Table Talk

The meat alternative market has plenty of burgers, sausages, and steaks to meet the demands of an increasingly flexitarian marketplace. However, seafood alternatives have been scarce compared to the options available for beef, pork and chicken. Why is this the case? Well, seafood presents some unique experiential challenges, primarily with mouth feel and texture, that are part of what we associate with eating fish. In this podcast we look at these challenges, and the opportunities, that seafood alternative producers are confronting to create new and tasty fish alternatives. “Seafood is one of those proteins that is everywhere. There’s an endless amount of applications that you can bring into the mix” CHRIS KERR Joining host Stefan Gates are a panel of global experts in the field, including Tom Johannsson, Co Founder & CEO, Hooked Seafood AB (Sweden), Jen Lamy, Sustainable Seafood Initiative Manager, The Good Food Institute (US) and Chris Kerr, Founding Partner, CIO, Unovis Partners; CIO New Crop Cap

Are you tapping into the the experience economy? Consumers experience brands on a variety of levels, and not all of it is conscious. A great deal of your 'brand effect' will be non-conscious. Specific sensory attributes deployed across your pack and product will be generating deeper, more meaningful levels of engagement. Could creating meaningful consumer experiences help your brand? Host Stefan Gates is joined by a panel of experts including Andy Wardlaw, Chief Innovations Officer, MMR Research, Mike Faers, Founder & Chairman, Cubo Innovation, and Paul Thomas, Director, The Forge to find out how a decision to go beyond 'liking' on your next development project could be the start of your quest to fully realise your brand's sensory power. "We are now entering an era where people's demand for experiences is filtering down to every day it's no longer going to be confined to travel and music concerts. I think there is going to be, first of all, a pent up demand for experiences everywhere and a reevaluatio

Danielle Nierenberg, President of Food Tank, has spent spent two years visiting more than 35 countries, including sub-saharan Africa and Asia, investigating environmentally sustainable ways of alleviating hunger and poverty. She’s also explored extensively the impact of COVID-19 in the US and how the domestic food policy could, and should, change as a result. In this podcast, her unique insight gives us a picture of the global challenges affecting our food system, and the ways in which we can address them. From sustainable farming, to governmental policy changes that can help our environment, to changes we each can make individually that will make a significant contribution to a more sustainable food system, Danielle provides a comprehensive look at how the industry can create a brighter, healthier food future. About Food Tank Food Tank is for the 7 billion people who have to eat every day. We will offer solutions and environmentally sustainable ways of alleviating hunger, obesity, and poverty by creatin

Our world is changing in ways we never imagined. The way we live, work, socialise and entertain ourselves has evolved. During the pandemic, we have collectively experienced life-changing events and circumstances that have caused us to recalibrate and adapt. Whether it’s communicating virtually, working remotely, staying indoors or washing our hands, signs of this new way of life are abundant. Givaudan have conducted in-depth consumer research to find out how their preferences in food and beverages have evolved in recent times – and what this means for our customers. Will these consumer food and drink preferences change for the long-term following the impact of the pandemic? “44% of our Europe, Africa and Middle East consumers have changed their food and beverage consumption since March 2020” This episode of the Table Talk Podcast aims to answer that question, in partnership with Givaudan, the global leader in the creation of flavours and fragrances. A recent Givaudan consumer survey of over 5,000 consumers

For people around the world to be truly healthy, they need access to a balanced diet containing all of the essential primary, secondary and micro nutrients. Where does our food get its nutrients from? The soil. How can we build a sustainable future, feed a growing population, and protect our soil nutrients and arable land at the same time? The key is promoting farming practices that are profitable for farmers, environmentally sound, and good for communities, and the correct use of fertilisers has a key role to play. In this podcast, in partnership with Anglo American’s Crop Nutrients, we look at the challenges farmers face, and how balanced crop nutrition and sustainable crop production offers the perfect solution. About our panel Robert Meakin, Crop Science Director, Anglo American’s Crop Nutrients Robert Meakin manages the research and development, crop science function and the POLY4 global agronomy programme. POLY4 is the trademark name of Anglo American Crop Nutrients polyhalite product. Polyhalite

Like many countries across the world, consumers in the UAE are showing a clear preference for cleaner, more ethical and sustainable food. Eating and consumption habits are changing, what does this mean for the food and drink industry in the region? What food and nutrition trends are growing in the UAE in 2021? In this episode of Table Talk we investigate all this and more, joined by two experts on the UAE and its food supply and consumer habits, Ananya Narayan, Managing Director, Hunter Foods Limited and. Monique Naval, Senior Analyst, Euromonitor International. With host Stefan Gates they'll discuss how attitudes toward health, nutrition and wellbeing are developing, how this is impacting the food and nutrition trends that are growing in the UAE, and how the country intends to become food secure and sustainable. Ananya Narayan, Managing Director, Hunter Foods Limited Ananya Narayan, Managing Director of Hunter Foods, has been recognized in growing his family business rapidly in the Better For You gourmet,

Last year we took a look at the start-up environment for food and agri-tech post-COVID 19, and continuing the series we speak to two leading investors to get a sense of the outlook for food and agri-tech investment for 2021. What challenges and opportunities do investors see in this market, and where will they be looking to invest in the future as they focus on health, nutrition and sustainability? Joining host Stefan Gates are Paul Rous, Director, Open Data Exchange & co-founder, Shake Climate Change and Rogier Pieterse, Managing Director, PYMWYMIC. Together they debate how the investment community will help support the innovators creating solutions to support data-driven agriculture, plant-based meat alternatives, and more. About our panel Paul Rous, Director, Open Data Exchange & co-founder, Shake Climate Change Paul is a Director of the Open Data Exchange, a joint initiative between Yara and IBM to enable data sharing throughout the agriculture sector. He is also a co-founder of the UK’s fir

One year a go, trend forecasters were predicting that food-on-the-go would be the dominant trend for the year ahead but obviously the global pandemic completely changed that. With COVID-19 still out of control in most major countries across the world, we assembled a panel of experts to explain how that will affect which retail trends will grow in 2021, and what the longer post-COVID future looks like. With history showing that ‘black swan’ events like global pandemics can accelerate long-lasting change, how will plant-based food, personalised nutrition, and health and wellbeing and other retail trends in 2021 potentially be impacted? Joining host Stefan Gates are Mark Driscoll, Director, Tasting the Future, Laura Swain, Editor – Food & Beverage and Travel & Hospitality, Stylus and Simon Waring, Managing Director & Owner, Green Seed UK Ltd. About our panel Mark Driscoll, Director, Tasting the Future Mark is Founder and Director of Tasting the Future, a purpose and values driven sustainable fo

The Agriculture Act has been regarded as the first landmark piece of post-Brexit legislation by the UK Government. Passed in November, the act sets out how farmers and land-owners in the country will be rewarded for adopting sustainable food production practices. What impact will it have, and how is the act viewed by farmers and land-owners? Will the new legislation change farming and food production for the better? We’ve assembled a panel to discuss these points and more. Joining host Stefan Gates are Professor Jane Rickson, Professor of Soil Erosion and Conservation, Cranfield Soil and AgriFood Institute, Vicki Hird, Head of Sustainable Farming, Food and Farm Policy, Sustain, Emily Norton, Head of Rural Research, Savills UK and Mark Coulman, Chair, Tenants Farming Association. About our panel Professor Jane Rickson, Professor of Soil Erosion and Conservation, Cranfield Soil and AgriFood Institute Professor Jane Rickson has over 30 years’ experience of research, consultancy and teaching in soil and wat

Meat alternatives continue to increase in popularity, with consumers more likely to choose a flexitarian approach to eating that substitutes alternative proteins for traditional meat products. What are the trends and science behind meat alternatives and how will this growing section of the food and nutrition industry continue to grow? In this episode of the Table Talk Podcast host Stefan Gates is joined by the experts in meat alternatives from Cargill. Together they explore the trends, consumer expectations and science behind meat alternatives, the challenges of developing a product with great taste, appearance and texture, and to find out what the future of the meat alternative market will look like. About our panel Matthias Bourdeau, Marketing Manager Texturizers, Cargill Starches, Sweeteners and Texturizers Europe (CSST) Working for the Nielsen Company and other research agencies, Matthias gained over 10 years of experience in consulting packaged food and beverage manufacturers across Europe and Afri

With the UK leaving the EU on January 1st, what will be the impact on the UK food supply chain long-term? Will new regulations impede deliveries and create new hurdles for producers and manufacturers importing and exporting into the country from Europe? We assembled an expert panel in the run-up to Brexit to find out. Recorded on December 16th, 2020, with the Brexit trade deal hanging in the balance, our panel looks at the future of food in the UK outside of the EU. Joining host Stefan Gates are David Wells, Chief Executive, Logistics UK, Dr Elitsa Garnizova, Director of LSE Consulting’s Trade Policy Hub, Ian Wright, Chief Executive, Food & Drink Federation, and Tony Heron, Professor of International Political Economy, University of York & Co-Investigator, IKnowFood Project. About our panel David Wells, Chief Executive, Logistics UK David Wells is Chief Executive of Logistics UK, representing industry’s freight interests by road, rail, sea and air. Logistics UK has over 16,000 members who operat

The loss of taste and smell have been key symptoms of COVID-19, and many sufferers have had a long-term impact from the illness on their senses. The ZOE COVID symptom app has reported that as many as one in 20 people who have had COVID suffer from symptoms for more than eight weeks. How has this impacted their lives, and what does this sensory loss mean for people’s experience of food, now and in the future? As many sufferers from loss of sense and smell can only experience tastes that are highly salty or sweet, will this lead to a health and nutrition impact that lasts Barry Smith will be presenting a special nutrition spotlight at Food Matters Live in March focused on Evidence based research on changes in smell and taste due to Covid-19. To find out more click here Joining host Stefan Gates is Barry Smith, Professor, Institute of Advanced Studies, University of London. Barry Smith is the UK’s lead for the Global Consortium for Chemosensory Research (GCCR) and is studying the long term impact of loss of

With a small amount of arable land, and a climate that has little rainfall, the UAE faces significant natural challenges standing in the way of its goal to be self-reliant and a champion of food security in the Middle East. In this episode of the Table Talk Podcast, host Stefan Gates is joined by two experts to discuss the efforts the UAE is making, how investment is being utilised and what opportunities and challenges the region faces on the way to meeting its sustainability goals. Joining our panel are Henry Gordon-Smith, CEO and Managing Director, Agritecture and Hina Kamal, PhD Research Scholar, Future Food, Beacon of Excellence Program, Unversity of Nottingham. They’ll explain how behavioural change will be key to overcoming the unique challenges the UAE faces, but if this can be done the opportunities for the region are huge. About our panel Henry Gordon-Smith, CEO and Managing Director, Agritecture Henry is a sustainability strategist focused on urban agriculture, water issues, and emerging techn

Veganuary, the annual pledge to give up eating animal products for the month of January, has been growing exponentially in the past few years. With new products hitting the shelves to tie-in with the campaign, what can we expect to see from Veganuary 2021, and how is the movement growing so rapidly year-on-year? Joining us to answer this and more is Ria Rehberg, CEO of Veganuary. Find out how and why the annual Veganuary challenge has become so popular, how working with manufacturers and retailers is helping to introduce new flexitarians to plant-based food, and what Veganuary 2021 participants will have to look forward to. Sign up to Veganuary 2021 here Ria Rehberg, CEO, Veganuary Ria Rehberg is the CEO of Veganuary, a UK based charity that encourages people worldwide to try vegan for January and beyond. Since 2014, Veganuary has inspired and supported more than one million people in 192 countries to try vegan. Additionally Veganuary works with hundreds of businesses to drive up vegan food provision

Each year Tetra Pak produces a global consumer research study, the Tetra Pak Index. COVID-19 has unsurprisingly impacted greatly this year's index, with the impact of the pandemic affecting communities worldwide. In this edition of the Table Talk Podcast we find out how it has transformed the 2020 consumer landscape and created new concerns and needs, and what this means for the industry. Joining host Stefan Gates is Libby Costin, Vice President Marketing, Tetra Pak. Find out how COVID-19 has disrupted the status quo, focused consumers minds on health, hygiene and food safety, and how manufacturers can build trust through transparency with consumers. What effect will the influence of COVID-19 on the 2020 consumer landscape have on the future? Join us to find out. Find out more about the Tetra Pak Index here Libby Costin, Vice President Marketing, Tetra Pak Libby Costin leads Marketing for Tetra Pak Packaging Solutions. In her role, Libby is responsible for marketing strategy, consumer and industry inte

Consumers worldwide are increasingly demanding information about where the products they buy come from, and proof that what they purchase is safe and sustainable for both people and the planet. With transparency driving sustainable change, how can data be used to support your efforts? In this episode of the Table Talk Podcast we investigate the data insights platform AtSource, to discover how end-to-end insights can help you to build trust, repetitional value and be able to report confidently of the impact and progress in your sustainability programmes.  Joining host Stefan Gates for this fascinating look inside AtSource, and to investigate how insights and data can help further sustainable change, is Roel Van Poppel, CEO AtSource, Olam International. Hear why AtSource was created, how it has developed and how it will directly impact sustainable change across the supply chain. Roel Van Poppel, CEO AtSource, Olam International Roel van Poppel currently holds the position of CEO of AtSource, the customer

Fibre has the potential to be the next big thing! This podcast covers the important role fibre can play in our overall health, and how California Prunes can help our gut health. We explore how much fibre we need, why we don’t get enough, and the impact on society.  We examine how plant-based diets could help our gut health and immune system, review how dried fruits can help us get more fibre - and can also help add much-needed value to businesses. About our panel Jennette Higgs, Registered Dietitian, Food to Fit Jennette is a Registered Dietitian, Registered Nutritionist and Principal Consultant for Food To Fit Ltd, a well-established international Nutrition & Dietetic Consultancy, working with food industry clients on strategic, marketing, PR and nutrition research issues. Jennette is a nutrition consultant to the California Prune Board. Kevin Verbruggen, European Marketing Director, the California Prune Board Kevin has over 25 years’ Marketing and Innovation experience with Cadbury’s, Kellogg’s,

In this episode of the Table Talk Podcast we’re joined by the Food Standards Agency to provide information to businesses on the changes that will come into play after the Transition Period ends on 1st January 2021 in relation to food safety risk advice. From January it will be the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) that are responsible for carrying out risk assessments and making recommendations to Ministers on whether to authorise certain food and animal feed products, as well as any new products or processes for the UK market. We find out what this means for food and drink businesses who will need to adapt their processes accordingly. Joining our panel are Phil Flaherty, Head of Risk Analysis and Trade Policy Unit, Mark Willis, Head of Chemical Contaminants, and Dr Amie Adkin, Head of Risk Assessment, Food Standards Agency. They’ll explain how the landscape is changing, and what they’re doing to make the process simple for businesses, and how the agency works to assess food safety

WGSN identify patterns and trends from millions of social media posts and online retail shelf data. This proprietary combination of technology, data science and human ingenuity gives a valuable visualisation of how trends will shape the future of food. In this episode of the Table Talk Podcast we find out how WGSN use social and consumer market data to identify the consumer trends that will shape the future of food, and find out what they feel will be the trends that will define 2021. Find out how WGSN food reports can help you here. About our panel Kara Nielsen, Director, WGSN Food & Drink An established food trend expert, Kara leads WGSN’s team of strategists in creating insightful reports and forecasts on global food and drink trends. Kara has years of experience in the strategic innovation sector, researching, writing and speaking about how to translate trends for new product development. She has shared insights with numerous food brands and previously worked at CCD Innovation, Sterling-Rice G

Sports nutrition and active lifestyle consumer markets have been expanding rapidly. The coronavirus pandemic has increased awareness of health and fitness, and protein, in aiding the immune system. A key goal for this new group of consumers is ensuring that their nutrition is supporting their healthy active lifestyle, and helps to support their immune system. Protein is a key component to help support active lifestyle consumers, and whey and dairy protein provides a particularly rich source that they need. In this episode of the Table Talk Podcast we delve into the science of whey with the experts at Volac International, who produce a range of market leading solutions as Volactive. Joining us for this fascinating look at protein, immunity and active nutrition is Dr. Elisa Glover, Nutrition Specialist at Volac International. To find out more about Volactive products, click here About Dr. Elisa Glover Dr Elisa Glover is the Nutrition Specialist at Volac International. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Mole