Eating Matters

This week on Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler is talking about kids and food and how all should be able to grow up eating nutritious food without the age old struggle of parents versus kids. Welcoming guests Pam Koch, Executive Director of the Tisch Food Center for Food, Education, and Policy at Columbia Teacher’s College, and Stefania Patinella, former Nutrition Director of Children’s Aid Society, they kick off the show debunking the myth that kids as a whole do not like eating healthy food. If food is both delicious and nutritious, the guests concur that kids will take to new menus in schools, for instance. Society has instilled many of the ideas of how difficult it is apparently to change kids’ diets for the better. After the break, the group talks how simply getting children involved in their food system conjures interest and desire to eat fresh foods. Tune in to for a wonderful discussion and to hear about those on the forefront of this matter making a difference. This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery.

—Stefania Patinella on Eating Matters

“Parents think that kids aren’t interested in and aren’t able to help cooking at home.” [6:52]

—Pam Koch on Eating Matters

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On today’s episode of Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler interviews Chef Evan Hanczor and Chef Michael Leviton to discuss the roll of chefs in food policy; a roll that is becoming more and more relevant in the recent years. Kim first allows the chefs to explain how they got into food and how they grew in the industry. They then move onto discussions regarding the need for food sustainability and the various methods of encouraging this.

Evan moved to New York City in 2009, working at Locanda Verde before nabbing a spot at Brooklyn’s Egg, where he mastered the many expressions of Southern cooking.

Michael Leviton has worked with some of the world’s top chefs and finest restaurants including: Joyce Goldstein at Square One, Alain Rondelli at Ernie’s, Gilbert Le Coze, Francois Payard and Eric Ripert at Le Bernadin, Elka Gilmore at Liberté and Elka, and Daniel Boulud at Le Cirque. In 1996, Leviton moved back to Boston to serve as Executive Chef at UpStairs at the Pudding. In February 1999, he opened Lumiere in his hometown of Newton, MA. In just a short period of time, Lumiere has become one of the best restaurants in the Boston area.

This show was brought to you by Tabard Inn.

“When I learned to cook, there was no such thing as sustainability as it applied to food. It’s just that if you wanted to be the best chef, you needed the best ingredients” [6:30]

—Michael Leviton on Eating Matters

“Bootcamp was a really interesting program for me….Chef’s interested in sustainability, there’s an easy path in making an impact through your customers, through your supply train, through where you choose to buy, how you choose to serve etc. ” [14:30]

—Evan Hanczor on Eating Matters

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This week on Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler is talking transparency in the food system. Inspired by the UCLA-Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Conference that took place last week, Kim welcomes Erika George, Professor of Law at the University of Utah and Andrea Freeman, Professor of Law at the University of Hawaii to the program. Every day brings increasing news articles, intensified citizen concern, and political focus to the problems of our food system, accompanied by a building consensus to address the known challenges. However, it is noted in conversation that both the factors shaping and the implications of our current food system are often opaque and difficult to analyze, due to both the complexity and lack of transparency in our system. Most Americans are not aware of the consequences of the supply chains that they participate in, and in some cases health information about food products is also obfuscated or unclear. Yet, Kim and guests point out that there is debate among policy makers and food producers about the amount and type of information that consumers should be entitled to. This episode of Eating Matters further examines the issue of transparency in the food system, with the guiding questions of what do we mean when we say transparency, the role of the consumer in using information, and what more information can achieve and not achieve. This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery.

—Erika George on Eating Matters

“People who do not have a lot of disposable income to spend on food do not have choice – labels are irrelevant to them.” [21:15]

—Andrea Freeman on Eating Matters

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This week on Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler is leading a discussion on food safety with guests Denis Stearns, Alli Condra, Margot Pollans, and Brian Snyder. Opening the show speaking with Denis regarding his law practice experience seeing more and more food safety cases, the conversation turns to the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) which was signed into law by President Obama on January 4, 2011. It aims to ensure the U.S. food supply is safe by shifting the focus of federal regulators from responding to contamination to preventing it. The group discusses if the bill and implications and also if it has been successful before turning to issues concerning small farmers and those advocating for the small farmers across the country. This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery.

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This week on Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler is taking on the topic of agricultural workers and the conditions under which they work in the United States. Welcoming Sanjay Rawal and Smriti Keshari, filmmakers responsible for the documentary, Food Chains, they explain that there is more interest in food these days than ever, yet there is very little interest in the hands that pick it. Farmworkers, the foundation of our fresh food industry, are routinely abused and robbed of wages. As the director of the film, Sanjay opens the show describing the big issues behind the film and why the it was ultimately made. Giving listeners an idea of what a day in the life of a farm worker is like, Smriti, one of the film’s producers, goes on to share the narrative of the film which focuses on an intrepid and highly lauded group of tomato pickers from Southern Florida – the Coalition of Immokalee Worders (CIW) – who are revolutionizing farm labor. Tune in to hear all about the forthcoming documentary and the issues it is bringing to light. This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery.

—Sanjay Rawal on Eating Matters

“What really attracted me was to lend a voice to the people at the front of that battle.” [27:10]

—Smriti Keshari on Eating Matters

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This week on Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler kicks off this show about food policy and political change with guest Michael Dimock. Michael is the President of Roots of Change which works to develop and support a collaborative network of leaders and institutions in California with interest in establishing a sustainable food system in the state by the year 2030. Talking to Kim about his latest projects as well as recent legislation concerning food, Michael explains what he has observed having been in the trenches lobbying for the food movement issues. In the second half of the show, Kim continues the conversation with Michael before introducing a new segment, Policy Made Personal, featuring UCLA Law student Sofia Beltran, reading an original essay. This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery.

“How do we get those who vote with their fork to now vote with their votes around these issues?” [25:45]

—Michael Dimock on Eating Matters

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This week on Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler tackles more notable food policy issues. Opening the show with the policy roundtable, she welcomes Denis Stearns, Cathy Nonas, and Samuel Wiseman as they discuss produce that is sold at farmer’s markets. Are farmers really growing the produce that they are selling? The roundtable next discusses the new partnership between the Girl Scouts of America and Nesquick to promote cookie – flavored drinks. After the break, Kim speaks with Carlye Burd and David Flemister from EmblemHealth about the ways that EmblemHealth is trying to change the health of the communities they work in by making the connection between food and health. Talking about their initiatives to help their customers lead healthier lives, EmblemHealth seeks to be seen as more of a health resource that happens to sell insurance. Tune in to hear a great roundtable discussion as well as an inspiring business plan from an insurance company trying to change the game. This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery.

—Carlye Burd on Eating Matters

“About a year ago we started shifting how we saw ourselves and instead of saying we’re a health insurance company, we realized that the first step in being a neighborhood resource and helping people to stay healthy, live well, and get better, is to change your internal mantra – we call ourselves a neighborhood health and wellness company. [20:41]

—David Flemister on Eating Matters

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This week on Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler welcomes in studio Ralph Loglisci of the Food and Environment Reporting Network (FERN) and via phone, Nadia Johnson of Just Food. Kicking off the show with a discussion about the recent People’s Climate March which recently occurred in New York City, Ralph and Nadia share their opinions on why the march and its cause is very connected to concerns about food and food policy. After the break, Kim gets Joan Gussow on the line to add her thoughts. Joan, a well known professor, author, food policy expert, environmentalist and gardener, is someone that The New York Times has called the “matriarch of the eat-locally-think-globally food movement.” Kim talks with Joan about the idea of what is referred to as ‘information pollution’ in the food industry. Seeking the truth behind controversial topics, it is increasingly difficult to find an unbiased information, especially when large corporations are concerned. Joan has led her classes through ways to dissect this type of problem and to be on the watch for who might be sponsoring such information. Taking on other hot topics spawned by the People’s Climate March, Joan initiates great talking points and encourages the consumer to educate themselves about where their food comes from and at what cost. Tune in for a thought-provoking episode picking up where the People’s Climate March left off. This program was brought to you by White Oak Pastures.

“If you’re going to talk about climate issues, you can’t really avoid talking the fact that we eat way too much meat – too much protein, period.” [29:18]

“Recognize, as Barbara Kingsolver said long ago, that whatever great thing you do today remember that it began with eating something that came out of soil.” [35:25]

—Joan Gussow on Eating Matters

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This week on Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler takes on the topic of healthy retail access, opening up the show with her roundtable discussion. Welcoming Cathy Nonas, Denis Stearns, and Paula Daniels, the group discusses timely topics in the food policy realm. Cathy is the Senior Advisor to the Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention & Tobacco Control at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene while Denis is a founding partner of Marler Clark, LLP, PS, a Seattle-based law firm with a national practice devoted to the representation of persons injured by unsafe food and drink. Paula Daniels is the founder of the Los Angeles Food Policy Council, a policy based collective impact initiative of food system leaders working toward an environmentally sustainable, equitable and regionally based food system. After the break, Kim speaks with Sabrina Baronberg and Clare Fox to gain their insights on healthy retail access. Sabrina is the Senior Director of the Food and Nutrition Programs at Public Health Solutions, a nonprofit organization that develops, implements and advocates dynamic solutions to prevent disease and improve community health. Likewise, Clare is the Director of Policy and Innovation for the Los Angeles Food Policy Council. Tune in to learn the ins and outs of healthy retail access from a plethora of experts around the country. This program was brought to you by The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

—Paula Daniels on Eating Matters

“It’s really important when we’re talking about food retail access to think about all the different facets of access. There’s convenience, there’s affordability, there’s attractability, there’s inventory, there’s merchandising, so it’s not just having things available.” [20:07]

—Sabrina Baronberg on Eating Matters

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This week, on the very first episode of Eating Matters, host Kim Kessler kicks off the episode with a roundtable discussion on food news and policy with Cathy Nonas and Denis Stearns. Cathy is the Senior Advisor to the Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention & Tobacco Control at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene while Denis was a founding partner of Marler Clark, LLP, PS, a Seattle-based law firm with a national practice devoted to the representation of persons injured by unsafe food and drink. After the break, Kim welcomes Ricardo Salvador, the senior scientist and director of the Food & Environment Program of the Union of Concerned Scientists. Kim talks with Ricardo about his role at the UCS which includes working with citizens, scientists, economists, and politicians to transition our current food system into one that grows healthy foods while employing sustainable practices. Tune in for an info-packed episode! This program was brought to you by The Tabard Inn.

—Cathy Nonas on Eating Matters

“Like so many things in the food industry, the use of antibiotics comes down to economics, which is really to say: it’s about profit and loss.” [5:57]

—Denis Stearns on Eating Matters

“Food is actually a big part of how we use our world. It is the world’s largest user of fresh water, with climate change this is a huge factor in terms of how we’re going to feed ourselves sustainably. Food is connected to everything. Literally.” [19:13]

—Ricardo Salvador on Eating Matters

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