Food Safety Talk

Don Schaffner and Ben Chapman
  • 4.9 (101)
  • SCIENCE
  • UPDATED BIMONTHLY
Food Safety Talk

Don and Ben talk to each other and the occasional guest about food safety in the news. They also respond to listener feedback.

  1. MAR 14

    Food Safety Talk 320: Fair Weather Runner

    In this episode, Ben and Don start with some warm up chatting about Beyond the Gurus, George Strombolopolis (which Don thinks is a made up name, but it is not) and James Acaster's obsession with a nemesis. The conversation then shifts to food safety regulation (after a quick detour through international hockey and Ben describing his fanboy moment with risk communication pioneer Vincent Covello) as the guys chat about the latest impacts of federal government cuts to FDA - personal, programatic and how it may impact the safety of the food supply. Before wrapping up, Ben and Don discuss recent food recalls (and an upcoming talk Don is giving) and their hot takes on why we might be hearing more about foodborne illnesses and recalls, despite the fact that tracking shows that events aren't necessarily higher.

    1h 25m

  2. FEB 27

    Food Safety Talk 319: I'm Feeling Botchy Today

    Ben and Don are joined by a very special mystery (to Ben) guest, Jane Talkington, author of Recognizing Botulism: New Insights from Old Narratives. After an always embarrassing game of 20 questions, they dive right into Jane's book, how she came to be interested in historical bot cases as well as the stories around research into antitoxin and the food safety world's understanding of the pathogen. Jane shares her personal connection to a bot victim as well as many accounts of the long term impacts of the toxin on people. Don figured Ben would be way into these tales and anecdotes and he was right.

    1h 39m

  3. 12/22/2024

    Food Safety Talk 318: Head Grime And The Lice

    After a quick discussion of the ongoing saga (that has now come to a conclusion) of Ben's bricked AirPods and baths, Ben and Don jump into food safety stuff. They start with the question of the moment, "Why are we hearing so much about outbreaks and recalls right now?". The guys dive into tracking foodborne outbreak investigations, walk through CDC's BEAM Dashboard and talk through food recall data and a recent Washington Post article, exploring whether this trend reflects improved food safety or simply shifts in reporting. The conversation then turns to the fallout (regulatory and communication challenges) related to a couple of enoki mushroom Listeria outbreaks. Don talks about California's date label law which might provide some impacts on food waste, but the guys talk about the challenges. The show ends on new EU research that examines the microbiological safety of plant-based meat alternatives and a flow chart of diarrhea.

    1h 53m

  4. 11/26/2024

    Food Safety Talk 317: Golf Cart Grocery Store

    In this episode Don and Ben jump right in and do a deep dive on the media coverage of food safety-related outbreaks and recalls. The guys talk about participating in some recent national news interviews and providing background on whether there are more outbreaks right now (there aren't) and if not, why is everyone talking about food safety (the guys have some guesses). The conversation goes to being a public figure as an academic and how to build those skills. Don and Ben also talk about food science/food safety students exploring the career of regulation. The show ends on a discussion of a raw milk linked recall due to contamination with Avian Influenza virus.

    1h 51m

  5. 11/25/2024

    Food Safety Talk 316: Vibing And Thriving

    Don and Ben start the show with some guest invite requests that they have received recently, which they poke fun at (especially when the request is for the show they don't do with guests). The guys do some followup from Risky or Not really focusing on a recent E. coli outbreak linked McDonald's Quarter Pounders. Fresh sliced/slivered onion contamination gets a deep dive with the discussion going to storage and growth of pathogens. They also explore some unique food safety news stories, including a mass Staph outbreak at a seafood distributor (not related to seafood produced there), Ontario's mysterious butter bandits, and a pizzeria that accidentally sold THC-laced pizza.

    1h 46m

  6. 11/20/2024

    Food Safety Talk 315: We're on Nicki Time Today

    The guys start the episode talking about Canadian words and terms that aren't used in the US and get into service opportunities in food science and food safety. and then jump right into a deep dive of apple cider safety talk. The guys talk recent concerts that Ben has attended (it was a big week) and then turn their conversation to hurricanes Milton and Helene and the food safety and community impacts in North Carolina and elsewhere. They end the show talking about a Gallup poll related to US public's confidence in food safety and the regulatory system.

    1h 21m

  7. 11/04/2024

    Food Safety Talk 314: They Don't Let Just Anybody In

    Ben and Don kick things off with a quick discussion about Ben's trip to USDA for a National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) meeting the latest updates from the. They riff on how these guidelines set the gold standard for food safety across federal agencies as well as how the food industry looks at emerging food safety issues. From there, they share a virtual tour of the USDA’s iconic South and Jamie L. Whitten buildings—a quick stroll down memory lane, including a few constructive critiques on bureaucratic décor. Switching gears, they dive into the recent Emmy win for Poisoned, the documentary on foodborne illness where FST friend Bill Marler is a main character (and Ben make's a cameo). The discussion shifts to disaster preparation and recovery, specifically related to Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina, touching on how floods and power outages affect food safety. Rounding out the episode is an exploration of the recent Salmonella outbreak linked to eggs, flour and pathogenic E. coli and Listeria in Boar's Head liverwurst.

    1h 37m

  8. 09/13/2024

    Food Safety Talk 313: We've All Read Scallan

    Don and Ben begin the show talking about walking and tracking fitness in the iPhone universe. They move on to some Apple TV+ shows and other media and Ben talks about his trip to the National Academy of Sciences. For most of the episode, the guys do a deep dive on the Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to Boar's Head deli meats (specifically liverwurst). They talk inspection non-compliances (a year's worth of them) and common trends seen in a document that was acquired through a Freedom Of Information Act request. The guys end the show on a game that Don loved, "what 6 kitchen items should you replace immediately" (spoiler alert Don did well).

    1h 55m
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4.9
out of 5
101 Ratings

About

Don and Ben talk to each other and the occasional guest about food safety in the news. They also respond to listener feedback.

Information

  • Creator
    Don Schaffner and Ben Chapman
  • Years Active
    2011 - 2025
  • Episodes
    287
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Food Safety Talk

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