Marketplace Feeding the Family (bonus episode)
11 snips
Nov 22, 2025 
Alan Perlstein, CEO of California Cultured, dives into the world of lab-grown chocolate, revealing how climate change is driving this innovative solution to cocoa shortages. Toto Alamasi, a refugee farmer in Houston, shares his experiences with urban farming and the impact of USDA funding cuts on food accessibility. Together, they discuss the challenges of maintaining food security while exploring new markets for local produce. This engaging conversation offers a fresh perspective on food sustainability and the future of family meals.
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Lab Chocolate Responds To Climate And Costs
- Climate stress and tariffs are pushing chocolate producers to explore lab-grown cocoa as a scalable alternative.
- Alan Perlstein's California Cultured aims to supply ingredients and license tech to major chocolate companies.
Behind The Scenes In A Chocolate Lab
- Amy Scott toured California Cultured's lab and saw cocoa cells grown in petri dishes and stacked trays.
- The cells are fed specific mixes, fermented, roasted, and processed into chocolate ingredients.
Jell-O Turned Luxury Gelatin Into Mass Dessert
- Jell-O transformed from elite aspic into an affordable, mass-market dessert after 1897's instant gelatin innovation.
- Its marketing framed cheap gelatin as aspirational, embedding it in American culinary tradition.
