Munching on Molecules

In Part 2 of our PEI road trip series, Christine and Lara tour Canada’s Smartest Kitchen (CSK) and sit down with Chef Krista MacQuarrie, a culinary veteran turned product development expert helping food businesses bring bold ideas to market. With 15+ years in restaurant kitchens and another 15 years at the intersection of food and innovation, Chef Krista shares what it takes to turn great recipes...

We’re kicking off our PEI tour in Charlottetown. In the first stop of our three-part series, Lara and Christine visit BioFoodTech, a hub for food innovation and commercialization in Atlantic Canada. At BioFoodTech, companies receive essential support in product development, food safety, labelling, and scale-up, all under one roof. Our guest is Joy Shinn, (now retired) food scientist, who supported...

What does it really take to protect consumer trust and brand integrity in today’s complex, global marketplace? This week on Munching on Molecules, Lara and Christine visit the lab at Purity-IQ to speak with Deleo de Leonardis, co-founder and CEO, and a seasoned retail executive with over three decades in Canadian food and drug retail. From her time as VP of Private Label at one of Canada’s largest...

This week on Munching on Molecules, we sit down with a guest whose roots in food run deep, both personally and professionally: Christopher Marinangeli, PhD, RD. Christopher grew up immersed in the food world, dating back to his great-grandparents, and his grandfather who famously got his driver’s license in exchange for bananas in Toronto, to his own executive roles in CPG. Food isn’t just a caree...

Lara Tiro and Christine Farkas are back from  CHFA NOW Toronto (Sept 19–21, 2025)  with stories, insights, and plenty of laughs from Canada’s biggest natural and organic trade show. From  co-hosting Launchpad  to firing off rapid-fire questions with emerging founders, the duo dives into what it really takes to stand out: 💡 How do you share your business story? 👥 Who are your customers—really? 🌟...

We chat with Nithya, editor of  Food in Canada  magazine, Canada’s longest-standing national publication serving the food and beverage industry. As  Food in Canada  proudly marks its 85th anniversary, we discuss how the magazine continues to adapt while maintaining its trusted voice in a rapidly evolving sector. Nithya takes us through the magazine's more recent history: its acquisition by Ann...

Episode 46 is your behind-the-scenes pass to all things CHFA NOW Toronto, happening September 19–21, 2025. Lara Tiro and Christine Farkas, run through what’s ahead, including: 💚 Not one but two Thursday mixers on Sept 18: BDC x B Local Ontario x CHFA gathering and the COTA Organic Month Mingler, because the real networking starts before the show even opens. 💚 Their very first time co-hosting CHF...

We’re talking bold export moves with Barron Lau and Paul Yip, the powerhouse duo behind Chowtime Foods, rewriting the playbook for Canadian food brands expanding into China. With bilingual teams across Shanghai, Toronto, Vancouver, and Hong Kong, they’re bringing Canadian innovation to Asia’s most competitive food market with strategy, speed, and real traction. In this episode, we dig into: What i...

What happens when food meets purpose on a global scale? In this episode, we sit down with Mario A. Castillo, founder of Taste & Trade Mexico City, to explore how Canadian food businesses can grow beyond borders into a vibrant, circular, and deeply sustainable food system in Mexico City. More than a trade mission, this is a cultural and culinary awakening. From October 7–10 2025, Canadian CPG l...

We are kicking off  Organic Month (September 1–30, 2025)  with a special conversation featuring  My-Lien Bosch , Government Relations & Regulatory Affairs Manager at the  Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA). My-Lien’s career path is a fascinating one, moving from the  fork  (developing finished food and pet food products) to the  farm  (shaping policies that impact organic agriculture and...

With over a decade in the biotech industry and co-inventor on 7 U.S. and Canadian patents,  Mingyang Sun  brings scientific rigor, team leadership, and a passion for sustainable innovation to his work at ApiSave™, a natural product redefining pollinator health. In this episode, we explore how  ApiSave™ , a 100% natural extract, is helping bees thrive through both nutritional support when consumed...

In this episode, we explore the cutting-edge world of plant-based sports nutrition with  Melissa L’Heureux‑Haché,  Co-founder of  VEGAIN Nutrition . Born from the need for better options, VEGAIN is reimagining what plant-based performance products  can be  from flavour to function. We explore: Melissa’s journey as a three-time founder and entrepreneur, and her passion for building high-impact prod...

In this inspiring conversation, we sit down with  Mamadou Togola,  Co-founder of  We Vanilla Enterprises , to explore how a single ingredient, vanilla, can spark systemic change. From the fields of Uganda to the global spice shelf, Mamadou shares his journey of resilience, purpose, and community-driven entrepreneurship. We explore: How We Vanilla is transforming the vanilla supply chain through tr...

This episode, we chat with Richard Lin, CEO of  Dr. Bee , a Canadian brand transforming how we think about honey, health, and hive-powered innovation. Richard is continuing the 30-year family legacy and pushing the category forward with a bold mission: bridge tradition with science to craft premium bee wellness products.  In this episode, we talk about: ·   How scientific evidence guides product f...

We’re joined by Jesse Veenstra, Executive Director of Farm to Cafeteria Canada, to explore how food can be a powerful entry point for education, connection, and community building in schools. Farm to Cafeteria Canada is a pan-Canadian, partnership-based organization with a mission to transform how food is experienced, learned, and celebrated in schools across Canada. Long before her career in publ...

Time for another quarterly catch-up with your co-hosts, Christine Farkas, RSE, CRC and Lara Tiro! In this “snackable” roundup, we share the key moments, community gatherings, and future-forward forums that shaped our spring in food innovation. From Vancouver to Ottawa, we’ve been learning, connecting, and facilitating growth across the food and beverage industry. Here’s a taste of what we’ve been...

Food scientist. Fungal fanatic. Systems thinker. In this episode of  Munching on Molecules , we meet Brian Chau, whose serendipitous start at UC Davis led to a career spent bridging food science with human systems, transforming how food ideas become reality. Brian’s consulting firm Chau Time has supported everything from early-stage product R&D to complex contract manufacturing searches. With...

In this episode of  Munching on Molecules , we chat with Aaron Skelton, the dynamic President and CEO of the Canadian Health Food Association, to talk about his unconventional path to leading one of Canada's most influential voices in the natural, organic, and wellness industry. Aaron shares: His career journey from the world of retail operations to building brands to CHFA CHFA’s advocacy role...

In this episode, we crack open the tasty and functional world of almonds with Harbinder Maan, Associate Director of Trade Marketing & Stewardship with the Almond Board of California. With over 7,600 growers behind it, the Almond Board is a powerhouse of innovation,  research, and stewardship.   We explore: How the Almond Board is advancing sustainability across the value chain The latest nutri...

In this episode of  Munching on Molecules , we chat with Jill Houk, Corporate R&D Chef at Culinary Culture.  A pivotal moment came early in her journey, when her mother asked:  “If you could do anything you wanted, what would you do?”  That question sparked a career transformation. We dive into her path, from launching a health-conscious catering company to becoming a cookbook author, podcaste...

After a decade of helping build products for  other  brands, food scientist and product developer, Abigail Modell is stepping into the founder spotlight and she’s doing it with purpose. In this episode, Abigail shares the behind-scenes in launching OVU Bars, a new line of snack bars designed to support women on hormonal balance and their fertility journey through targeted nutrition. We dig into th...

In this episode of Munching on Molecules, we sit down with Dr. Jon-Paul (JP) Powers, Partner and Scientific Advisor at Gowling WLG. One quote that’s guided his career? A gem from mentor Dr. Bob Hancock: “The jobs we want don’t exist, you have to find a way to create them.” That’s exactly what JP did, purely by luck, carving a path that didn’t exist on paper, but makes perfect sense in hindsight. F...

What do kimchi, wood-fired pizza, and pea protein have in common?  Ian Heieie, of course. In this episode, we chat with Ian Heieie, who brings big culinary energy and scientific savvy to the plant protein space. He takes us through his fine-dining roots at The Bachelor Farmer and Young Joni (yes, that James Beard Award-winning one) to studying plant proteins at University of Minnesota's Plant...

Christine and Lara take you behind the scenes of their recent road trip to Vancouver Island, where they co-presented to BC Food & Beverage Peer Group on all things product development and innovation. From the warm welcome in Nanaimo to the spirited conversations with local processors, the island energy was real and refreshingly candid. We tackled how small and large teams can scale smart, blen...

Food scientist. Serial entrepreneur. Podcaster. From 4am granola bar factory adventures, to co-founding Better Meat Co and Sobo Foods, Adam’s journey into food has been anything but bland. We get the inside scoop on his early exploratory cooking days (yes, toast in omelettes), his pathway into food science, and starting in 2016,  My Food Job Rocks!,  the original food industry-centric podcast. Ada...