Food Sleuth Radio

Did you know that the grocery industry makes a significant contribution to both food waste and the global plastic crisis? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Lea Rainey, founder of Roots Zero Waste Market and Organic Cafe, located in Garden City, ID. Rainey discusses what makes her grocery store unique, including her efforts to reduce waste, offer local/regional organic food, and focus on alternatives to single-use plastic. Part 1 of 2.Related Websites: Roots Zero Waste Market: https://www.rootszerowastemarket.com/ https://idahonews.com/news/local/roots-zero-waste-market-in-garden-city-to-eliminate-waste-in-grocery-stores Formaticum cheese paper: https://www.formaticum.com/pages/cheese-storage-101 Contronics: https://www.ecrloss.com/innovation/ecr-top-30-innovations-in-food-waste-loss-2023/contronics

Did you know that farmworkers face a growing number of hardships and threats both in their jobs and communities?  Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Fabiola Ortiz Valdez, Director of Organizing, Food Chain Workers Alliance. Valdez discusses farmworkers’ lives and the struggles they face as they toil to put food on our plates.Related Websites: Report: https://farmworkertribunal.org/#summaryhttps://www.ncfh.org/uploads/3/8/6/8/38685499/facts_about_farmworkers_fact_sheet_1.10.23.pdf

Did you know that there are global brokers looking for land to “grab” as a way to capture water and food production? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Nate Halverson, Emmy Award-winning journalist at The Center for Investigative Reporting, and producer and lead reporter in The Grab, a feature-length documentary that uncovers the powerful interests vying to control global food and water supplies. Related Websites: The Grab: https://revealnews.org/the-grab/

Did you know that plastic recycling is a myth? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Megan Wolff, PhD, MPH, public health practitioner, subject matter expert on plastics and human health, visiting faculty at Bennington College, and Executive Director of the Physicians and Scientists Network for Advocacy on Plastics and Health (P-SNAP). Wolff discusses the myths of plastic recycling and “bio-plastics,” efforts of communities to ban single-use plastics, “plasticulture,” and extended producer responsibility. She is offering a virtual course through Bennington College to students and the general public: Class: Plastics, Microplastics, and Human Health – Spring 2025 ; Wednesdays | 7:00–8:50 pm ET, April 16 – May 28, 2025; Register hereRelated Websites: Minderoo report: https://annalsofglobalhealth.org/articles/10.5334/aogh.4056 https://psnap.org/

Did you know plastics don’t break down, they break up? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Megan Wolff, PhD, MPH, public health practitioner, subject matter expert on plastics and human health, visiting faculty at Bennington College, and Executive Director of the Physicians and Scientists Network for Advocacy on Plastics and Health (P-SNAP). Wolff discusses the growing health effects from the increasing amounts of plastics in our environment.Related Websites: Minderoo report: https://annalsofglobalhealth.org/articles/10.5334/aogh.4056 https://psnap.org/

Did you know that H5 influenza (also called bird flu) will continue to spread into new species and threaten human lives? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Carol Cardona, Ph.D., DVM, Professor and Endowed Chair in Avian Health in the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences at the University of MN – St. Paul.  Dr. Cardona discusses avian influenza, (popularly called “bird flu”) or H5N1, the spread to new species, risk to human health, vaccination, farm worker health, and the need to support public health agencies in their efforts to educate producers and consumers, and protect all species.Related Websites: https://vetmed.umn.edu/bio/college-of-veterinary-medicine/carol-cardona Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center: https://umash.umn.edu/hpai-toolkit/

Did you know that Mexico is trying to protect their health and food sovereignty rights to reject US GMO corn exports for use in their corn tortillas? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Timothy Wise, MS, Senior Research Fellow at the Global Development and Environment Institute at Tufts University, investigative journalist for U.S. Right to Know, and the author of Eating Tomorrow: Agribusiness, Family Farmers, and the Battle for the Future of Food.  Wise discusses the impact of the U.S. Mexico Canada Trade Agreement (formerly NAFTA) on Mexican food sovereignty and health, and the potential impacts of President Trump’s trade tariffs. He also discusses the scientific evidence Mexico has compiled showing real health concerns from consuming GMO corn.Related Websites: Health Concerns from GM crops: https://usrtk.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/DOSSIER-MAIZ-2024-ENGfinal-5.pdf https://www.timothyawise.com/

Did you know that whatever your interest, you can use it to make positive change in your community? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Mackenzie Feldman, founder and co-director of Re:wild Your Campus, and co-author of Groundbakers: 60+ Plant-Based Comfort Food Recipes and 16 Leaders Changing the Food System. Feldman discusses her work to eliminate synthetic pesticides on campus grounds, her research on cover-crops, and her cookbook which includes recipes and empowering stories from food system leaders creating positive food system change.Related Websites: https://www.rewildyourcampus.org/ Ground Bakers: https://www.groundbakers.com/ Into the Weeds documentary: https://www.intotheweedsimpact.com/the-film Walking Softer: https://www.walkingsofter.org/ 

Did you know that industrialized hog farming has harmed rural communities and public health? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Sonja Eayrs, attorney, farm advocate and author of Dodge County Inc.: Big Ag and the Undoing of Rural America. Eayrs describes the corporatization of hog farming and the resulting wake of destruction, including fouled air and water, declining rural communities, harassment against those who speak out, and methods of corporate indoctrination.  Related Websites: https://www.sonjatromeayrs.com/

In this engaging conversation, David Wiss, an award-winning registered dietitian and nutrition pioneer, delves into the significant role of food in mental health and addiction recovery. He challenges the 'all foods can fit' philosophy, highlighting its potential pitfalls. Wiss argues that nutrition should be viewed as a social justice issue, especially for marginalized communities. He also discusses the effects of ultra-processed foods on mental health and the need for accountability in the food industry to foster better eating habits.