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PODCAST

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.

arts food

All Episodes

26:28

Portion size: How much should you eat?

The Food Chain ·

2025/10/01

How much food is the “right” amount - and why is it so hard to work that out?Ruth Alexander explores the world of portion sizes, starting with the rise of “portion distortion” in the United States, where supersized sodas and giant restaurant plates became the norm. Nutritionist Lisa Young explains how this shift happened, and what it’s meant for public health.In São Paulo, dietitian Marle Alvarenga shares new research comparing Brazil, France, and the US, revealing how culture and globalisation

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26:29

Dining etiquette: What really matters?

The Food Chain ·

2025/09/24

Listeners to BBC World Service told us they hate it when fellow diners chew noisily or talk with their mouth full. But what is polite at mealtimes can vary wildly according to where in the world you are and who you are with.Ruth Alexander visits London's City of Westminster College to meet some of its teenage students, to find out about their different backgrounds and what good manners mean to them. She visits an exclusive private members club in the heart of London's West end to talk to Rupert

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26:28

How to set a food trend

The Food Chain ·

2025/09/17

Have you tried Dubai chocolate, hot honey or the fruit sando? They’re just a few examples of viral food trends which got everyone talking on social media. Rumella Dasgupta talks to creators and product developer to find out how much work goes into creating the next big thing in food. She hears how there’s often years of work behind the product that seems to suddenly be the latest craze. It might look as though some food trends go viral overnight, but entrepreneur Mike Kurtz explains how creating

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29:38

Flavour: The potato chip story

The Food Chain ·

2025/09/10

Self-confessed crisp lover Ruth Alexander traces the story of the crisp or potato chip, starting with a tasting experience matching fine wines and “rubbish crisps” at a wine bar in the northern English city of Manchester. With the help of journalist and crisp historian Natalie Whittle, Ruth finds out about the commercial beginnings of the potato chip in the fine dining rooms of nineteenth century New York. She meets the chef who travels the world searching for new taste sensations to develop into a

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26:28

Should I eat breakfast?

The Food Chain ·

2025/09/03

High prices, busy lives and the rise of intermittent fasting mean more people are skipping breakfast. This week, Ruth Alexander speaks to three experts in nutrition about whether that matters. She finds out what it’s best to eat for your first meal of the day and when is best to have it. Experts Courtney Peterson, a researcher in intermittent fasting and associate professor at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health in the United States.. Professor Alexandra Johnstone, a nutrition scientist

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26:29

Bottom trawling and the future of global fish supplies

The Food Chain ·

2025/08/27

Bottom trawling is one of the most widely used - and most destructive - fishing practices in the world. Dragging heavy nets across the seabed damages fragile ecosystems, depletes global fish supplies, and puts the livelihoods of small-scale fishers at risk.In this episode of The Food Chain, Rumella Dasgupta speaks to John Worthington, one of the last remaining fishermen in Fleetwood, UK, who fears a proposed ban on bottom trawling in Marine Protected Areas could end his business. Fisheries economist

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26:28

Making care home food better

The Food Chain ·

2025/08/20

The quality of food in care homes for the elderly can be underwhelming. Ruth Alexander talks to the people highlighting the issue and finding ways to bring nutrition and comfort back on the menu. Dr Lisa Portner, a medical doctor and researcher at the Berlin Institute of Health at Charite, outlines the inadequate diet offered by three nursing homes she studied in Germany. Australian restaurateur and food writer Maggie Beer tells how she came to set up the Maggie Beer Foundation, which aims to

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26:29

Garlic: food or medicine?

The Food Chain ·

2025/08/13

From ancient Egyptian pyramid builders to French chefs, garlic has been prized, feared, and even used to ward off evil. In this episode, Rumella Dasgupta explores garlic’s journey through history and across cultures - from its medicinal roots and rich folklore to its starring role in kitchens worldwide. Featuring chefs, historians, and dietitians, we uncover how this pungent bulb became a global favourite - and ask the ultimate question: is garlic really good for us? Producer: Izzy GreenfieldImage:

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26:29

The anti-dementia diet

The Food Chain ·

2025/08/06

The World Health Organisation says close to 60 million people are living with dementia; and there are 10 million new cases every year. But could what we eat help to prevent it?Three guests who've been exploring the potential for diet to help prevent dementia tell Ruth Alexander about their findings. We hear from Professor Christy Tangney of Rush University System for Health in the United States – she co-created the MIND diet; Anne-Marie Minihane, Professor of Nutrition and Genetics or Nutrigenetics

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26:29

Eating well with dementia

The Food Chain ·

2025/07/30

Dementia is a syndrome associated with a decline of brain function that can affect memory, thought processes and behaviour. In some cases this can impact people’s ability to shop, cook and eat a meal. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s Disease. In this programme Ruth Alexander meets people living with dementia and their families, to hear about the ways in which a diagnosis can impact mealtimes. Ruth meets Alan and Amy Lambert in Manchester, England. Alan was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s

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26:28

India's caste system and food

The Food Chain ·

2025/07/23

Something as simple as sharing a meal or utensils can carry social stigma for the millions born into the bottom of India’s caste system, a social structure that divides people into different groups. In this programme Devina Gupta explores the foods of the Dalit community, historically considered at the very bottom of the caste system. She hears how many dishes evolved from necessity, due to low incomes and lack of available food and speaks to people looking to record and share these dishes with

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32:22

A place at the table: fostering and adoption

The Food Chain ·

2025/07/16

What’s at stake when a child has their first meal in a new home? For children entering care, especially those who have faced food insecurity, that first plate of food can be a big moment. In this programme, Ruth Alexander explores how food and mealtimes can help children feel safe and give them a sense of belonging. She meets Jessica-Rae Williamson, a 21 year old care leaver from Manchester, England, who still remembers the first meal she ate with her foster family, aged 13. In Wrexham, Wales, Ruth

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26:29

Protein vs fibre

The Food Chain ·

2025/07/09

Protein is a health and fitness buzzword – plastered on packaging, prioritised in diets and praised by fitness influencers. But is our preoccupation with protein overshadowing another nutritional essential – fibre? Ruth Alexander explores the science, and marketing, behind protein’s popularity with expert guests: Dr Emma Beckett, a food and nutrition scientist and communicator in Australia, and author of “You are more than what you eat”; physician and social media creator Dr Karan Rajan, who’s

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26:29

Video game food

The Food Chain ·

2025/07/02

It can be the difference between life and death for your character, signal you’re on a hostile planet or in a sumptuous world, or can even give you the whole basis for a game. In this week’s Food Chain we hear where the ideas for some of the most disgusting and delicious foods in games come from, and how to recreate them in real life. Video game creator Tim Cain tells us why food was such an important tool in his games Fallout and The Outer Worlds. Author and gamer Cassandra Reeder tells us why

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26:28

The story of your plate

The Food Chain ·

2025/06/25

What can we tell about a society from the plates, bowls and cups it uses? In this programme Ruth Alexander learns about the history of pottery, from early earthenware to the porcelain discovered by ancient China, known as ‘white gold’. Professor of archaeology, Joanita Vroom from Leiden University in the Netherlands explains why every pot has a story to tell. Historian Professor Suzanne Marchand from Louisiana State University in the United States picks up the story of porcelain in the 18th

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30:37

Thai food: Winning hearts and minds

The Food Chain ·

2025/06/18

Love Thai food? It might be thanks to a two-decade long policy on the part of the government of Thailand to promote its food culture abroad, with the express aim of increasing trade and tourism. Ruth Alexander explores how food can be used as a foreign policy tool, influencing not just world leaders but seeking to win the hearts and minds of the public. Academic Sam Chapple-Sokol at George Washington University in the US explains why gastro-diplomacy is such an effective tool for soft power. Jan

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28:40

AI in the food chain

The Food Chain ·

2025/06/11

How is artificial intelligence reshaping the global food industry? Rumella Dasgupta explores how AI is helping chefs experiment with new recipes, reducing food waste in factories and streamlining supply chains.She speaks to Tamsin Deasey Weinsten, a though leader on the AI industry, to discover the parts of the food supply chain that AI is affecting the most.In the kitchen, chef Matan Zakan tells us how he uses AI chatbots to assist him with recipes and food orders.AI is also revealing problems that

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26:29

The buyers

The Food Chain ·

2025/06/04

Our shops are full of products sourced from all over the world, and its someone’s job to find and secure them – at the right quality and quantity for the best price possible. In this programme Ruth Alexander speaks to three food buyers on three different continents. She is joined by Beatrice Muraguri, a Tea Buyer and exporter based in Mombasa, Kenya; Chloe Doutre-Roussel, who travels the world sourcing cacao beans for speciality chocolate makers. And Jim Gulkin, the chief executive of a trading

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26:28

May contain: the food allergy risk

The Food Chain ·

2025/05/28

What it’s like for your child to be diagnosed with life-threatening food allergies? Ruth Alexander explores the realities of shopping, socialising and eating out with a food allergy, and discusses what needs to change to make food safer for everyone. Amanda Bee and her daughter Vivian, 13, tell us how they navigate her allergies to milk, beef and dragonfruit.We hear from Dr Alexandra Santos, a professor of paediatric allergy at King's College London, about why food allergies are rising across the

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26:29

Let food do the talking

The Food Chain ·

2025/05/21

Does food have the power to send messages when words aren’t enough? This week Ruth Alexander finds out how food can sometimes speak much louder than words. Lecturer in Chinese Cultural Studies Dr Zhaokun Xi explains why gifting a pear in China can quietly suggest separation — and how it still carries weight today. Chef Beejhy Barhany reflects on the role of Ethiopian food in expressing care and welcome through gursha, the act of feeding people with your hands. We find out how food can be used as

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510 results

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