
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)

E860 - Unpasteurized Apple Cider Vinegar for Pregnant or Immunocompromised People
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of unpasteurized apple cider vinegar for pregnant or immunocompromised people. Dr. Don - not risky ๐๐ผย Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ The Different Types of Apple Cider Vinegar | OSU Apple Cider Vinegar Apple Cider Vinegar in Pregnancy: Safety, Benefits, and Uses Determination of 5-log reduction times for Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica, or Listeria monocytogenes in acidified foods with pH 3.5 or 3.8
Published: Dec 8, 2025Duration: 14:07

E859 - Medium Rare Duck Breast and HPAI
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of contracting high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) from medium rare duck breast. Dr. Don - not risky ๐๐ผ Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ Food Safety Talk 251: Too Many Brooms โ Food Safety Talk Instagram Duck Breast Video Thermal Inactivation of H5N1 High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza Virus in Naturally Infected Chicken Meat - ScienceDirect Rapid risk assessment to address emerging concerns of HPAI in raw and pasteurized milk | PLOS One Avian Influenza | Washington State Department of Agriculture Avian Influenza | Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service USDA Questions and Answers: Food...
Published: Dec 5, 2025Duration: 19:47

E858 - Crockpot Chicken at Room Temperature "All Day"
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of holding raw chicken at room temperature "all day" before cooking. Dr. Don - risky โฃ๏ธ Professor Ben - risky โฃ๏ธ Staphylococcosis in Poultry - Poultry - Merck Veterinary Manual Evaluation of the Prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus in Chicken Fillets and Its Bio-Control Using Different Seaweed Extracts - PMC
Published: Dec 3, 2025Duration: 12:08

E857 - Water Bathed Canned Turkey Noodle Soup
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of turkey noodle soup that's been boiling water bath canning for 2 hours. Dr. Don - risky โฃ๏ธ Professor Ben - risky โฃ๏ธ Canning - National Center for Home Food Preservation Ballยฎ Blue Book Guide to Preserving 38th Edition, Recipe Book | Ball Iowa State Factsheet, Botulism Heat-Resistance Studies on Spores of Putrefactive Anaerobes in Relation to Determination of Safe Processes for Canned Foods, 1938. In Memoriam Terence Roberts (4 October 2024) โ ICMSF | International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods
Published: Dec 1, 2025Duration: 22:51

E856 - Feeding Sealed Byheart Baby Formula to a Baby
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of feeding recalled sealed Byheart baby formula to a baby. Fedica text: Dr. Don - risky โฃ๏ธ Professor Ben - risky โฃ๏ธ ByHeart recalls organic baby formula amid infant botulism outbreak | AP News Infant Botulism Outbreak Linked to Infant Formula, November 2025 | Botulism | CDC Seven-Year Case-Control Study in California of Risk Factors for Infant Botulism - ScienceDirect Elevated incidence of infant botulism in a 17-county area of the Mid-Atlantic region in the United States, 2000โ2019, including association with soil types | Applied and Environmental Microbiology Tyndallization - Wikipedia Outbreak Investigation of Infant Bot...
Published: Nov 28, 2025Duration: 16:12

E855 - 855. Cooking Raw Turkey to 155 ยฐF
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of cooking raw turkey to only 155 ยฐF Fedica text: Dr. Don - not risky ๐๐ผ Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ Alton Brown Cooks Food | Episode 1: The Big Bird - YouTube Archive: National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) | Food Safety and Inspection Service Does Anybody Remember Laughter? - YouTube FSIS Cooking Guideline for Meat and Poultry Products (Revised Appendix A) December, 2021 Response to the questions posed by the Food Safety and Inspection Service regarding consumer guidelines for the safe cooking of poultry products - PubMed Response to t...
Published: Nov 26, 2025Duration: 9:33

E854 - Chef John's Perfect Prime Rib
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of making rare roast beef. Dr. Don - not risky ๐๐ผ Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ Chef John's Perfect Prime Rib Recipe John Mitzewich - Allrecipes Supplemental Questions and Answers on Descriptive Designation for Needle-Or Blade - Tenderized (Mechanically Tenderized) Beef Products USDA Finalizes Rule to Require Labeling of Mechanically Tenderized Beef Products | Food Safety and Inspection Service FSIS Cooking Guideline for Meat and Poultry Products (Revised Appendix A) December, 2021 Dr. Hook - Wikipedia Dr. John - Wikipedia John Mitzewich - Wikipedia Predictive Model for Growth of Staphylococc...
Published: Nov 24, 2025Duration: 22:07

E853 - Using a Swiss Army Knife Toothpick
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from using a swiss army knife toothpick. Dr. Don - not risky ๐๐ผย Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ ย Victorinox Swiss Army Pioneer Alox Pocket Knife | REEDS Jewelers Victorinox Swiss Army Spartan Knife in Red | REEDS Jewelers Swiss Army knife - Wikipedia Mammoth Tooth Swiss Army Knife How to Clean the Swiss Army Knife Toothpick (EN). - YouTube Gerber Stainless Steel Folding Razor Knife Model 8970622A LOT OF 3 | eBay 847. Using a "Found" Pocket Mouth Guard โ Risky or Not? DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince - Yo Home To Bel Air (The Fresh P...
Published: Nov 21, 2025Duration: 15:51

E852 - Prosciutto Di Parma at Room Temperature for Months
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating hand sliced Prosciutto ham stored at room temperature for months. Dr. Don - not risky ๐๐ผย Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ ย Prosciutto - Wikipedia Prosciutto Di Parma Specifications Influence of Water Activity on Growth and Enterotoxin Formation by Staphylococcus aureus in Foods - Troller- 1975 - Journal of Food Science - Wiley Online Library Modeling the Effect of Water Activity, pH, and Temperature on the Probability of Enterotoxin A Production by Staphylococcus aureus - ScienceDirect Combined Effect of Water Activity, pH and Subโoptimal Temperature on Growth and Enter...
Published: Nov 19, 2025Duration: 14:37

E851 - Eric's Fizzy Grapefuit Juice
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of consuming in date but fizzy grapefruit juice from a mechanically stressed container. Dr. Don - not risky ๐๐ผย Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ ย There's No Crying in Baseball - A League of Their Own (5/8) Movie CLIP (1992) HD - YouTube It's Not My Fault But It Is My Problem | Psychology Today Are the Twins From theย Netflix Documentary Experiment Still Vegan? - Netflix Tudum Charlie Kalish | LinkedIn Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice | Florida's Natural Fruit Juice Spoilage by Alicyclobacillus: Detection and Control MethodsโA Comprehensive Review Alicyclobacillus - Wikipedia Find S...
Published: Nov 17, 2025Duration: 18:43

E850 - Dishwasher Lasagna
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating dishwasher lasagna (aka lasagna alla lavastoviglie) Dr. Don - not risky ๐๐ผย Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ ย 753. Re-Heating Leftovers Indefinitely and the Lasagna of Theseus โ Risky or Not? 195. Dishwasher Salmon โ Risky or Not? How To Make Lasagna Without An Oven, with Peter Sagal : How To Do Everything : NPR Transcript for How To Make Lasagna Without An Oven, with Peter Sagal : How To Do Everything : NPR Reduction of Salmonella enterica and Pathogenic Escherichia coli in Pasta by Using Common Cooking Methods Microbiological Quality of Raw Dried Pasta from the Ger...
Published: Nov 14, 2025Duration: 15:56

E849 - Eating a Hollywood Chewing-Gum Cardboard Box
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of Eating a Cardboard Box of Hollywood Chewing-Gum, Dr. Don - not risky ๐๐ผย Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ ย Is it safe to eat cardboard? : r/stupidquestions Hollywood 2fresh (FreshenUp) Chewing Gum - Peppermint | EVN Green Mint Chewing-Gum Hollywood | Buy Online | My French Grocery Full article: Food contact materials: an effect-based evaluation of the presence of hazardous chemicals in paper and cardboard packaging Pica: A Common Condition that is Commonly Missed - An Update Review | Bentham Science Publishers Pica practices, anemia, and oral health outcomes: a systematic review | BMC O
Published: Nov 12, 2025Duration: 12:05

E848 - Cooking Stuffing Inside the Turkey
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of cooking stuffing inside the turkey. Dr. Don - not risky ๐๐ผย Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ ย John Wyatt on X: "Today I get to enjoy the yearly tradition where my father gives me a hard time about insisting that stuffing be cooked in the bird when I should "know better" because I'm a health inspector (It's my favourite food, and the risk is easily managed and outweighed by the benefit)" / X How to Cook Turkey Stuffing Safely | USDA Does anybody remember laughter?? : r/ledzeppelin Food Safety Talk 53: Raw M...
Published: Nov 10, 2025Duration: 14:12

E847 - Using a "Found" Pocket Mouth Guard
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of using a mouthguard from the coaches mouthguard pocket. Dr. Don - not risky ๐๐ผย Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ ย The Hockey Song by Warren Zevon - YouTube The Planet Smashers - Uncle Gordie - YouTube Amazon.com: Zen Driving: Be a Buddha Behind the Wheel of Your Automobile: 9780345353504: Berger, K.T.: Books 316. Using Cups to Scoop Water Out of a Shared Bowl โ Risky or Not? Microbiota Found in Protective Athletic Mouthguards - PMC
Published: Nov 7, 2025Duration: 19:27

E846 - Spraying Mouthguard With Ethanol and Propanol
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from spraying mouthguard with ethanol and propanol. Dr. Don - not risky ๐๐ผย Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ ย Isopropanol poisoning: Clinical Toxicology: Vol 52, No 5 Clean with 'alcohol'? | TrumpetBoards SISU Fresh Cinnamint 1 oz. Mouthguard Spray : Target SafeJawz Mouthguard Disinfectant Spray. Mint Flavoured โ Fighters Inc. - Martial Arts Equipment
Published: Nov 5, 2025Duration: 13:52

E845 - Family Dinner Into Which a Cat Dropped a Mouse
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating dinner into which a cat dropped a mouse. Dr. Don - not risky ๐๐ผย Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ ย Security camera catches cat dropping mouse into human family's dinner - UPI.com Food Defect Levels Handbook | FDA Survival of leptospires in the environment - Leptospirosis Information Ecologic studies of rodent reservoirs: their relevance for human health - PMC Controlling Wild Rodent Infestations | Healthy Pets, Healthy People | CDC
Published: Nov 3, 2025Duration: 17:57

E844 - Eating Candy Given to You by a Streaker
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating candy given to you by a streaker. Fedica text: Dr. Don - not risky ๐๐ผย Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ Streaking - Wikipedia What was it like to take the final exam at Dartmouth where '[t]wo women streaked [โฆ], throwing out candy'? - Quora Ian McKellen (Gandalf) takes a break on his MacBook Pro while filming "The Hobbit" : r/Moviesinthemaking
Published: Oct 31, 2025Duration: 11:42

E843 - Properly Cooked Isopod Fish Tongue Parasite
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating a properly cooked isopod fish tongue parasite. Dr. Don - not risky ๐๐ผ Professor Ben - not risky ๐๐ผ Fish at the grocery store had one of those isopod tongue parasites : r/mildlyinteresting Cymothoa exigua - Wikipedia Parasite Replaces A Fish's Tongue : r/ScavengersReign Giant isopod - Wikipedia Tongue-eating parasites inspire new horror movie | American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Published: Oct 29, 2025Duration: 7:47

E842 - Freezing Parboiled Potatoes in Large Masses
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks associated with freezing parboiled potatoes in bulk so they cool slowly. Dr. Don - risky โฃ๏ธย Professor Ben - risky โฃ๏ธ Large Outbreak of Botulism: The Hazardous Baked Potato | The Journal of Infectious Diseases | Oxford Academic Freezing New Irish Potatoes - National Center for Home Food Preservation Parboiling - Wikipedia Blackย Sabbath โ War Pigs Lyrics | Genius Lyrics
Published: Oct 27, 2025Duration: 13:57

E841 - Watered Down Hand Soap
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from using watered down hand soap. Dr. Don - risky โฃ๏ธ Professor Ben - risky โฃ๏ธ Influence of Soap Characteristics and Food Service Facility Type on the Degree of Bacterial Contamination of Open, Refillable Bulk Soaps - ScienceDirect
Published: Oct 24, 2025Duration: 14:23