Category Archives: Uncategorized

EP 65: Talking With a Cultivated Meat Innovator, MAHA at IFT FIRST

August 11, 2025UncategorizedOmnivore

Bianca Lê, a cell biologist and head of special projects at Mission Barns, shares the story of the groundbreaking startup’s path to the creation of cell-cultivated pork fat. Martin Hahn, a regulatory attorney and partner at Hogan Lovells, and Maha Tahiri, CEO of Nutrition Sustainability Strategies, explore how the MAHA agenda could reshape formulation, labeling, and ingredient safety strategies across the food industry in this live session recorded at IFT FIRST.

Plus: This episode of Omnivore is brought to you by IFT’s Science and Policy Initiatives, your food science advocate elevating the central role of food science in food and nutrition security, food safety, and sustainable food systems, and championing the adoption of science-based regulations in policies and legislation. Learn more at ift.org/policy-and-advocacy.

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EP 64: Open Innovation for Food System Transformation, Decoding Consumers’ Food Behaviors

July 21, 2025UncategorizedConsumer and Marketplace Trends, Innovations & Insights, Startups & New VenturesOmnivore

EIT Food’s Adam Adamek shares why open innovation is essential to solving food system challenges—and how startups, corporates, and researchers can collaborate more effectively to turn breakthrough science into real-world impact. June Jo Lee explains how food ethnography works and how it can help food companies anticipate the kinds of culture shifts that will shape the marketplace in the years ahead.

Plus: This episode of Omnivore is brought to you by Almond Board of California. Almonds offer endless possibilities for innovation. Visit Almonds.com/Trends to learn more.

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Omnivore Presents: SciDish | JULY 2025: The Scientific Skinny on Sugar Reduction

July 14, 2025UncategorizedOmnivore

Consumers haven’t soured on the low- and no-sugar trend. Food and ingredient manufacturers are heeding the call, looking to reformulate or develop reduced and zero-sugar product lines at a record pace. In this episode, Renee Leber and Lisa Sanders provide scientific insights, practical formulation techniques, and marketing strategies designed to equip attendees with actionable knowledge to tackle sugar reduction challenges and hit the sweet spot of consumer appeal and functionality.

Plus: This episode of Omnivore is brought to you by Almond Board of California. Almonds offer endless possibilities for innovation. Visit www.Almonds.com/Trends to learn more.

Also, be sure to check out the free-to-download Sugar Alternatives At A Glance resource and the IFT members-only Sugar Alternatives Overview mentioned in this podcast episode!

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EP 63: Have We Made Food Too Tasty?, Exploring the MAHA Report

July 7, 2025UncategorizedOmnivore

Behavioral science researcher Dave Lundahl proposes a solution to the problem of food product hyper-palatability, which is believed to be a significant contributor to the obesity crisis. In the wake of the recent high-profile Make America Healthy Again report calling for bans on dozens of food ingredients, Anna Rosales, IFT’s senior director of government affairs and nutrition, discusses the need to separate perception from scientific reality—and to explore what it will take to repair trust in the safety of our food system.

Plus: This episode of Omnivore is brought to you by Almond Board of California. Almonds offer endless possibilities for innovation. Visit Almonds.com/Trends to learn more.

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EP 62: Time to Act on Traceability, Novel Technology Could Improve Wheat Processing

June 23, 2025UncategorizedOmnivore

Food safety experts Jennifer McEntire and Tejas Bhatt discuss the FDA’s traceability rule delay, what’s still holding the industry back, and why companies need to act now—not wait. Passionate about reducing food waste, a Texas A&M University graduate student is working to apply a novel technology to help safely improve post-harvest wheat treatment.

Plus: This episode is brought to you by IFT FIRST—the food industry’s can’t-miss event coming to Chicago’s McCormick Place July 13-16. This year, IFT FIRST is exclusively unveiling a groundbreaking AI solution that taps into 85 years of scientific data. It’s not just another tech tool—it’s a virtual co-developer designed WITH food scientists, FOR food scientists. Experience breakthrough technologies, connect with global leaders, and be part of the conversations that matter. Register now at iftevent.org.

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Omnivore Presents: SciDish | June 2025: Food Safety 2025: Insights on Recalls, Risks, and Resilience

June 16, 2025UncategorizedOmnivore

In just the past several months, we’ve seen a sharp uptick in food recalls—affecting everything from leafy greens to frozen meals. And it’s not just one culprit—Listeria, Salmonella, E. coli, and even viruses like norovirus and parasites like cyclospora are in the headlines. Is this a coincidence, or are we facing a deeper shift in our food safety landscape? With fewer federal food inspectors, rising supply chain pressures, and emerging microbial threats, the question isn’t just “what’s happening?”—it’s “what can be done?” In this episode, we’re joined by three leading food safety experts who explore why these recalls are happening, what risks might be looming, and what businesses can do to strengthen resilience—even in a time of regulatory gaps and economic volatility.

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EP 61: Riding the AI Wave, The Iron Man Speaks

June 9, 2025UncategorizedOmnivore

The AI era is unquestionably here, and it’s advancing at lightning speed. In this episode, AI “futurist” and IFT FIRST keynote speaker Steve Brown discusses the unprecedented opportunities that AI offers, its benefits for the global food system, and why it’s important to embrace its new technologies with a mindset of curiosity instead of fear. Nicknamed The Iron Man by the media, University of Toronto professor emeritus Levente Diosady is best known for creating double-fortified salt, or DFS—a simple but powerful innovation designed to fight iron and iodine deficiencies. In this episode, Omnivore talks with Diosady, IFT’s 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award in Honor of Nicolas Appert recipient, about turning an everyday product into a lifesaving tool that now supports the health of millions.

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EP 60: African Food Trend Heats Up, Cornell Scientists Serve Up Food Solutions, Hitting the Sweet Spot with Sugar Reduction

May 19, 2025UncategorizedCulinary and Ingredient Trends, product development, Sugars and SweetenersOmnivore

In this episode, we chat with ‘Yemisi Awosan, founder and CEO of Egunsi Foods, a Harlem, New York-based food company focused on producing ready-to-eat African food derived from classic West African dishes, to find out more about this flavorful and trending cuisine. Cornell University researchers Aamir Iqbal and Jessica Uhrin take listeners through the product development process at the university’s food engineering lab, focusing on the creation of self-disintegrating milk protein puffs for people who have difficulty swallowing. IFT’s Food Science and Technical Services Manager Renee Leber discusses the move toward sugar reduction in foods and beverages and the complex challenges companies face as they work to lessen sugar in their products without sacrificing taste, texture, or shelf life.

PLUS: This episode of Omnivore is brought to you by IFT FIRST—where the future of food takes shape. Join thousands of changemakers and innovators at Chicago’s McCormick Place, July 13-16, 2025, for the food industry’s can’t-miss event of the year. Secure your spot at iftevent.org.

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Omnivore Presents: SciDish | May 2025

May 12, 2025UncategorizedCareer Resources, Networking, Professional DevelopmentOmnivore

MAY 2025: Insider Tips on Launching Your Food Science Career

Get the latest insights from the food science and technology community in the Omnivore Presents: SciDish podcast.

In this episode, executive search expert Moira McGrath, HP Hood senior manager of R&D engineering Dr. Karunanithy Chinnadurai, and Land O’Lakes quality assurance manager Srinivasarao Bandla share practical advice for starting a career in food science, from choosing roles, fine-tuning resumes, and preparing for interviews to building industry-relevant soft skills and sshowcasing your technical acumen.

Plus: This episode of Omnivore is brought to you by IFT FIRST—where the future of food takes shape. Join thousands of changemakers and innovators at Chicago’s McCormick Place, July 13-16, 2025, for the food industry’s can’t-miss event of the year. Secure your spot at iftevent.org.

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EP 59: Building a Better Food Ecosystem, Inside Aseptic Processing, GRAS Reform

May 5, 2025Uncategorizedaseptic processing, food safety, sustainabilityOmnivore

Global nutrition and food systems leader Alyson Greenhalgh-Ball shares her passion for creating a healthy food ecosystem that connects the dots between the health of people and the health of the planet. Consulting food scientist Rick Stier explains the historical significance and the science behind aseptically processed foods, beverages, equipment, and packaging—and why this processing technique has stood the test of time. Food safety and regulatory expert Steven Gendel talks about how the GRAS process really works, what’s driving calls for reform, and what a more transparent system might look like.

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