363: Why everyone's talking about nutrient use efficiency
How well crops take up and use nutrients from the soil is of vital importance, in terms of crop yield, soil health, and the wider environment. In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, made in partnership with Anglo American (https://www.angloamerican.com/products/polyhalite) , we investigate why nutrient use efficiency is taking on evermore importance in the world of farming. The inc...
31m Dec 12, 2022
31m
362: Grace Dent: 'The meal that made me cry with joy'
In this episodes of the Food Matters Live podcast, Stefan meets Grace Dent. Grace is a restaurant critic, broadcaster, author and podcaster. She is well known to audiences in the UK in particular, having written for the Guardian and Evening Standard newspapers, making regular appearances on MasterChef, and presenting The Untold, a series on BBC Radio 4. She has also written a number of novel...
18m Dec 09, 2022
18m
361: Club Soda Founder: "When I see a problem, I want to fix it"
"You wouldn't have wanted to have been my friend when I was at school," says Club Soda Founder, Laura Willoughby. " I'd have had you doing all sorts of things." Laura describes herself as a doer: "When I see a problem, I want to fix it." That level of drive has seen her career move in a number of different directions, but always with politics and social change playing some role. In this epis...
43m Dec 07, 2022
43m
360: Tim Spector: 'Food is not a religion, the rules keep changing'
In 2015 a book was published that, for millions, was their first introduction to the gut microbiome. “The Diet Myth: The Real Science Behind What We Eat (https://tim-spector.co.uk/the-diet-myth/) ” looks at the relationship between microbes, genetics, and diet. A few years later, along came “Spoon-Fed (https://www.waterstones.com/book/spoon-fed/tim-spector/9781529112733) ” – a book which clai...
44m Dec 05, 2022
44m
359: How to enjoy food again when illness affects your senses
Eating food is one of the most multisensory, emotional experiences we can have. It is not something we are always that conscious of, but the smell of food cooking in the lead up to mealtime can take you back to your childhood (https://foodmatterslive.com/article/cooking-with-nostalgia-the-comeback-of-traditional-british-foods-of-yesteryear/) , and the taste of a certain meal can transport you ...
33m Dec 02, 2022
33m
358: The highly versatile mycoprotein heading to a plate near you
2023 looks set to be another challenging year, and rising to those challenges is going to require innovation and new thinking about how the global food industry feeds a growing population. This episode Food Matters Live podcast is part of a short series (https://foodmatterslive.com/podcast/leading-an-insect-protein-revolution-food-podcasts/) shining a light on some of the start-ups who are sha...
11m Dec 01, 2022
11m
357: The dietitian who loves changing people's lives
Sophie Medlin is quite clear about why she loves her job as a dietitian so much. For her, it is all about making a difference to people's lives, something she describes as giving her "the best job satisfaction". Sophie has her own practice, City Dietitians (https://www.citydietitians.co.uk/) , and is the London Chair of the British Dietetic Association. In this episode of the Career Conversa...
29m Nov 30, 2022
29m
355: Leading an insect protein revolution
2023 looks set to be another challenging year, and rising to those challenges is going to require innovation and new thinking about how the global food industry feeds a growing population. This episode Food Matters Live podcast is part of a short series shining a light on some of the start-ups who are shaping the future of the food industry. They are the big thinkers, with big ideas about how...
11m Nov 29, 2022
11m
356: The inconvenient truth is the food industry needs more CO2
We could be heading for a shortage of carbon dioxide. Yes, you read that right, despite carbon emissions hitting record levels in 2022, CO2 for use in the food and drink industry is in short supply. CO2 is used all across the sector, soft drink production of course, but also meat processing, brewing, baking, and many many others But with the soaring price of natural gas, dwindling supply, an...
28m Nov 28, 2022
28m
354: Pregnancy and nutrition - busting the myths
Good nutrition is vital during pregnancy, but how do you separate the myth from the science-based fact? During the time between conception and birth, there are significant changes in the body’s nutritional requirements. But of course there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Changes during pregnancy are far-reaching and every woman requires different nutrition based on their body, their lifest...
30m Nov 25, 2022
30m
353: 'How I landed my dream job as Beverage Lead at Virgin Atlantic'
Shiada Drysdale is a high-flyer, and not just because she works for Virgin Atlantic (https://www.virginatlantic.com/) . As the company's Beverage Lead for Inflight Services, she selects the drinks that appear on all of Virgin's flights. There is so much thought and research that goes into the selection of drinks you get on a flight, and it is Shiada's job to make sure what's on offer is the p...
33m Nov 23, 2022
33m
352: Food survey - biggest consumer concerns revealed
What is the state of the relationship between consumers and the food industry? What do consumers think about the food they eat? How safe do they consider the food they buy to be? And what can the food industry learn from tracking consumer behaviour? In the UK, many of those questions can be answered by looking at the results of the Food Standards Agency's flagship Food and You 2 Survey (https...
33m Nov 21, 2022
33m
351: The great balancing act - how nutrition affects our hormones
The hormones which charge around in our bloodstream are incredibly influential, but what role can nutrition play in regulating them? We are probably most familiar with oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone, the female and male sex hormones But they are just part of a vast endocrine system, affecting our bodies in countless ways. Things like appetite, metabolism, sleep, reproduction, body ...
40m Nov 18, 2022
40m
350: 'How my son's allergies led to an unexpected career in food'
Sometimes the best ideas are born out of necessity, and that is exactly what happened for Jessica Harris, Founder of Little Bandits (https://www.hungrylittlebandits.com/) . Her journey into the food industry began when her son was diagnosed with a severe allergy to cow's milk. She had never worked with food before but was driven to create her own products after being disappointed with the fre...
34m Nov 16, 2022
34m
349: A quick guide to clean and clear labels
How concerned are consumers with what is included on food and drink labels? To some, it might sound like something regulators are more concerned about than shoppers. But a European survey shows more than 80% of consumers believe product information is of major importance. So, it is crucial that food and drink producers get them right. In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, which i...
11m Nov 14, 2022
11m
348: Will COP27 be a turning point for the food industry?
The United Nations Climate Change Conference (https://foodmatterslive.com/article/cop27-sustainable-food-sharm-el-sheikh/) is underway in Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt. In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, we are taking stock to ask the food industry about its hopes for COP27. We have spoken to key figures from the sector to ask them: - What they want to see achieved - How hopeful t...
17m Nov 13, 2022
17m
347: Do school meals really affect a child's learning?
To mark National School Meals Week (https://www.lacansmw.co.uk/) in the UK, the Food Matters Live podcast is making a series of episodes looking at the challenges around providing nutritious food for our children in the school canteen (https://foodmatterslive.com/article/the-history-of-free-school-meals-in-the-uk-and-the-changes-needed/) . In recent episodes, we have heard from the school cate...
22m Nov 12, 2022
22m
346: National School Meals Week - fighting to improve our childrens' food
To mark National School Meals Week (https://www.lacansmw.co.uk/) in the UK, the Food Matters Live podcast is making a series of episodes looking at the challenges around providing nutritious food for our children in the school canteen (https://foodmatterslive.com/article/the-history-of-free-school-meals-in-the-uk-and-the-changes-needed/) . In the last episode, we heard from the school caterer’...
24m Nov 11, 2022
24m
345: National School Meals Week - the reality of feeding thousands of kids
To mark National School Meals Week (https://www.lacansmw.co.uk/) in the UK, the Food Matters Live podcast is making a series of episodes looking at the challenges around providing nutritious food for our children in the school canteen (https://foodmatterslive.com/article/the-history-of-free-school-meals-in-the-uk-and-the-changes-needed/) . School meals are under pressure. Rising costs (https:/...
29m Nov 10, 2022
29m
344: How to get ahead at a company like Huel
What is it like to work for one of the most well-known and growing brands in the food industry? That's exactly the position Dr David Lloyd, Senior Research and Development Manager at Huel (https://uk.huel.com/) , finds himself in. In this episode of the Career Conversations podcast series, the first to be recorded in front of a live studio audience as part of our Inspiring Careers in Food Ser...
37m Nov 09, 2022
37m
343: Shooting for the stars - the secrets to successful product innovation
The food industry is arguably one of the most innovative sectors in the world, but what are the strategies and ideas that underpin successful product innovation? Innovation is big business in the food and drink industry. On the Food Matters Live podcast, we are often meeting people with great new ideas or tapping into growth trends, whether that is wellness, nutrition, plant based, ag-tech, or...
33m Nov 08, 2022
33m
342: Functional drinks - more than just a question of taste
Functional beverages may have begun life as a niche part of the drinks market, but with them now generating billions of dollars in revenue globally, it is a sector that cannot be ignored. Just go to your local supermarket or convenience store and see how many are on offer. But where is the market heading? What are the latest developments in terms of ingredients? And what does the data show co...
18m Nov 07, 2022
18m
341: How energy prices are hurting the hospitality sector
Energy prices are soaring and having a profound and growing impact on businesses of all kinds. But the hospitality sector has faced incredible pressure across two years of the Covid pandemic. So, how is it coping with this latest, significant challenge? It is a sector where showing a positive, welcoming face to your customers is vital. But businesses in the sector are reporting energy price ...
29m Nov 04, 2022
29m
340: The chance work placement that created "the queen of cheese"
Anne Marie Butler did not always want to work in the food industry, in fact, she had originally hoped to become a lawyer. But she ended up becoming the "queen of cheese" at the dairy firm Edlong (https://www.edlong.com/) , thanks in part to a chance bit of work experience. "I just didn't bother to arrange anything," she tells Elisa Roche in this episode of the Career Conversations podcast ser...
18m Nov 02, 2022
18m
339: How to get a slice of the alternative protein market
There is no doubt that the alternative protein market is growing, but how can food companies make their own mark in this area? We are certainly hearing more and more about these products and there is no doubt that it has never been easier to find them on our supermarket shelves. In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, made in partnership with Brenntag Food and Nutrition (https://foo...
24m Oct 31, 2022
24m
338: The food industry pioneers turning prisoners' lives around
For people coming out of prison, finding work can be a real struggle, but could the food industry hold the answer? There is a labour crisis in the industry (https://foodmatterslive.com/podcast/how-can-the-uk-food-sector-solve-its-labour-shortage-food-podcast/) at the moment, with a desperate need for a larger workforce. The Government’s Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (https://c...
33m Oct 28, 2022
33m
337: How cutting food waste is hitting food banks
In the UK today there are millions of people going hungry, including an estimated two million children (https://foodmatterslive.com/article/quarter-of-million-children-london-experience-food-insecurity-report/) . It is hard to believe in a rich and resourceful country like the UK where there is, of course, more than enough food to go round. It is just not in the right place. And that is where...
28m Oct 27, 2022
28m
336: Leading the fight against diabetes in Wales
Catherine Washbrook Davies is one of the UK’s leading experts in diabetes (https://foodmatterslive.com/podcast/the-crucial-role-of-nutrition-in-reversing-type-2-diabetes/) , diet and weight management. She currently has two roles, as a Diabetes UK clinical champion in Wales, and as the All Wales Nutrition and Dietetic (https://foodmatterslive.com/article/the-best-dietetics-courses-to-study-in-...
23m Oct 26, 2022
23m
335: What would happen if we ditched the sugar tax?
The Soft Drinks Industry Levy, also known as the Sugar Tax (https://foodmatterslive.com/article/the-sugar-and-salt-levy-opportunity-for-the-ingredients-community/) , was introduced in the UK in 2018 with the aim of tackling childhood obesity (https://foodmatterslive.com/article/michael-mosley-to-investigate-the-uks-obesity-epidemic-in-new-documentary/) . But what might the implications be if t...
40m Oct 24, 2022
40m
334: Is fermentation still the future of food?
It is boom time for the ancient method of food production known as fermentation (https://foodmatterslive.com/article/joe-biden-executive-order-foodtech-food-security/) . And it is being driven by the growth in alternative proteins (https://foodmatterslive.com/podcast/how-to-inspire-the-next-generation-of-alt-protein-scientists/) . As the sector grows, new ingredients are being created by ferm...
43m Oct 21, 2022
43m
333: COOK Chief Exec: 'Business can be a huge force for good'
"I see my job as being the guardian of COOK's values and purpose," says the company's Co-CEO, Rosie Brown. "To make sure that everybody in COOK (https://www.cookfood.net/) is living the values that were set out when he started the business." It is clear from listening to Rosie that the way COOK does business is just as important to her as making a profit, if not more so. In this episode of th...
20m Oct 19, 2022
20m
332: The challenge of getting food aid to those most in need
Millions of people around the world go to bed hungry every night. It is an appalling fact, especially in a world where billions of tonnes of food is wasted every year. There are few places on Earth, if any, were hunger is more of a critical issue than in Somalia, East Africa (https://foodmatterslive.com/article/how-africa-strengthen-fragile-food-system/) . Malnutrition is rife in the country...
46m Oct 17, 2022
46m
331: The long-term impact of Britain's hottest summer
How much impact will the drought of 2022 have on the food system in the UK, Europe, and around the world? The summer of 2022 will be remembered for a lack of rain, wildfires, and extreme temperatures. For the first time since records began, Britain endured temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius. Records were broken across Europe (https://foodmatterslive.com/article/olive-oil-risotto-tomatoes-ing...
29m Oct 14, 2022
29m
330: The man leading a nutrition revolution among fire fighters
"I've always realised the power of physical fitness, ever since I was very young," says Dr Greg Lessons, Health Improvement Lead at the Fire Fighters Charity (https://www.firefighterscharity.org.uk/) . "Being in the fire service, the food environment was leading me to gain body fat." Dr Lessons says it was not just the thought of losing some weight that got him interested in nutrition, he was ...
19m Oct 12, 2022
19m
329: How do you make a global food processing and packaging company sustainable?
Sustainability has become a key goal for so many companies in the food and drink industry, but how do you go about actually making your business more sustainable? It is clear that the food system has plenty of work to do in this area, but what is equally clear is that many things are already being achieved. In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, made in partnership with Tetra Pak, ...
25m Oct 10, 2022
25m
328: Caffeine culture - how coffee shaped the world
The morning coffee is an absolute staple of many people's lives. That first sip still feels like something of a miracle. The caffeine, the complexities of the aroma (https://foodmatterslive.com/article/the-evolution-of-aroma-food-and-drink-scents-of-the-past-present-and-future/) , the ritual of making it, and the associations and stories around it, all make for a special moment in the day. An...
43m Oct 07, 2022
43m
327: My path to a senior sustainability role at WWF
“From a very young age, I wanted to be a lawyer,” says Paula Chin. “But I completely flunked my A-levels.” So, she followed her heart and did French at university, which eventually led to her first job in packaging (https://foodmatterslive.com/podcast/our-plastic-planet-rethinking-packaging-food-podcasts/) . Her advice to anyone who is not sure exactly which career path to follow? “Just do th...
21m Oct 05, 2022
21m
326: The link between nutrition and cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death globally, but can nutrition play a role in reducing its prevalence? The UK National Health Service has identified CVD as the single biggest condition where lives can be saved (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cardiovascular-disease/) over the next decade. It says, often, cardiovascular disease can be prevented by leading a healthier life...
47m Oct 03, 2022
47m
325: How to inspire the next generation of alt protein scientists
With the vast growth in the consumption of animal protein in the 20th century came equally vast ecological problems, taking into account land use and emissions, the sector is a significant contributor to climate change (https://ourworldindata.org/greenhouse-gas-emissions-food) . Now that may have been foreseen by some. But what might not be fully appreciated, is the remarkable way in which the...
35m Sep 30, 2022
35m
324: "Why I simply love working with food start-ups"
"Pick an area that's either a hobby of yours or something you invest in yourself day-to-day, be that time or money," says Nat Cooper, freelance start-up consultant (https://foodmatterslive.com/article/the-ultimate-guide-to-setting-up-your-food-drinks-brand/) . "That's what's always worked for me. Thinking about products I really like, reaching out and seeing what the opportunity is." And it is...
22m Sep 28, 2022
22m
323: Planet Organic CEO: 'Why we're more planet than organic'
The future of organic food has looked healthy in recent years, but how will the cost of living crisis impact the sector's growth? George Dymond, Chief Executive Officer of the organic supermarket chain Planet Organic (https://www.planetorganic.com/) , has a remarkable CV; featuring senior jobs at Morrisons, Tesco and Holland & Barrett. But as he has come on board at Planet Organic, there have...
31m Sep 26, 2022
31m
322: Biodiversity in soil - why it matters to us all
Just how important is biodiversity in soil, and are we doing enough to protect and promote it? These are the big questions many working in the agricultural sector are asking on a near-daily basis. In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, made in partnership with Anglo American (https://www.angloamerican.com/products/polyhalite) , we delve into the crucial role biodiversity plays in s...
26m Sep 23, 2022
26m
321: Paul A Young - the secret to becoming a fine chocolatier
"If you feel stuck in a rut or bored at work, it may simply be down to the fact you've stopped learning," says Paul A Young, one of the world's leading chocolatiers. "You shouldn't feel guilty about that." Paul's career is fascinating, as much for the various twists and turns, as for the sheer level of achievement. He says it all began as a child, helping his mother and grandmother with the b...
23m Sep 21, 2022
23m
320: Is it inevitable that we'll all remove animals from our diets?
There is no doubt that the alternative meat and dairy sector is growing (https://foodmatterslive.com/article/cultured-meat-the-future-of-food-is-slaughter-free/) , but it is likely that we as a species will ever completely remove animals from our diet? There are huge existential reasons we should all remove meat and dairy from our diets, and thus the reliance on industrial farming and the dama...
32m Sep 20, 2022
32m
319: How the world of nutraceuticals is evolving
For the past few years, nutraceuticals (https://foodmatterslive.com/podcast/the-art-of-being-a-nutraceuticals-scientist/) have been a wild success story. Whatever a customer has needed, there has been a team of researchers, product developers and marketeers bringing new solutions to aid gut health (https://foodmatterslive.com/podcast/what-next-for-gut-health-claims-in-food-and-drink-food-podca...
47m Sep 16, 2022
47m
318: The art of being a nutraceuticals scientist
"It's a good conversation starter," says Dr Miriam Ferrer of her job title. "People say 'food supplements? That's just cheap vitamins'. Then I tell them all about it." Dr Ferrer is Head of New Product Development at Cambridge Nutraceuticals (https://www.camnutra.com/) , a company that makes health supplements with proven clinical benefits. The company says: "If it isn’t supported by data, we ...
19m Sep 14, 2022
19m
317: Unsustainable fishing - is it too late to turn the tide?
According to the United Nations, a large percentage of fisheries are overfished (https://www.fao.org/3/cc0461en/online/sofia/2022/key-messages.html) . In many parts of the world there simply are not enough fish to catch and make a profit. 72% of the world is ocean and one-in-three of the fish on your plate are considered to be fished unsustainably. Given that there are billions of people who ...
33m Sep 12, 2022
33m
316: How do we stop the rapid erosion of essential soils?
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) says we lose the equivalent of one football field to soil erosion every five seconds (https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/12/1052831) . That figure becomes even more shocking the more we learn about what soils are made up of, and the crucial role they play in so many aspects of our lives. Soil is fundamental to human health and s...
35m Sep 09, 2022
35m
315: Inside the factory - the school kids getting a taste of the food industry
"We hope the students might go on to choose a career in food," says Adele Louise James, Director of Learning for Catering and Technology at Whitefield School (http://www.whitefield.barnet.sch.uk/) in Barnet, North London. "It's a massive industry." "This project shows them the other side of food. Normally, when a student thinks about food they just think about a chef. They don't know about all...
22m Sep 07, 2022
22m
314: FDF Chief Exec: 'New PM needs a plan to help food industry'
"I find it interesting how poorly understood the food system is by politicians in the UK," says Karen Betts, Chief Executive of the Food and Drink Federation (https://www.fdf.org.uk/) (FDF). "Food manufacturing is something we need to educate them on better. We're often hidden away and out of view, but what goes on in our industry is absolutely vital." Karen took on the role at the FDF in Dec...
39m Sep 05, 2022
39m