Table Talk

This episode focuses on packaging, and the challenges that packaging pioneers face as they work to reduce our carbon footprint and point us in the direction of a sustainable future. Joining us to discuss how we can solve the important problems now are Gordon McSkimming, Sustainable Packaging Manager, Coca Cola European Partners, Suze and Jimmy Cregan, Co Founder's, Jimmy’s Iced Coffee Robin Clark, Global Director of Restaurant Services and Sustainability, Just Eat. and Pierre-Yves Paslier, Co-Founder, Notpla. Find out where we are, what developments are going to change the future, and practical ways small businesses can get involved in the sustainability movement.

In this episode we focus on the rise of low and no-alcohol drinks, and how a new, young, health-conscious consumer is causing a surge in demand for these products.  Joining us in the studio are Kantar, Three Spirit, and Club Soda: The Mindful Drinking Movement to discuss how the landscape has changed, the new products and development that are invigorating the market, and whether retailers should see the low and no-alcohol sector as a threat, or as an opportunity. About our panel Andy Crossan, Consumer Insight Director, Kantar Andy has been with Kantar for over 10 years. In that time he has worked internationally as well as domestically within their Worldpanel division which delves into the shopping habits, consumption and attitudes of adults in Great Britain.   Specialising in Alcohol shopper and consumer behaviours for the past 6 years, Andy represents Kantar at conferences presenting on key topics such as the movement towards moderation and the low/no alcohol sector.’    Dash Lilley, Co Founder, Thr

2019 has been the year of the vegan. Whether it's pundits debating the Gregg's vegan sausage roll or the announcement of new alternative protein sources, scarcely a day passes without some new development that helps to feed the massive demand for plant-based food and drink. Launched in 2014, Veganuary has been an effective advocate for plant-based eating, encouraging people to try abstaining from meat and dairy for a month. As a by-product it has created a huge opportunity for producers, who have a larger audience ready to consume their newest creations. In this episode we talk all things Veganuary, and are joined by Toni Vernelli, Head of Communications and Marketing International, Veganuary, Dr Carys Bennett, Senior Corporate Liaison, PETA and Nic Jones, Founding Partner, All Things Better – The Planets Agency, to gain their views on how plant-based eating will develop. Find out more about Veganuary and sign up here

How can our global resources feed an increasing population, without further damaging our biodiversity? How can the food and drink industry play a crucial role in introducing and promoting change that will help? Tony Hunter, Futurist for Food, is a global futurist and consultant specialising in helping food companies prepare for a changing marketplace. Following his session at Food Matters Summit he sat down with the Table Talk Podcast to discuss what a sustainable future looks like, and how the industry can help achieve it.

Inspired by the Fortune 500, Forward Fooding is proud to present The FoodTech 500, 2019’s definitive list of the most inspirational shortlisted businesses in the world of AgriFoodTech. The FoodTech 500 shortlist showcases companies (early-stage startup to scaleup) that are building and scaling AgriFoodTech businesses, addressing the rapid need for change across the food ecosystem. Founder of Forward Fooding, Alessio D'Antino, explains how the FoodTech 500 concept started, what criteria was used to select the shortlisted companies, and what happens next in a special Table Talk Podcast direct from the Food Matters Summit. Find out more about the Food Tech 500 here https://forwardfooding.com/foodtech500

What potential does technology, including AI, have to help revolutionise farming and agriculture systems? Is agritech the answer to a sustainable future? Join a panel of experts in the fields of technology & sustainability, including Dr Katrina Hayter, Industrial Strategy Challenge Director, Innovate UK, Iggy Bassi, Founder & CEO, Cervest, Belinda Clarke, Director, Agri Tech East, & JP Dorgan, Global Head of Client Services, Map of Ag, who'll provide the answers to those questions. About our panel Dr Belinda Clarke, Director, Agri-Tech East Agri-Tech East is a membership organisation that is bringing together entrepreneurial farmers, early-stage and established technology companies and researchers in leading academic centres to create a global innovation hub in agri-tech. Collaborations and innovations emerging from the cluster are accelerating progress towards sustainable and productive and profitable food systems. Our REAP conference on November 6th (www.reapconference.co.uk) is a

Health claims are an important marketing tool for food businesses, if your product has a nutritional or health benefit, why not shout about it? However, many businesses, especially SME's, may not know the regulations they need to comply with when they make these claims. Join Jessica Burt, Associate (Food Law), Mills & Reeve, & Liz Tucker, AfN Registered Nutritionist & Food & Drink Industry Advisor as they explore the challenges food businesses face in relation to health food claims, and what impact new legislation like Natasha's Law, has on the claims businesses can make.

The EAT Lancet Commission Report was published earlier this year to answer the key question ‘Can we feed a future population of 10 billion people a healthy diet within planetary boundaries?’ It brought together 37 world leading scientists from across the globe & looked at how diet & behaviour would need to change in order to do this. In the latest Table Talk Podcast join EAT Science Director Fabrice DeClerck as he explains the scale of the problem we face, how a sustainable diet can be defined, & what we need to do to help facilitate a positive change.

Technology has changed the retail landscape. Shoppers have become more demanding and expect rich, accurate data on everything they purchase, from provenance to allergens, packaging composition to calorie counts, and everything in between. In the latest Table Talk Podcast, in partnership with GS1 UK, we investigate what retailers, manufacturers and the industry as a whole are doing to tackle these challenges. Lending their valuable insight are Richard Sadler, customer director at Unilever, Dan Sands, head of brand engagement at GS1 UK, and Paul Sumner, programme manager at Tesco. To find out more about productDNA please click here

The second in our Gut Health Series looks at the mystery and science of the gut:brain axis. In this episode, Dr. Megan Rossi (The Gut Health Doctor), a leading researcher in gastrointestinal health and author of Eat Yourself Healthy, joins us to talk about the intrinsic link between gut health and mental health. About Dr Megan Rossi Dr. Megan Rossi, The Gut Health Doctor, is considered one the most influential gut health specialists internationally. A practicing Dietitian and Nutritionist for the last decade and with an award-winning PhD in gut health, Dr Rossi is passionate about empowering others to take control of their health and happiness from the inside out. Dr. Rossi’s latest book Eat Yourself Healthy: An easy-to-digest guide to health and happiness from the inside out is released today.  A leading Research Fellow at King’s College London, Dr. Rossi is currently investigating nutrition-based therapies in gut health, including pre- and probiotics, dietary fibres, plant-based diversity, the low

Laser weeding? Agricultural robots? Is the future of farming going to be a hybrid of human and technology? Yes, and in the latest Table Talk Podcast we explain how and why. Joining us to provide his expert insight into AgTech is Professor Simon Blackmore, a key figure in the development of Precision Farming and agricultural robotics, who will discuss what is happening now and how the future of farming will be affected by technology.

What makes a diet sustainable? How can the food industry encourage diets that are sustainable? What scientific, economic and social factors have prevented these diets becoming mainstream already? Professor Charles Godfray, Director, Oxford Martin School and Lead Researcher of the Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Food answers these questions in the latest Table Talk Podcast. His expertise provides an insight into the changes that will be needed to make sustainability the norm.

Following last week's fascinating look at satiety, and the science behind foods that make you feel 'fuller for longer' we keep our eye focused on nutrition. This episode offers an exploration on how the time you eat can affect your nutrition, energy balance and health. What are studies on the field of chrono-nutrition concluding? How does the research linking our meal time, our circadian rhythm and metabolism impact our approach to weight management? Joining host Stef Gates is Professor Alex Johnstone, Senior Research Fellow, The Rowett Institute, University of Aberdeen. Alex is a Senior Research Fellow and Registered UK Nutritionist based at the Rowett Institute, University of Aberdeen. She leads internationally competitive research in the area of human appetite control, with frequent interaction with local, national and international food sectors.

Satiety is key to weight management, but what is the science behind satiety-enhancing 'fuller for longer' foods? An expert podcast panel including Professor Alex Johnstone, Senior Research Fellow, The Rowett Institute, University of Aberdeen, Dr Kavita Karnik, VP Global Nutrition and Open Innovation, Innovation & Commercial Development, Tate & Lyle Plc, and Dr Adrian Brown PhD RD NIHR Lecturer/Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics Honorary Specialist Dietitian, Centre for Obesity Research University College London investigate the science behind satiety and how producers can use it to create products perfect for the health-conscious consumer.

Your packaging is the first thing a consumer sees when shopping for their food, it conveys information about taste, experience, and your brand. The latest Table Talk Podcast looks at packaging design, and how food and drink brands can use it to help promote their products, and most importantly, become more sustainable. Join our panel including the Deborah Dawton, Chief Executive, Design Business Association, Chris Aukett, Director, The Big Picture, and Chris Griffin, Chief Executive, Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising explain how brands can make a connection with consumers through creative pack design.

In this week's Table Talk Podcast we take a look at one of the foremost issues affecting our planet, the need to be more sustainable. How can the food industry help promote sustainability, and make money at the same time? An expert panel including Dawn Carr, Director of Vegan Corporate Projects, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Ursula Arens, Working Group Member, the British Dietetic Association's One Blue Dot programme, and Matt Loose, Senior Director, SustainAbility join the debate to identify how the industry and consumers can move towards a sustainable future together.

What next for nutraceuticals? With the nutraceutical world growing host Stefan Gates is joined by an expert panel including Nick Bennett, Head of Nutrition, Brunel Healthcare & Chair of the Council for Responsible Nutrition UK, Miriam Ferrer, PhD, Head of New Product Development, Cambridge Nutraceuticals and David Crooks, Nutrition, Science & Communications Manager, The Nature's Bounty Company to discuss the challenges the sector faces, and what are the opportunities for the future. Are they better suited to being supporting actors – supplementary to diets and fulfilling a quasi-healthcare function? Or can they play a leading role, and become part of mainstream food and drink formulation and manufacture? 

There has been huge disruption within the food and drink industry, as we have heard through our earlier episodes of Table Talk. Consumer demand for more sustainable and healthier products is on the rise as consumers look to shift their dietary habits to more plant based and meat free alternatives. Industry are meeting demand with an abundance of new product development and innovation in plant based, alternative proteins/ meats and healthier options. What role can sensory science play in development of these new food solutions?  Disruptive food design and technologies are all well and good, but success inevitably comes down to the question of taste. In today’s podcast we’ll explore what role sensory science plays in product development and the experience of consuming food that these technologies play into. Joining host Stefan Gates are Barry Smith, Professor, Institute of Advanced Studies, University of London, Charlotte Catignani, Research and Development Manager, Treatt, Jozef Youssef, Founder, Kitchen

Recent high profile mistakes in food labelling have brought into sharp focus exactly how dangerous it can be to be complacent about allergies, allergens and your legal duty to provide customers with information. Compliance isn’t just about ticking the box marked ’14 allergens’. It requires a comprehensive strategy and commitment throughout your supply chain, from raw ingredients suppliers to the consumer. This week’s podcast will explore the changes in food information regulation and the practicalities of compliance. Joining host Stefan Gates by phone are Liz Tucker, AfN Registered Nutritionist & Food & Drink Industry Advisor, and Nicola Smith, Director, Squire Patton Boggs (UK) LLP, who will discuss what regulations are changing, what steps retailers have taken to increase the prominence of allergen information, and what companies need to consider in light of proposed regulatory changes.

The third in a series of podcasts focused on food tech, this episode meets four disruptive start-ups transforming the food and drink industry. Joining host Stefan Gates are Bernie Williams, CEO of myDNAhealth, Domini Hogg, Founder, Tried and Supplied, Ben Scott-Robinson, Co-Founder, Small Robot Company, and Barney Wragg, CEO, Karakuri. First up Dominic Oughton, Industrial Associate & Open Innovation Forum Lead, Institute for Manufacturing, University of Cambridge speaks about what he is looking for from start-ups taking part in their Food Tech Matters pitch session.