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The Food Chain

The Food Chain

BBC World Service

The Food Chain examines the business, science and cultural significance of food, and what it takes to put food on your plate.

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Top 10 The Food Chain Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Food Chain episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Food Chain for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Food Chain episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

The Food Chain - Is this the end of the British caff?
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04/12/23 • 35 min

The British "caff" - slang for café, and home of the breakfast fry up, or "full english" - is under threat. Many have closed, struggling to compete with changing tastes and the success of chains.

Many of Britain’s historic caffs opened in the 1940s and 50s, run by Italian migrants. Some of these original caffs are still trading, run by second and third generation Italian families.

In this programme Ruth Alexander hears stories of the famous caffs that have closed for good, and goes in search of caffs still going. She’s joined by actor Michael Simkins, who has relied on hearty caff fare during a 40-year career in the theatres of London’s West End, and meets actor and director Mark Gatiss, who is finding it increasingly hard to find a good cup of tea in the capital.

Ruth visits cafes that have been operating for decades – Bar Bruno in Soho, and Dino’s Café in east London, to learn exactly what their customers love so much about the traditional British caff.

Restaurant sector consultant James Hacon describes the changes seen in the hospitality industry in the last twenty years, and why caffs now face such stiff competition.

If you would like to get in touch with the programme, email - [email protected].

Presented by Ruth Alexander.

Produced by Beatrice Pickup.

(Image: Ernie Fiori proprietor of Dino’s Café at New Spitalfields Market, East London, holding up his tea pot. Credit: BBC)

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The Food Chain - The fungi kingdom

The fungi kingdom

The Food Chain

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07/06/22 • 30 min

It’s not just fauna and flora, there’s a third, much overlooked kingdom of life – fungi.

Fungi are essential for plant and soil health, and therefore our own survival.

It’s not just the mushrooms that we eat, in this programme we celebrate fungi in all its forms. Fungi already play important roles in our food production and medicine, scientists are now investigating fungi based solutions for environmental pollution and waste disposal.

We’re joined by biologist Merlin Sheldrake in the United Kingdom, author of ‘Entangled Life’, Giuliana Furci, mycologist and founder of the Fungi Foundation, the world’s first non-governmental organisation for the protection of fungi, based in Chile and Danielle Stevenson, a mycologist looking at soil toxicity in the United States.

(Picture: fungi growing on a log. Credit: BBC)

Presented by Ruth Alexander.

Produced by Beatrice Pickup.

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The Food Chain - When foods get famous

When foods get famous

The Food Chain

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02/28/19 • 26 min

Why do some fruits and vegetables achieve superstar status, appearing on T-shirts worn by celebrities, or in tattoos adorning some of the biggest names in music? Who is behind the rise of avocados and kale, and who benefits most from their A-list status - savvy farmers, slick marketeers or health campaigners?

Emily Thomas explores whether fruit and vegetables should play the fame game: Is putting a single food on a pedestal good for consumers, producers, or the planet? Jess Loyer, from the University of Adelaide, and Lauren Westmore, from London PR firm Third City explain the potential pitfalls. Xavier Equihua, CEO of the World Avocado Organization explains how he promotes the fruit across the globe. And a small-town T-shirt maker, Bo Muller-Moore, reveals how he may have contributed to the rise and rise of kale.

Plus, why is it so much easier to create a buzz around one vegetable than an entire food group? Anna Taylor from UK healthy eating think-tank The Food Foundation, describes her uphill battle against public attitudes and the enormous advertising budgets of Big Food.

(Photo: Avocado being photographed. Credit: BBC)

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The Food Chain - A year in the life of a Chinese restaurant
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03/31/21 • 26 min

Anti-Asian hate has surged since the coronavirus outbreak, and some of the most common targets have been Chinese food businesses.

Tamasin Ford speaks to three people who’ve witnessed the rise of Sinophobia first hand and seen it damage not only their livelihoods, but also their families.

They explain why they’re not prepared to stay silent, as was often the case for previous generations, and how they plan to use food in the fight against racism and ignorance.

Producers: Simon Tulett and Sarah Stolarz

If you would like to get in touch with the show please email [email protected]

(Picture: A person holds a sign during a rally against anti-Asian hate in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Credit: Kerem Yucel/AFP/Getty/BBC)

Contributors:

Patrick Mock, manager of 46 Mott bakery in New York; John Li, owner of Dumpling Shack, London; Ying Hou, owner of ShanDong MaMa, Melbourne

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The Food Chain - Why use food for fuel?
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07/20/22 • 29 min

Biofuels are a way to make our cars, lorries and even planes run on renewable fuel. They’re often made from food crops.

Globally 7% of cereal crops and 15% of vegetable oil crops are used to make biofuel – according to data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

As pressure on food prices and supply chains increase, some people are questioning why we turn food into fuel.

In this programme we’ll be looking at the history of biofuels, why food crops have been used, and what alternatives may exist. Joining us are Daniel Kammen, Professor of Energy at University of California, Berkeley, who is currently serving as a senior advisor for energy and innovation in the Biden administration in the United States; Bernardo Gradin, the founder and CEO of Gran Bio, a company that produces biofuel made from sugar cane waste in Brazil; and Sailaja Nori, Chief Scientific Officer at Sea6 Energy, a company investigating the possibilities of biofuel made from seaweed in India and Indonesia.

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: [email protected]

Presented by Ruth Alexander.

Produced by Beatrice Pickup.

Additional reporting by Ashish Shama.

The deadline for nominations for the award referenced at the end of this podcast has been extended to 23:00 GMT on Thursday 18th August 2022. *Page updated 28 July 2022 due to entry window extension.

(Image: Field of rapeseed crops behind picture of fuel nozzle. Rapeseed image credit: BBC. Fuel nozzle credit: Matthew Fearn/PA)

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The Food Chain - The rise of private chefs
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10/18/23 • 27 min

This week, Ruth Alexander is exploring the growing market for professional home cooking and asking whether you’re guaranteed the luxury experience you’re paying for.

She speaks to private chef Juliana White, also known as Plate in Progress, about what it's like to cook for the rich and famous in The Hamptons, a summer destination for affluent New York residents.

Kate Emery, founder of Amandine International Chef Placement in the south of France, tells Ruth how she handles the big personalities of chef and client, and discusses the demand for private chefs from the middle classes.

We talk to one of the newer types of customers, John Holt, about why he's happy to spend handsomely to hire a private chef for an evening, and why it isn't always a success.

Italian-born Marcello Ghiretti treats Ruth to some breakfast, and explains the issues surrounding private chefs and professional standards.

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When does a ‘healthy diet’ become unhealthy? This week the Food Chain looks at Orthorexia Nervosa - an unofficial term used to describe an eating disorder where people restrict their diet based on the quality and purity of food, rather than its quantity. The BBC’s Emily Thomas talks to women who have suffered from following extreme healthy diets, and hears how their internet use influenced their eating behaviour. We also hear from the people trying to help those whose quality of life is being destroyed in their pursuit of quality food.

If you or someone you know has been affected by eating disorders please see the links to resources at the bottom of this page.

Photo: Woman rejecting water and lettuce Credit: Getty Images

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The Food Chain - The fertiliser that blew up Beirut
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09/09/20 • 29 min

Following the Beirut explosion, we’re exploring the chemical that caused the blast - ammonium nitrate. It’s something many of us will have come across before, it’s in some of our antibiotics and used to feed yeast but it’s most commonly sold as a fertiliser. Graihagh Jackson examines how this substance has changed the world - feeding millions on the one hand, and fuelling warfare, pollution and biodiversity loss on the other.

If you would like to get in touch, please email [email protected]

(Picture: Ammonium nitrate on petri dish. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)

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The Food Chain - Naturally Misleading?

Naturally Misleading?

The Food Chain

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08/27/16 • 26 min

What is 'natural' food and is it better for us? We explore the language of food labelling. Does a product bearing the word 'natural' on its label make you more likely to buy it? Or, is describing food as 'natural' just a marketing trick? We hear from a cattle farmer in the US state of Vermont who stopped using growth hormones on his herd so that the meat can be sold as 'natural'. Consumer psychologist Kit Yarrow, professor emeritus at Goldengate University in the US, explains how companies market "natural" food to us.

Are some supermarkets misleading their consumers with the way they are presenting their food? Journalist Tom Levitt from The Guardian tells Manuela Saragosa why some packaging may not tell the whole story. And we hear how the mislabelling of food in China can provide rich pickings for professional label readers. With more and more products declaring their 'pure' origins, David Jago, director of Global Insight and Innovation at the market intelligence company Mintel, outlines the size of the market. Should the word 'natural' be more closely defined? We ask Daniel Fabricant, CEO of the Natural Products Association in the US and a former FDA official.

Also, Manuela asks whether a diet of completely unprocessed natural food could actually be healthier for our bodies. Nutritionist Dimple Thakrar from Fresh Nutrition tells us why some processing could add to a healthy diet. And lawyer Kun Hoe describes how some professional label readers in China can benefit from mistakes in packaging.

(Photo: Shoppers in China's Anhui province. Credit: STR/AFP/Getty Images)

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The Food Chain - Food Far From Home

Food Far From Home

The Food Chain

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10/31/15 • 30 min

The biggest refugee crisis since World War Two continues to intensify and once the treacherous journey to physical safety is complete, refugees have to contend with the next imperative for survival: how to get their next meal. We hear tales from the front line - from the informal efforts of volunteers on the Greek island of Lesbos to the more formally run Zaatari camp in Jordan. In Greece, newly arrived refugees tell how they were too scared to eat on the boat journey from Turkey. We hear how the humble banana has become a symbol of salvation and the source of a mounting rubbish problem. Then to Zaatari – arguably Jordan’s fourth largest city- where world agencies are trying to feed each person on about $30 a month and the question of future funding looms. And from Damascus to Bogotá - how a mother and son share their recipes over the phone in order to stay connected.

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FAQ

How many episodes does The Food Chain have?

The Food Chain currently has 471 episodes available.

What topics does The Food Chain cover?

The podcast is about Podcasts, Arts and Food.

What is the most popular episode on The Food Chain?

The episode title 'A year in the life of a Chinese restaurant' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on The Food Chain?

The average episode length on The Food Chain is 28 minutes.

How often are episodes of The Food Chain released?

Episodes of The Food Chain are typically released every 7 days.

When was the first episode of The Food Chain?

The first episode of The Food Chain was released on Oct 31, 2014.

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