Discover the surprising and vital link between the dirt your food grows in and the health of your own digestive system! In this eye-opening episode of The Dark Side of Dining, host Kenny Mears speaks with soil expert Chris Nichols about the profound connection between the soil microbiome and the gut microbiome. Chris explains that both systems function under a highly efficient "carbon economy": just as beneficial mycorrhizal fungi in the soil act as an "Amazon delivery system" to exchange essential micronutrients for plant carbon , your gut microbes break down complex food molecules for your bloodstream. The dark side? Modern high-yield, monoculture farming and the extensive use of synthetic fertilizers effectively "outsource" the jobs of the soil microbiome, cutting off this nutrient exchange. This leads to plants (and subsequently, our food) becoming nutrient-poor and stuffed primarily with carbohydrates, creating the vicious cycle of malnutrition and obesity seen in the Western world, where the starving gut microbiome constantly signals the brain, "I'm hungry, feed me!" Chris details the devastating loss of 1.7 billion metric tons of topsoil annually in the U.S. due to practices like tillage, and offers tangible solutions centered on regenerative agriculture principles: reducing soil disturbance, diversifying crops (moving away from the "donut diet"), managing fertilizer timing to feed the microbes, and integrating animals. Listeners can make a difference by becoming active citizens: supporting farmers practicing these techniques, choosing diverse foods (like ancient grains and legume-based pastas), reading labels to avoid hidden sugars and unnecessary preservatives, and educating themselves on what food labels actually mean.

Dive into the highly polarized world of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) in this exclusive, uncut interview with environmental and science writer Mark Lynas, who famously transitioned from a staunch anti-GMO activist to a pro-science advocate. Lynas shares that his initial opposition in the mid-1990s was driven by a "yuck factor," corporate opposition to companies like Monsanto, and a suspicion that GMOs represented the worst direction for chemical-dependent, monopolistic agriculture. He details the major turning point in his perspective, realizing that the fear and hysteria surrounding GMOs—much like anti-vaccine sentiment today—lacked a basis in peer-reviewed scientific evidence. Lynas argues that genetic modification is simply a technology, like a knife or a wheel, whose benefits must be assessed on a case-by-case basis. He highlights the huge potential benefits that misinformation has hampered, such as Golden Rice (engineered to combat Vitamin A deficiency), insect-resistant crops that dramatically reduce insecticide use, and the cutting-edge innovations in mRNA technology that originated from this genetic revolution. The conversation touches on the ethical and political dimensions, including debates over using GMOs in the natural world (like genetically modified corals or chestnut trees) and the importance of supporting research funding and retaining America's leadership in science. Ultimately, Lynas advises listeners to abandon tribal opinions, hold beliefs loosely, and embrace the scientific process, even when it's complicated, to become better-informed participants in democracy.

Delve into the harsh culinary history of Russia in this episode of The Dark Side of Dining, as host Kenny Mears welcomes back author and food scholar Darra Goldstein to explore how food has continuously shaped, and often plagued, the nation. Goldstein, a professor of Russian literature, reveals that Russia's challenges stem from a combination of geographical hostility (poor soil in the North) and severe political weaponization of food. Historically, natural famines were common due to weather and superstitious agricultural practices, but the 20th century transformed hunger into a tool of political control. Discover the brutal period of Stalin's collectivization, where grain was requisitioned from the fertile Chernozem soil of Ukraine, leading to the deliberate starvation of approximately five million people in the Holodomor. Goldstein highlights how this pattern of using food as a weapon continues today with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, noting the early blockade of grain shipments from the Black Sea ports, which quickly turned a regional issue into a global food crisis. The conversation also explores the legacy of the Soviet era: while starvation was rare, the food supply was monotonous. Today, however, with the collapse of the Soviet safety net, poverty has led to genuine hunger among the elderly, while sanctions have paradoxically spurred Russian ingenuity, leading to the successful domestic production of formerly imported Western goods like hard aged cheeses (Russian Feta, Russian Brie). Ultimately, Goldstein offers a crucial lesson from the Russian experience: the importance of self-sufficiency and resilience, encouraging listeners to cultivate their own food (even small dacha-style garden plots for potatoes and pickles) as a hedge against unpredictable future hardship.

Find out more about Darra and her work!

Website: https://darragoldstein.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darra.goldstein/

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Uncover the shocking truth behind your rising grocery bills with food professor Sylvain Charlebois in this episode of The Dark Side of Dining, as he breaks down Canada's massive, multi-million dollar bread price-fixing scandal. Charlebois details the 14-year scheme (from 2001-2015) involving seven major companies, including leading retailers like Loblaw, Sobeys, Metro, and Walmart, and bakers like Canada Bread . The saga began when Loblaw became a whistleblower, disclosing the collusion in exchange for immunity, and offering customers a controversial $25 gift certificate payout. We track the fallout, including a $50 million fine paid by Canada Bread (the highest in history) and Loblaw's recent agreement to a $500 million payout. Charlebois draws a stark comparison between Canada’s immunity-granting approach and the tougher U.S. stance, where executives have faced jail time for similar offenses like price-fixing in canned tuna. The ongoing scandal raises urgent questions about consumer trust and whether other staple products—like beef and canned goods—are also compromised. Ultimately, the lack of forceful regulation and the cozy "club" environment among Canadian grocers is preventing new competition and resulting in higher, unfair prices for the average shopper. Learn how paying attention to market dynamics and holding powerful companies accountable are the only ways to ensure a truly fair food economy.

Check out The Food Professor!:

X: https://x.com/foodprofessor?lang=en

Podcast: https://the-food-professor.simplecast.com/

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Is it possible to be an Ethical Carnivore? In this candid episode of The Dark Side of Dining, host Kenny Mears speaks with environmental journalist and author Louise Gray about her unique two-year journey consuming only animals she killed herself. Motivated by the major environmental impact of meat (upwards of 60% of food-related emissions come from livestock) and her desire to find a non-judgmental way to discuss climate change, Louise shares how this extreme, hands-on experience deepened her appreciation and sense of responsibility for the meat she ate, something often lost in modern consumption. She emphasizes that the conversation shouldn't be about demanding everyone become vegan, but about finding a way to eat less meat and eat better meat. Louise offers practical advice for meat-lovers: introduce variety by exploring different species or cuts (like offal) to minimize waste, and support ethical farmers and local butchers who are raising meat in a responsible way. She stresses that embracing your "hypocrisy" or discomfort about eating meat is perfectly human and can be the first step toward making more conscientious choices. Finally, Louise recounts her shocking discovery about the sheer scale and conditions of intensive pig farming in Denmark, underscoring the gap between consumer demand for cheap bacon and the reality of industrial agriculture.

Check out Louise's books!

• Avocado Anxiety: https://www.amazon.com/Avocado-Anxiety-Other-Stories-About/dp/1472969634
• The Ethical Carnivore: https://www.amazon.com/Ethical-Carnivore-Year-Killing-Eat/dp/1472933109

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Sci-fi tech is already in your kitchen, and it’s nanotechnology. In this episode, we dive into the dark side of materials measured at a billionth of a meter, which, as environmental lawyer George Kimbrell of the Center for Food Safety explains, are fundamentally different than their larger counterparts. These tiny engineered particles, though not yet directly in most food (that we know of), are extensively used in food packaging for their enhanced antimicrobial effects—like nanosilver—to help food last longer. Kimbrell warns that this unprecedented size gives nanoparticles terrifying properties: unprecedented mobility (they can pass the blood-brain barrier) and increased intrinsic toxicity due to their vast surface area, posing unknown risks to both human health and the environment once they leach out of packaging. The core issue is the lack of transparency: in the U.S., unlike Europe, there is no system requiring manufacturers to prove a novel substance's safety before it hits the market, nor is there mandatory, on-package text labeling for these nanomaterials, forcing consumer advocates to fight against efforts to hide crucial information behind inaccessible QR codes. Kimbrell urges listeners to support on-package labeling and consider buying USDA certified organic products, as organic standards prohibit nanomaterials, offering a shield against these invisible risks and empowering consumers with the right to know what they're truly eating.

Check out the Center for Food Safety: www.centerforfoodsafety.org

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A new kind of disruptor is threatening the bottom line of the world's biggest food corporations: GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic. In this fascinating episode of The Dark Side of Dining, host Kenny Mears welcomes back Sylvain Charlebois, The Food Professor, to analyze how these weight-loss drugs are fundamentally changing the way people eat—and what that means for fast food and snack giants.

Charlebois calls GLP-1s the "quiet disruptor," revealing that even the "golden standard"—McDonald's—has publicly acknowledged the drugs as a problem impacting customer traffic.

Learn what these "miracle" drugs do: originally designed for type 2 diabetes, GLP-1s dramatically suppress the craving for sugar and salt—the very ingredients that fuel impulse buying and are the basis of the modern processed food business model.

Professor Charlebois reveals the predicted shift in consumer behavior:

• By 2030, an estimated 30 million Americans are expected to be using a GLP-1 drug for weight loss, along with 2 to 3 million Canadians.
• Companies like Pepsi, Mars, and Nestlé—whose business models rely on impulse eating—are seeing their stock shares drop year-over-year due to the shift.
• The drugs make people less likely to snack or crave fast food, and they can even cause disgust toward salty and sugary items, effectively shrinking McDonald's' traditional customer base.

The food industry is racing to adapt, much like they did with the rise of plant-based foods. Charlebois predicts a "democratization of menus":

• Nestlé has already launched a new line of "Ozempic-friendly" products to accommodate users.
• Fast food chains like McDonald's and Burger King learned from the plant-based trend that if even one person in a group can't find something on the menu (e.g., a vegan, or now, a GLP-1 user), the entire group will go elsewhere.
• Look for major chains to discreetly add "diet-friendly" or low-impulse options to their menus, allowing users to "stick with their friends and family" without compromising their regimen.

This medical breakthrough is causing a "massive shift" in the industry, even contributing to the bankruptcy of traditional diet companies like Weight Watchers. Is the future of food about medical intervention rather than nutrition advocacy?

Tune in to discover how a simple pill is challenging the core mechanisms of the global food market and forcing a dramatic, market-driven overhaul of what we eat.

Check out The Food Professor!:

X: https://x.com/foodprofessor?lang=en

Podcast: https://the-food-professor.simplecast.com/

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Every piece of food has a complex, often surprising, story. In this episode of The Dark Side of Dining, host Kenny Mears talks with environmental journalist and author Louise Gray about the hidden realities, ethical dilemmas, and sheer complexity of our global food supply.

Louise, author of The Ethical Carnivore and Avocado Anxiety, explains that digging for the unanswered questions about where our food comes from—both meat and produce—reveals a necessary "dark side."

While fruits and vegetables generally have a lower carbon footprint than meat, they come loaded with their own controversies. Louise brings our attention to the loaded stories behind your favorite produce:

• Banana Wars: The surprising and "very dark" history of bananas, linked to murders, wars, and geopolitical issues, raising questions about fair trade.
• Avocado Anxiety: A deep dive into the environmental and ethical issues surrounding the popular fruit, including massive water usage and links to organized crime (dubbed "blood avocados") in Mexico.
• Louise names one of the most environmentally damaging fruits/vegetables for UK consumers: asparagus from Peru, which rivals farmed beef in its carbon and water impact.

The conversation pivots to the massive impact of food waste, which, if measured as a country, would be the third-largest carbon emitter after the U.S. and China. Louise shares ideas on how to adopt the "waste not, want not" mentality seen in countries like Italy, emphasizing:

• Education: Teaching cooking skills in schools and to younger generations.
• Technology: Using apps to share leftover food and smart home devices to track expiration.
• Cultural Influence: Encouraging chefs and social media influencers to promote frugal, creative cooking to reduce waste (e.g., making delicious panzanella from stale bread).

Ultimately, Louise argues that the key to navigating the complex food system isn't perfection; it's knowledge. By learning the full story—from the farm to your fridge—you can make more conscientious decisions without succumbing to anxiety.

Tune in to discover the hidden narratives in your kitchen and find out why the best way to understand yourself is to understand the food you eat.

Check out Louise's books!

• Avocado Anxiety: https://www.amazon.com/Avocado-Anxiety-Other-Stories-About/dp/1472969634
• The Ethical Carnivore: https://www.amazon.com/Ethical-Carnivore-Year-Killing-Eat/dp/1472933109

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