Allinfoodz

Food Access and Security is an international issue that has become even more important during the COVID-19 pandemic. On this episode of allinfoodz, Amit Sharma is joined by Laura Zebrini, Consumer & Market Insights Project Leader at the Paul Bocuse Institute in Écully, France. They discuss the pandemic’s impact on food access and security in France.

Appalachian Food Works (AFW) is a farmer-focused, non-profit food hub working to build a more equitable food system by providing Central Pennsylvanians greater access to food grown and raised in Central Pennsylvania. On this episode of allinfoodz, Amit Sharma sits down with Travis Lesser, executive director of Appalachian Food Works, to discuss what food hubs are and how AFW is helping local farmers and consumers.

Food access and insecurity is an issue that the pandemic has only heightened. Researchers at Penn State School of Hospitality Management have taken a deeper dive into the impacts of food insecurity during this unprecedented time. On this episode of allinfoodz, Amit Sharma is joined by Chandler Yu, associate professor Penn State School of Hospitality Management, as they discuss their research on how the pandemic has impacted food insecurity and availability.

The foodservice business has been especially impacted by the effects of the pandemic. As a result, all aspects of the industry have had to make changes to the way they operate. On this episode of allinfoodz, Amit Sharma sits down with Hugh Roth, Senior Vice President, Chief Customer and Business Development Officer, PepsiCo Global Foodservice. They discuss the challenges faced by restaurants and supply chain operations caused by the pandemic and what Pepsi and their partners have done to adapt.

Food Insecurity has been an issue in American before the pandemic and recent events have only heightened the awareness for food availability. On this episode of allinfoodz, Amit Sharma sits down with Joel Berg, CEO of Hunger Free America. Joel is a nationally recognized leader and media spokesman in the fields of domestic hunger, food security, obesity, poverty, food-related economic development, national service, and volunteerism. They discuss America’s hunger challenges and how they can be remedied.

Our emotions impact our decision making daily, including our food choices. On this episode of allinfoodz, Amit Sharma sits down with Dr. Herbert L. Meiselman, an internationally known expert in sensory and consumer research, product development, and food service. They discuss how emotions impact food decisions as well as the emotional impact of COVID-19 on food choices.

Many industries have been affected by COVID-19 and the wine industry is no different. In this episode of allinfoodz, Amit Sharma sits down with colleagues from Penn State’s College of Agriculture Sciences who focus on alcohol and economic trends. Kathy Kelley, Ph.D., Professor of Horticultural Marketing and Business Management and Claudia Schmidt, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics discuss alcohol purchasing and consumption trends during the ongoing pandemic.

Food insecurity in the United States is a complex and multilayered issue. On this episode of allinfoodz, Amit Sharma sits down with Charlie Hoffs, Stanford undergraduate student and Isabelle Foster, Stanford alumna. They created a student-led research group focused on combating food insecurity in American communities with data driven policy. They discuss their perspective on food insecurities and how programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can help get food to those in need.

Even though schools have been forced to close during the COVID-19 pandemic, school food service directors have been busy supplying meals to students. In this episode of allinfoodz, Amit Sharma sits down with Megan Schaper, State College Area School District Director of Food Service, recently elected Vice President of the Pennsylvania School Nutrition Association and SHM alumna, HRIM ‘88. They discuss the challenges of switching from serving students in a cafeteria to providing meals for pickup and other unique challenges the pandemic has presented.

The new allinfoodz Rapid Response series brings food service professionals sound and creative suggestions to manage the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this episode, Amit Sharma is joined by Alexis Lorenc, recent graduate of Penn State School of Hospitality management. Alexis shares the unique promotions food service businesses are rolling out during this unprecedented time.