Food Matters Live Podcast

What will be the impact of Britain’s withdrawal from the EU on food standards in the UK? When the Brexit 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 immediately, concerns were raised about the effect on food standards, food quality and animal welfare. Cons...

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 , there it was.  When we talked about the gut microbiome , there it was.  And when we talked about nutrition and age , you guessed it,...

"Rice for breakfast is absolutely standard," says James Forsyth, Performance Chef for elite cycling team the INEOS Grenadiers . 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 . So much thought goes into what the athletes eat and i...

What is it that motivates 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 , has made documentaries about food all over the world, and most recently has published an award-winning book. " Eating to Extinction: The World's Rarest Foods and Why We Need...

"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 passion was...

When elite triathlete Justus Nieschlag 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 cent meant it was a really tough time fo...

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 hamburgers, hot...

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 is trying to establish a simple front-of-pack grading system that offers answers at a glance...

"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 , 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 series. "You can do a much be...

Sustainability is at the top of the agenda 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 than ever of climate change, and in some cases are willing to pay more for the planet-friendly choice. But sustainability works on many levels, it's not just about yo...

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 within the next five years. And it seems to be everywhere you look, with a wealth of apps, advisors, and new companies entering the market.   But it’s an area that’s pushing the boundaries of science and medicine. In this episode of the Food Mat...

"I never knew that my job existed," says April Dear, Senior Product and Packaging Development Manager for Asda . "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 means she is responsible for a larg...

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 in 2017. But her passion for good food doesn't stop there, Saliha co-founded the No Hungry NHS Staff campaign. It's about making sure NHS staff have access to hot, affordable, nutritious food - whatever time of the day or night...

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 , but the link with cognitive function warrants an episode all of its own. There’s a lot of current research into whether diet can slow down cognitive ageing and even reduce your risk of dementia. The notion of ‘brain food’ is nothing new, but how mu...

What's the secret to having a successful career as a flavourist? Marie Wright, Chief Global Flavourist at food processing corporation ADM , 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 are many elements to forging a...

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 : 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 on a small company that says it's...

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 , but it had been rising consis...

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 evide...

Practice, practice, practice. It's good advice whatever food career 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 for getting as much experience as possible. She recently won the TV show "T...

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 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 address the issue, labour shortages will shrink the sector permanently . It is a stark warning and w...

There's no doubt that plant-based dairy alternatives 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 everything, and the market is constantly evolving. Where plant-based dairy was once the preserve of people who i...

Liz Littlewood says she struggled at first to convince her parents and her teachers 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 Lead Technical Manager for Ambient Foods, Non-Food, Beers , Wines and Spirits, she says she's so pleased she stuck with it. "I'm really glad I got a job...

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 the off...

“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 . He is, of course, talking about journalist, author and activist George Monbiot. In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, George joins Stefan Gates to discuss the...

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 , undergoing catastrophic change....