Food Sleuth Radio
About
Available on
Community
768 episodes
Did you know that fossil fuel subsidies contribute to the “cheap” cost of plastic? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Bev Thorpe, Co-Founder of Clean Production Action, a resource to advance a non-toxic economy. Thorpe describes the “triple planetary crisis https://unfccc.int/news/what-is-the-triple-planetary-crisis,” and shares strategies to move away from harmful fossil-fuel based chemicals used widely in our food system. Related website: Clean Production Action’s “Green Screen:” https://www.cleanproduction.org/programs/greenscreen
Did you know that heavy metals are present in a wide variety of our foods? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Conrad Choiniere, Ph.D. Director, Office of Analytics and Outreach, Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Choiniere discusses common heavy metals in our food supply, and specifically the recent investigation into lead-contaminated cinnamon applesauce. Choiniere chairs FDA's Toxic Elements Working Group, which prioritizes the Administration's efforts to reduce exposures to lead, arsenic, and other heavy metals from foods to the greatest extent feasible. Related website: Closer to Zero: https://www.fda.gov/food/environmental-contaminants-food/closer-zero-reducing-childhood-exposure-contaminants-foods https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-elevated-lead-chromium-levels-cinnamon-applesauce-pouches-november-2023?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
Did you know that regenerative agriculture includes indigenous practices of land stewardship? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin, Co-founder and CEO of Tree-Range Farms based in Northfield, MN, and founder of the non-profit Regenerative Agriculture Alliance. Haslett-Marroquin discusses key features of “regenerative” agriculture. He also describes unique features of his poultry operation, including agroforestry, silvopasture, and indigenous insights. Related website: Tree Range Chickens: www.treerangefarms.com http://www.treerangefarms.com Regenerative Agriculture Alliance: https://www.regenagalliance.org/
Did you know that Salmonella is one of the leading causes of foodborne illness in the U.S.? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Richard Raymond, M.D., former Undersecretary for Food Safety at the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. Raymond discusses Salmonella, it’s prevalence in the food supply, ways to reduce risk, and potentially high-risk foods that he personally avoids. (Part 2 of 2) Related website: https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/communication/salmonella-food.html
Did you know that food recalls help prevent people from eating a food that could result in illness or injuries? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Richard Raymond, M.D., former Undersecretary for Food Safety at the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. Raymond discusses food recalls: reasons why food is recalled, the possible fates of recalled food, and specific cases related to the bacteria, E. coli 0157:H7. (Part 1 of 2) Related website: Food Recalls:https://foodprint.org/blog/the-oft-ignored-environmental-impact-of-food-recalls-food-waste/ FSIS: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls Food Safety News:https://www.foodsafetynews.com/
Did you know that artists can play a unique role in helping us think critically about the global influence of agrichemical companies on our food system? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Kirsten Stolle, a visual artist whose works intersect art, science and culture to examine the global influence of agrichemical companies on our food system. Stolle describes her artwork, and explains how she helps viewers see propaganda, corporate greenwashing and advertising strategies, while promoting critical thinking and visual literacy. Her unique collages reflect her concern with industrial food production and the influence of biotechnology. She delves into the historical ties between Monsanto, Bayer, and Dow and chemical warfare. Her work is included in permanent collections and exhibits in museums and galleries across the U.S. and the EU. Related website: Chemical Bouquet: https://www.kirstenstolle.com/chemical-bouquet https://www.thebillboardcreative.com/interviews/kirsten-stolle
Did you know that “foodscaping” involves the planning, design, management, and nurturing of ecological edible landscapes? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Matt Lebon, owner of Custom Foodscaping. Lebon, who provides education and leadership to foodscapers nationally, discusses the multiple benefits of creating beautiful, edible landscapes, how to deal with challenges and reap abundant rewards. Related website: https://www.customfoodscaping.com/ https://www.thefoodscaper.com/
Did you know that one year ago the community of East Palestine Ohio was poisoned by a Norfolk Southern train derailment and the resulting purposeful burning of vinyl chloride? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Jess Conard, Appalachia Director at Beyond Plastics who discusses the ongoing public health consequences facing her community. Conard explains that any community in close proximity to rail lines is at risk for a similar fate, and encourages citizen action to encourage the EPA to ban vinyl chloride.https://www.beyondplastics.org/actions/ban-vinyl-chloride Related website: https://www.beyondplastics.org/actions/ban-vinyl-chloride Grist: One Year After the Toxic Train Derailment…https://grist.org/accountability/is-east-palestine-safe-depends-who-you-ask/
Did you know that the drugs Ozempic and Wegovy are revolutionizing the medical treatment of obesity and related disorders? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Mary Donkersloot, RDN, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and host of the Smart Eating Show. The two will discuss the pros and cons of this new class of obesity drugs and drug-free ways to tweak our diets to increase satiety and reach a healthier body weight. Related website: https://www.youtube.com/@smarteatingshow7793 Impact on food industry: https://foodinstitute.com/focus/ozempics-business-impact-weight-loss-drug-could-make-snack-makers-tighten-belts/
Did you know that there are multiple benefits resulting from the co-location of solar panels with agricultural production? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Byron Kominek, founder of Jack’s Solar Garden and Executive Director of the Colorado Agrivoltaic Learning Center in Longmont, CO - the largest commercially active agrivoltaics system in the United States. Kominek describes how solar panels can benefit farmworkers and livestock and influence plant growth, while generating climate-friendly energy. Related website: https://www.coagrivoltaic.org/
Did you know that the majority of corn seeds planted in the United States are coated with a powerful pesticide that harms pollinators, birds and other wildlife? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Elizabeth Hilborn, DVM, registered nurse, farmer and author of (Chicago Review Press, 2023). Hilborn recounts her tragic story about how neonicotinoid seed coatings washed onto her farm, and the resulting devastating impact on wildlife and garden crops. Hilborn connects the dots – agricultural practices/pesticides, lack of government oversight, and public and environmental health. Related website: https://elizabethhilborn.com/
Did you know that exercise benefits both physical health and cognition? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Michelle Gray, Ph.D., Head of the Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation, Director of the Office for Studies on Aging, and Professor of Exercise Science at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville. Gray discusses age-related muscle loss and the functional and cognitive benefits of exercise, along with adequate protein intake. Related website: https://exercisescience.uark.edu/
Did you know that Dollar Stores are the fastest growing food retailer in the U.S.? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Sara John, Ph.D., Deputy Director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, and lead author of “Stretching the Dollar: Community Informed Opportunities to Improve Healthy Food Access through Dollar Stores.” John discusses the steady growth of Dollar Stores, their potential impact on community health, and policy interventions to limit their expansion and incentivize improvements in the nutritional value of food sold at the stores. Related website: https://www.cspinet.org/resource/stretching-dollar Take action: https://www.cspinet.org/article/dollar-general-dont-discount-families
Did you know that farm couples often have to find off-farm jobs to secure health insurance? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Anna Jones-Crabtree, Ph.D., owner and operator of Vilicus Farms and Institute, in Havre, MT. Jones-Crabtree discusses agricultural challenges and opportunities for farming in light of climate change, policy, and relationships with community and nature. She explains “systems thinking,” and encourages us to recognize how ecology is central to economic and social systems. Related website: https://vilicusfarms.com/ https://www.vilicusinstitute.org/
Did you know that biodiversity is key to resilience? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Doug Crabtree, owner and operator of Vilicus Farms and Institute, in Havre, MT. From the heart of wheat country in the northern plains, Crabtree discusses the challenges he faces from climate change, U.S. agricultural policies, and the benefits of organic agriculture, biodiversity, ecosystem services. Importantly, he shares his philosophy on farming, as a necessary part of society based on community. Related website: https://vilicusfarms.com/
Did you know that USDA’s new Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards will help promote animal welfare? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Harriet Behar, organic farmer, inspector, educator and Farmer Services Consultant for the Organic Farming Association. Behar describes the multiple benefits of organic agriculture and explains how USDA’s new organic livestock and poultry standards benefit farmers, inspectors, and consumers. Related website: https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/organic-livestock-and-poultry-standards https://organicfarmersassociation.org/
Did you know that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) serves more than 40 million Americans, or about 1 in 8 people living in poverty in the U.S.? However, large corporations also benefit from the program. Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Jennifer Wilkins, Ph.D., RD, a leader in sustainable, community-based food systems. Wilkins discusses SNAP funding, spending, and how the program could be improved to better match U.S. Dietary Guidelines and support both public and planetary health. Related website: HOW BIG FOOD CORPORATIONS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SNAP: https://blog.ucsusa.org/alice-reznickova/how-big-food-corporations-take-advantage-of-snap/ https://civileats.com/2017/08/28/congress-could-cut-soda-and-candy-from-snap-but-big-sugar-is-pushing-back/ SNAP NUTRITION SECURITY ACT: https://bipartisanpolicy.org/blog/eating-well-living-well-enhancing-nutritious-food-access/
Did you know that religious beliefs have influenced our eating habits throughout history? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Christina Ward, food historian, Vice President and Editor at Feral House, and author of Ward discusses historical food traditions and unique practices from traditional religions to cults and utopian societies, as well as commonalities, and the power of eating together to foster understanding, peace and community. Related website: https://www.christinaward.net/books
Did you know that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has resulted in the inability of Mexican corn farmers to earn a living? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Dana Geffner, co-founder and former executive director of Fair World Project, the leading fair trade advocacy organization in the U.S. Geffner explains how “free trade” agreements benefit corporate profits at the expense of people and environment, using NAFTA as a prime example. She defines “fair trade,” and provides advice when navigating fair trade product labels in the consumer marketplace. Related website: www.fairworldproject.org http://www.fairworldproject.org https://corpaccountabilitylab.org/
Did you know that chefs are uniquely positioned to drive food system change for good? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Katherine Miller, advocate and author of (Island Press, 2023). Miller was the founding executive director of the Chef Action Network, a chef advocacy group, and the vice president of impact at the James Beard Foundation where she developed the Chef’s Boot camp for Policy and Change, where chefs learn how to effectively use their skills for advocacy. She discusses the National Restaurant Association’s political force, the key role immigrant labor plays in our food system, and the powerful potential chefs have to advocate for food system reform. Related website: https://table81.com/
Did you know that we have more than enough food to feed everyone on the planet and then some? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Michael Fakhri, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. Fakhri is a professor at the University of Oregon, School of Law where he teaches courses on human rights, food law, development, and commercial law. He is also the director of the Food Resiliency Project in the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Center. Fakhri discusses the political roots of hunger and famine, the multiple benefits of agroecology, the ethics of patenting of seeds, violence in the food system, and the relationship between the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the pesticide industry. Related website: https://law.uoregon.edu/directory/faculty-staff/all/mfakhri Violence in the food system: https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/2023-02/flyer-violenceFoodSystems-PRINT.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1U128rbc6v2p27a-B6BAgGrEbtLev7IgRiQEaVhJmyjP0gqmwnEDgMnvg Seeds report: https://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2022/03/seeds-central-peoples-food-systems-cultures-and-human-rights
Did you know that the Feb. 3rd, 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine OH resulted in chemically-contaminated air and water that continues to harm public health? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Andrew Whelton, Ph.D., Professor of Civil Engineering and Environmental and Ecological Engineering at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. Whelton discusses his work researching environmental disasters. He discusses his recent investigations in East Palestine, OH, and surrounding communities which were contaminated by the purposeful burning of vinyl chloride, a known carcinogen. He also discusses his work in Maui, where he investigated environmental conditions following the tragic fire in Lahaina. Related website: www.PlumbingSafety.org http://www.PlumbingSafety.org Cancer Free Economy Network: https://www.cancerfreeeconomy.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Train-Derailment-Health-Resource.pdf CERCLA: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-cercla-overview
Did you know that on February 3rd, 2023, a Norfolk Southern train derailment disaster released toxic chemicals into the air and water in East Palestine, Ohio and surrounding areas? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Nick Keppler, journalist reporting for the Washington Post and Environmental Health News. Keppler describes his on-the-ground coverage of the disaster, and how the community is attempting to cope with the release of toxic chemicals into their air and water, and the ongoing threats to public health. Related website: Health Resource Guide: https://www.cancerfreeeconomy.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Train-Derailment-Health-Resource.pdf Senate Hearings: https://veterans.pasenategop.com/veterans-032023/ Public Hearing on Norfolk Southern train derailment: https://veterans.pasenategop.com/vets-022323/ Environmental Health: https://www.ehn.org/east-palestine-ohio-train-derailment-pollution-2662867187.html
Did you know that we can build community through good food? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Brad Reubendale, CEO of So All May Eat, and the SAME Café. Reubendale discusses the mission of SAME Cafés: to create community through healthy food access. He describes the unique and sustainable “participatory model” of the Cafés, trauma-informed environments, and the unique expansion of SAME Cafes into libraries. Related website: www.soallmayeat.org http://www.soallmayeat.org ; courses.soallmayeat.org http://courses.soallmayeat.org
Did you know that climate change is water change? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Erica Gies, author of Gies, an independent journalist and National Geographic Explorer, writes extensively about water, climate change and biology. She discusses how development, climate change, and our illusion of control impact our relationship with water. She defines “slow water;” explains how and why the water we see today is not in its natural state; and supports changing how we relate to water. Related website: https://slowwater.world/
Did you know that children’s health is dependent upon their environmental conditions? Join Melinda Hemmelgarn, Registered Dietitian and Food Sleuth Radio host for her interview with Nse Witherspoon, MPH, Executive Director of the Children’s Environmental Health Network and co-leader of the science and health arm of the Cancer Free Economy Network. Witherspoon describes the Eco-Friendly childcare initiative that protects children in daycare settings, and explains why and how protecting children from pesticides and other toxins is critical to their lifelong health and well-being. Note: October is; and, October 12th is. Related website: Children’s Environmental Health Network: https://cehn.org/ Cancer Free Economy Network: https://www.cancerfreeeconomy.org/
Did you know that agriculture is not sustainable without fair wages? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Elizabeth Henderson, award-winning farmer, writer, activist, and agrarian leader best known for her decades of support of and contributions to organic and sustainable agriculture. She is a founding member of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY) and has been a pioneer of the CSA model in the United States. She is committed to resisting the many injustices of a cheap food system through the power of cooperation. She’s the author of; and a core leader of the Agricultural Justice Project. Related website: Agricultural Justice Project and certification: https://www.agriculturaljusticeproject.org/en/ http://findingaids.library.umass.edu/ead/mums746 Real Organic Project interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA26cX2i9lg
Did you know that children as young as nine years of age work in agriculture in the U.S.? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Amy Tamayo, J.D., National Policy and Advocacy Director at Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, Inc. Tamayo describes her work in which she advocates for farmworker women to advance immigration, environmental justice, and workers' rights policies. She discusses specific farmworkers’ working conditions, including heat stress and pesticide exposure. Related website: Farmworker Justice: https://www.farmworkerjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Reproductive-Health-Effects-of-Pesticide-Exposure.pdf Elizabeth Jaime testimonial: https://www.alianzanacionaldecampesinas.org/elizabeth-jaime-profile U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: https://www.eeoc.gov/selected-list-pending-and-resolved-cases-involving-farmworkers-1999-present
Did you know that climate change threatens public health and safety, especially for underserved and vulnerable populations? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Georges Benjamin, MD, Executive Director of the American Public Health Association. Benjamin discusses regional differences of climate impact, and describes the ways extreme weather events can affect our health. Related website: https://www.apha.org/topics-and-issues/climate-change https://www.apha.org/-/media/Files/PDF/topics/climate/Energy_Justice_Key_Concepts.ashx https://www.apha.org/Publications/Fact-Sheets
Did you know that a long-standing relationship exists between food as a political tool and the maintenance of power, and that food provides a unique opportunity to engage in peace-building? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Christina Campbell, Ph.D., R.D., Associate Professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at IA State U. Campbell studies the intersection of food and peace and is the co-organizer of the 2023 Peace and Justice Studies Association’s annual conference. She describes how she considers food in the context of peace to foster right and just relationships with self, others, and the Earth for sustainable, resilient, and equitable food systems. Related website: https://www.peacejusticestudies.org/ Food-Peace Framework in the J Acad Nutr Diet. 2023;123(7):997-1010. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2023.02.005 Earth Charter: https://earthcharter.org/ The Waters Center for Systems Thinking: https://waterscenterst.org/
