Essential Ingredients Podcast

“The best approach to serve the needs of humanity lies on our capacity to optimize the use of the actual product at maximum levels.”  -José Luis Cabañero

Episode Description:

Food is an amazing human experience, and the chances of exciting adventures are high.  If you're in for a sweet, life-changing journey, this episode is for you!  Tune in as Justine talks to José Luis Cabañero, Founder of Eatable Adventures.  Justine and José discuss:  how to increase production outputs while minimizing food waste; where to place your bet to make your startup a success; determining the viability of a business; and what to focus on BEFORE getting professional funding.  José also shares interesting projects in the field of alternative proteins, AI in fermentation, and climate-affected precision farming. 

Meet José: 

José Luis has been active in the innovation and new technologies industry for almost 30 years, working with such international corporations as Cisco, Oracle, BBVA, and Unisys as EMEA and LATAM new markets and emerging sectors development business director.

Educated as a Computing Engineer at Extremadura University, José Luis completed his tech studies with business and culinary studies at Stanford University — Executive Program – Le Cordon Bleu at Francisco de Vitoria University in Madrid — Diplôme de Cuisine – Reims Champagne- Ardennes University – Diplôme Universitaire DUGGAT – and Haas Business School Berkeley University – Venture Capital Executive Program.

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Episode Highlights:

02:23 The Food Ecosystem

08:31 How to Determine Viability

12:53 The Best Approach to Human Service

17:27 The Best Way to Reach the Market

20:38 Before Getting Professional Funding

24:23 How to Survive Covid and Help Others

 “Understand how you feel after you eat something and you'd be surprised by how much better you can feel if you weren't eating that one thing that your body hates.” - Niki Papaioannou

 “The way the food industry operates is a business. Businesses have to make money and marketing can be very misleading… You should look at product labels and see where it comes from and how it is grown.” - Dr. Nadia Rizzo

Episode Description:

Make the world a healthier place! In this episode, Justine speaks to Dr. Nadia Rizzo, a Naturopathic Doctor and Niki Papaioannou, the Founder of Niki Inc. Nadia and Niki share why businesses and consumers should become mindful about the choices they make. Listen for tips on how you can alter your diet and make better food choices for a healthier you!

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Episode Highlights:

03:09 Informed Choices Impacts Our Health

08:37 Offer The Best Version Of Every Plate

12:37 Make The World A Healthier Place

15:26 Identify Individuals’ Food Sensitivity

18:30 What Can Iron Do For You?

22:24 Why You Need A Naturopathic Doctor In Your Life

24:43 Eat Differently

“The greater goal is to create as much impact as possible in terms of education and climate. We're not just telling people what to do, we're showing them what to do, and what can be achieved if we all do it together.” -Peggy Chan 

 “People want to know where their food comes from. Slowing down the service helped in that aspect.” -Joel Tomas

Episode Description:

Zero Carbon Footprint- Is it possible? A great percentage of waste and carbon emissions come from the food industry, but with growing awareness, the world is now gradually moving towards a more sustainable future. Peggy Chan, Founder and Managing Director of Grassroots Initiative Consultancy, and Joel Thomas, Grassroots Initiative Consultancy's Projects and Ops Director discuss Chan's former restaurants Grassroots Pantry and Nectar, the duo's newest and much-lauded Hong Kong consultancy, and their desire to continue connecting consumers, chefs, owners, and food industry changemakers. They also discuss their new project: Zero Footprint Asia and Peggy’s e-cookbook, Provenance.  Tune in!

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Episode Highlights:

01:57 Make the Journey Meaningful

08:02 Focus Shift: Sustainable Operations

12:18 Bringing Back Consumer Connection

17:54 Cleaner Zero Waste Food

24:57 Zero Footprint Asia

33:03 What Power Do We Have? 

40:13 A New Trend For Media Contents

43:50 Where Healthy Food Begins

“Business can be a force of good and should be a force for good, not just profits.”  - Asim Khan

Episode Description:

How can you make money while doing good for the world? In this podcast, Asim Khan and his business partner (and brother), Qasim Khan, share how they incorporated their Pakistani culture and traditions when building their business, ZYN.  This duo values operating their business as a force for good and giving back to the community.  Tune in to hear how they started a viable business that’s good for the body, soul and community. 

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Episode Highlights:

03:50 A Product Of Cultural Lifestyle

06:27 Giving Back To The Community

09:55 Food As Medicine

24:55 A Better Food System

27:43 Bringing Ancient Wisdom Of Cultures Around The World

33:49 Building A Company From Scratch

36:49 A Company That Cares

“Remember why you're doing it...You can experience challenges along the way, it's inevitable.” -Jim Ngokwey

Have you thought about how you can live your dream in a way that would make a difference? In this episode, Jim Ngokwey shares how he was able to connect his passion with his heritage bringing a great impact on a local product to be globally competitive. He was given an opportunity to do business in a way that it would bring a positive impact to the Democratic Republic of Congo, his country of origin. Listen for tips on how to become a successful entrepreneur and weather even the seemingly insurmountable challenges. 

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Episode Highlights:

06:48 Exploring Congo As A Source Of Great Coffee

10:58 Transparency As A Real Thing

13:57 A Bridge That Connects People

16:29 Being Flexible And Supportive Partners

19:34 Invest In Relationships

20:39 Planning And Forecasting

23:24 The Key To The Process

25:53 Tips On Market Challenges 

27:56 Three Elements To Be Successful Entrepreneur

“Nobody, no country can change this alone. The food system is a global system.”  -Jian Yi

Episode Description:

We all love good food! In this episode, we continue to move forward with meat alternatives as Justine and Yvette interview Good Food Fund Founder, Jian Yi. Listen as Jian shares 3 of their initiatives in transforming the food system and why we should start reimagining the market space. If you're thinking of a more creative way of advocating for sustainability, Jian also provides tips on how to hold your own programs, create greater impact, and his new film that will help you see the animal world through a different lens. Today's takeaway: It takes a globe to change the future of food! If everybody does even a little something, it is a huge leap forward. 

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Episode Highlights:

01:53 Food System Transformation 

04:57 The Good Food Summit

10:03 The Good Food Festival

15:53 Reimagine the Role of Markets 

21:07 An Overwhelming Success

26:00 It’s a Global Act

31:24 Meat Veganism

38:49 Towards Sustainable Future

44:48 There’s Not One Solution

51:13 Animals Through the Lenses

“We choose quality and integrity on the product over price points because we knew that chocolate lovers wanted more than just chocolate.” -Jake Karls

Episode Description:

Chocolate and its comforting heavenly taste, the way it melts in your mouth, and how it makes your day- How can a treat be so good! This week, Justine speaks to Jake Karls, the Co-Founder of Mid-Day Square, the birthplace of the first-ever functional chocolate! Jake shares their bitter-sweet journey in creating a better-for-you chocolate. But what if you are diabetic? Discover what makes it MORE than chocolate and why doctors recommend this chocolate bar to their patients. Jake also shares product development and business-building strategies to help you connect with your consumers and become more resilient. Before you run for a bar from your stash of goodies, listen as Jake shares how you can get a discount on your purchase of this super chocolate.  

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Episode Highlights:

03:23 More Than Chocolate

07:20 Play to Your Strengths

10:42 A Functional Chocolate

15:08 What If You Are Diabetic? 

20:06 Why Document Your Journey

22:07 Go for the Offense

25:41 How to Connect to Your Consumers

29:36 Get Above Results

“There's so many interesting, delicious ways to enjoy all these foods. We just need to broaden our horizons.”  - Shaun Chavis

Episode Description:

A change in medical condition often means a change in diet. Having a long list of things you can't eat is becomes a daily torture. As a result, many people become isolated from their family food traditions. Is there a way to stay healthy while enjoying the food you love? Today, Justine interviews food journalist and founder of LVNGbook Shaun Chavis. Justine and Shaun talk about why food diversity is important, how the media and our society influence our perception of food and why food diversity is important to healthy living. Shaun also shares how you can build a delicious recipe that's unique to your taste and condition. Tune in and hear Shaun’s tips to level up your marketing and branding game!  

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Episode Highlights:

02:11 The Making of a Food Journalist

08:07 Cultural Challenge & Lack Of Diversity In Dietary Guidelines

16:11 Customized Cookbook For You

23:07 Marketing & Branding Tips

27:04 Culturally Diverse Inspired Meal

“Consumers are looking for a solution to a problem. When you give them an option that’s competitively priced and tastes just as good, they may opt in for a more sustainable better-for-you solution.” -Irina Gerry

Episode Description:

We are living in a time where sustainability is more urgent than ever. As a response, people are now more aware and concerned about how their decisions affect them and the earth. The trend in alternative proteins proves that this is slowly being realized. Irina Gerry, one of the pioneers in this field, gives her insights about creating a greater impact with change foods. Justine, Yvetter, and Irina talk about what change foods are and how they differ from the dreaded GMOs. They also discuss new trends and technologies in alternative protein such as precision fermentation, plant-based dairy options, and developments in the meat space. 

Irina also lists challenges in the alternative protein industry and 3 tips on how to launch a product that’s displayed on shelves and stays on shelves. Press the play button for another exciting conversation!

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Episode Highlights:

04:23 Silk: Plant-Based Protein Drinks

10:43 What Is Precision Fermentation?

13:05 Change Foods: Animal-Free Cheese 

19:37 Growth In Plant-Based Space All Over The World

26:39 Changes In Food System Today

32:52 Vision & Mission In Food System

43:35 Understanding GMO

 “It's not enough to have the best product. It's not enough to have the best marketing. If you combine the two, you have a really exciting opportunity.” Bjorn Öste

In this episode, we learn how that can be possible as Justine and Yvette interview Bjorn Öste, the CEO and Founder of Good Idea, and Co-Founder of  Oatly. Bjorn talks about how to create and launch a better-for-you product that has a solid foundation and how we, as consumers can benefit by being aware of how our food is made. Concerning this, he emphasizes the critical role research has on the success of any endeavor. Tune in and hear amazingly good ideas about health, lifestyle, and food technology!

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Episode Highlights:

01:39 A Product That The World Has Never Seen

06:41 Why Oats

15:02 An International Success

22:25 Research-Focused Products

25:51 How to Avoid Lifestyle Diseases

33:10 Grocery Foods vs Functional Foods

39:35 Best Combination of Success