Heart UK

The Food Chain

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

BBC World Service

Do you have a local cafe, restaurant or bar that you go to all the time? Maybe the staff recognise you or know you by name, perhaps you even get special treatment.  In this programme Rumella Dasgupta finds out why people like to return to the same place, and the commercial value to a business of having regular customers.  You can contact the programme by emailing thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk. Produced by Izzy Greenfield.  (Image: a man sat at a bar chatting to a barman who is wearing an apron and cleaning a glass. Credit: Getty Images)

The regulars

Moving out of the family home can be a big first step at whatever age you do it. Paying bills, budgeting, shopping, and importantly cooking for yourself.  In this programme Rumella Dasgupta asks what dishes you should be able to cook when you leave home for the first time. Rumella meets chef and food writer Claire Thomson and her daughter Grace Williamson in their kitchen in Bristol, England. Claire's latest cookbook, 'Dear Grace: Recipes from Your Mother for the Next Chapter in Life', was written when Grace left home for university a year ago.  At Salford Youth Zone, a youth centre in the North of England, Rumella talks to teenagers about how confident they feel in the kitchen. Shahpar Salim in Bangladesh talks about the challenges of leaving home for a new country when she came to the UK for her studies.   Food writer and editor Yeonjoo Jung explains why young people often live at home throughout their twenties in South Korea. And mothers in the United States tell us how mealtimes changed once faced with the so-called 'empty nest'. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProduced by Beatrice Pickup. (Image: a young woman standing in a green open doorway holding a suitcase and looking hopeful. Credit: Getty Images)

Leaving home

What can food reveal about the people who came before us? From ancient meals and family recipes to the chemical traces left behind in bones and teeth, food offers remarkable clues about how people lived, travelled and survived.In this episode, Ruth Alexander explores how historians, archaeologists and old cookbooks are helping us piece together the story of our past.Historian Professor Peter Scholliers explains how something as ordinary as the changing price of food can reveal shifts in society, politics and everyday life. In India, author and historian Tarana Khan takes us inside a remarkable collection of two-hundred-year-old cookbooks from Rampur, uncovering forgotten recipes that reveal changing tastes, cultures and identities. And in Scotland, archaeologist Dr Sam Leggett explains how scientific analysis of ancient bones and teeth can reconstruct diets, migrations and even challenge long-held assumptions about the lives of people in the past.They explore how food can reveal trade routes, social class, cultural exchange, climate change, migration and the choices people made around the dinner table centuries ago.From old recipe books to archaeological discoveries, we discover how food helps us understand not only where we've come from, but how our relationship with food continues to shape the world today.If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProducer: Beatrice Pickup
Sound engineer: Hal Haines
Picture: Getty

What can food tell us about the past?

Have you ever asked yourself: should I do Keto? Is white rice good for me? Am I eating too many carbohydrates? If so, then this episode of The Food Chain is for you. Carbohydrate-rich foods are everywhere and they’re delicious. But are they good for us? Carbs have a reputation for spiking our blood sugar and making us fat. But is that reputation deserved? Ruth Alexander talks to Javier Gonzalez, Professor of Nutrition and Metabolism at the University of Bath in England and US-based dietitian Julie Stefanski from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to find out whether we’ve been approaching carbohydrates all wrong.  Plus: are there some populations who need to think more carefully about carbs than others? Dr Nelum Dharmapriya thinks so. She’s an Australian family doctor with a special interest in metabolic health in South Asian populations. She advises her patients to make some tweaks to the traditional South Asian carbohydrate-rich diet and says it can be done without losing heritage and identity.If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProduced by Lexy O'Connor and Beatrice Pickup.(Image: A woman stares over her sunglasses as she slurps pasta from a fork in a sunlit garden.Credit: Getty images/BBC)

Should I cut down on carbs?

When should you eat your evening meal? Is it really better to eat earlier, or does it depend on when you go to bed? And if you do have to eat late, is there anything you can do to reduce the impact on your health?In this episode of The Food Chain, Ruth Alexander explores what science says about the timing of dinner. From our internal body clocks to the food on our plates, we examine how the evening meal affects our metabolism, digestion and overall health, and separate the evidence from the myths.Circadian rhythm researcher Dr Emily Manoogian, from the Salk Institute in California, explains what happens inside the body as the day progresses, why eating close to bedtime can affect the way we process food, and whether biology cares more about the clock or our own sleep schedule.Nutrition scientist Professor Sarah Berry from King's College London shares practical advice on what a healthy evening meal should look like. Around the world, however, people eat dinner at vastly different times. Food historian Professor Jeffrey Pilcher from the University of Toronto explains why meal times vary so much between cultures, how work, family life and history have shaped the evening meal, and why there has never been one universal way to organise dinner.If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProducer: Izzy Greenfield
Sound engineer: Hal Haines
Picture: Getty (plate of food indicating the time)

When should I eat my evening meal?

Listener Melanie wrote into The Food Chain to ask us to make a programme about the rising numbers of people who eat alone. She told us she often dines solo and sometimes finds the experience daunting. So today Ruth Alexander hears from Melanie and from other solo diners – some who find peace and joy in a table for one, and others who would much rather not be alone.With the help of Sociologist Professor Eric Klinenberg from New York University, Ruth looks at what’s behind the global rise in single-person households.And she hears how another Food Chain listener, Malvina from California, brought her friends together around the table, over a video call and how Nishi Singh, determined to enjoy a solo dining experience in Delhi, has turned it into a social media phenomenon.(Photo: A woman holds a spoon up to her mouth as she eats from a bowl. She is sitting at a sunlit table next to a window, with large, leafy indoor plants behind her. She has long brown hair and wears a blue, ribbed, jumper and a silver necklace. Credit: Getty Images)If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProducer: Lexy O'Connor 
Sound engineer: Andrew Mills

The rise of eating alone

Elite footballers are among the world's most finely tuned athletes. Every meal is carefully planned to fuel training, maximise recovery and prepare for the next match. But it wasn't always this way.In this episode of The Food Chain, Ruth Alexander explores how football's relationship with food has changed, from the days of steak and beef before a game to today's highly personalised nutrition plans.Sports historian Professor Matthew Taylor traces the evolution of football's food culture, explaining why clubs once left players to fend for themselves and how attitudes began to shift.Former Denmark international goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel reflects on how nutrition changed during his own career, and what modern players understand about food that previous generations didn't.Mona Nemmer, former Head of Nutrition at Liverpool FC and a nutritionist with the German national team, explains what elite footballers actually eat before, during and after matches, how meals are tailored to individual players, and why feeding a squad is about far more than calories alone.At major tournaments, those carefully designed nutrition plans have to work on the move. Giulio Caccamo, who was chef for the US Men's National Team at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, takes us behind the scenes of feeding an international squad. From planning menus months in advance to serving players in hotels, training grounds and on flights, he reveals the logistical operation behind every meal, and why food can be as important for morale as it is for performance.From pre-match pasta to post-match burgers, from sports science to supply chains, this episode explores what it really takes to feed footballers at the highest level.(Photo: Erling Haaland looks up as eats a snack. His blonde hair is tied back. Credit: Getty Images)If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProducer: Izzy Greenfield
Sound engineer: Jack Wilfan

What do World Cup footballers eat?

With dining out becoming an increasingly expensive luxury, we find out how to order the perfect restaurant meal with top tips from a panel of seasoned pros.   The Irish Times food critic, Corinna Hardgrave, veteran server and podcast host Brittany Felton and chef and hospitality advisor James Knight-Pacheco join Ruth Alexander to discuss how to make the most of a well-deserved meal from your hard-earned money.  They cover everything from sharing dishes, whether to trust a waiter’s recommendations and if it’s best to stick to what you know – or try something more adventurous when visiting a restaurant with friends or family. We get the inside track from the diner’s table to the wait staff and of course the kitchen.  Brittany Felton explains how her 15-year career as a server means she can quickly assess a table’s needs, even to the extent of working out what kind of meal and evening the diners would like to have. Corinna Hardgrave shares advice from her 20-plus years as a professional restaurant critic, including how to stay in control if you experience pushy or impatient wait staff when eating out. And chef James Knight-Pacheco shares his insight on when is the best time to order the special – and when to avoid certain dishes on a menu. Producer: Sam Clack and Niamh McDermott
Sound engineer: Hal Haines(Image: Waitress taking the order of a group of friends eating at a restaurant - stock photo.  Credit: Getty Images)

How to order a restaurant meal like a pro

Many of us have our own theories about sleep. Perhaps it's avoiding coffee after lunch, drinking chamomile tea before bed, or having a warm glass of milk. But what does the science actually say?In this episode of The Food Chain, Ruth Alexander explores the relationship between food and sleep, asking whether changing what we eat and drink can help us get a better night's rest.Professor Marie-Pierre St-Onge, Director of the Center of Excellence for Sleep & Circadian Research at Columbia University, explains what decades of research have revealed about the links between diet and sleep quality. She discusses why poor sleep can change our food choices, how certain dietary patterns are associated with better sleep, and why scientists are increasingly interested in nutrients such as fibre and tryptophan.Sleep physician Dr Allie Hare, President of the British Sleep Society, brings the perspective of the clinic. She explains the questions patients ask most often, from caffeine and alcohol to herbal remedies and sleep supplements, and discusses some of the biggest misconceptions people have about improving their sleep.Together, they discuss whether there really are "sleep foods", what role meal timing might play, and how social media trends and expensive supplements can distract us from the basics.Along the way, they answer listeners' questions and share practical, evidence-based advice on the changes you can make today to improve your chance of a good night's sleep tonight.If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProducer: Izzy Greenfield
Sound engineer: Hal Haines(Image: A woman with brown hair, holding an orange cushion, yawns while standing next to an open fridge full of food. Credit: Getty Images)

What to eat for a better night's sleep

The history of smoking foods stretches back many years, but when did what began purely for preservation become a highly sought-after flavour?  In this episode of The Food Chain, Ruth Alexander explores the origins of smoked foods and finds out why their flavours are so appealing to so many people around the world.  She visits a smokehouse run by Michael Price in the port city of Lancaster in north-west England, where he explains the techniques used to flavour a variety of fish, as well as some of the more unusual demands he’s received from chefs.  We learn about the science behind smoked flavours from Professor Heather Smyth, a flavour chemist and sensory scientist at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia.  And food historian, Professor Ken Albala, walks us through thousands of years of history via a meal prepared using his own home smoker in Stockton, California.  We also investigate the impact of EU legislation with the European Food Safety Authority, following a European ban on several smoke flavour additives, and ask what this might mean for the future of smoked foods.If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProducers: Sam Clack and Izzy Greenfield
Sound engineers: Jack Wilfan and Hal Haines(Image description: racks of fish fillets inside a smoker)

Why do we love smoky flavours so much?

Music is part of the backdrop to millions of meals every day. But what if it is doing more than simply creating atmosphere?In this episode of The Food Chain, Rumella Dasgupta explores the growing evidence that sound can shape the way we experience food and drink. From scientists studying how the brain combines hearing and taste, to chefs designing dishes around playlists, we ask whether music has become an ingredient in its own right.Chef Gaggan Anand explains why music sits at the centre of his restaurant in Bangkok, where sound, lighting and food are carefully choreographed into a single experience. Cognitive neuroscientist Ophelia Deroy shares research showing how music can influence our perception of sweetness, bitterness and texture, and explains why flavour is far more than what happens on the tongue.We also hear from Ola Sars, founder of the business music platform Soundtrack, whose company helps restaurants, cafés and hotels tailor the music they play. He shares research suggesting that the right soundtrack can influence customer behaviour and even affect sales.But not everyone is convinced. Dan Keeling, co-owner of London's Noble Rot restaurants and a former music industry executive who signed artists including Coldplay and Lily Allen, explains why he has chosen not to play music in his dining rooms at all.From silent restaurants to carefully curated playlists, from neuroscience labs to commercial dining rooms, we explore the increasingly important role sound plays in the way we eat.If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

Can music change the way food tastes?

Running a restaurant is hard. Long hours, tight margins and constant stress. In this week's programme Rumella Dasgupta travels to Edinburgh, Scotland, to meet Lisa He and her mum Sophie. Lisa has just put her life and acting career on hold, to try and help her mum save the family's restaurant, the China Star. A video she made documenting her attempt has gone viral, with more than fifteen million views. But is a viral video going to be enough to turn a failing business into a success? Lisa's got to fix the sprawling menu, digitise the paper ordering system and cut costs.  Lisa and Rumella meet restaurant turnaround expert David Hopkins from the Fifteen Group in Canada, who's on hand to give advice and to explain why restaurants are such difficult businesses to run. Meanwhile the Mand family in Sydney Australia know only too well what Lisa and Sophie are going through. Last year, son Bhav documented his fight to save his dad's failing restaurant. So how's it doing now? And, in such a difficult industry, when is the right time to walk away? Rumella hears from Carleigh Bond, who made the tough decision to close her vegan fast-food restaurant Forked Up in October 2025.  Producers: Lexy O'Connor and Beatrice Pickup. Sound Engineer: Andrew Mills Image description: Lisa He and mum Sophie in their restaurant, The China Star. Lisa is looking at mum and smiling. (Credit: BBC)

Can I save the family restaurant?

Food tours are becoming one of the fastest-growing parts of the travel industry, with tourists increasingly choosing to explore cities and cultures through what they eat.In this episode, Ruth Alexander explores the global rise of guided food experiences and the people building businesses around them.In Manchester, food tour guide Julia Fairburn takes Ruth through some of the city’s best-known food spots, explaining how successful tours combine local history, storytelling and carefully paced eating experiences designed to leave visitors with lasting memories.Eric Wolf, founder and executive director of the World Food Travel Association in Valencia, Spain, explains how food tourism has expanded worldwide into a multi-billion-dollar industry, as travellers increasingly seek authentic and immersive culinary experiences.We also hear from Judith von Prockel, who began creating holidays centred around food experiences more than two decades ago, long before culinary tourism became mainstream. She reflects on how attitudes towards food travel have changed and why people are increasingly planning trips around what they want to eat.And in Malaysia, Pauline Lee from Simply Enak describes the work involved in creating memorable food tours in a growing and increasingly competitive market, where guides must balance logistics, hospitality and cultural storytelling alongside the food itself.From hidden local gems to global tourism trends, we explore why food tours have become big business — and what travellers are really looking for when they book them.If you’d like to get in touch with the programme, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProducer: Izzy Greenfield
Sound engineer: Andy Mills
Picture: Simple Enak

The business of food tours

Making cocktails isn't just about flair - bottles spinning through the air as the bartender puts on a show. It's about precision, perfectionism and people skills.Ruth Alexander meets three world-class bartenders to hear stories about their most glamorous customers, the dangerous ones, and what it takes to make the perfect drink. Hear about the highs and lows; from the glamour of working on a movie set to the what happens when customers turn nasty. What's it like to make this challenging job your career?Plus of course: how to make the perfect martini! (The answer might surprise you!)Producers: Lexy O'Connor and Izzy Greenfield
Sound Engineer: Andrew MillsImage description:

The craft of the cocktail

Meal prepping is supposed to save us time, money and stress. It is a huge trend on social media, but how can we make it work in our own real, messy lives? Ruth Alexander meets Hannah, a busy working mum who wants help to make meal times easier, quicker and more varied. Could batch cooking be the answer?  On hand to offer advice and inspiration are Jess Rice from the US website Budget Bytes and Kevin Curry, who has around two million followers across his Fit Men Cook social media accounts.  And if you have ever wondered whether those leftovers are safe to eat, or how long you should leave hot food cooling on the kitchen counter before you freeze it, there is advice from Natalie Stanton, who trains chefs in food safety. If you would like to get in touch with The Food Chain team, please email thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProducer: Lexy O'ConnorSound engineer: Hal Haines (Image: A food container with chicken and vegetables being opened by a woman's hands. Credit: Getty Images)

How to meal prep like a pro

Potatoes are having a moment.Once dismissed as dull, stodgy or even unhealthy, they’re now back, appearing on restaurant menus, in food magazines and across social media feeds.But the story of the potato goes back much further.In this episode, Ruth Alexander traces the journey of one of the world’s most familiar foods. From its origins millions of years ago to its place in today’s global food system.AJ Shehata, senior sous chef at Fallow restaurant in London explains why the potato forces chefs to get creative.At the Natural History Museum, botanist Sandy Knapp explains how the potato may have been born from a chance encounter between two wild plants in the Andes, an event that made it possible for potatoes to grow underground and spread across new environments.We explore how the potato became a global food. Potatoes USA president Blair Richardson explains how demand continues to grow worldwide, and how the industry is working to reshape the potato’s image.We ask whether the potato’s reputation is deserved. Nutrition scientist Candida Rebello shares research suggesting potatoes may be far more beneficial, and more misunderstood, than many people think.And at the International Potato Center in Peru, scientist Julian Soto works with farmers to conserve thousands of native potato varieties. In the Andes, potatoes are not just a crop, they are part of culture, identity and family life.From ancient origins to modern revival, this is the story of how the potato conquered the world, fell out of favour, and is now being rediscovered, just as new challenges begin to emerge.If you’d like to get in touch with the programme, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProducer: Izzy Greenfield
Sound engineer: Hal Haines
Picture: Getty

Don't underestimate the potato

Ever wondered how anyone gets a job writing about food? Ruth Alexander talks to Melissa Clark, recipe columnist and newsletter host for the New York Times; Laura Rowe food journalist and former content director of Olive and Delicious magazines in London, and Malin Turunen of MatMalin in Stockholm, formerly editor of Swedish food magazine, Allt om Mat.They discuss their first jobs, how their work shapes our tastes and why they think columns about cake matter more than you might think.If you would like to get in touch with The Food Chain team, please email thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProducers: Izzy Greenfield and Lexy O'ConnorSound engineer: Hal Haines(Photo: Woman writes in a notebook next to an open laptop and vegetables on a kitchen counter top. Credit: Getty Images)

The food writers

It's exam season in many parts of the world and with her own daughter studying hard, Rumella Dasgupta began wondering how much food matters during this difficult and stressful time. Is there such a thing as a brain food and are there any foods in particular that we should be aiming to eat while studying hard?  Rumella talks to students and experts about the role diet plays and what happens to our eating habits when we're under intense pressure. Plus are energy drinks ever a good idea before an exam, and what should we do when the junk food cravings hit? 
 
Featuring Professor Julia Rucklidge, director of Te Puna Toiora, the Mental Health and Nutrition Research Lab at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand and Lucy Upton, a UK based paediatric dietitian who supports her teenage clients to eat better during this stressful phase of their lives.  Plus teenagers and university students in the US and India discuss what they like to eat and drink when studying. With special thanks to Zumix in Boston. Producer: Lexy O'Connor Sound engineer: Andrew Mills 
 
Image: a dark-haired teenage girl is sprawled on her bed. She has a biscuit in her mouth and is writing in an exercise book. Credit: Getty images. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

Can we eat for exam success?

Food Chain presenter Ruth Alexander was confident that she was eating a healthy diet, in particular, a diet that included enough fibre. But it turns out, like many of us, her fibre intake has been falling short of the recommended amount. In fact all over the world most of us are failing to eat enough, despite the growing trend for so called "fibremaxxing" where people try to maximise their daily intake. 
  
So how can we boost our fibre intake? And does it really have to involve chia seeds? Ruth picks the brains of fibre expert Professor Joanne Slavin from the University of Minnesota and Fathima Abdoola, known as The Cultural Dietitian, based in Brisbane Australia. And psychologist Phillippa Lally from the University of Surrey in the UK, explains how we can make our well intentioned new habits stick. Producer: Lexy O’Connor Sound engineer: Andrew Mills (Image: A close up of a steaming bowl of Persian barley soup, in a blue bowl, with a woman’s hands holding it. Credit: Getty Images) If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

How to eat more fibre and why you should!

Many people feel they can’t cook, or don’t know where to start. Studies suggest that in some countries, fewer people are preparing meals from scratch, and a lack of confidence in the kitchen can be a big part of the problem.Ruth Alexander explores what holds people back from cooking, and how to overcome it. Drawing on her own experience of learning later in life, she asks: can anyone become a confident cook?She’s joined by three guests who spend much of their lives in the kitchen, and who know that not everyone starts out with natural ability.Robin Van Creveld, founder and director of Community Chef in Lewes, England, teaches people practical cooking skills through a social enterprise. Tokunbo Koiki, founder of Tokunbo’s Kitchen Catering Company and London African Food Week, joins from Lagos to share her approach to making cooking accessible and enjoyable. And Pak Wai Hung, owner of 288 Bar and Wok restaurant in Cheltenham, explains how building confidence can be just as important as learning techniques.Together, they share simple, realistic ways to get started, from overcoming fear of failure to building basic skills and routines. Ruth asks them how beginners can gain confidence, what essential skills really matter, and how to make cooking feel less intimidating.If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProducer: Izzy Greenfield
Sound Engineer: Hal Haines
Picture: Credit – Getty.

So you think you can't cook?

Is the culture of professional kitchens shifting?In recent weeks, one of the restaurant world’s most influential figures stepped down amid allegations about his conduct at work. It’s been widely reported that former employees accused René Redzepi, founder of Copenhagen’s Noma, of creating a toxic working environment involving verbal and physical abuse. Redzepi has since apologised publicly, saying he has worked to change.Ruth Alexander uses this moment as a starting point to explore a broader question: what is, and what should be, the culture inside professional kitchens?For many chefs, stories of gruelling hours, intense pressure and explosive tempers have long been part of the industry. But are those conditions still the norm today, or is a different kind of kitchen culture beginning to take shape?Ruth is joined by three chefs from different generations and parts of the world, each reflecting on their own experiences of coming up in the industry, and how those experiences have shaped the way they run their kitchens now.Jun Tanaka, chef-owner of Michelin-starred restaurant The Ninth in London, looks back on starting out more than three decades ago. Preeti Mistry, executive chef at Silver Oak in California, shares her perspective after 25 years in the industry. And Manon Fleury, head chef at Datil in Paris and co-founder of an organisation working to prevent violence in kitchens, explains why she believes change is both necessary and possible.They discuss whether the old hierarchies and harsh environments are being left behind, what a healthier kitchen culture could look like, and what still needs to change.If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProducer: Izzy Greenfield
Sound engineer: Annie Gardiner
Image: credit - getty

Is kitchen culture changing?

Are your family meals calm and connected? Or have they become dominated by battles with fussy kids or awkward teens?Mum-of-one Ruth Alexander gets advice from experts who share the secrets to taking the stress out of family dinner and how to cope with fussy eaters. She finds out how we can make the table a place everyone wants to be at, tots, teens and adults alike.Produced by Lexy O'Connor and Rumella Dasgupta.Image: A small angry boy with blonde hair is holding a bowl of food and threatening to tip it on the floor as his parents' hands reach out to stop him. Credit:Getty/ 	skynesher

How to have a stress-free family meal

What should runners should eat to train for, and complete, a marathon? 
 
With major races like the London and Boston marathons approaching, more people than ever are taking on the 26.2-mile challenge. But what should you actually eat to fuel that distance? 
 
Ruth Alexander is joined by one of the most successful marathon runners in history, Paula Radcliffe, who held the women’s world record for 16 years. She shares what it takes to fuel months of marathon training, and what it feels like when things go wrong during a race. 
 
Also on the programme is former world champion runner Steve Cram, now a coach and commentator, who explains the common nutrition mistakes he sees among recreational runners. 
 
And Performance Director of the dsm-firmenich Running Team, Valentijn Trouw tells us what it’s like to oversee the performance programmes of elite athletes including marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge. 
 
Ruth asks them what runners should fuel their training, what to eat in the crucial days before a race, and how to avoid “hitting the wall” on marathon day. 
 
If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk 
 
Produced by Izzy Greenfield. 
Sound Engineer: Annie Gardiner
Picture: Credit - Getty. Paula Radcliffe competes in a marathon

What to eat to run a marathon

Ruth Alexander meets three people who gave up well-paid, high-flying careers to start all over again in the world of food. Nisha Katona left a career as a child protection barrister behind to start Mowgli, a chain of Indian restaurants in the UK, physically building her first restaurants herself.  Judy Joo worked in finance on Wall Street but decided to give it up to go to culinary school. After starting at the bottom in various restaurant kitchens she founded the Korean restaurant chain Seoul Bird, which has outlets in the UK and the US.  Duc Ngo was an engineer who felt he lacked purpose and joy. So he left his job to start a sandwich shop in Helsinki. But it wasn’t easy. He took to Tiktok to document its rise, fall and rebirth as a bistro, The Alley. So did they all make the right decision and would they change anything? Ruth finds out... If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProduced by Lexy O'Connor. Sound Engineer: Annie Gardiner Image: A smiling woman is behind a cafe door. She is turning the “closed” sign to “open”. Credit MoMo Productions/Getty images.

Following my food dream

Shattering the myth of its aristocratic origins and exploring some of the boldest creations; Ruth Alexander finds out about the history, culture and family ties wrapped up in the sandwich. Josh Veasey, co-owner of Rack in North West England talks about his menu’s hits and misses and what it’s like to make a living out of making sandwiches. The fourth Earl of Sandwich John Montagu is popularly credited with coming up with the idea of putting a tasty filling between two slices of bread; food historian Dr Annie Gray reveals the facts of the matter. Masterchef Australia finalist and food writer Samira el Khafir talks about some of her favourite Middle Eastern wraps, enduring staples in the region and far beyond. Ruth discusses the changing fashions for fillings with Barry Enderwick, the California-based creator of the social media channel, Sandwiches of History. And Ozoz Sokoh, author of Chop Chop: Cooking the Food of Nigeria, reflects on how the sandwiches of her childhood were shaped by a long history of enslavement and British colonial rule. Producers: Julia Paul & Lexy O’Connor 
Sound engineer: Hal Haines
Editor: Sara Wadeson (Phoro: A smiling dark haired woman holds up a sandwich with a bite taken out of it. Credit: Farkot Architect/Getty Images)If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

The story of the sandwich

From Michelin starred kitchens to Hong Kong’s high rise tower blocks, via informal settlements in the Kenyan capital Nairobi. Ruth Alexander hears from people making the best out of the cramped and tiny spaces they’re cooking in. Gina Lai shows her around the kitchen in her cramped Hong Kong high rise flat and Ruth visits chef Ryan Blackburn who has retained a Michelin star whilst cooking out of the tinest of professional kitchens in Northern England. Plus Leah and her daughter Janice explain how they cook family meals in an informal settlement in the Kenyan capital Nairobi and AJ Forget describes what it's like to give up a big kitchen for a new life on the road, living and cooking in a converted bus.  If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProduced by Izzy Greenfield, Rumella Dasgupta and Lexy O'ConnorImage Description: Gina Lai is cooking in her tiny Hong Kong flat. (Credit Gina Lai/BBC)

Small kitchens

Every food company starts with a gamble - and not all of them pay off. In this episode  Ruth Alexander speaks to business owners about the risks they’ve taken to get where they are today, from financial leaps to personal sacrifices, and the painful decisions that have shaped their journeys. Ruth hears from Kim Kiarie, chef-owner of Five Senses Nairobi in Kenya, about building a high-end restaurant in a challenging market. Adonis Norouznia, who runs Nomas Gastrobar in Macclesfield in North-West England, on the risks of deciding to serve meat at his vegan restaurant,  and Keith Bearden, CEO and co-owner of Alta Eco Foods in Houston, Texas, about scaling a food business in a competitive industry. They describe the compromises that cost them dearly, the moments they wondered whether it was all worth it, and what kept them going.  
 
Produced by Izzy GreenfieldImage description: A foot comes down amidst a cartoon landscape of bright yellow banana skins. Credit Getty.

The risk takers

We all have recipes we turn to again and again, perhaps from the stained pages of our favourite cookbooks, or handed down through families. But have you ever wondered about the work that’s gone into writing that set of instructions? In this edition of The Food Chain, Ruth Alexander looks at the art and science of recipe writing.  How does a cook turn what is often an instinctive and creative process into a list of instructions anyone can follow? How much detail is too much, and what are the essential elements no recipe is complete without? Ruth talks to a well-known cook who describes her love-hate relationship with recipe writing and a cookbook editor reveals how she’s built recipes from chefs’ doodles or even notes scrawled on a napkin. Find out what it’s like to work in the world of recipe testing and how the art of writing recipes has changed over hundreds of years. Producer: Lexy O’Connor Sound engineer: Hal Haines If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

How to write a recipe

Most of us have foods we refuse to eat - think coriander, or maybe olives. But where do those strong dislikes come from, and is it possible to change them?In this episode of The Food Chain, Ruth Alexander sets out to find out whether you really can learn to love the foods you hate. From first encounters that go wrong to memories that linger, she explores why food preferences can feel so fixed, and whether anything might help shift them.Ruth speaks to neuroscientist Dr Dana Small, professor and Canada Excellence Research Chair at McGill University, about what’s happening in the brain and body when we eat, and how unconscious reward signals shape what we come to like or avoid.She also hears from psychologist Dr Rachel Herz, an expert on the science of smell and author of Why We Eat What We Eat, about the powerful role odour, memory and emotion play in food dislike, often before we’re even aware of it.And registered dietitian Clare Thornton-Wood shares practical, low-pressure techniques used with both children and adults to build tolerance - and sometimes even enjoyment - for foods they can’t stand.Producer: Izzy Greenfield
Sound engineer: Annie Gardiner
Picture: A woman holding a fork with a piece of broccoli in front of her, looking unsure (credit: Getty)

Can you learn to love the foods you hate?

Fermented foods are fashionable – kimchi, kefir, kombucha – they're all having a moment, many thousands of years on from where they were first produced. But how much do you know about how they're made? Do you know your SCOBY from your kefir grain? In this episode, fermenting novice Ruth Alexander goes on a quest to find out more about this ancient way of preserving food; how to do it yourself, why you might want to, and what it's doing for our guts.Follow along as she experiments with making her own kefir, and talks to fermentation guru Sandor Katz about how to get started and whether there's anything that can't be fermented.  Scientist Professor Gabriel Vinderola explains what's known about the microbes behind it all and how they affect our health while Kheedim Oh and his mum Myung Oh talk about how they've brought the family recipe for kimchi to a US audience via their business, Mama O's Kimchi. (Kimchi on pizza anyone?) And with the help of Adam Goldwater from UK based Loving Foods Fermented, Ruth discovers how kombucha is made, and the alien like SCOBY powering the process. Produced by Lexy O'Connor. The sound engineer was Andrew Mills.If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk. Image: A woman in an apron is holding a jar of brightly coloured fermenting vegetables, with orange carrots and purple cabbage tightly packed in. Credit Getty/Migrogen

Fermented foods: A beginner's guide

Meal kits have become a familiar part of food shopping in many countries, offering pre-portioned ingredients and recipes delivered to the door. But how widespread are they, and what do they reveal about how people are eating today?Ruth Alexander hears from Philip Doran, CEO of HelloFresh UK and Ireland, and Sarah Hewitt, CEO of South African meal kit company UCOOK, about how these services operate in very different markets.She also speaks to Dr Rebecca Bennett, a food systems researcher, about what meal kits say about changing cooking habits and online food platforms, and to market analyst Nandini Roy on how big the global meal kit industry is and where future growth may come from.Producer: Izzy Greenfield
Sound engineer: Hal HainesIf you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukImage: A woman unpacks a box full of food (credit: Getty Images)

Dinner unboxed

The Mediterranean diet is rich in vegetables, pulses and olive oil and traditionally includes small amounts of fish and very little red meat. Thousands of studies back its health benefits. In fact, it's considered to be one of the most widely researched diets in the world. But why has this way of eating come to prominence over others? Marta Guasch-Ferre from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark explains what the Mediterranean diet is and how her Spanish roots have informed her work. Professor Sarah Tracy from the University of Oklahoma tells the story of the diet's roots, popularised by American scientist Ancel Keys in the 1950's. And Ruth asks, if this way of eating isn't familiar in your culture, can you still make use of the Mediterranean diet's principles to improve your health? Singapore based cardiologist Professor Huang Zijuan has been looking at the science behind Asian inspired food swaps that could offer the same health benefits.  Plus public health expert Professor Pekka Puska explains how he used the work of Ancel Keys in the 1970's to help transform the life expectancy of Finnish men. He co-led the now world famous North Karelia project, after Keys' research revealed how the region in eastern Finland had the highest rates of blood cholesterol in the world. Produced by Lexy O’Connor  The sound engineer was Andrew Mills.  If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukImage: A family is eating together. The wooden table is covered in brightly coloured plates of salads, pastas and olives. Hands reach over to take some of the food. (Credit: Getty/Compassionate Eye Foundation/Natasha Alipour Faridani)

Should we all eat the Mediterranean way?

Ruth Alexander gathers the most useful, actionable nutrition advice from our episodes of 2025 to help set you up for 2026. Things like how to nourish your brain, keep an eye on portion sizes, and why it’s important to focus on fibre. Experts from around the world tell us about the small tweaks that can make a real difference to how we eat, think, and feel.Producer: Izzy Greenfield
Sound mixing: Hal Haines(Photo: a person looks at a variety of foods, Credit: Getty Images)

Tweaks for 2026: How to eat better

Food is at the centre of family life – on ordinary days, in the everyday rush, during the dramas, and the quieter moments too.   In this episode, Ruth Alexander looks back at some of The Food Chain's most moving and intimate moments of 2025, all revealing the power food has to bind people together. From the first meal taken by a foster child in an unfamiliar home to the couple cooking together for the first time in their lives after a dementia diagnosis, these stories show how food has the capacity to strengthen family bonds and how its absence can shape a life just as deeply. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProducer: Rumella Dasgupta.

Family ties

With the festive season approaching in parts of the world, Ruth Alexander explores what’s actually happening in the body during a hangover, why some people suffer more than others, and whether common remedies make any real difference. How the body processes alcohol and why that can make you feel so bad is explained by Andrew Scholey, Professor of Human Psychopharmacology at Northumbria University in the UK and member of the Alcohol Hangover Research Group. Marisa Moll, a registered nutritionist from Paraguay, shares her recommendations on what to consume before you drink alcohol to try to reduce the risk of a hangover.  And Jonathon Shears, Professor of English Literature at Keele University in the UK and author of The Hangover, a Literary and Cultural History, reflects on the cultural history of the hangover. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk. Producer: Izzy Greenfield 
Sound engineer: Andrew Mills
Image: A woman looks at empty bottles of alcohol (credit: Getty)

What is the ultimate hangover cure?

***This programme contains conversations about disordered eating which some listeners may find upsetting***
Social media is awash with nutritional misinformation with foods often cast as superheroes or villains. So how can we separate fact from fiction? And how can we know what posts we can trust? Social media loves to portray some foods, like carbs, sugar and seed oils as villains, to be avoided at all costs.Other food groups like protein are often claimed to be food heroes and some social media influencers tell their followers to prioritise those foods and cut out others. Ruth Alexander looks at the truth of some of those claims and the impact it can have on those who believe them and end up restricting their diets as a result.  Cecile Simmons tells Ruth how she "fell down the rabbit hole" and ended up cutting out dozens of foods in an attempt to cure a skin condition. Personal trainer and nutrition expert Michael Ulloa explains how he's made it his mission to fight food misinformation online. Plus Ruth hears from Dr Emily Denniss, registered public health nutritionist and lecturer at Deakin University in Australia, who has studied the spread of food misinformation on social media. And with the help of US based registered dietician Grace Derocha, Ruth separates food fact from food fiction. Producer: LexyO'Connor
Sound engineer: Gareth Jones(Image: A comic book cartoon of a blond, muscle-superhero in a blue suit and yellow cape is flying through the air towards a baddie in a red suit with their fists outstretched as if ready to fight. Credit: Yogysic/Getty Images)

Food heroes and villains

How do you eat well in freezing the cold? When you live in some of the coldest places on earth, what you eat, and how much, really matters.  Ruth Alexander hears advice from a scientist, who goes on expeditions to study the body’s reaction to sub-zero temperatures, and talks to people living in the Arctic circle.  What do they cook, and what is their favourite food and drink to keep them warm in the winter? She hears how they find fresh ingredients when all around the ground is frozen – and how freezing temperatures can spark culinary creativity. Producer: Julia Paul and Lexy O'Connor
Sound engineer: Hal Haines If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

How to eat well in the cold

Ruth Alexander explores the art and etiquette of tipping and how it varies around the world.  She hears from staff and customers in countries where tipping is essential and in places where it can be taken as an insult.  Ruth also talks to servers and bartenders about what your gratuity means to them and how tipping can sometimes bring out the best and worst in their customers. Producer: Lexy O’Connor and Rumella DasguptaSound mixing: Hal HainesImage: A jar full of coins and notes has the word “tips” written on it. It floats on a red background. Credit:	Nikola Stojadinovic / Getty

To tip or not to tip?

What are the highs and lows of waiting on tables? Ruth Alexander speaks to restaurateurs from London, New York and Mumbai to find out about the inner workings of one of the hardest jobs in the business. Ruth hears from French celebrity Maitre D, Fred Siriex, Mumbai based restaurateur Gauri Devidayal and Michael Cecchi-Azzolina, the New York based author of Your Table Is Ready.
 
If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukImage: The torso of a waitress, carrying two plates of food, against a purple background. Credit: Maria Korneeva/Getty Images)

The servers: The highs and lows of waiting on tables

From pizza delivery to emergency aid, are autonomous aircraft the future? Ruth Alexander looks into whether drones are a feasible alternative to delivery drivers and traditional air drops.  We hear how fast food and groceries are being delivered into suburban back gardens in Helsinki and Dublin and to a waterside collection point in Hong Kong. Is this technology something we might see everywhere soon? Ruth looks at its advantages and limitations and finds out how drones are carrying essential food to remote communities in Madagascar.Taking part were Danny Vincent, BBC Hong Kong reporter, Ville Lepalä, the CEO and co-founder of Huuva foodhall, Bobby Healy, the CEO of Manna Aero, Santanu Chakraborty, chief executive officer of Bal Raksha Bharat – Save the Children India and Hedley Tah from the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service, which is run by the World Food programme.Produced by Rumella Dasgupta.Image: A drone is flying against a stylised blue sky background. It is holding a white box which says Food Delivery on it in black letters. (Credit Getty Images/	sarawuth702)

Food by drones?

Turmeric has been revered for thousands of years, not just for its mellow taste but for its golden colour and its supposed health giving properties. Rumella Dasgupta looks at its history, its uses in food and medicine and talks to scientists who have studied the spice. She finds out what they've learned about its fabled medicinal qualities and whether it's really worth paying for expensive turmeric lattes and turmeric supplements. Featuring Dr Kathryn Nelson, Prof Amit Garg, Ragini Kayshap and Seema and Sarla Nagpaul.If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProducer: Lexy O'Connor 
Sound mix by Annie Gardiner(Image: a teaspoon of golden turmeric powder sits on a spoon, against a bright green background. Credit: G/ Getty Simonkr)

Turmeric: The golden spice

You've got to be full of passion to make it as a top chef. It's a highly skilled and physically demanding job that comes with long hours.Ruth Alexander talks to three celebrated and talented chefs from three different continents about the highs and lows of their careers. They tell Ruth why they love the job so much and whether chef culture has changed in the years they've been working in kitchens.   Featuring May Chow, Chantel Dartnall and Sean Kenworthy.  
  
If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk 
  
Image: A chef in a white jacket sharpens a big knife in a professional kitchen. Credit: Getty images / Fertnig.

The chefs

For millions of us around the world, the day hasn't begun until we've had our first cup of coffee.   Ruth Alexander traces our love affair with coffee back through history, to the wilds of Ethiopia where it was first discovered. She experiences some of the ancient traditions built around coffee which still endure today and asks why this bitter drink has always had such a hold over us. And does it matter if we enjoy a coffee or three every day? Ruth finds out what's it doing to our brains and bodies, and whether we really need to worry about kicking this ancient habit. Produced by Lexy O'Connor If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukImage: Three roasted coffee beans float on a light green background. Credit: Getty/Jose A. Bernat Bacete

The coffee habit: Why do we love it so much?

Pepper is ubiquitous at the dining table, but arguably most of us don’t know much about it.  In this programme John Laurenson finds out about the pepper plant – how it is grown and harvested and the range of flavours it can offer. He learns about the history of this spice and why it was once so revered, and the ways in which you can use it today to make your food not just tastier, but also healthier.  If you’d like to contact the programme you can email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk.Produced and presented by John Laurenson.Image: a cartoon wooden pepper mill with specks of ground pepper coming out of it, floats on a blue background. (Credit: Getty/yurumarukko)

The power of pepper

How confident would you feel about complaining if a restaurant meal was not up to scratch?  Restaurateurs in the UK, South Africa and the United States compare stories of the most outrageous complaints they’ve received, and how they were dealt with.  They tell Ruth Alexander how increasing numbers of customers are "weaponising" the threat of negative online reviews.  And if you’re someone who struggles to complain when things go wrong, there’s advice on how to make your voice heard calmly and assertively. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProduced by Lexy O'ConnorImage: A young woman is arguing with a waiter in a cafe. She has a pastry on her plate and is holding a cup of coffee. Credit: Getty/Wavebreak Media

How (not) to complain

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 shape what feels like a normal portion. Why are French plates so much smaller - and meals so much slower - than in Brazil or America?And psychologist Lenny Vartanian in Sydney explains the powerful pull of portion size on our behaviour: why bigger servings make us eat more, even when we know better, and why education alone isn’t enough to change our habits.If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProducer: Izzy GreenfieldPhoto: Three spoons showing different portion sizes (credit: getty)

Portion size: How much should you eat?

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 Wesson, a director and coach at the British etiquette institution Debrett’s. And she hears from Japanese language tutor Chika Nakagawa about the rules that govern mealtimes in Japan.Plus what if you are thrown into a world you weren't prepared for? After tough beginnings and through sheer determination Reggie Nelson built a career in finance. He tells Ruth about his extraordinary path to success and how he got through his first formal business dinner.And what about when a restaurant meal brings out the worst in a customer? Mo Abedin, owner of Sticky Rice Thai restaurants in Dubai and Abu Dhabi talks about how he and his staff deal with the nightmare diners who have forgotten their manners.Producer: Lexy O'Connor(Image: A bearded man in a shirt and tie is eating a meal in front of a red background. He is shovelling a big fork full of noodles into his mouth whilst staring at his mobile phone. Credit: Getty Images/Group4 Studio)

Dining etiquette: What really matters?

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 his brand Mike’s Hot Honey took years of hard work. Product developers Katie McDaid and Robert Craggs tell Rumella how their jobs involve travelling the world to find the next big thing in food. Plus chef and food writer Pierre Thiam, explains how he’s been working tirelessly for decades to bring the ancient West African grain Fonio to worldwide attention. We’d love to hear about the viral foods you’ve tried and what you thought of them. You can email the team at thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProducer: Lexy O’Connor

How to set a food trend

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 packet of crisps for snack giant Frito-Lays. Can you guess which flavours nearly, but not quite, made it onto the shelves? Ruth also talks to salty snack expert Jolene Ng of Mintel, who researches the role crisps play in modern life. And with Japan renowned for its unusual flavours, Ruth meets Makoto Ehara, the boss of one of the country’s biggest potato chip makers Calbee, who tells her about the threat climate change poses to the future of the potato chip industry. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProduced by Lexy O’Connor Photo: A woman in a bright pink jumper is smiling as she pushes a supermarket trolley through the potato crisp aisle. Credit: dowell / getty images

Flavour: The potato chip story

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 based at The Rowett Institute at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland snd Marianella Herrera, an associate professor in public health nutrition at Central University of Venezuela and visiting lecturer at Framingham State University in the US, share their insights. 
 
If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProducer: Izzy Greenfield
Image: A bowl full of cereal and a spoon (credit: Getty)

Should I eat breakfast?

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 Dr Rashid Sumaila of the University of British Columbia explains the global consequences of trawling, from overfishing to illegal and unregulated catches.On the coast of West Africa, Aissata Daouda Dia, Head of Advocacy at Blue Ventures, tells us hom much coastal communities rely on local catch. Nana Kweigyah from the Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners Association of Ghana, describes how foreign industrial trawlers are devastating coastal communities. And in Malaysia, Adrian Poon of the Cinnamon Group explores the challenges of sourcing fish sustainably in a market dominated by cheaper, trawled seafood.Producer: Izzy Greenfield 
Image: Getty

Bottom trawling and the future of global fish supplies

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 research the issues, raise awareness and offer culinary training. Ronald Marshall explains the simple ways he found to help carers understand the food preferences of his mum, who was diagnosed with dementia in 2020.  And Navjot Gill-Chawla recounts the conversations she had with South-Asian Canadians living with dementia and their families, as a PhD Candidate in Public Health at the University of Waterloo in Ontario. When the subject of care homes came up, she says food was uppermost in their minds. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukAnd if you'd like to try Maggie's brownie recipe featured in the show, you can find it in full on our website.Producer: Beatrice Pickup (Photo: Two cooks in a care home kitchen are smiling as they prepare a tray of brigh orange roast pumpkin. Credit: Sam Kroepsch)

Making care home food better

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 Greenfield
Image: A bulb of garlic split in half to reveal cloves Credit: Getty

Garlic: Food or medicine?

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 as it’s known, at Norwich Medical School at the University of East Anglia in the UK; and Dr Lizette Kuhn, a dietitian in Pretoria, South Africa.If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProduced by Izzy Greenfield and Alistair Kleebauer(Image: two sides of a brain; one made up of fruits and vegetables, and the other a sketch. Credit: Getty Images)

The anti-dementia diet

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 Disease in 2024 and his daughter Amy lives with him. They share some of the techniques they’ve developed at home to support Alan. For Ruby Qureshi in Canada, cooking was a huge part of her life before being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2020. Ruth hears how her husband Pasha Qureshi has joined her in the kitchen in a supporting role. Jo Bonser in Nottingham, UK shares her experiences of supporting her mother who lived with vascular dementia and in 2016 stopped eating and drinking. Jo has gone on to set up a company, Dignified Dining that offers training in this area.  And Aideen McGuinness is a registered dietitian working in the Memory Assessment and Support Service in Country Wexford Ireland, and co-author of a guide on dementia and nutrition.  If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProduced by Beatrice Pickup. (Image: Alan and Amy Lambert sat at the kitchen table with a bowl of soup and plate of toast. Credit: BBC)

Eating well with dementia

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 future generations.  Devina meets people who identify as Dalit to talk about the discrimination they have experienced in their communities and workplaces as a result of their family’s social status, and how it can be particularly hard to find work in the food industry.If you’d like to contact the programme you can email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk.  Producer Beatrice Pickup. (Image: some foraged green leaves being washed in a bowl of water. Credit: BBC)

India's caste system and food

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 meets long-term foster carers John and Viv, Cath and Neil and Rosemary, who have opened their homes to dozens of children through Foster Wales. They discuss their strategies for dealing with picky eating and hoarding. Dr Katja Rowell, feeding expert and author of the book “Love Me, Feed Me: The Foster and Adoptive Parent’s Guide to Responsive Feeding”, gives her counter-intuitive tips for avoiding mealtimes becoming a battleground.  And Melissa Guida-Richards, author of the book “What White Parents Should Know About Transracial Adoption”, shares her experience of being adopted from Colombia by Italian and Portuguese parents living in the US and her subsequent search for her Colombian heritage through food.  This programme contains discussion of food poverty and insecurity, and disordered eating. If you’ve been affected by any of the issues raised and need support, speak to a health professional. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProduced by Beatrice Pickup. (Image: a partly eaten plate of spaghetti bolognese sat on a child's knee.Credit: Getty Images/BBC)

A place at the table: fostering and adoption

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 is the author of This Book May Save Your Life; Scott Dicker from SPINS market research company in Chicago; Paul Kita, deputy editor of Men’s Health Magazine in the US.Producer: Izzy Greenfield

Protein v fibre

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 she started making entire recipe books based on food from video games, and how important is food in gaming? Video game enthusiast Harriet tells us why it's an essential tool for escapism.  If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk 
Presenter: Ruth Alexander
Producers: Izzy Greenfield and Hannah Bewley

Video game food

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 century. Such was its value that it prompted numerous failed attempts, theft and even imprisonment of those who knew the secret recipe.  Ruth visits the Wedgwood factory and museum collection in North Staffordshire in the English Midlands. V&A curator Kate Turner explains how the company’s founder, Josiah Wedgwood, changed dinnerware tastes once again – catering to an emerging consumer class looking for affordable ways to decorate their home. Ruth tours the factory and meets Emma Glynn, Creative Director of Wedgwood to discuss the challenges in today’s market.  Produced by Beatrice Pickup (Image: a potter throwing a plate on a potter's wheel. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)

The story of your plate

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 Wisansing, tourism policy consultant in Bangkok, explains the impact of the Global Thai scheme on international tourism to the country.  Ruth speaks to the owners of LumLum Thai restaurant in Copenhagen, Denmark, who have recently received a Thai SELECT award, an official endorsement from the government of Thailand.  And writer and historian Ali Domrongchai in the US talks about the impact of this approach on her own family’s Thai restaurant in Florida. Producer: Beatrice Pickup. 
Reporter: Gideon Long in Bangkok(Image: A plate of pad thai, said to be Thailand’s national dish, with Thailand’s flag in the background. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)

Thai food: Winning hearts and minds

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 have long been overlooked. We speak to Dini McGrath, co founder of ZEST, a company that has developed an AI programme to address food waste.And the CEO of Chef Robotics, Rajat Bhageria, welcomes us to meet his AI enabled robots, designed to help labour shortage problems in the food industry.

AI in the food chain

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 company, which deals mainly in frozen seafood based in Bangkok, Thailand. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProduced by Rumella Dasgupta and Beatrice Pickup. (Image: a cup of tea with teabag in it, a peeled prawn and some squares of milk chocolate. Credit: Getty Images/ BBC)

The buyers

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 world.In which parts of the world is it most difficult to have a food allergy? Deshna in Coimbatore, India, tells us what it’s like to have a lactose allergy in a country that uses so much milk and cheese. Chief of the food allergy committee at the World Allergy Organisation, Alessandro Fiocchi, and head of allergy at the paediatric hospital Bambino Gesu in Rome, explains the problems around ‘may contain’ labelling and how confusing they can be to consumers. And how despite the challenges, medicine is providing more and more solutions to those living with food allergies.

May contain: The food allergy risk

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 a signal of protest from historian and food researcher Aylin Oney Tan. From the Janissaries tipping their cauldrons of soup to signal unrest, to black pepper in a wedding dish to symbolise the role of the mother in law. And we learn about the power of food in mourning; Greek food writer Aglaia Kremezi tell us about koliva, a sweet dish served at funerals in Greece — and how it attempts to soften the bitterness of loss. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukPresenter: Ruth Alexander
Producer: Izzy Greenfield

Let food do the talking

Ruth Alexander looks at the world of snacks. Have we always snacked or is it a more modern phenomenon that started with formal meal patterns? What snacks have been popular through the ages, what’s the industry doing now and what could we be eating in the future?   We talk to food historians Dr Annie Gray and Professor Janis Thiessen, the former CEO of Unilever Paul Polman - who remembers the rise of some of the biggest brands - and Christine Cochran from the international trade association SNAC International.  We also hear from snack fans across the world. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

Snackification: Our love affair with snacks

When you’re feeling stressed, does it affect your appetite? In this programme Ruth Alexander is joined by two experts in chronic stress to discuss why it can cause us to crave certain foods, the impact on our bodies and whether there’s anything we can do to prepare for periods of stress in our lives.  Ruth is joined by Professor Rajita Sinha, clinical psychologist and founding director of the Yale University Interdisciplinary Stress Center in the United States, and Dr Mithu Storoni, neuro-ophthalmologist and author of the books ‘Stress-Proof’ and ‘Hyperefficient’.   If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukPresented by Ruth Alexander. Produced by Beatrice Pickup and Bisi Adebayo.(Image: a woman studying and eating a slice of pizza whilst wearing headphones. Credit: Getty Images/ BBC)

Stress, eat, repeat?

There are bakeries, cafes, bars and restaurants around the world which don’t just exist to serve up food and drink – they're on a mission to rebuild lives. Ruth Alexander hears the stories of risk, reward and redemption from three businesses on three different continents: At The Dusty Knuckle bakery in London, the trainee programme manager Charlie Atkinson explains why she thinks a cafe and bakery is the perfect place to foster team spirit. Reporter Gideon Long visits La Trocha in Bogota, Colombia, a bar and cultural centre run by a group of former Farc rebels. Rob Perez and Mindy Street of DV8 Kitchen in Lexington, Kentucky, US, talk about how they’ve won over customers. Producers: Hannah Bewley and Sam Clack If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk(Image: hands kneading dough. Credit: Getty Images/ BBC)

A fresh start

Cottage industries, usually referring to small scale home-based production, can be found all over the world. Often they provide a vital source of additional income for women, particularly in low income and rural areas.  In this programme Devina Gupta speaks to women who are working in food cottage industries in India, Eswatini in Southern Africa, and Ecuador, to hear about the work and the difference it makes to their finances.  Devina goes to meet some of the 40,000 women working for Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad, India’s multimillion-dollar co-operative, which produces 'Lijjat Papad' poppadoms, sold nationwide. If you’d like to contact the programme you can email thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukPresented by Devina Gupta. Produced by Hannah Bewley. (Image: two women rolling poppadom disks in Delhi. Credit: BBC)

Food cottage industries

Indigenous food is experiencing a revival in Canada, with growing awareness of First Nations culture, and Indigenous run community farms and restaurants opening.  While many are hopeful, there remains challenges to food security, including the realities of living in remote areas, the legacy of historic government schemes and climate change. Megan Lawton speaks to First Nation farmers, restauranteurs and chefs. Presented by Megan Lawton Produced by Sam Gruet

What’s the future for Indigenous food?

As plastic waste continues to pile up, Ruth Alexander explores how manufacturers, retailers, and designers are rethinking the way our food is packaged.We hear how shoppers are responding to eco-conscious packaging in Finland, from supermarket manager Markku Hautala. And is plastic really the enemy? Paul Jenkins, founder of a leading packaging consultancy, shares the latest innovations in sustainable design, and why some materials aren’t always what they seem.Rhea Singhal, CEO of India’s first fully compostable packaging company, discusses the realities of creating truly sustainable alternatives—and whether they’re enough. And the head of a German frozen food company, Felix Ahlers, explains why his company ditched all additives – packaging included – for the sake of the environment.

The packaging problem

Corner shop, mom and pop store or konbini, whatever you call them, most of us have a local business that sells convenience.  Rising food costs mean many are struggling to make a profit, one solution is to improve the fresh food and beverage offering which can have better margins.  Ruth Alexander visits a convenience store in Morley in West Yorkshire in the UK, where owner Ajay Singh has introduced cocktails and street food alongside the traditional offering of bread and milk. Retail analyst Rob Wilson from L.E.K. Consulting explains why the US is looking to Japan for inspiration. Reporter Phoebe Amoroso reports from Tokyo, visiting some of the biggest chain convenience stores in the country and finding out what has made them so successful. And author Ann Y.K. Choi tells Ruth what it takes to run a convenience store, reflecting on her family’s experiences running such businesses in Toronto after moving there from Korea in 1975. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk(Image: from left to right, Jazz Singh, Ajay Singh and Suki Singh who run Premier Morley convenience store in the UK. Credit: BBC)

How to run a local shop

What’s the purpose of restaurant reviews?  The Food Chain looks at who is qualified to write a review, how helpful they are today and the impact they can have on a business.  In this programme Ruth Alexander speaks to Giles Coren, restaurant critic for The Times newspaper in the UK, Opeyemi Famakin, online reviewer and influencer in Nigeria, and Ana Roš, chef and owner of the Hiša Franko restaurant in Slovenia which holds three Michelin stars.  If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukPresenter by Ruth Alexander. Produced by Beatrice Pickup and Bisi Adebayo.  (Image: from left to right, Giles Coren, Opeyemi Famakin and Ana Roš. Credits: BBC, Opeyemi Famakin and Suzan Gabrijan)

The power of the review

Saffron - the world's most expensive spice - is treasured for its rich aroma, vibrant colour, and unique flavour. But why does it command such a high price?In this episode of The Food Chain, Ruth Alexander uncovers the story of saffron from crocus flower to kitchen, finds out about the labour-intensive harvesting process, and learns about the innovations in lab-grown saffron that could change the industry forever.Iranian chef and author Najmieh Batmanglij shares saffron's culinary and cultural significance. Saffron trader Mehrdad Rowhani offers insight into the complex global market and the problem of fraud, and agricultural scientist Dr Ardalan Ghilavizadeh tells us about why more countries are investing in lab-grown saffron, taking the harvest from traditional fields and into indoor units.To get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProducer: Izzy Greenfield
Reporting: Irshad Hussain

Why is saffron so expensive?

Why do brands have such power over us? 
 
Ruth Alexander talks to the designers influencing your decisions about what and where you eat. 
 
Renowned graphic designer Paula Scher shares her insights on what it takes to create a visual identity that stands the test of time, including her work on the US fast-food restaurant Shake Shack. 
 
And Arjen Klinkenberg, the creative mind behind Dutch company Tony’s Chocolonely, tells us how he designed its distinctive chocolate bar wrapper in just 10 minutes.  Together they discuss what makes a design classic a classic and reveal the secret to building a brand that endures (hint: don’t tweak). 
 
To get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk  
 
Producers: Izzy Greenfield and Sam Clack.

The art of food branding

What makes a noodle? Is it the shape? The ingredients?  In this programme Devina Gupta explores the history of noodles, tracing their origin back to Third-Century China. She finds out how they came to be eaten in so many different ways in so many different places. Devina enjoys a Tibetan-influenced noodle dish in Delhi’s Monastery Market, a long-time home of Tibetan restaurants and businesses in India. She hears how noodles were one of many foods to travel the silk trading routes in the region. Jen Lin-Liu, author of ‘On the Noodle Road: From Beijing to Rome with Love and Pasta’, tells Devina about the earliest mention of noodles in historical documents. Frank Striegl in Tokyo, who runs the blog ‘5AM Ramen’ picks up the story, explaining how noodles travelled from China to Japan and became ramen – one of Japan’s iconic dishes today.  In 1958 dried instant noodles were invented in Japan. Devina speaks to Varun Oberoi of Nissin India, to hear about the opportunities and challenges facing the instant noodle company today. Presented by Devina Gupta. Produced by Beatrice Pickup. (Image: noodles dangling from chopsticks above a bowl. Credit: Getty Images/ BBC)

Why we love noodles

John Laurenson explores the enduring appeal of stock. A century and a half ago, a butcher at the big Parisian food market Les Halles started selling beef broth – ‘bouillon’ in French - to the people who worked there. In a few years this had developed into what was perhaps the world’s first restaurant chain. By the end of the Nineteenth Century there were hundreds of ‘bouillons’ in Paris. Today, with inflation making traditional French restaurants too expensive for many people, these big, affordable eateries are making a comeback.  The French aren’t, of course, the only people to discover the delights of this simple, warming, nourishing food.  John learns how bouillon influenced Vietnam’s iconic dish, pho, as a result of the French colonial presence in the region in the 1800 and 1900s.  Producer/presenter: John Laurenson(Image: A dish of stock with chicken and herbs with a ladle sticking out of it. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)

Bouillon: The story of stock

What motivates someone to dedicate years of their life to learning one skill?Ruth Alexander finds out what it takes to master a craft, the exacting standards one must meet, and why it's all worth it.Sushi chef Eddie Chow tells us how it took more than ten years to achieve the title of 'master sushi chef', and the pain of getting there.What does it take to become an illustrious master butcher in Germany? Claus Bobel explains the importance of tradition, and his daughter Yulia tells us why she's following in his footsteps.And 'Lady of the Ham' Cati Gomez describes the process of becoming a cartadora, and why ham carving is getting more and more popular around the world.

Masters of the craft

We find out the secret recipe that goes into some of the TV food shows watched by millions around the world.  From hiring snake wranglers in South Africa to fending off flies in Sweden, three top producers lift the lid on what it takes to serve up a feast of culinary entertainment.  Seasoned professionals Avril Beaven (Great British Menu), Irene Wong (Man Fire Food) and Jane Kennedy (Masterchef South Africa and My Kitchen Rules South Africa) explain the people skills needed to manage big personalities.  And open up about the gruelling schedule that goes into creating televised cooking shows.  If you would like to get in touch with the programme, email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk. Presenter: Ruth Alexander Producers: Sam Clack and Hannah Bewley (Image: Jane Kennedy, Irene Wong and Avril Beaven)

How to make a TV cooking show

People have been eating out in restaurants and bars for hundreds of years, and some of those early establishments are still open today. This week Ruth Alexander meets the people running some of the world’s oldest restaurants. When so many close within the first 12 months of opening, what’s the secret to centuries-old success?Antonio Gonzales Gomez runs Botin, in the Spanish capital Madrid. The restaurant is judged as the oldest by the Guinness World Records, and he tells us how he and his family have kept it going for so long.Ruth heads to the east of England to Nottingham, where the battle to claim the title of 'world's oldest pub' is fierce. Buildings archaeologist Dr James Wright explains what evidence he's found to declare the winner.We hear how a 200-year-old tavern in Missouri, in the United States, has been battling to stay open, and the man who runs the "oldest sausage restaurant in the world" tells us why being located of an historic German town boosts business.

The world's oldest restaurants

Why do we enjoy foods that crunch? Listener Sheila Harris contacted The Food Chain with that question and asked us to find out if the food texture has any benefits.  Ruth Alexander speaks to Danielle Reed, Chief Science Officer at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, US, who says that crunchy foods signal freshness and help our brains decide if a food is safe to eat.  Paediatric dentist Ashley Lerman in New York, US says crunchy fruit and vegetables can act as a natural tooth cleaner. Anthropologist Professor Noreen von Cramon-Taubadel at the University at Buffalo in New York, US says that the texture of our diets can impact the shape of our faces. Her work has studied how jaw shape has changed as humans switched from hunter gatherer to farming diets.  Ciarán Forde, Professor of Sensory Science and Eating Behaviour at Wageningen University in the Netherlands explains how crunchy and other hard textures could help us to eat more slowly and consume fewer calories.  And could crunch make foods more palatable? Chef Dulsie Fadzai Mudekwa in Zimbabwe says the texture is key to convincing people to try edible insects.  If you have a question for The Food Chain email thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProduced by Beatrice Pickup. (Image: a woman biting a stick of celery. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)

Crunch!

Around 100 countries have official dietary guidelines, and more are on their way. But who is following them?  Ruth Alexander asks how realistic healthy-eating advice is as she explores how official recommendations are developed, what they’re trying to achieve, and the obstacles standing in our way. We hear from Fatima Hachem, Senior Nutrition Officer at the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation, about how her team offers support to countries designing dietary guidelines.Chiza Kunwenda, senior lecturer in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Zambia, tells us how he and a team of others drew up the latest dietary guidelines for Zambia and other countries in Africa.In Argentina, as well as advice, the government has issued black octagonal warning labels on foods high in salt sugar, saturated fats and calories. Are people taking notice? And can people around the world afford to eat according to guidelines? Dr Anna Herforth co-directed the Food prices for Nutrition project at Tufts University in the United States, tells us what she found. We also hear from shoppers at a community food outlet in the North West of England, about how cost is  barrier to healthy eating.(Image: a plate of food showing suggested dietary guidelines. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)If you’d like to contact the programme, email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk. Producers: Hannah Bewley and Izzy Greenfield.

Is anyone following dietary guidelines?

Rice is the main staple for over half the world’s population.   The crop has problems though – it is vulnerable to climate change, whether that’s drought or flooding. It’s also a crop that contributes to climate change, as it uses more water than other grain crops and is frequently grown in flooded conditions. Rice production is also a big source of methane emissions. In this programme Ruth Alexander hears about the possible solutions to these problems. Dr Yvonne Pinto, Director General of the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines talks about their work developing new varieties of rice, and new more sustainable farming techniques.  One rice company trialling these techniques is Tilda in the UK. General Manager Jean-Philippe Laborde explains what difference it’s made to water and fertiliser use as well as methane emissions.  Given the problems with rice, should we just eat less of it?  Jakob Klein, anthropologist at SOAS University of London explains the Chinese government’s attempts to convince people to eat more potato as a staple food. And we talk about the cultural importance of rice with listeners in the Philippines and Bangladesh.  If you’d like to contact the programme email thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukPresented by Ruth Alexander. Produced by Beatrice Pickup.  (Image: a steaming bowl of rice with chopsticks above it holding a mouthful of white rice grains. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)

Should we eat less rice?

When there are so many recipes available for free online, why does anyone still buy cookbooks? In this programme we look into the business of selling cookbooks, what future the format may have and hear about the treasured tomes you turn to time and time again. Ruth Alexander visits Books for Cooks, a specialist cookbook shop in London, to chat to Eric Treuille who cooks lunch for his customers from a different cookbook each day.  She speaks to cookbook writers Mogau Seshoene in South Africa, author of ‘The Lazy Makoti’ books, and Joanne Molinaro in the US, author of ‘The Korean Vegan’.  Doris Cooper tells Ruth what a publisher is looking for in a cookbook. She tells Ruth about her big hits and misses as editor-in-chief of Simon Element, a division of Simon and Schuster in New York. And listeners in Italy, Malta and the US tell us about their favourite cookbooks.  If you would like to contact the programme email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk.  Presented by Ruth Alexander. Produced by Beatrice Pickup. (Image: Ruth Alexander with her grandmother’s cookbook, which still holds her handwritten pastry recipe. Credit: BBC)

What's the point of cookbooks?

Prosecco flavoured crisps? Eggnog chicken? Sticky toffee pudding trifle?  The innovation for novelty Christmas products seems endless, but is there the appetite? Ruth Alexander lifts the lid on an industry churning out festive food hits, and flops, in the race for Christmas tastebuds.   She visits the Good Housekeeping Institute in London to take part in an opulent dessert testing event, deciding which puddings are the best on the shelves this year.  Eric Nummelin and Mike Vahabi from Hela Spice in Toronto, Canada, reveal the wacky inventions they have come up with for this year, and how inspiration can strike at any time.  A former buyer for a large European supermarket chain talks about how to “win” Christmas with headline-grabbing products, and what happens when shoppers try things once and don’t go back for more. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukPresenter: Ruth Alexander Producer: Hannah Bewley (Image: Colourful Christmas treats and biscuits. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)

Has Christmas food gone mad?

Which food do you associate with your favourite sport?  Pie and chips at an English football match, biriyanis at the cricket in Pakistan or grilling meat in the parking lot outside an American football game – there are some tasty traditions which go hand-in-hand with sport across the world.  Ruth Alexander hears how a traditional rice dish can bring two rival nations together over a game of cricket, and how a disappointing sausage roll before a football game led one man on a country-wide quest for better food for fans. Over a pile of warming chips on a frosty night in South Manchester, Ruth discovers how getting the food right off the pitch might help a team’s fortune improve on the pitch.  If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukPresenter: Ruth Alexander Producer: Hannah Bewley  Additional reporting: Ben Derico(Image: a box of chips with gravy and curry sauce held beside a football pitch. Credit: BBC)

Stadium food

Crookie, anyone? Cronut, croffle?  Ruth Alexander looks at the rise of the dessert café and the extraordinary creations it’s spawned.  She visits one such café in Manchester with roses adorning the walls, and chocolate adorning almost everything else.  And speaks to a food blogger in Dubai and a café owner in USA about the latest trends and the businesses who have been serving puddings for decades. Find out what the latest fashions are in dessert, and how quickly a new invention can sweep the world.  Going out for pudding has become the thing to do in many places and the more extravagant your order, the better. In fact, going out for pudding has never been so fashionable – or has it?  Presenter: Ruth AlexanderProducers: Rumella Dasgupta and Hannah Bewley (Image: A selection of sweet desserts. Credit: BBC)

Croffle, anyone?

From America to Mongolia, you can go into a restaurant run by a global fast-food chain, and buy the same meal. So how did fast food become so successful?   Across the world, last year we spent more than 900 billion dollars on fast food. The USA, where it all began, consumes the most, but even in France, despite its history of haute cuisine, more than half of households regularly enjoy burgers and fries. Julia Paul learns about its origins in the USA, and hears how it spread globally, thanks to the franchise model. She speaks to a superfan who’s eaten at one chain in 25 countries. Critics say global brands shipping food around the world is bad for the environment and for local economies. There are some places where some brands have failed, and some where they haven’t even opened yet. Julia hears how local burgers, and the worldwide recession, saw off McDonalds in Iceland, and speaks to a Nigerian female chef who’s competing to offer fast local food in Lagos. If you would like to get in touch with the programme, email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk.   Presented and produced by Julia Paul.   (Image: A large burger. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)

How did fast food become so successful?

We are celebrating 10 years of The Food Chain with some of our favourite programme moments from the past decade. Fishing to stay alive, chopping onions in remembrance, and tasting people’s names – these stories and more tell us something about our relationship with food and how it helps us connect with one another. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukPresenter: Ruth Alexander (Image: A chocolate birthday cake with number 10 candles on top. Credit: Getty Images)

We are 10!

Dull? Boring? Plain?  Vanilla is a byword for something which is ordinary or standard. In this programme Ruth Alexander finds the story of the popular spice is anything but normal.  Originating in Mexico it’s travelled the globe and taken over, and is now one of the most valuable commodities available.  It’s gone from being highly sought after and the height of luxury – even serving as an aphrodisiac for Mesoamericans and a European monarch - to ubiquitous and considered “regular”.  Despite its reputation there is still a lot to appreciate about this complex flavour, and fans in one ice cream parlour are keen to make sure it isn’t overlooked.  Presenter: Ruth Alexander Producers: Nina Pullman and Hannah Bewley (Image: A vanilla bean and flower. Credit: Getty Images)

Just vanilla

How do our work habits shape what we eat?  In this programme Izzy Greenfield discovers the history of the workplace lunch and the ways in which society has reshaped it. Historian Megan Elias of Boston University in the US explains how lunches have evolved from the factories of the 19th century Industrial Revolution to sandwiches eaten at the desk in 20th century offices. Izzy visits an office and co-working space in Manchester, run by Department, a company that operates office spaces in the North of England. Abigail Gunning, Operations Director, explains why it makes sense for the company to open the building’s cafe and restaurant to the public as well as staff.  And how does workplace food impact our health? Olivia Beck, registered nutritionist at Food Choices at Work in Cork, Ireland, explains why it’s in employers’ interests to create a healthy food environment for all staff, whether in the office or at home.  If you’d like to contact the programme you can email thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukPresented by Izzy Greenfield.  Produced by Beatrice Pickup. Additional reporting by James Jackson. (Image: a man eating a burger with a glass of juice at his desk in front of a computer screen. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)

How work changed lunch

Water scarcity is an increasing problem on every continent, according to the United Nations. Around half the world’s population experiences severe water scarcity for at least part of the year, according to a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Global warming and population growth is expected to make the situation worse, so what is it like to run a home or a business amid water shortages? Ruth Alexander hears from households and businesses in Karachi, Pakistan and Bogata, Colombia, and finds out lessons from Cape Town, South Africa which was said to be approaching ‘Day Zero’ when the taps would run dry in 2018. Ruth explores whether desalination – harvesting drinking water from the sea - could ever offer a sustainable solution.If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukProduced by Rumella Dasgupta and Beatrice Pickup. (Image: people queuing for water in Cape Town, South Africa in 2018. Credit: Bloomberg/Getty Images/BBC)

Living with water shortages

Did you share a flat, house or kitchen as a student or professional? Is it the shared meals and conversation that stay with you, or the piles of dirty dishes and missing food? This week Ruth Alexander has a look around shared kitchens all over the world. We hear the good, bad and dirty – and give advice on how to build cooperation in your shared kitchen. Ruth hears from a former housemate what she was really like to share with, as well as a surprise revelation about her unappetising meal of choice.If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukPresented by Ruth Alexander.
Produced by Hannah Bewley.(Image: five students sat on sofas in their shared living space eating a meal they have cooked together. Credit: BBC)

Housemates

Do you know how much you should drink? Many global guidelines recommend approximately 2 litres a day for women and 2.5 litres a day for men, including food.  But scientists say there is actually huge variation in how much each of us need as individuals. Ruth Alexander speaks to Professor John Speakman at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, who explains why your age, sex, weight, and other environmental factors such as air temperature, humidity and altitude all make a difference. Dr Nidia Rodriguez-Sanchez, senior lecturer at the University of Stirling in Scotland, explains why our bodies need water and what happens if we drink too little, or too much. That happened to Johanna Perry in the UK, she tells Ruth what happened when she drank too much water whilst running the London Marathon in 2018.  Presented by Ruth Alexander. Produced by Beatrice Pickup. (Image: a woman holding a plastic bottle of water. Credit: Getty Images/ BBC)

How much water should I drink?

Is it possible to taste a place? A listener wonders whether the French concept of ‘terroir’ can apply to food and, if so, what the science behind it is. Ruth Alexander goes in search of the answer, exploring how growing conditions and practices can develop flavours unique to a location.  She also hears about why the value you give to certain flavours might also be cultural.  Ruth speaks to a honey expert who is mapping the flavours of the sweet syrup across the world, a barley geneticist working with a high-end whisky brand and visits a vertical farm in Liverpool, UK, to see if foods grown in a closed environment still taste just as good.  If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukPresenter: Ruth Alexander Producer: Hannah Bewley (Image: A barley field under a setting sun. Credit: Getty Images)

Can you taste a place?

Fancy starting a food truck? It can be a way to trial new food concepts and see if your business has potential before committing to a restaurant premises.  Ruth Alexander finds out what its really like running a food truck or van. She meets customers queuing for over an hour for the SpudBros van in Preston, north-west England, where brothers Harley and Jacob Nelson have drummed up business for their jacket potatoes on social media. Ruth speaks to Anna Brand who runs a vegan food van Vege Bang Bang in Auckland New Zealand, and sisters Natalie and Samantha Mwedekeli who started Mama Rocks, a food van selling gourmet burgers in Nairobi, Kenya in 2015. Today they have five premises and its time to sell the van that started it all. And Karan Malik talks about his food van SuperSuckers in Delhi, India. He saw the trend take off, but tells Ruth why he decided to get out of the business.  If you would like to contact the programme email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk.Presenter: Ruth Alexander  
Producer: Beatrice Pickup 
Researcher: Henry Liston(Image: Brothers Jacob and Harley Nelson in their food van selling jacket potatoes in Preston north-west England. Credit: BBC)

So you want to run a food truck?

An Indian curry house is one of the most popular places to go out for a meal in the UK, and is part of British life. But many people do not know their origins lie in what is now Bangladesh, after a wave of migration from there in the 1970s.  Devina Gupta traces their history and flavours on Brick Lane in east London, where many people settled and started restaurants. Many have closed over the years, but their legacy lives on. And now more diverse and authentic flavours are becoming popular in the capital and elsewhere.  Presenter: Devina Gupta 
Producer: Hannah Bewley(Photo: Brick Lane sign with Bangla language version underneath. Credit: BBC)

How ‘Bangla Town’ changed a nation's food culture

Ruth Alexander learns about ‘forever’ foods - stocks, soups and sourdough starters that can be replenished again and again and used for weeks, months or even years. Ruth hears about a beef soup in Bangkok that has been maintained for 50 years, and she bakes a loaf of sourdough bread using a 69-year-old starter that has been kept going by Hobbs House Bakery in the south-west of England.  Cookbook writer Fuchsia Dunlop in London, UK, talks about the tradition of cooking with an ‘everlasting’ broth in Chinese cuisine. Annie Ruewerda in New York in the US was charmed by the idea of a perpetual stew, she kept hers going for two months and it became an online hit – bringing hundreds of strangers to her local park to try the stew and add ingredients.  Lee-Ann Jaykus, distinguished professor emeritus and food microbiologist at North Carolina State University in the US explains the food safety rules you need to know if you want to try a perpetual dish at home. Martha Carlin, distinguished professor of history at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the US helps unravel the claimed historical origins of perpetual stew. And our thanks to World Service listeners David Shirley and Mark Wood for telling us about the oldest dishes they have eaten.  Producer: Rumella Dasgupta and Beatrice Pickup 
Additional reporting by the BBC’s Ryn Jirenuwat in Bangkok, Thailand(Photo: A huge pot of beef soup in that has been added to over 50 years at a restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand. Credit: David Shirley/BBC)

Forever foods

Social media is awash with videos of people trying out new recipes at home and exploring the best hidden foodie gems in cities around the world.  The stream of content seems endless – so how do the people making these videos keep up?  Ruth Alexander speaks to three people in the UK, USA and Vietnam about having six meals before 10am, the relentless pressure to keep up with viral trends, and what they cook for themselves when the camera is off.  Tod Inskip, Lylla Nha Vy and Jackie Gebel share the highs and lows of being a “content creator” and why they don’t like the term influencer.  Presenter: Ruth Alexander Producers: Hannah Bewley and Elisabeth Mahy If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk(Image: Lylla Nha Vy, Tod Inskip and Jackie Gebel. Credit: Composite BBC)