Food Matters Live Podcast

"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 , a company that makes health supplements with proven clinical benefits. The company says: "If it isn’t supported by data, we won't sell it." In this episode o...

According to the United Nations, a large percentage of fisheries are overfished . 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 depend on fishing, either as food or a source of income, something has to...

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 . 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 society. 95% of food comes from the land, soils filte...

"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 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 the other jobs that are involved." Adele i...

"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 (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 December 2021 and what a time to d...

The World Health Organization 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 part of the solution.      So what role has the food industry pl...

"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 , 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. She discovered a baker making the...

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 worsens, the risk of relying on a small number of crops rises.   And the risks are not just around the crops, they are around the geography of the system. We are all seeing t...

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?      We may no longer live in a country where the upper classes are feasting on peacock, whilst the lower classes make do with gruel, but that doesn’t mean s...

"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 , the multinational company which boasts the likes of Cadbury, Oreo, Ritz, and Green and Black's in its portfolio. She's only been in the role...

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 . But how big an impact would it really have?...

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 interventions ge...

"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 , 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 next steps, and Taïeb's story is one whic...

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 sales, and s...

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 usi...

"I literally have the best job in the world," says Hari Ghotra, Global Food and Beverage Manager at Virgin Atlantic . "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 successful cook, author and entrepreneur, found...

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 . But among the hundreds of apps and advisors...

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, Eatabl...

"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 , 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 thought I was meant to do, or...

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 , exploring connections between our gut, what we eat , and our physical and mental health .    In this episode we explore the many different ways the food and nutriti...

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 Orga...

"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 . That means she is in charge of the institute's world-famous taste tests, which are...

The World Health Orgnization's European Regional Obesity Report 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 . For UK readers, the standout headline is that Britain is on course to have the worst obesity rate...

Technion, Israel’s Institute of Technology 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 , producing remarkable innovations, and attracting astonishing levels of investment. But,...

"It came as it of a surprise," says Jessica Pinnick about landing her job as Brand Manager for the soft drinks company, Belvoir Farm . "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 . Belvoir Farm has been around for more than 40 years and is perhaps best-known for its elderflower cordial. So how did J...