Food Sleuth Radio

Will Potter is an award-winning investigative journalist and author known for exploring social justice and environmental issues. In this conversation, he dives into 'ag-gag' laws that obscure animal abuse in factory farms. Potter discusses the historical context of these laws and their detrimental effect on transparency and accountability. He draws parallels to Upton Sinclair's writings and examines the long-standing injustices in industrial agriculture. The chat highlights ongoing challenges in animal welfare legislation and the need for greater public awareness.

Did you know that people living in arctic regions have some of the highest body burdens of toxic chemicals? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Pamela Miller, MS, Founder and Executive Director of Alaska Community Action on Toxics and Co-Chair of the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN). Miller discusses the unique food system, climate and environmental toxin challenges faced by those living in Alaska and the broader Arctic region.Related Websites: www.akaction

Did you know that oysters are not only popular items at seafood festivals, but vital to the health of our estuaries?  Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Sandra Brooke, Ph.D., research faculty at Florida State University’s Coastal and Marine Laboratory and scientific director and lead investigator of the Apalachicola Bay System Initiative.  Brooke has worked on deep-water coral ecosystems in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, Norwegian Fjords, South Atlantic Bight and the Gulf of Mexico, including  assessing damage following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. She’ll discuss the ecosystem services provided by oysters, oyster shell recycling, oyster farming, and why and how oyster reefs are threatened, and can be restored.Related Websites: https://marinelab.fsu.edu/

Did you know that consolidation in the fertilizer industry results in environmental harm and less choice for farmers? 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 how consolidation in food and agriculture affects farmers, consumers and the well-being of rural communities with a unique and surprising focus on fertilizer.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 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/