Filtering by Tag: Listeria

Food Safety Talk 206: The Truth Is Out There

Added on April 1, 2020 by Don Schaffner.

Don and Ben get together for their second podcast during peak pandemic. There's lots of TV talk at the beginning, since Ben is watching lots of TV with his kids. Ben also talks about other stuff he's doing with his family like playing board games. From there the guys transition to the work that they've been doing in response to the pandemic, including Don's adventures with a viral tweet, and how Ben falls victim to an April Fools prank. They both talk about the challenges posed by risk communication in the pandemic. At the end of the podcast Ben pivots to conventional food safety, and the guys discuss a really interesting Listeria outbreak that's going on with Enoki mushrooms.

Food Safety Talk 186: This is a free snake!

Added on July 4, 2019 by Don Schaffner.

The show opens with Don asking Ben to buy him some gift cards. Ben is having a holiday party, and the guys spend a little bit of time talking about the media they are watching before the talk turns to food safety. Listener feedback leads to a discussion of the risks posed by the traditional method of making Chinese master sauce, which foods pose an increased risk of harboring Listeria, appropriate labeling advice for doggy bags, and the safety of multiple component foods being left out of temperature control. Ben livens things up with a discussion based on an interesting reddit post, as well as a question about which months are safe for consuming raw shellfish. The guys mention two recent restaurants they visited before a brief dip back into music and media, and conclude with plugs for their live shows at IAFP and in Seattle.

Food Safety Talk 176: Bug Book

Added on February 21, 2019 by Don Schaffner.

The show opens with a discussion about privacy, whether you should cover the microphone on your computer, or how you can scare your kids using Alexa. The guys talked briefly about what they're watching, Ben's trip to Athens Georgia, and celebrity feet. From there the show moves into listener feedback talking about the safety of eating Canadian seaweed. Listener feedback makes a interesting segue into failure, and the things we can learn from it. The show returns to listener feedback with a discussion about citrus safety and infused water. For some reason Don wants to talk about smoke detectors, before returning again to listener feedback and "Contamination Corner", and ways to learn about stuff you don't know about (like filibusters). Ben and Don talk about an interview that Don did for Cooking Light, before Don wants to talk about fixing his broken software. Ben ends the show with a long discussion regarding safe cooking directions for frozen vegetables, and why no one can agree. Show notes so you can follow along at home are below:

Food Safety Talk 166: Surprising lack of cannibalism questions

Added on October 15, 2018 by Don Schaffner.

Don and Ben traveled to SUNY Geneseo for a live version of the podcast sponsored by the Center for Integrative Learning, and hosted by the amazing Beth McCoy. The episode title comes from an unrecorded after dark which may or may not have taken place in a bar in Geneseo.

Food Safety Talk 154: Poop Finger Quote

Added on May 24, 2018 by Don Schaffner.

Today's show opens with some quick beverage talk and then moves to a discussion of podcasting (and teleconferencing) gear. A brief segue into pop-culture is followed by a deep dive into how to develop science-based advise to consumers. The safety of bed-side water, the ongoing romaine outbreak, and Listeria in mashed potatoes round out the food safety news. Listener feedback and a promo for the upcoming live podcast at MSU end the show.

Show notes so you can follow along at home:

Food Safety Talk 148: Why not suck instead of blow?

Added on March 15, 2018 by Don Schaffner.

The show opens with a little audio surprise and the guys get right into loads of listener feedback on BBQ sauce regions, hot water for cooking, hot air hand dryer design, recalls (and is it ever too late), heating flour, food safety for the immunocompromised, where to go for food safety 101, cooking prime rib, and washing ramen dishes. After listener feedback, the guys address the South Africa Listeria outbreak finally linked to deli meats, food waste and the Australian Listeria outbreak linked to Rockmelon.

Food Safety Talk 142: Silver Balls

Added on December 22, 2017 by Don Schaffner.

The episode opens, as it often does with a discussion of popular culture and hockey. Listener feedback covers suggestions for rapid response training for outbreak investigations. The food safety talk focuses on Listeria and apples, as well as the ongoing Listeria outbreak in South Africa, and it's relationship to HIV. For dessert, there is a discussion of raw milk and cookies (local New Jersey edition), topped with silver sprinkles.

Show notes so you can follow along at home:

Food Safety Talk 122: Isn't that Ampersand?

Added on March 24, 2017 by Don Schaffner.

This episode opens with an interesting discovery about the messages app then quickly veers into popular culture, and almost as quickly back to food safety. Food safety talk on rice and Bacillus cereus is followed by a discussion of the Salmonella in truffle oil outbreak at Fig & Olive restaurants. The discussion then turns to recalls and when to go public. A recent Listeria recall linked to cheese made from pasteurized milk leads to talk about raw milk, followed by a brief segue into North Carolina life, and then on to a recent Lysol ad, and the five second rule. The show wraps up with a discussion of recipe safety, followed by what Ben thinks might be the best after dark ever.

Show notes so you can follow along at home:

Food Safety Talk 118: Hand Size Matters

Added on January 24, 2017 by Don Schaffner.

This episode has you covered from the top of your head to the tips of your lucky socks. Ben and Don dig into some 1980's culture and shoot forward into the food on the future, and then back again. It's a food (and pet) safety grab bag covering pineapple safety, hand sizes and hand sanitizers, safe raw cookie dough, rats, turtles, milk from camels, microgreens and toilet history.

Here are some links so you can follow along at home.

Food Safety Talk 114: Food of the Future!

Added on December 8, 2016 by Don Schaffner.

The recording starts as Ben answers the call in video mode, but things soon get back on track.

Special test for true friends of the show: Don edited the audio, but it sounds like Ben did. Why?

Food Safety Talk 110: Drumsticks and Cornettos

Added on October 13, 2016 by Don Schaffner.

This week's episode has some audio quality issues towards the end. Listen to find out why. As usual, here are show notes so you can follow along at home.

Food Safety Talk 107: Univalve Mallets

Added on August 24, 2016 by Don Schaffner.

Show note links to follow along at home:

Food Safety Talk 102: Flour Power

Added on June 3, 2016 by Don Schaffner.

Links for topics discussed on this episode:

Food Safety Talk 96: Boom goes the dynamite

Added on March 29, 2016 by Don Schaffner.

The guys are on a roll. They are very happy that they are releasing new episodes consistently. The show opens with a discussion of topics like Boom, Boom Goes the Dynamite, Dyn-o-mite, Beastie Boys, William Shatner, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, The Avett Brothers, The Sadies, and The Best of Little Feat.

They quickly transition with the Maytag Raw Milk Blue Cheese recall by Whole Foods. Ben says that there is a no way for customers to tell if milk was pasteurized; they must read the label, and he notes the absence of the word pasteurized makes the difference, not the presence of the word raw. The discussion moves to the literature and a research paper on the survival of E. coli O157:H7 in Gouda and Cheddar aged for 60 days. Don emphasizes that the rate of pathogen decrease and not the days of survival which is important. Ben asked Don if it is safe to consume raw milk. “It depends, and it is complicated” he replies. The conversation turns to an article by David Gumpert “Is OPDC Bumping Scalability Limits, to Detriment of Raw Milk Nationally”. The guys note that exposure is less when a business is small. Don goes off a tangent, mentioning two articles about the brain and self-government. Ben responds to Don by recommending another on risk communication, which suggest that it is hard to change people beliefs.

From there the podcast digresses into Wordy Rappinghood and Kanye West Facts before turning to the boiling of water as affected by atmospheric pressure, and altitude in response to a question from Linda Harris. The show ends with a discussion of GFSI audits and poor food safety culture.

Food Safety Talk 94: Bagpiping hot

Added on March 13, 2016 by Don Schaffner.

In keeping with our sometimes new minimalist format, the show notes for episode 94 are brought to you via a markdown bulleted list.

Food Safety Talk 88: Canadian Halloween

Added on February 18, 2016 by Don Schaffner.

The podcast begins with Ben complaining about the clutter in his office, and Don about his downgraded airline membership status (unlike Ben who became a gold member in Delta airline after his trip to Dubai for the International Food Safety Conference).

The show starts with a listener question about the shelf life of candy, which is shelf stable from a microbiological perspective because of a low water activity. Don and Ben go on to bond over their love of Brigadeiro from Brazil.

The talk moves to a recent WHO report on processed meats, cancer and the guys discuss poor risk communication from the WHO.

Ben brings up a recent MMWR article about an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that was linked to a farming educational event. This prompts Don to talk about the NY Sheep and Wool festival where he did not find any hand washing stations.

Don spoke about his talk at the Produce Marketing Association in Atlanta, GA and his trip to Wegmans where he noticed the caramel coated apples were refrigerated and maintained at 40 °F. This was likely due to the 2014 multistate listeriosis outbreaks linked to the consumption of caramel apples. Ben shares that Kroger simply chose to not carry caramel apples which some called a bad knee-jerk reaction to good research.

The final topic of the show was Chipotle’s decision to close 43 restaurants in the midst of an E. coli outbreak, although some restaurants have been less than clear about the reason they closed.

The podcast ends with reading listener mail.

Food Safety Talk 84: All the Great Journals

Added on December 6, 2015 by Don Schaffner.

The podcast starts (as it often does) with a discussion of music, and today it’s jazz and rap. From there it moves to podcasts, then back to music, specifically the Violent Femmes concert Ben attended with his family. The transition to Food Science talk begins with a discussion of improvisation during public presentations, and the Merlin Mann © style of presentation.

The conversation switches to salt rising bread made via the action of lactic acid bacteria and Clostridium perfringens and peer-reviewed research on the same. From there the discussion moves to Apple Watch, Pandora, Spotify, Focus at Will (a streaming service purported to aid concentration), Ben’s new MacBook, and a rapper that recorded an entire album in an Apple store.

Finally, the conversation returns to food safety and the Stella & Chewy pet food Listeria monocytogenes recall in particular, and the microbial risks posed by pet food in general as evidenced by the peer-reviewed literature. The pet food topic prompts a discussion of the One Health Approach, and the importance of collaboration to solve food safety issues for humans and animals.

The show ends with a pop culture recommendation of The Hobbit for Haitian graduate students or anyone else interested in second breakfast.

Food Safety Talk 80: Literally the hummus I'm eating

Added on September 19, 2015 by Don Schaffner.

The show opens with a discussion of Don's mic stand and quickly segues into "Linda's Famous Cigar Story", and Ben's annual pollen throat. After a discussion of their various ailments, Don wishes Ben an almost 37th birthday.

Ben is currently expecting a new macbook, which was discussed on Episode 116 of the Talk Show. Don shares his recent experiences looking at Apple Watch in the Apple Store, and his preference for the Milanese Loop and his new burr grinder and aeropress.

When the talk turns to food safety, Ben talks about his work with Family & Consumer Sciences in North Carolina, (called Family and Community Health Sciences at Rutgers University) and how Ben has recently changed his training practices from classroom lecture to supermarket and restaurant inspection field trips based on inspiration from Dara Bloom.

This inspires Don to talk about the work he's doing to help documentary film makers doing a story on shelf life dating of foods especially milk. Ben shares some of the myths circulating about expired milk including this bogus article from Livestrong, and the work he's doing on expired food and food pantries.

From there the discussion moves to other shelf life myths including the egg float or shake tests, and why they are bogus, as well as places to go for good egg information, because someone on the Internet will always be wrong.

The discussion turns to recalled hummus recall messaging and Ben's post hockey snacking tips.

As the guys wrap up the show they briefly talk about Blue Bell ice cream and the doses of Listeria that might have made people sick and the future of food safety given the advances in molecular biology, clinical microbiology and whole genome sequencing. Ben shares some final thoughts on Salmonella in spices and how whole genome sequencing might impact that industry too.

In the brief after dark, Ben and Don talk about yoga, and getting healthy, the Turing Test, and the new Star Wars movie trailer.

Food Safety Talk 78: Brogues are low risk

Added on July 7, 2015 by Don Schaffner.

The show opens with the guys reminiscing about their visit to Southern California and the Hopscotch Tavern where they witnessed a Fark worthy car chase on TV.

Ben shared his love of Top 40 music , and his worries about exposing his kids to inappropriate music like Beyoncé or Sublime.

From there the discussion moves to the value of real world experiences like those detailed in Kitchen Confidential, Heat, or by Gord Surgeoner during his retirement dinner.

The food safety talk begins in earnest with a discussion of Hepatitis A illnesses linked to frozen berries in Australia, and Don shared his back of the envelope quantitative microbial risk assessment for frozen berries based on this article. This was followed by a discussion on why viruses might be such a problem in frozen berries, and frozen food safety risk management in general.

Next up is an exploration of Listeria in public lavatories based on this peer reviewed publication. The conversation then devolves into "Shoe Safety Talk", and the risks posed by brogues, not broughs, but the brogue shoe.

The After Dark includes a mention of Roderick's Rendezvous, The Dan Benjamin Hour, and Don finally remembers the name of Battle Creek.

Food Safety Talk 76: Get 'em really hot

Added on May 14, 2015 by Ben Chapman.

This episode starts with a discussion of Ben’s taste in music, and then quickly moves into documentaries. Ben recently watched Jodorowsky’s Dune, on Don’s recommendation. This documentary has some ‘artful nudity’ that leads to a discussion of perverts on airplanes and the appropriateness of reading material such as Fifty Shades of Grey while crammed into an airplane seat. The conversation naturally transitioned into a discussion of microphone stands and coffee. Ben notes that owning a Nespresso machine has changed his life; he ranks it among his top 10 life changing things (including his wife and children). The guys then discuss other pop-culture topics including Deflate-Gate and TV shows The Affair, Portlandia (which had an episode satirizing raw milk), and Garfunkel and Oates. Note that Portlandia is required viewing before attending IAFP 2015 in Portland this summer

Ben leads off the actual food safety talk by mentioning sprouts and the number of outbreaks associated with them. The guys then discuss experiments to validate sprout cooking processes including charred bean sprouts. Ben then brings up the idea of baking cookies in a car and a visit from Linda Harris (who now downloads and listens). From there the talk turns to pathogen reduction validations for baking processes spurred by the Wegmans recall of baked fruit desserts last summer, presumably because they contained peaches recalled for Listeria.

The FDA’s Reportable Food Registry, along with CDC whole genome sequencing of pathogens, is enabling more illnesses to be linked to products, as seen in Salmonella Braenderup linked to nut butter. Ben predicts more businesses will have to issue recalls because of validation issues, and the investigations that accompany these recalls will isolate pathogens from within facilities that can be linked to other illnesses which have occurred over months and years prior.

The discussion then turns to the very bad blizzard that New Jersey never had. Don discusses the similarities between the models for weather forecasting and models in food safety. Both situations have consequences for over or under reacting; both present risk management and risk communication difficulties.

A tweet from The New Yorker made Don mad: Bill Marler may be all that stands between you and Salmonella. This resulted in Don tweeting back to The New Yorker. Ben mentioned it was probably just Betteridge’s Law of Headlines. Bill Marler is probably not all that stands between you and Salmonella; as there are a few more people trying to do the right thing. The guys then go on to discuss how Marler and Caroline Smith DeWaal, a lawyer with the Center for Science in the Public Interest, have become controversial but generally respected food safety personalities over the years.

Don recently was quoted in an article about the safety of various cuts of meat (and Barfblogged here). Don and Ben were so happy Don was quoted correctly, they were able to ‘ding’ their podcast bell; a auditory high-five.

Pork has a reputation for being dangerous but decreases in the prevalence of Trichinella and Americans tendency to overcook pork have reduced the actual risk, so Ben wanted to discuss a recent MMWR Trichinellosis report. Don mentions ‘The Batz Report’ which determined the top 10 pathogen-food combinations with the greatest burden in public health. This led to a discussion of sample size, detection limits, consumption rates, and risk messaging, leading to the conclusion that cultural practices in food preparation adds complexity to the determination of risk.