Omnivore

PepsiCo Chief Science Officer Tara Glasgow says the future of food innovation depends on moving R&D upstream to help decide which questions are worth asking and which projects are worth pursuing. In this special segment taken from the IFT FIRST Hot Topics Studio, IFT’s Sara Morris talks with Trustwell’s Todd Dolinsky about how food companies can better evaluate and advance traceability capabil...

In this special episode recorded at the IFT FIRST Hot Topics Studio, Omnivore explores three timely topics: food waste, water, and natural emulsifiers. In the first segment, packaging innovators Tom Seymour and Taraka Ramji Moturu explore the different ways of utilizing food waste for manufacturing biopolymer packaging materials. Next, PepsiCo’s Derek Holthaus hosts ingredient innovation experts A...

The food science profession is changing rapidly, creating both new opportunities and new challenges for early-career professionals. In this episode, career coach Marie Kozlowski and Campbell’s senior research scientist Joseph Pethő share insights on navigating career uncertainty, building future-ready skills, and finding success in a profession where career paths are increasingly nontraditio...

Bryant Williams , founder of Nurtured Nuts, discusses how gene-editing technology could transform peanut allergy prevention and expand safe food choices for millions of consumers. Nurtured Nuts is commercializing the world’s first allergen-less peanut butter developed using advanced CRISPR technology. AgriNetica is the developer and owner of the technology underlying the hypoallergenic peanu...

Food and beverage reformulation is becoming increasingly complex as companies respond to regulatory pressures, shifting consumer expectations, and ingredient and cost challenges. In this episode of Omnivore Presents: SciDish , experts explore how consumer insights, technical considerations, communication, and AI-enabled tools can help companies navigate reformulation more effectively. Plus: This e...

In this episode of Omnivore , development chef, food writer, and science communicator Anthony Warner —better known as The Angry Chef— explores how the modern food system has dramatically reduced famine and improved food security, why history offers important lessons for the future, and what it will really take to feed nearly 10 billion people—well. What forces will truly shape the food system over...

In this special edition of SciDish, recorded live at the Hot Topics Studio stage at IFT FIRST, we’re exploring Artificial Intelligence in Food Science and Nutrition: Applications in Academia and Industry , sponsored by IFT Scientific Journals. Moderating the discussion is Richard Hartel, editor in chief of the Journal of Food Science and professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He&#...

Dr. Marcia Walker, director of Oregon State University’s Food Innovation Center, shares her perspective on what separates promising ideas from meaningful innovation, and what it takes to build not just better products, but stronger, more resilient food systems. Lyle DePauw , vice president of crop innovation at Cargill, discusses how advances in breeding, genomics, gene editing, and AI are helping...

What does it take to turn food science into a force for global good? In this episode, Food Science for Relief and Development leaders Donna Rosa and Randol Rodriguez share eye-opening examples of how simple, creative applications of food science—from small-scale equipment to culturally tailored products—are transforming food systems in some of the world’s most resource-constrained regions. It’s an...

In this special episode of  Omnivore ,  Anupama Joshi  of the Center for Science in the Public Interest and  Alon Chen , co-founder and CEO of Tastewise, join the podcast   for a preview of the ideas shaping IFT FIRST Annual Event and Expo, taking place July 12–15, 2026, in Chicago. Joshi, who will speak in the keynote panel  Building Trust: Scientific Consensus and Policy for a Safer Food Future...

In  a   recent cover story,  Food Technology  explored how artificial intelligence is helping food companies move from reacting to contamination events to predicting risk earlier—while raising urgent questions about validation, accountability, and human oversight. In this episode, we’re continuing that conversation with three of the experts featured in the story— Willette Crawford, Matt Henderson,...

Bob Little , CEO of Kanzen Meal, a subsidiary of Nissin Foods, gives the scoop on how the company is rethinking wellbeing in the frozen aisle with its line of single-serve meals designed to deliver all 27 essential nutrients the body needs each day. Packaging experts Claire Sand and Ogechukwu Tasie explore how bio-based materials, agricultural waste, and emerging coating technologies could reduce...

Food science has a trust problem. In this episode, we’ll explore some of the reasons why consumers are mistrustful and confused, discuss how misinformation spreads, and share thoughts on what food professionals can do to help rebuild trust in the food system. Science communication experts  Linda Eatherton  and  Veronica Jarmillo  break down some of the challenges of science communication and offer...

IFT’s Renee Leber explains how food companies successfully scale products from lab prototypes to commercial production while managing the process, equipment, and formulation challenges that emerge during plant trials. California Cultured CEO Alan Perlstein discusses how plant cell culture could transform cocoa production, offering a more sustainable, scalable, and consistent approach to meeting ri...

Circular food systems aim to reduce waste and retain value—but scaling them is complex. In this episode of SciDish, experts explore how upcycling, new technologies, and system-level thinking are reshaping how food is designed, produced, and brought to market.   Plus:  This episode of Omnivore is brought to you by  RTI International  and  Almond Board of California.  

Food Technology trend guru Dr. Liz Sloan shares her take on the defining consumer trends of 2026, which range from next-gen comfort food to snackable beverages. And John Ruff , retired senior vice president of R&D at Kraft Foods and a past president of IFT, draws on decades of product development experience to explain why alternative meat is a long game—one that will likely be defined by hybri...

In this episode of SciDish , we sit down with Bruce Friedrich , founder and president of the Good Food Institute, to unpack his new book MEAT: How the Next Agricultural Revolution Will Transform Humanity’s Favorite Food—and Our Future , recently named one of Publishers Weekly’s Top Ten New Releases in Science. Rather than arguing against meat consumption, Friedrich explores a pragmatic question: i...

With an insider’s view of how national guidance gets made, nutrition policy expert Robert Post breaks down the newly released U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans , highlighting what’s truly new, what echoes past advice, and why the shifts matter. James Petrie , founder of Nourish Ingredients, explains how his company is creating animal-free fats that will allow product developers to formulate ne...

As GLP-1 use reshapes appetite, taste perception, and eating patterns, food companies face new challenges—and opportunities—in how they design and deliver nutrition. In this episode of SciDish, experts explore what post-GLP-1 eating really looks like and how food can better support consumers across a changing nutritional journey. Plus: This episode of Omnivore is brought to you by Almond Board of...