Don't Eat Poop! A Food Safety Podcast

Francine L.

Francine Elshaw and Matt Ragucci focus on norovirus returning to the Winter Olympics, where athletes were reportedly quarantined and Finland’s opening ice hockey game against Canada was postponed.

David Hatch of Neogen explains how food safety testing touches swabbing, environmental sampling, ATP sanitation checks, and pathogen testing across 140 countries.

Francine L.

Gudrun Casper, a 52-year-old German-born restaurateur in Asheville, was described as being charged on January 16 after a Thanksgiving wine-poisoning case that allegedly killed one daughter and sickened another daughter and her boyfriend.

Francine Elshaw and Matt Ragucci discuss Food Safety News’ September 4, 2025 review of food irradiation, which synthesized 27 peer-reviewed articles from 24,474 people in 15 countries.

Francine Shaw and Matt Regushi talk with Melody at the Food Safety Consortium.

Francine L.

Matt and Francine recap the 14th Annual Food Safety Consortium, where they say the event’s smaller size makes it the best conference for networking and longer conversations.

The episode opens on the 1992 food pyramid.

They open with Matt getting a house ready for holiday cooking and thinking about cleanliness before anyone shows up.

Francine and Matt bring Alex O'Brien on to talk cheese safety.

Francine Shaw and Matt Regushi start with baby formula as a wet process, which is exactly why it can turn into a good home for pathogens.

Steve from Aftos joins Francine L.

Francine and Matt start with the show’s familiar food-safety banter and land on the joke that everyone at the table is thinking about what not to eat.

They take up the DIRECT Act.

Tia Glave joins Francine L.

Francine opens with a blue cheese disaster.

Monica Pancare, an environmental health food inspector for the town of Needham, Massachusetts, explains how her food-safety career has run from the 1970s through Marriott Hotels and onto inspections.

The hosts discuss a USDA estimate that foodborne illness cost the United States $74 billion in 2023, up from $55.5 billion in a 2018 QSR magazine article.

A woman asks for iced tea, and the moment turns into a sharp food-safety correction when the cup is used to scoop ice instead of the scoop sitting right beside it.

The hosts discuss risks of home caterers on social media and the importance of food safety knowledge.

Matt Ragushi and Francine L.

Matt Ragucci and Francine L.

Humberto Maldonado describes how a 2003 green-onion hepatitis outbreak in Mexico exposed the role of water, traceability, and market stigma, including a shutdown that affected the entire green-onion category.

Ryan talks through what it takes to move food safety changes from idea to buy-in.

Matt shares his personal journey through severe alcoholism and recovery, detailing his physical dependence, AA experience, and fear of relapse.

Bob Comstock, CEO of Tamarack Biotics, discusses how UV light pasteurization can make milk safer, more nutritious, and sustainable than traditional heat methods.

Francine and Matt discuss a recent survey showing U.S.

The hosts discuss a food safety scandal involving Boar's Head, highlighting ongoing contamination issues and the importance of regulatory compliance.

A special episode where Matt shares five surprising food safety facts from past shows, starting with coffee caffeine content.

Discussion on raw milk safety, pathogen testing technology, and regulatory adoption, framed by the hosts' banter about a summer cold.

Industry veterans discuss FDA's request for suggestions on improving food recall effectiveness to protect consumers.

An interview with science journalist Debra Bloom about her book 'Poison Squad' and the history of food safety, focusing on toxicology and food regulations.

The hosts discuss benchmarking foodborne illness reports for national chains and introduce a guest at the IEHA FDA conference.

The hosts discuss the importance of color-coded gloves in food production to prevent contamination and share an anecdote about a company using black gloves to hide dirt.

This episode discusses the Boar's Head listeria outbreak and the importance of understanding food safety science when facing a contamination crisis.

Industry veterans discuss food safety science, regulations, and the reality of pathogens in food, blending education with humor.