Food Focus

The food options we have available today are constantly evolving and expanding. As palettes and dietary restrictions change, food scientists and product developers are racing to keep up. Ben Carnevale, food scientist with Blendtek Ingredients, knows all about food product innovation and chances are good he’s been involved in bringing some of your favourite food products to the market. In this episode of the Food Focus podcast, we sat down with Ben to talk about food product innovation and how this process responds to local and global trends.

Cory van Groningen, farmer and politician, is one of four brothers currently operating VG Meats. VG Meats is a local, family-owned company that specializes in small herd, high care beef from production all the way through to retail. With their goal of producing the best beef in the world right here in Ontario, they are committed to taking the long way around in producing the highest quality product. In this first episode of a new series titled “Talking to Farmers”, we sat down with Cory to discuss some of the challenges of being a small food processor in a big food industry as well as the importance of communicating with consumers and creative problem-solving.

For most, the idea of eating your family's beloved pet is unfathomable. However, when sitting down to a meal with meat, these thoughts and concerns disappear. Hal Herzog, one of the world’s leading anthrozoologists, has been investigating the complex relationships we hold with animals for several decades. In his recent book, “Some we love, some we hate, some we eat: why it’s so hard to think straight about animals”, Hal sheds some light on why we think about certain animals differently. It turns out that if you are a conflicted omnivore, you are not alone – the human conditions when it comes to eating meat are universal. We cover this and much more in this exciting episode of the Food Focus Podcast.

Good for you and good for the planet – are edible insects the next super food? Jarrod Goldin, co-founder of Entomo Farms, certainly thinks so. As the global leader in the cultivation of insect protein, Entomo Farms has a new solution to healthy and sustainable foods. In this episode, we sit down with Jarrod to learn more about how a cricket farm works and about the health and environmental benefits of consuming insect protein.

Second Harvest is building an efficient food recovery network with the joint mission of fuelling people and reducing the environmental impacts of avoidable food waste. Operating as a charity with a business mindset, they are serious about achieving their vision of no waste, no hunger in Canada. In this episode we sit down with Lori Nikkel, CEO of Second Harvest, to learn more about where they started, how their focus has shifted and why Lori hopes to one day go out of business. Transcript available here: https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/ztPQQFYl7u6ynNPRMg0dddzDudOm4YgQl3sNVEneqhxmCrp6-9JcMjt2LObw5b5YwWrik2J8cZ7CUkBGKjZIg-eC7BU?loadFrom=SharedLink

Much to carnivores’ disappointment, nutritional research has long suggested a link between increased red meat consumption and elevated cancer and heart disease risk. This was the status quo until recently when a team of researchers released a controversial study suggesting this link may not be as strong as was once believed. Cue debate among researchers and widespread consumer confusion and frustration. In order to get some clarity, we sat down with David Ma, professor in the Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences here at the University of Guelph to ask him about this new study and to discuss the discipline of nutritional sciences as a whole. Transcript available here: https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/wEbtJH2do_sZ3szB_5n753CwG4LRGf9hsfFTX1AHRf7thWqriLllTQ9DvAE-vZWJK6cUQyDkFii8wiLizGFpYiXbG7U?loadFrom=SharedLink

In today’s society, we often hear polarized opinions on the use of biotechnology in food, even among small circles of people. But why has this become such a contentious, often emotional, issue? In this episode, we sit down with Kevin Folta, Professor in the Department of Horticulture Sciences at the University of Florida to discuss how the conversation around biotechnology evolved to be what it is today, and how we can begin to change it. Transcript available here: https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/xGk15JLiXzlRBMvQBW_OWe8nMoRnWctHJ_UArHhNNALU-weB19eEN6xgzHzYOBVurxUxn2DBFcY0f5x6QgSVV-7idz0?loadFrom=SharedLink

'Raised without antibiotics', 'Hormone-free'… Have you ever wondered what these claims might mean for your health or for the health of farm animals? In this episode, we sit down with Steven Roche and Dan Shock from ACER consulting and address some of the confusion around antibiotic resistance. We discuss how and when antibiotics are used in agriculture, what that means for humans and how we can mitigate the effects of antibiotic resistance. Transcript available here: https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/eOnqUmQaebEeZeo_Fd-KFOlUi52omLtq2Da_F8F3EMoK_0rWf6HwafBBpEpEQKteoSQVV-BFfRa6IWKiHmMqoXxgmwg?loadFrom=SharedLink

For a variety of business and personal reasons, Darcy MacDonell decided to only open his restaurant The Farmhouse Tavern four days a week. This business model has yielded impressive results benefiting all involved in the restaurant from staff and proprietor to guests and the environment. In this podcast episode we discuss his restaurant, business practices and how the restaurant industry is changing. Transcript available: https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/BWkfSvPQoN898KmMRLqhwLx18ggUj9kcdo9LULrFWwH6MXNwYThO_kYuwD7f-7n1COBhgVZxTRdIkcKKvUF88rK7oxU?loadFrom=SharedLink

What are some of the misconceptions people have about vegans? Turns out, there are many. It's not all about quinoa and avocadoes for the group of 6 vegans we interviewed in this podcast episode. As a follow-up to our previous Talking to Vegans podcast, in this episode we discuss the affordability of veganism, the nature of sacrifice and whether or not you can be a part-time vegan. Transcript available here: https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/8WbvL8IHj_TtOAgRcinuEgs8OynxF2YDb4brNdpt29kGmQruKqb6WttEK869TAwoZO8HWSKyB_d3Xizu-KCYJgDuhuQ?loadFrom=SharedLink

People often think of vegans as a caricature. However, even among this group with similarly stricter diets than the average, there is a great deal of diversity. In order to better understand some of these different perspectives, I sat down with a group of 6 vegans to have a non-confrontational conversation about what it means to be vegan. Tune in to our first of two episodes titled "Talking to Vegans". Transcript available here: https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/fqGL-3VKvrOU078OEl6RHnPlvkq5_m-xgcBcp-2vGLJyFYeG6w3bfOhf81AtQYDQByqs80Sc7zIt1KliCKF5MzmmIy0?loadFrom=SharedLink

“Why don’t they get it?” is a question we often hear among the scientific community when speculating about consumers’ hesitancy to accept new scientific developments. However, the manner in which the general public interacts with evidence is not necessarily the way scientists think they do – which complicates matters. In this episode we sit down with Maya Goldenberg, associate professor at the University of Guelph, to discuss how we come to accept knowledge in our lives and justify our beliefs. We discuss the parallels between vaccine hesitancy and the food industry and why certain communication campaigns about these matters have failed in the past. Transcript available here: https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/_5_Gqr3vtfCizvlTYw7-SZjvAiGi16_cvasXAC_ZmZF7tqvb1HFuPt3-8XUym5YTrHlU5o1lZr-7LOnnhu6P1E4xUQ4?loadFrom=SharedLink

Ned Bell is a long time sustainable seafood ambassador and is the Ocean Wise Executive Chef based at the Vancouver Aquarium. Calling his cooking "globally inspired and locally created", Ned is passionate about encouraging diverse, local diets - which of course involve seafood. In this episode he encourages us to think more about what we eat and why we select certain foods. Transcript available here: https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/DTz1xC8NMQ_6Y6C0SRkqVFca8cLHU_5GXblHwn_v--GArZXlS9or3DHWGfMxbSp0j9F4XtC5YXM38btuSsZjzXzv-NA?loadFrom=SharedLink

Join us in this unconventional episode where the Food Focus team engages in our first ever “Taste Test”. Listen along as we compare common food products for which there are conventional and premium product options. Can we tell the difference between organic tortilla chips and conventional ones? Does a higher price mean improved value and taste? Tune in to find out as we continue to broaden our learning about food, biases, product characteristics and value. Transcript available here:https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/-tdUXQ2_2HuuvoB0-9lcLBGfuRi26ssCJOSGBaCjl1SGzezQ0Y2C4jdmUypssFANlQGGpLplgD6Ac5OiIyKwY1fw9S8?loadFrom=SharedLink

Consumers are frequently inundated with messages and information about food. Andrew Campbell, the Fresh Air Farmer, is helping people to make sense of this cacophony. Media guru and farmer in Southern Ontario, Andrew is well-versed in communication strategies and education. In this episode, informally dubbed as the “absolutely agree with you episode”, we discuss how he thinks about engagement, what we're doing well, and what we can do better. Transcript available here: https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/r5Fbq2uwqOVaN09vvYtykh983hgUAV-uqdXPBAMqDV0pHfmHkmu69yYE_4AD2VltYZBbCJTvB8YdeWi_-iWcLeP8kUc?loadFrom=SharedLink

Customers are moving away from the traditional restaurant experience and embracing the convenience of restaurant food delivery instead. The question remains, is this changing the way we eat or simply giving us more choice? In this episode we sit down with Andrew Coppolino, local food commentator and columnist for CBC-Radio in Waterloo Region, to discuss the growth in restaurant delivery and the future of food service. Transcript available here: https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/OG2MPkBdnTykes8UMtv5nh3mozwHEbgHdfYXYnW4PSGKX4vte7af87ya1XcW7P1vZ_sap5UnhDGH6maWUANzzxB9kXI?loadFrom=SharedLink

When it comes to space exploration, food determines how far from earth we can go and how long we can stay. How to reliably and indefinitely produce food beyond terrestrial bounds remains an unanswered question. However, Mike Dixon, professor in the School of Environmental Sciences and Director of the Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility (CESRF) at the University of Guelph has been trying to answer this question for some time now. In this episode, we sat down with Mike to discuss the technical challenges of growing food in space and how his research can also be used to address food insecurity back on earth. Transcript available here: https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/7OHZDbrLdQZUJgQIFItu9d577o2nKKquIgdSv4ctupXkzdKcbp49C3Kr_naOWflX5XUljubh45CPQyLKMk5uKneV3og?loadFrom=SharedLink

Social media now plays a significant role in shaping the public’s understanding of food production. As such, farmers have been encouraged to be proactive on various social media platforms. But is it working? In this episode, we sit down with communications expert Christina Crowley-Arklie to discuss the importance of digital communications in agriculture. Transcript available here: https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/NgysdQbaMSDInxuaSDdjcMK9r7cX4niYk1tHBvPwa7mMR_s8zQ4pzSZ8fkwjujYKsP2sOb9ew9xaUDGXWkcFsuourOg?loadFrom=SharedLink

For many years now, experts in Canada have been calling for a coordinated food policy to address issues related to the production, processing, distribution, and consumption of food. In this episode, we sit down with Evan Fraser, Director of the Arrell Food Institute and professor of geography at the University of Guelph to discuss what a food policy might consist of, why it matters and how it can be executed properly. Transcript available here: https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/84Iih_Q0cc3ef0oyvAhtfIEPjYdJKhHUoHZEQzKn5xa86pEWlPJY-PZskPiRmLiPP9DtC5Ay4aKsMUu3lzS2UOAHPiM?loadFrom=SharedLink

In a society where fewer people are knowledgeable about agriculture, it can be difficult to educate consumers on issues that arise relating to food. With an expectation of both safety and choice when it comes to food, keeping consumers and farmers on the same page can be challenging. In this episode, we sit down with Crystal Mackay, president of the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity to discuss agriculture, food choices and what needs to change in order to maintain both choice and trust in the Canadian Food System. Transcript available here: https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/lJlw9EHO3Wt9iz9KUWKUJptFq8kyGmBtK6iZv_PIpI-4Rpm-jTpO5L_8GMnl_J_UbIbWAnIYxev4Oow0X1jwBHWtEvk?loadFrom=SharedLink