Risky or Not? artwork

Life Sciences · Don Schaffner and Ben Chapman

Risky or Not?

by Don Schaffner and Ben Chapman

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.

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

995. Canning Corn in Hand-Soldered Tins

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating canned corn in hand-soldered tins. Dr. Don - risky ☣️ Professor Ben - risky ☣️ To Can Corn (soldered tins)

Oct 19
13 min

994. Reheated Buffalo Wings That Fell Into a Clean Sink

#44 trending · Life Sciences

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating reheated Buffalo wings that fell into a clean sink. Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 ho

Oct 16
13 min

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 (Can

Oct 14
26 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

Oct 12
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 - n

Oct 9
11 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

Oct 7
17 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 |

Oct 5
9 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 p

Oct 2
14 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

Sep 30
16 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 dis

Sep 28
18 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 👍🏼 Profe

Sep 25
11 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 👍🏼

Sep 23
13 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 B

Sep 21
18 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 25

Sep 18
19 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 r

Sep 16
8 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 Clostridi

Sep 14
14 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: Toas

Sep 11
11 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

Sep 9
16 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/

Sep 7
14 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

Sep 4
31 min

Chart trend

Position in the Life Sciences chart (US), last 90 days.

#7
all-time peak
4
days in the top 10 since Nov 2024

Chart positions

Where Risky or Not? ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Oct 19, 2026).

#46 ▼ 2 Life Sciences US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

Previous to listening to Risky or Not? I knew most of the safe food handling rules I needed to know, which is great, but you often run into edge cases that don’t fit neatly under any of the rules. Since listening to the podcast, and gaining an understanding of the ‘why’ behind them, I can make informed decisions when faced with novel food safety questions, with an actual understanding of the specific risks involved in any particular food decision.

JustHappyToBeHere_ · Feb 2025

Love this show! The episodes are short but packed with lots of information. Don and Ben are great to listen to and make me laugh while I learn about the risks of eating food. But I obviously have to say that “the risks of not eating outweigh the risks of eating!” I’ve even submitted questions in a few times and received responses every time and have had my questions featured twice now. I only wish the episodes came out more frequently but the frequency is probably actually perfect to keep me interested and not overwhelmed (and Don and Ben too, I’m sure!)

michimochi · Oct 2022

Very useful and informative podcast. It’s great to have a source of reliable, thoroughly researched answers to important questions. And entertaining too. Everyone should listen to this!

seeareess · Nov 2021

This podcast does a great service and is very informative: they analyze the questions you’ve always had about good: can I eat that old X in the fridge? I left that on the counter for 4 hours, is it still safe? And they do it in about 10 minutes. And their fun! Thanks for all the great shows

DrHoigul · Oct 2020

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