When your cucumbers keep ending up on outbreak lists, it’s time to ask: what the actual food safety fail is going on?

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine dig into the repeat salmonella outbreaks linked to Bedner Growers - and why the phrase “voluntary recall” should still raise your eyebrows.

They dissect how the contamination trail is traced, what might really be behind recurring farm-based outbreaks, and why cross-contamination is everyone’s problem. Whether you're running a farm, a food service kitchen, or just trying to avoid the “poop” in your produce, this one’s a wake-up call.

In this episode:

💩 [03:02] The shift from consumer ignorance to awareness of food safety

💩 [05:32] Bedner Growers: One salmonella outbreak is bad–two is a pattern

💩 [08:02] How tracebacks work

💩 [12:35] Epidemiology 101: What did you eat... a week ago?

💩 [17:16] Farming and food safety: Where does Salmonella come from?

💩 [20:59] Most farms don’t survive a salmonella outbreak

💩 [25:54] Ripple effects: How one farm’s mistake can tank a whole commodity

💩 [32:24] Lessons from Jack in the Box, Chipotle, and other infamous outbreaks

💩 [35:35] Food safety and insurance companies

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Check out the Food Safety News article our hosts are talking about, Bedner cucumbers are back, making people sick once again.

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“ You can't taste [salmonella], you can't see it, you can't smell it. It's invisible to the naked eye, but not invisible to the human body system.” – Matt Regusci

“All foodborne illnesses are preventable. You get them from eating something that's contaminated. Are we ever going to eliminate all of them? No. But they're all preventable.” – Francine L Shaw

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

We'd love to hear from you!

📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn!

📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon!

🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP!

Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected.

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

In this raw and eye-opening episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine tackle one of the deadliest (and most misunderstood) topics in the food industry: food allergies.

Prompted by a tragic case of a mislabeled cookie causing a grandmother’s death, they break down how simple labeling mistakes and casual attitudes toward allergens can have lethal consequences. From cross-contact catastrophes to faux allergy fibbers, this episode dives deep into the real-life implications of allergy mismanagement in both food service and retail.

Whether you're managing a restaurant kitchen, hosting kids at summer camp, or buying cookies at a supermarket, this one’s a must-listen for anyone serious about food safety compliance.

In this episode:

💩 [02:53] Mislabeling leads to a fatal peanut allergy reaction

💩 [05:00] Why labeling systems fail and how POS errors put lives at risk

💩 [05:59] Fake allergy claims and their dangerous consequences

💩 [08:38] The allergy vs. intolerance debate

💩 [13:41] When an NBC announcer had to leave the Kentucky Derby due to allergen exposure on live TV

💩 [15:54] Carrying your EpiPen with you everywhere you go

💩 [20:16] Brazilian nuts can be toxic in high quantities

💩 [23:15] The dangers of cross-contamination

💩 [26:08] Why even lettuce needs label clarity

💩 [29:47] Anaphylaxis as a special need

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Check out the Food Safety News article our hosts are talking about, Family sues Safeway after mislabeled cookie causes grandmother’s death.

Take a look at the last allergen episode, Diving Back Into Food Allergies: Important Data, Recent Deaths, and Hidden Dangers | Episode 58

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“ When people say that they're allergic, it desensitizes people to the real fact that people who are actually allergic to this are carrying an EpiPen and this could kill them from anaphylactic shock.” – Matt Regusci

“ There are a million reasons as to why people don't take [food allergies] as seriously as they should, but none of that negates how serious it is. People die.” – Francine L Shaw

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

We'd love to hear from you!

📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn!

📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon!

🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP!

Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected.

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine dive into the dark, crunchy underbelly of food safety: cockroach infestations.

They kick things off with a recent incident at Erewhon’s luxury tonic bar in Santa Monica, temporarily shut down after cockroaches were discovered in a cabinet. But things quickly escalate when Francine shares one of the worst infestation cases of her career.

The hosts dig into the gaps in pest control protocols, how poor vendor oversight can keep infestations alive, and the often-overlooked realities of food safety enforcement.

In this episode:

💩 [04:07] The cockroach violation at Erewhon’s luxury tonic bar in Santa Monica

💩 [07:59] Francine’s craziest cockroach story

💩 [09:03] What happens when you spray a bad cockroach infestation

💩 [13:17] What it takes for the health department to reopen a restaurant

💩 [16:34] The psychological effect of inspecting a bad cockroach infestation

💩 [18:44] Taking food safety seriously

💩 [20:35] A fill factor

💩 [21:59] What they found at Erewhon’s luxury tonic bar in Santa Monica

💩 [23:05] Where there’s one cockroach, there are thousands

💩 [24:49] Consumer reaction to the Erewhon cockroach violation

💩 [27:20] The need for weekly pest control

💩 [28:44] The expectations of Erewhon’s luxury tonic bar customers

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Check out the Food Safety News article our hosts are talking about, Cockroach violation shuts down Erewhon’s luxury tonic bar in Santa Monica.

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“If you're paying 20 bucks for a smoothie or a tonic, you probably don't want cockroaches as the added ingredient.” – Matt Regusci

“[Cockroaches] were inside the milkshake machine. They were everywhere. [...] This does not happen overnight. It took a while for it to get this bad.” – Francine L Shaw

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

We'd love to hear from you!

📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn!

📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon!

🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP!

Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected.

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms