How much does front-of-pack information affect the food choices we make?

When we shop, many of us have our health in mind, but it can be a challenge to work out which products are genuinely good for us.

Nutritional labelling is supposed to help us along the way, but how effective is it?  

Since the introduction of the traffic light system in the UK, obesity numbers have actually risen.

Health claims are made, but do not often give us the full picture, so how do we make food labelling more transparent?

And underlying all of this is the big question: Does any of the information on food packaging actually make a difference to our diets and our health?

Zoe Davies, Nutritionist, Consensus Action on Salt, Sugar and Health

Jo Tucker, Senior Lecturer, University of West London

As more and more of us turn to a plant-based diet, the challenges the sector faces continue to come into sharper focus.

One of the biggest, is recreating the appearance, texture, flavour and mouthfeel of meat products.

On the Food Matters Live podcast, we have often talked to companies investing heavily in Research and Development to try to address these complex challenges.

In this episode, made in partnership with Royal Avebe, we are asking if the answers could be found in a surprising place - inside starch potatoes?

The potato is a vegetable which feeds a billion people a day, but it is also becoming renowned as a source of protein, fibre and starch ingredients.  

It is also being used as an ingredient for processes like gelation and emulsification.   

So, as the latest data shows that 25% of the UK population alone might be vegan or vegetarian by 2025, could the potato be about to increase its already significant influence on the global food industry?

Jaap Harkema, Segment Manager, Royal Avebe

Akkelien Vermüe, Strategic Marketing Manager, Royal Avebe

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, is a condition that affects people’s behaviour.

It is estimated that globally, around 5% of children and 3% of adults have it.

There is no cure for ADHD, although there are some medications to help manage the condition.

There is also growing evidence that nutrition may have a role to play.

The question is: How much can what we eat and drink affect a condition like ADHD?

Is it a crucial part of managing the condition, a total red herring, or one important cog in a very complex wheel?

Dr Duane Mellor, Nutrition and Evidence Based Medicine Lead, Aston Medical School

Alex Richardson, Founder, Food and Behaviour Research

Obesity is one of the most visible public health problems right across the world.   

The World Health Organization started sounding alarm bells in the 1990s.  

But despite various interventions by governments, so-called “globesity” has continued its inexorable progress.

It is clear that our changing diet plays a role, and many experts have singled out highly processed and refined foods as a major problem, particularly in the West.

But in this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, we ask: What is it about these particular types of food that contribute to obesity?   

And given the complexity of the issue, would eliminating them from our diets actually make much of a difference?

Professor David Raubenheimer, Leonard Ullmann Chair in Nutritional Ecology, Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney  

Dr Amanda Grech, Research Fellow, Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney

Over the past few years sustainability has really come to the fore – becoming an essential aspect of any forward-looking food business.

On the Food Matters Live podcast, the topic comes up again and again.

Given the scale of the global challenges around climate change and a growing population, it seems inevitable we will be talking about it for some time to come. 

The tricky thing is lots of claims are made about sustainability, so for investors looking to back businesses, the question is: How do you separate greenwashing from genuine progressive thinking?  

Join the conversation – take part in Sustainable Food Week

And where should climate-conscious people, who want to see real change in the food system, be looking to invest?

In this episode, we investigate sustainable investment trends and ask how investments can help build a sustainable food system.

Rogier Pieterse, Managing Director, Pymwymic 

Patrick Thomas, Investment Director, Head of ESG Portfolio Management, Canaccord 

Christian Guba, Investor, Atlantic Food Labs

Dr Rupy Aujla is an NHS GP who is making waves, linking food and medicine.

His story is a remarkable and deeply personal one, which has led him on a journey he never imagined he would embark on.

Claims about the medicinal properties of certain foods have been spoken about for years.

The use of food as medicine dates back centuries – the Ancient Egyptians, for instance, consumed onions to aid digestion and goose fat was used to ease pain.

But how far can we go with the idea of using food to help with medical conditions?

It is clear there are dangers in getting the messaging wrong around this, medicine has saved countless lives.

So in this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, we speak to Dr Rupy and ask: What does the science say? 

Dr Rupy Aujla, NHS GP, best-selling author, Founder ‘The Doctor’s Kitchen’

Millions of Jewish families around the world are celebrating Passover with storytelling, wine, and food.

If you do not know, Passover is a religious festival that commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt.

The celebrations are filled with deep meaning and powerful symbolism.

The Seder Meal takes centre stage. It has many elements, with each item having its own symbolic meaning.

And like the story behind Passover, these foods have been passed down for generations and hold significance for lots of people.

So, in this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, we explore this delicious tradition, unpack the symbolism within, and look at how people are celebrating in the modern world.

Nora Rubel, Chair of the Department of Religion and Classics, University of Rochester

Helene Sinnreich, Director of the Fern and Manfred Steinfeld Program in Judaic Studies, University of Tennessee

Arthritis is a debilitating condition which affects millions of people around the world.  

In the UK alone, there are up to 10 million people living with it and it affects people of all ages.

So, what role can what we eat play in preventing and managing the condition?

Spoiler alert - there is no one-size-fits-all miracle diet.

But while we can be sure there is no miracle diet for arthritis, there are many foods which appear beneficial in fighting inflammation and joint pain.

So a greater understanding of the role of diet and nutrition is really important.

In this edition of the Food Matters Live podcast, we discuss which foods might be useful and which to avoid. 

And we ask whether supplements can play a role, and whether current research into areas like the gut microbiome might bring new solutions.

Martin Lau, Services Development Manager and Dietitian, Arthritis Action

Throughout history, where there have been human beings, there has been fermentation.

Human beings have a long-standing fascination with fermented foods, the question is: why?

Fermented products are enjoying a huge boom at the moment, Kimchi, Kefir and Kombucha are all on the up.

But that is just the tip of the iceberg. The truly interesting fact is something like a third of all food consumed by humans is fermented.

Fermentation is used in the making of pickles, olives, bread, beer, wine, chocolate, coffee, vinegar, soy sauce – the list goes on.

And we have been doing it for thousands of years.

So, in this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, we look at why humans ferment their food, find out about different fermentation methods, and ask what today’s food innovators are taking from this vast, rich tradition.

Simon Poffley, Founder, The Fermentarium

Eve Kalinik, Registered Nutritional Therapist, Author and Podcaster

Mushrooms have been eaten since the earliest history; a constant, in cuisines and medicine. 

So, harnessing their functional properties is nothing new but the mushroom is turning out to be the perfect modern food.  

Low in calories and carbohydrates, fat, and sodium, cholesterol-free, chock full of vital nutrients and fibre, and, importantly, apparently loaded with nutraceutical properties.

There is something of a boom in the mushroom world at the moment, in foraging, in sales of medicinal products, in grow-your-own mushroom kits.

So how is the food and supplements industry taking advantage of this boom? And how might they be used in the functional foods of the future?  

There are 140,000 species of mushrooms, and still lots to learn about many of them. So, are we on the cusp of a mushroom renaissance?

Andy Overall, Field Mycologist

Simon Salter, Co-Founder, DIRTEA

Zoey Henderson, Founder, Fungtn

Grayson Hart, Founder, Puresport