Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps Christmas! Food! Farts! E. Coli! with food scientist Gary Kennedy
10 snips
Dec 22, 2025 Food scientist Gary Kennedy, a senior food safety advisor, tackles festive dining dilemmas. Discover how long a Christmas ham can sit out and why stuffing might lead to unexpected bathroom visits. Gary reveals the risks of E. coli in America, the dangers of soft cheese for pregnant women, and how asparagus can make your pee smell. Learn the importance of cooling leftovers properly and why ground meat needs thorough cooking. Plus, insights into pet safety with holiday foods and why certain diets can affect meat flavor.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Handle Takeaway Rice Paper Rolls Carefully
- Keep ready-to-eat takeaway rice-paper rolls refrigerated at or below 5°C and eat within 48 hours if your fridge is reliably cold.
- If your domestic fridge is warmer than 5°C, avoid eating them after two days to reduce food-poisoning risk.
Listeria Survives The Cold
- Listeria monocytogenes grows at refrigeration temperatures and can persist long-term in environments like dust and food plants.
- It can cause miscarriage and severe illness in pregnant women, elderly and immunocompromised people despite often benign effects in healthy adults.
Use The Two-Hour/Four-Hour Food Rule
- Follow the two-hour/four-hour rule: decide by two hours whether to chill or reheat, and discard food left at room temperature over four hours.
- Be stricter on hot days and with fatty or rice dishes because bacteria grow faster at higher temperatures.