Omnivore

Hosted by Food Technology Magazine

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Jun 2026

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About the show

Advances in food science and technology are key to solving one of the world’s greatest modern challenges: How to sustainably and safely feed and nourish a global population expected to reach 9 billion by 2050. Join the award-winning editors of Food Technology, the flagship magazine of the Institute of Food Technologists, every other Monday for Omnivore, the podcast that amplifies the voices of the international food science and technology community working to feed the world. Curated from the pages of Food Technology, each episode serves up a series of solutions-oriented content and expert viewpoints on the food industry’s most top-of-mind issues, fortified by sound, science-based analysis. Featuring lively discussion and interviews with leading food scientists and researchers, product innovators, policy makers and thought leaders from across the world of food, you’ll find the Omnivore podcast an audio smorgasbord where the business and science of food intersect.

Listen to episodes

10 recent

June 15, 202616 min

How AI Is Transforming Food Safety | EP 83 (SciDish)

In a recent cover story, Food Technology explored how artificial intelligence is helping food companies move from reacting to contamination events to predicting risk earlier—while raising urgent questions about validation, accountability, and human oversight. In this episode, we’re continuing that conversation with three of the experts featured in the story—Willette Crawford, Matt Henderson, and Jeff Varcoe—to dig deeper into where AI is already delivering value, where the hype exceeds the science, and why humans still hold the line. Plus: This episode of Omnivore is brought to you by IFT FIRST – Food Improved by Research, Science, and Technology. Join us July 12–15, 2026, at McCormick Place in Chicago. Learn more at ift.org.

May 18, 202633 min

Rethinking Complete Nutrition in Frozen Foods, Plastic-Free Packaging | EP 82

Bob Little, CEO of Kanzen Meal, a subsidiary of Nissin Foods, gives the scoop on how the company is rethinking wellbeing in the frozen aisle with its line of single-serve meals designed to deliver all 27 essential nutrients the body needs each day. Packaging experts Claire Sand and Ogechukwu Tasie explore how bio-based materials, agricultural waste, and emerging coating technologies could reduce food packaging’s reliance on synthetic plastics while preserving food safety, shelf life, and performance. Plus: This episode of Omnivore is brought to you by IFT FIRST – Food Improved by Research, Science, and Technology. Join the leading food science and innovation expo, IFT FIRST, at McCormick Place in Chicago, July 12-15, 2026, for the industry’s premier event connecting innovation, science, and business. Learn more at ift.org.

May 11, 202634 min

Winning Back Trust in Food Science | EP 81 (SciDish)

Food science has a trust problem. In this episode, we’ll explore some of the reasons why consumers are mistrustful and confused, discuss how misinformation spreads, and share thoughts on what food professionals can do to help rebuild trust in the food system. Science communication experts Linda Eatherton and Veronica Jarmillo break down some of the challenges of science communication and offer practical strategies for addressing misinformation. Plus: This episode of Omnivore is brought to you by IFT FIRST – Food Improved by Research, Science, and Technology. Join the leading food science and innovation expo, IFT FIRST, at McCormick Place in Chicago, July 12-15, 2026, for the industry’s premier event connecting innovation, science, and business. Learn more at ift.org.

April 20, 202638 min

Food Product Scale-Up Strategies, A New Path for Chocolate Production | EP 80

IFT’s Renee Leber explains how food companies successfully scale products from lab prototypes to commercial production while managing the process, equipment, and formulation challenges that emerge during plant trials. California Cultured CEO Alan Perlstein discusses how plant cell culture could transform cocoa production, offering a more sustainable, scalable, and consistent approach to meeting rising global demand for chocolate. Plus: This episode of Omnivore is brought to you by RTI International and Almond Board of California.

April 13, 202634 min

Designing Climate-Resilient Food Systems | EP 79 (SciDish)

Circular food systems aim to reduce waste and retain value—but scaling them is complex. In this episode of SciDish, experts explore how upcycling, new technologies, and system-level thinking are reshaping how food is designed, produced, and brought to market. Plus: This episode of Omnivore is brought to you by RTI International and Almond Board of California.

March 23, 202638 min

Trend Talking With Liz Sloan, Alt-Meat Is a Long Game | EP 78

Food Technology trend guru Dr. Liz Sloan shares her take on the defining consumer trends of 2026, which range from next-gen comfort food to snackable beverages. And John Ruff, retired senior vice president of R&D at Kraft Foods and a past president of IFT, draws on decades of product development experience to explain why alternative meat is a long game—one that will likely be defined by hybrids, mycoproteins, incremental improvements, and products consumers choose because they taste great, not because they’re told they should. Plus: This episode of Omnivore is brought to you by IFT FIRST – Food Improved by Research, Science, and Technology. Join the leading food science and innovation expo, IFT FIRST, at McCormick Place in Chicago, July 12th through the 15th, for the industry’s premier event connecting innovation, science, and business. Learn more at ift.org.

March 16, 202640 min

How Food Science is Reinventing Meat | EP 77 (SciDish)

In this episode of SciDish, we sit down with Bruce Friedrich, founder and president of the Good Food Institute, to unpack his new book MEAT: How the Next Agricultural Revolution Will Transform Humanity’s Favorite Food—and Our Future, recently named one of Publishers Weekly’s Top Ten New Releases in Science. Rather than arguing against meat consumption, Friedrich explores a pragmatic question: if global demand for meat continues to rise, can science help us produce it more efficiently, safely, and sustainably? We dig into the food science and biotechnology behind plant-based and cultivated meat, the real-world bottlenecks to scaling these innovations, why conventional meat companies are investing in alternative proteins, and how policy decisions today could quietly shape the future of protein production. Plus: This episode of Omnivore is brought to you by IFT FIRST – Food Improved by Research, Science, and Technology. Join the leading food science and innovation expo, IFT FIRST, at McCormick Place in Chicago, July 12th through the 15th, for the industry’s premier event connecting innovation, science, and business. Learn more at ift.org.

February 23, 202635 min

Deconstructing America’s New Dietary Guidance, Unlocking Sustainable Fat Innovation | EP 76

With an insider’s view of how national guidance gets made, nutrition policy expert Robert Post breaks down the newly released U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, highlighting what’s truly new, what echoes past advice, and why the shifts matter. James Petrie, founder of Nourish Ingredients, explains how his company is creating animal-free fats that will allow product developers to formulate next-generation plant-based foods with better taste and mouthfeel. Plus: This episode of Omnivore is brought to you by Almond Board of California.

February 16, 202631 min

What post-GLP-1 eating means for food innovation | SciDish February 2026

As GLP-1 use reshapes appetite, taste perception, and eating patterns, food companies face new challenges—and opportunities—in how they design and deliver nutrition. In this episode of SciDish, experts explore what post-GLP-1 eating really looks like and how food can better support consumers across a changing nutritional journey. Plus: This episode of Omnivore is brought to you by Almond Board of California.

January 26, 202646 min

EP 75: GLP-1 Trend Gets Hotter, Rethinking UPF Myths and Mechanisms

Circana’s Sally Lyons Wyatt walks us through new research from the global consulting firm’s that reveals just how dramatically GLP-1 medications are shifting U.S. consumer eating and purchasing behavior—and how CPG brands and retailers can get ahead of increasing consumer demand. Nutrition and metabolism researcher Kevin Hall unpacks the latest science on ultra-processed foods, explaining why debates over definitions often miss the deeper mechanisms driving excess calorie intake, and explores how food scientists, nutrition researchers, and industry innovators can work together to develop healthier, evidence-based products for the future. Plus: This episode of Omnivore is brought to you by IFT Membership. It’s where you belong. As a member, you’ll enjoy a global community united by purpose and driven by science ready to make a lasting impact on the global food system. Visit ift.org/join.