Omnivore

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...