Is your wheat toast a weapon waiting to happen?

In this eye-opening episode of the Don't Eat Poop!, our hosts Francine and Matt unpack a disturbing real-world threat: the smuggling of a biological weapon-grade fungus into the U.S. food system.

From fusarium head blight to potential global famine, they connect the dots between agroterrorism, supply chain vulnerabilities, and why food safety professionals need to think like defense strategists. It’s not paranoia, it’s preparedness.

In this episode:

💩 [04:38] Francine and Matt recap their global webinar on the future of food safety

💩 [05:11] Bioterrorism: Why internal threats are often more dangerous than external ones

💩 [06:55] The case of the Chinese doctoral students smuggling fusarium head blight (FHB) into U.S. labs

💩 [08:52] A breakdown of FHB’s economic and food security impact

💩 [13:37] Global catastrophe potential: How disrupting the Western Hemisphere’s grain supply could trigger a worldwide famine

💩 [17:25] Could bioterrorism reverse decades of food production efficiency?

💩 [22:55] What food producers and processors can (and can’t) do

💩 [31:50] Why training and trust alone won’t cut it

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

Resources from this episode

Check out this past episode on food terrorism: Some Growing Food Safety Threats That Most Don’t Think About But Can Gravely Affect Your Facility | Episode 116

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“ I don't think we have to have a nuclear war in order to kill every human being in the United States. A bioterrorist war would do it,” – Matt Regusci

“ I truly believed that everybody just operated to the best of their ability and cared about what they served and how they served it. It was so eye-opening for me when I became an inspector and realized that that was not the case.” – 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

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