land-Grant University FAQ - APLU (14) Post by @pkpd-babe.bsky.social — Bluesky University Prohibits Processing Wild Animals in Communal Kitchens After Bear Skinning Uproar - The Cornell Daily Sun Cornell Students Skin Bear in Ganędagǫ: Hall Communal Kitchen, No Charges Filed - The Cornell Daily Sun The Cornell Bear Skinner Speaks Out | The MeatEater Podcast Ep. 770 - YouTube Ganędagǫ: Hall | Student & Campus Life |…
E975 · 2 Sep 2026 · 6 min
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 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 Alec Guinness - Wikipedia Divers recover a bottle of Guinness from a 162-year-old shipwreck - The Washington Post Verstrepen Lab - Group leader
E974 · 31 Aug 2026 · 11 min
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 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 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
E973 · 28 Aug 2026 · 15 min
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 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 Pop'ums Jalapeño Jack | Snack Factory® 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
E972 · 26 Aug 2026 · 8 min
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 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 The Best Corn Chowder Recipe ComBase
E971 · 24 Aug 2026 · 16 min
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 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 Hydrant Flushing Aqua North Carolina | Aqua
E970 · 21 Aug 2026 · 16 min
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 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 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 … - Decoding the Gurus - Apple Podcasts
E969 · 19 Aug 2026 · 10 min
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 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 Bike Tour Map Food Safety Talk 255: Crunchy Granola Hippie Town — Food Safety Talk 929. Car Ranch — Risky or Not? 87. 27 Lbs of Unrefrigerated Feta Cheese — 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
E968 · 17 Aug 2026 · 16 min
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 ☣️ Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 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
E967 · 14 Aug 2026 · 9 min
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 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 Water activity - Wikipedia New Interventions and Validation for the Control of Pathogens in the Processing of Jerky
E966 · 12 Aug 2026 · 14 min
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 ☣️ Professor Ben - risky ☣️ Man spent 8 hours in porta-potty tank retrieving Mountain Dew bottle, company says Potty Peeper Sentenced To 3 Years Behind Bars - CBS Colorado
E965 · 10 Aug 2026 · 15 min
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 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 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
E964 · 7 Aug 2026 · 24 min
964. Eating Jalapeños Right Now
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating fresh jalapeños right now. Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 Investigations of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks | FDA Who coined "don't yuck my yum"? : r/etymology Giardiniera - Wikipedia Outbreak Investigation of Salmonella: Jalapeño (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 — Guys: With Bryan Quinby — Overcast Products Same As It Ever Was - YouTube

About Risky or Not?

Risky or Not? is a English tech & science podcast from Don Schaffner and Ben Chapman. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Don Schaffner and Ben Chapman
Language: English
Category: Tech & Science
New episodes: Several times a week
Typical length: 15 min
Latest episode: 14 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1494635006
Rights: Don Schaffner and Ben Chapman 2021

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