The Double Life of Social Media

Social media has a food safety problem; and it’s not subtle.

In this episode of Confessions of a Food Safety A**Hole, Darin and Gennette dig into the weird, messy reality of how people decide what’s “safe” to eat based on not the most credible person but the most entertaining.

From viral “life hacks” that make you question humanity…to influencers selling unsafe products…to commenters who would rather argue than learn…we discuss the double life of social media: where it can educate or mislead at scale.

And somewhere in the middle? A food safety professional trying to save lives… and getting called an a**hole for it.

If you’ve ever trusted a TikTok recipe, rage-commented on a video, or wondered why people ignore actual science this episode is for you.

Shout out to the Don't Eat Poop Podcast for their take on food safety and social media in April. https://dont-eat-poop.transistor.fm/episodes/food-safety-compliance-in-home-kitchens-the-hidden-risks-of-social-media-food-businesses-episode-162

Confessions of a Food Safety A**Hole is sponsored by Eagle Protect, the only glove company that third-party tests its gloves because “trust us” isn’t a food safety strategy. Learn more at www.eagleprotect.com and Safeguard What Matters.

What is Confessions of a Food Safety A**Hole?

Confessions of a Food Safety A**Hole is a raw, honest, and surprisingly light listen about a serious subject: the failures that still threaten the safety of the food we eat. Hosted by Dr. Darin Detwiler—a man who turned personal tragedy into decades of public advocacy—and his wife Gennette Zimmer; this podcast pulls no punches. Together, they unpack the moments when speaking up wasn’t popular, but absolutely necessary. From the lens of experiencing every day food safety failures, Darin shares what it’s really like to challenge the system from the inside out.

Equal parts storytelling, reflection, and real talk, Confessions is for anyone who’s ever wondered why preventable tragedies still happen—and what it takes to stop them.

Because silence might be easier, but it’s never safer.