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
313: The crucial role of nutrition in reversing Type 2 Diabetes
The World Health Organization (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes) says there are four-times as many people with Type 2 Diabetes today than there were just 30 years ago. Type 2 Diabetes is often called a “lifestyle disease”, with inactivity and an unhealthy diet greatly increasing the risk of developing it. Food is a central part of the cause and appears to be a major p...
39m Sep 02, 2022
39m
312: Peter's Yard co-founder on the power of a strong plan
"I've always been driven, not by wealth, but by a desire to make a difference." Wendy Wilson-Bett is the co-founder of Peter's Yard (https://www.petersyard.com/) , the food company that makes sourdough treats, most-famously their sourdough crackers. Her career has seen her working for some of the biggest food brands in the world, and her story of launching Peter's Yard is one of perseverance....
20m Aug 31, 2022
20m
311: Which crops might feed the world in 2050?
For decades, the global food system has evolved around a small number of plants and animals. 75% of our calories now come from just five animals and 12 crops. But as the world becomes more insecure, and the climate crisis (https://foodmatterslive.com/article/tetra-pack-anne-marie-gennari-how-to-be-a-climate-optimist/) worsens, the risk of relying on a small number of crops (https://foodmatters...
51m Aug 30, 2022
51m
310: Is there still a link between social class and food?
Throughout history, the link between social class and food has been undeniable. But is it still there today? So many of the things we do signify social status; how we speak, our hobbies, the things we buy. But how does food fit into all that? (https://foodmatterslive.com/article/peasant-food-cucina-povera-posh-food-expensive-delicacy/) We may no longer live in a country where the upper classe...
43m Aug 26, 2022
43m
309: What it's like going through the Mondelez graduate scheme
"Your first job is not necessarily what you're going to do for the rest of your life. Just think about what you would enjoy, rather than stressing that you've committed to a career for 50 years." Ella Jones is Junior Brand Manager at Mondelez International (https://www.mondelezinternational.com/) , the multinational company which boasts the likes of Cadbury, Oreo, Ritz, and Green and Black's i...
20m Aug 24, 2022
20m
308: What difference would it make if we all ate seasonal food?
Should we all be considering switching to a diet made up of seasonal food? It's a big question, and the impact could be huge too. How would it affect the food system? What difference would it make to the planet? In theory, only eating foods that are produced in your region at certain times of the year should mean fewer carbon emissions and less waste (https://foodmatterslive.com/article/fsa-f...
39m Aug 22, 2022
39m
307: Nutrition and the menopause - can diet affect the symptoms?
Is there a link between nutrition and the health changes associated with the menopause? It’s an area that traditionally has not received as much attention as one might hope, but things are perhaps changing. There has been a lot of recent media interest in the menopause, notably Davina McCall’s TV programmes, Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s interviews, and other celebrity interventio...
39m Aug 19, 2022
39m
306: 'How a Coca-Cola internship launched my career'
"Don't be shy. Don't be ashamed. Apply for the jobs and schemes you would love to do." So says Taïeb Mestiri, Scientific and Regulatory Affairs Manager at the Coca-Cola Company (https://www.coca-colacompany.com/) , in this episode of the Career Conversations podcast series with Elisa Roche. As millions of students prepare to receive exam results this summer, many will be thinking about their ...
20m Aug 17, 2022
20m
305: How curry conquered the world
There is no doubt that the UK is a nation of curry lovers, curry addicts even, with many of our best, and biggest nights out happening in Indian restaurants. They are a huge player in the UK food industry. Estimates vary, but one trade group suggests curry houses employ 100,000 people and have annual sales of £4.2 billion.  And that’s not even counting supermarket sales, recipe book (https://f...
51m Aug 15, 2022
51m
304: Are consumers ready for gene-edited crops?
For decades, there has been a fiery debate around Genetic Modification. It’s seen by many as a solution to some of the world’s biggest food problems, but by others as a reckless scientific gamble, endangering human health and the environment. Those of us with memories of the 1990s and 2000s will remember GM trial crops in East Anglia being trashed by protesters, with farmers defending them us...
44m Aug 12, 2022
44m
303: Creating menus for Virgin Atlantic at 35,000 feet
"I literally have the best job in the world," says Hari Ghotra, Global Food and Beverage Manager at Virgin Atlantic (https://www.virginatlantic.com/) . "I get to travel a lot, meet some amazing chefs, and eat some incredible food." It's hard to argue with that assessment. If you love food and love travel, this is up there as one of the dream jobs. Added to that, Hari is also a hugely successf...
21m Aug 10, 2022
21m
300: Personalised nutrition - looking at the impact of different interventions
Personalised nutrition has been making headlines for some time, but how much impact do different types of interventions have, and which work best? Science has now advanced to a point where it can look deep inside us as individuals and calculate individual nutrition and health needs.   As a result, the personalised nutrition sector is rapidly expanding (https://foodmatterslive.com/article/pers...
38m Aug 08, 2022
38m
299: How Spain is staking its claim as a global agtech leader
Spain is a food superpower; the fourth largest agri-food player in Europe and the tenth biggest in the world. It is perhaps less well-known as an obvious choice for agritech and innovation. But that feeling is misplaced, and it is changing, as Spain grows as a leading light in this area. In this episode of the Food Matters Live Podcast, we meet one of the organisations fuelling that growth, E...
30m Aug 05, 2022
30m
302: The Co-Op chef who's hooked on the food industry
"There's no industry like the food industry," says Dai Llewellyn. "No other industry encapsulates all of your senses in the same way." Dai is Head Chef of Product Development at Co-Op UK (https://www.uk.coop/) , but it didn't always looks like he would have a successful food career. In fact, he started out studying a business degree: "I fell into a world of business by sort of doing what I th...
20m Aug 03, 2022
20m
298: What next for gut health claims in food and drink?
In the last few years there’s been a growing interest in food and drink products that claim to improve gut health. Research has been booming and, on the Food Matters Live Podcast, we have spoken to some of the world’s leading experts (https://foodmatterslive.com/podcast/exploring-the-link-between-gut-health-and-the-brain/) , exploring connections between our gut, what we eat (https://foodmatte...
34m Aug 01, 2022
34m
297: Why the UK is heading towards having Europe's highest obesity rate
Imagine it’s the year 2032. The summer Olympics are just kicking off in Brisbane, the Perseverance rover has arrived back on Earth carrying Martian rocks, we’ve just finished recording the 2,000th episode of this podcast, and the UK has just become the fattest nation in Europe. OK snap back to the present and there is still something we can do about that last one. A report by the World Health...
43m Jul 29, 2022
43m
301: Leading the taste test team at the Good Housekeeping Institute
"When I go into a supermarket, I look at the ingredients of a product and I can tell exactly what something is going to taste like," says Angela Trofymova. "It's boring shopping with me." Angela has one of those jobs that sounds too good to be true. She is Group Testing Manager for the Good Housekeeping Institute (https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/institute/) . That means she is in charge of t...
20m Jul 27, 2022
20m
296: The glimmer of hope in an otherwise damning WHO obesity report
The World Health Orgnization's European Regional Obesity Report (https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/353747) makes grim reading. It says nearly two-thirds of European adults are obese, a third of children are overweight or obese, and crucially, the numbers are rising. The WHO says no European country is on track to stop obesity rising by 2025 (https://foodmatterslive.com/article/european-r...
33m Jul 25, 2022
33m
295: Inside the Technion Institute - leading Israel's foodtech revolution
Technion, Israel’s Institute of Technology (https://www.technion.ac.il/en/home-2/) is the oldest university in the country and one of the leading universities in the world.   Its Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering is a unique department where expertise from many disciplines comes together. Israel is a global centre of food and agri-tech (https://foodmatterslive.com/article/the-star...
25m Jul 22, 2022
25m
294: Meet Belvoir Farm's 'storyteller in chief'
"It came as it of a surprise," says Jessica Pinnick about landing her job as Brand Manager for the soft drinks company, Belvoir Farm (https://www.belvoirfarm.co.uk/) . "As the best thing often do" Jessica has been in the role for around a year and describes her job as being about telling the story of the brand (https://foodmatterslive.com/article/rude-food-when-brand-names-have-a-different-mea...
19m Jul 20, 2022
19m
293: How post-Brexit trade deals could affect UK food standards
What will be the impact of Britain’s withdrawal from the EU on food standards in the UK? When the Brexit (https://foodmatterslive.com/article/food-bill-costs-britain-gone-up-6-percent-brexit-new-report/) referendum was held, trade was trumpeted as a great benefit. No longer would the UK be constrained by EU deals; the country could sign trade agreements with whomever it wanted.     Almost imm...
48m Jul 18, 2022
48m
292: Exactly why is a Mediterranean diet good for you?
The Mediterranean diet is the cornerstone of cultures considered to be the healthiest in the world, but do you know exactly what defines it? In many previous editions of the Food Matters Live podcast, it’s kept cropping up… When we talked about Covid and nutrition (https://foodmatterslive.com/podcast/exploring-the-impact-of-covid-on-nutrition-and-our-enjoyment-of-food/) , there it was.  When ...
36m Jul 15, 2022
36m
291: The chef fuelling the Tour de France peloton
"Rice for breakfast is absolutely standard," says James Forsyth, Performance Chef for elite cycling team the INEOS Grenadiers (https://www.ineosgrenadiers.com/) . That's just one of the many, slightly odd, things he has to think about as part of his role. His job is to prepare meals for all members of the cycling team, as they compete at major events such as the Tour de France (https://www.le...
17m Jul 13, 2022
17m
290: Dan Saladino: Why I won't stop telling the stories of food
What is it that motivates Dan Saladino (https://foodmatterslive.com/article/dining-table-tales-with-dan-saladino/) ; journalist, broadcaster and author, to continue to tell stories of food? He has spent years producing and presenting BBC Radio 4's prestigious and long-running show The Food Programme (https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnx3) , has made documentaries about food all over the wo...
42m Jul 11, 2022
42m
289: Career Conversations: Meet the woman behind Montezuma's chocolate
"You don't have to do what everyone else does. Really, really think about what you love in life." That's the advice from Helen Pattinson, co-founder of the hugely successful Montezuma's chocolate brand, in this episode of the Career Conversations podcast series. Helen started her working life as a lawyer, and enjoyed a successful career. But she says, she "didn't really know" what her passio...
19m Jul 07, 2022
19m
288: The elite athlete getting back on track with collagen peptides
When elite triathlete Justus Nieschlag (https://www.justus-nieschlag.de/) suffered a partial rupture of his Achilles tendon, it couldn't have come at a worse time. The Tokyo Olympics in 2021, delayed by a year because of the Coronavirus pandemic, were just around the corner and the then 29-year-old was in pain. "Knowing I couldn't perform as I would like and I couldn't train and race 100 per ...
32m Jul 06, 2022
32m
287: Is there such thing as an American cuisine?
The US is, of course, a huge player in the food industry and its influences are felt far and wide. From agricultural production, to processing, to fast food chains and advertising. And it’s home to some of the biggest food companies in the world. But is there such a thing as a defined American cuisine? Is it new world ingredients like corn, squash and beans, fast-food foods such as hamburger...
42m Jul 04, 2022
42m
286: Is it time for environmental impact scores on food?
How much do consumers want to know about the environmental impact of the food products they buy? There's no doubt that environmental issues are increasingly on the minds of shoppers, but it can be difficult to know if what you're buying is "good" or "bad" for the planet. With that in mind, Foundation Earth (https://www.foundation-earth.org/) is trying to establish a simple front-of-pack gradi...
42m Jul 01, 2022
42m
285: Career Conversations: 'The humbling experience that led me to OLIO'
"It was a very humbling experience, with many learnings that I still treasure." That's how Alberto Lo Bue, Managing Director at the food waste app, OLIO (https://olioex.com/) , describes an attempt earlier in his career to launch his own start-up. "It's not enough to do something just because you want to do it," he tells Elisa Roche in the latest episode of the Career Conversations podcast se...
20m Jun 29, 2022
20m
284: How to make your food business more sustainable
Sustainability is at the top of the agenda (https://foodmatterslive.com/discover/article/the-government-food-strategy-calls-for-new-technologies-sustainable-food-production-unclear-cost-living-crisis/) for many consumers and businesses in the food sector, but how do you make your hospitality business more sustainable without breaking the bank? There's no doubt that consumers are more aware tha...
45m Jun 27, 2022
45m
283: What might the future hold for personalised nutrition?
There's no doubt that the personalised nutrition market is growing, and fast. Forecasts suggest the sector could be worth anything between $15bn and $25bn (https://foodmatterslive.com/discover/article/personalised-nutrition-market-forecast-21-billion-dollars-by-2028/) within the next five years. And it seems to be everywhere you look, with a wealth of apps, advisors, and new companies enterin...
37m Jun 24, 2022
37m
282: Career Conversations: Creating new products for Asda
"I never knew that my job existed," says April Dear, Senior Product and Packaging Development Manager for Asda (https://corporate.asda.com/) . "That's why I'm really passionate about letting younger people know about all the different paths that are out there." In this episode of the Career Conversations series, we learn all about April's role at one of the UK's biggest supermarkets. Her job ...
20m Jun 22, 2022
20m
281: Saliha Mahmood-Ahmed - from MasterChef winner to NHS campaigner
Dr Saliha Mahmood-Ahmed's career has taken her in all sorts of different directions. She is a junior doctor working in the NHS, an author, and of course she won MasterChef (https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006t1k5) in 2017. But her passion for good food doesn't stop there, Saliha co-founded the No Hungry NHS Staff (https://www.nohungrystaff.co.uk/) campaign. It's about making sure NHS staff...
36m Jun 20, 2022
36m
280: How does what you eat affect brain function?
What’s the link between the food we eat and brain function? We’ve spoken on the Food Matters Live Podcast recently about nutrition and healthy ageing (https://foodmatterslive.com/discover/podcast/exploring-the-link-between-nutrition-and-health-in-later-life-food-podcasts/) , but the link with cognitive function warrants an episode all of its own. There’s a lot of current research into whether...
43m Jun 17, 2022
43m
279: Career Conversations: The secret to becoming a flavourist
What's the secret to having a successful career as a flavourist? Marie Wright, Chief Global Flavourist at food processing corporation ADM (https://www.adm.com/) , says it's all about passion. In this episode of the Career Conversations series, she reveals all to Elisa Roche about how she rose through the ranks to become one of the best flavourists in the world. And, although she says there ar...
19m Jun 15, 2022
19m
278: Is collaboration the key to the future of food?
How can the food industry innovate to meet the demands and challenges it's facing, and do so in an efficient way? The answer, according to Tetra Pak (https://www.tetrapak.com/) : Partnerships, partnerships, and more partnerships. There are all kinds of issues that need to be tackled, not least the question of sustainability. In this episode of the Food Matters Live Podcast, we shine a light o...
32m Jun 14, 2022
32m
277: Exploring the link between nutrition and health in later life
Studies have shown that around 20-30 per cent of how we age is down to our genetics, so how big a factor is what we eat in the remaining 70 per cent? In this episode of the Food Matters Live Podcast, we explore the relationship between our diets and our health in later life. Life expectancy has fallen in the UK very recently, largely down to the Coronavirus pandemic (https://foodmatterslive.c...
47m Jun 13, 2022
47m
276: Will new HFSS rules change our eating habits?
The UK Government is planning to introduce a raft of restrictions on the promotion of foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) - but will they actually make any difference? The idea behind the proposals is to improve public health.  But will we actually develop new, healthy shopping habits once the regulations come in? In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, we look at the ...
42m Jun 10, 2022
42m
275: Career Conversations: Meeting cookbook writer Dominique Woolf
Practice, practice, practice. It's good advice whatever food career (https://foodmatterslive.com/food-matters-careers/meet-our-community/) you're hoping to embark on, and according to Dominique Woolf it is particularly good advice if you want to get into writing cookery books. In this edition of the Career Conversations podcast series, Dominique tells Elisa Roche there simply is no substitute ...
19m Jun 08, 2022
19m
274: How can the UK food sector solve its labour shortage?
What can be done to solve the growing problem of labour shortages in the UK food sector? The Government's Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/52/environment-food-and-rural-affairs-committee/) says chronic shortages could lead to further price rises and the UK becoming more dependent on food imports. In fact, it says if nothing is done to a...
38m Jun 06, 2022
38m
271: What's next in the evolution of plant-based dairy?
There's no doubt that plant-based dairy alternatives (https://foodmatterslive.com/discover/article/9-best-plant-based-non-dairy-milk-alternatives-explained/) are booming. In 2021, a Bloomberg Intelligence report estimated that the global market for dairy-alternative milk could grow to more than $60bn by 2030. But this isn’t just about milk, there is dairy-free cheese, ice cream, just about eve...
19m Jun 01, 2022
19m
273: Career Conversations: 'Why I'm glad I fought for a career in food'
Liz Littlewood says she struggled at first to convince her parents and her teachers (https://foodmatterslive.com/discover/podcast/are-we-teaching-kids-enough-about-food-podcasts/) that a career in food was a good choice: "I had to fight quite hard to continue doing it at school and then university." But she did persevere and now, as Co-op's (https://jobs.coop.co.uk/) Lead Technical Manager for...
18m May 31, 2022
18m
272: The foods born out of British Royal celebrations - and those that never took off
2022 marks 70 years since Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne, making Her Majesty the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee. Royal celebrations have often been associated with food, banquets and street parties, with this year following the script. In May 2022, Jemma Melvin created a lemon and Swiss roll amaretti trifle which beat around 5,000 other entries to be named th...
37m May 30, 2022
37m
270: George Monbiot: 'Protein production must move from farm to factory'
“Monbiot has that most aggravating of gifts, the ability lucidly to point out things that people desperately do not want to be true." That's a quote from Henry Dimbleby, the man who proposed the UK's new national food strategy (https://foodmatterslive.com/discover/article/governments-national-food-strategy-proposes-to-introduce-salt-tax-reformulate-the-sugar-tax-and-cut-down-on-animal-protein/...
50m May 27, 2022
50m
269: The war in Ukraine - what next for the global food system?
The images of suffering in Ukraine as Russia's invasion continues are some of the most horrifying seen in Europe for decades. The war has already led to the deaths of thousands, caused to the destruction of homes, and completely destroyed many people's way of life. Among the terrible scenes in Ukraine, we see a country which is a linchpin of the global food system (https://foodmatterslive.com...
35m May 26, 2022
35m