Food Sleuth Radio

Did you know that consolidation in our food and agriculture systems has more to do with the price of eggs than bird flu? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Basel Musharbash, antitrust and trade regulation lawyer, and author of Kings Over the Necessaries of Life: Monopolization and the Elimination of Competition in America’s Agriculture System. Musharbash discusses the real reasons why egg prices escalated, and the larger impact of consolidation in our food system. (Part 1 of 2)Related Websites:  https://farmaction.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Kings-Over-the-Necessaries-of-Life-Monopolization-and-the-Elimination-of-Competition-in-Americas-Agriculture-System_Farm-Action.pdf

Did you know that some food dyes can have a negative influence children’s behavior? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Peter Lurie, MD, MPH, President and Executive Director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a non-profit food and health watchdog organization based in Washington, DC. Lurie discusses the workings of the FDA, RFK’s position on food dyes, the EU’s policy on food dyes, cuts to FDA and NIH grants, and ways to advocate for smart food and health policies.Related Websites: CSPI: www.cspinet.org Chemical Cuisine: https://www.cspinet.org/page/chemical-cuisine-food-additive-safety-ratings NIH Grants termination: https://www.cspinet.org/case/nih-grants-termination

Did you know that Roundup for residential /consumer use has been re-formulated to replace glyphosate with even more harmful chemicals? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Kendra Klein, PhD., Deputy Director of Science at Friends of the Earth. Klein describes new formulations, health risks of herbicides and misconceptions about “regenerative” and no-till agriculture.Related Websites: www.foe.org New Roundup, New Risks: Bayer’s Controversial Weed Killer is More Toxic than Ever: https://foe.org/resources/new-roundup-new-risks/ Organic for All: https://foe.org/organic-for-all/ Rethinking No-till: https://foe.org/resources/rethinking-no-till/

Did you know that USDA’s recent cuts to local food promotion grants will thwart farmers’ ability to provide fresh, nourishing, local food to schools and food pantries? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Liz Graznak, MO-based certified organic farmer. Graznak will discuss the impacts of recent USDA grant funding cuts on her farm’s labor and food production, plus broader impacts on climate, environment and public health.Related Websites: Happy Hollow Farm: organic farming, climate smart agriculture, USDA, Local Food Purchase Assistance Program, MAHA, labor Real Organic Project interview: https://realorganicproject.org/liz-graznak-surprise-25-percent-market-gone-215/ Union of Concerned Scientists:  https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/11-trillion-reward.pdf Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA): https://odphp.health.gov/foodismedicine/federal-resource-hub/local-food-purchase-assistance-cooperative-agreement-programLocal Food for Schools: https://www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food-to-usda/lfs

Did you know that federal budget allocations for farm to school purchasing have been cut, harming farmers, rural economies and the diet quality of school children? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Ryan Betz, MS., policy specialist with the National Farm to School Network where he supports the Network's federal policy efforts, as well as managing "Who's at the Table?" School Meals Campaign advocating for Values-Aligned School Meals for All. Betz describes the federal cuts to Farm to School programming, and suggests ways we can voice our opposition to funding cuts and help restore vital programs that invest in our national well-being.Related Websites: Farm to School webinar: Cuts that Bite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvQdg2AegzE Funding Farm to School: https://www.farmtoschool.org/resources-main/funding-farm-to-school Farm to School Policy Action: https://www.farmtoschool.org/policy/take-action

Did you know that “geohealth” refers to health and disease through a geographical lens? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Alan Kolok, PhD , Professor Emeritus, Environmental Toxicology, University of Idaho, Volunteer Faculty, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, author of Modern Poisons: A Brief Introduction to Contemporary Toxicology, and coauthor of “Exploring the Joint Association Between Agrichemical Mixtures and Pediatric Cancer,”GeoHealth (Feb. 2025). Kolok discusses his unique research on exposure to agricultural chemical mixtures and incidence of pediatric cancers. He also describes the importance of the USGS Pesticide National Synthesis Project, and related maps in scientific research.Related Websites: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39944898/ USGS Pesticide National Synthesis Project maps: https://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/pnsp/usage/maps/

Did you know that regional, community grocery stores can create stronger, more resilient communities?  Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her continued conversation with Lea Rainey, founder of Roots Zero Waste Market and Organic Café, located in Garden City, ID. Rainey introduces us to the term “food ethics,” and discusses food pricing, how she sources local/regional organic food, pays her employees fair wages, and chooses reusable containers over single-use plastic. Part 2 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 Egg prices: https://farmaction.us/farm-action-calls-for-an-investigation-into-skyrocketing-egg-prices-and-restricted-supply/ Organically Grown Company: https://www.organicgrown.com/

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/