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,…

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 groc…

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…

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…

Did you know that plastic recycling is a myth? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Megan Wolff, PhD, MPH, public health practitioner, subject matter expert on plastics and human health, visiting faculty at Bennington College, and Executive Director of the Physicians and Scientists Netwo…

Did you know plastics don’t break down, they break up? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Megan Wolff, PhD, MPH, public health practitioner, subject matter expert on plastics and human health, visiting faculty at Bennington College, and Executive Director of the Physicians and Scientis…

Did you know that H5 influenza (also called bird flu) will continue to spread into new species and threaten human lives? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Carol Cardona, Ph.D., DVM, Professor and Endowed Chair in Avian Health in the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences at …

Did you know that Mexico is trying to protect their health and food sovereignty rights to reject US GMO corn exports for use in their corn tortillas? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Timothy Wise, MS, Senior Research Fellow at the Global Development and Environment Institute at Tufts…

Did you know that whatever your interest, you can use it to make positive change in your community? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Mackenzie Feldman, founder and co-director of Re:wild Your Campus, and co-author of Groundbakers: 60+ Plant-Based Comfort Food Recipes and 16 Leaders C…

Did you know that industrialized hog farming has harmed rural communities and public health? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Sonja Eayrs, attorney, farm advocate and author of Dodge County Inc.: Big Ag and the Undoing of Rural America. Eayrs describes the corporatization of hog farm…

Did you know that nutrition can be an unspoken tool of oppression for marginalized populations? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with David Wiss, PhD, RD, pioneer in the field of nutrition and mental health. Wiss discusses his food-positive approach in addiction recovery and disordered ea…

Did you know that over 30 percent of consumers say most of their meals are eaten alone? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Mike Kostyo, MA, Vice President of Menu Matters, LLC, and “trendologist.” Kostyo will discuss food and societal trends for 2025, including flavor, travel, trade an…

Did you know that Chef Sean Sherman’s James Beard award-winning restaurant, Owamni, in Minneapolis, MN features decolonized foods? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her conversation with Sean Sherman, a.k.a. the “Sioux Chef.” Chef Sherman discusses the meaning of colonization and describes his mission to …

Did you know that PFAS refers to a class of chemicals that are ubiquitous in our environment but pose significant health risks? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her conversation with Kyla Bennett, PhD, JD, Director of Science Policy for Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). Bennet dis…

Did you know that sewage sludge or biosolids when applied to farmland can contaminate soil, water and food with PFAS? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her conversation with Bill Pluecker, Maine House of Representatives, farmer and Public Policy organizer for the Main Organic Farmers and Gardeners Associa…

Did you know that specific nutrients can help aid our immune system in preventing and treating the symptoms of cold, flu and Covid 19? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Jacob Mey, PhD, RD, Registered Dietitian and nutrition researcher at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, as t…

Did you know that neonicotinoids are among the most ecologically destructive pesticides we’ve seen since DDT? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Dan Raichel, J.D., Executive Director of the Pollinators and Pesticides Initiative at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Raichel d…

Did you know that 1 in 3 Americans have pre-diabetes? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDCES, CPT, Registered Dietitian, certified diabetes educator and certified personal trainer. Palinski-Wade discusses the role of sleep, stress and key nutrients to control bl…

Did you know that dieting is one of the greatest contributors to weight gain? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her conversation with Supatra Tovar, Ph.D., RD, clinical psychologist, Registered Dietitian and author of Deprogram Diet Culture: Rethink your relationship with food, heal your mind and live a d…

Did you know that GERD is one of the most common Gi disorders in the United States? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her conversation with John Pandolfino, MD, Chief of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Northwestern Medicine, and Director of the Northwestern Medicine Digestive Health Institute, Chicago,…

Did you know that organic farming is climate-smart agriculture? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her conversation with Abby Youngblood, Executive Director of the National Organic Coalition. Youngblood discusses the multiple benefits of organic food and farming, plus the potential challenges and policy ad…

Did you know that 50 percent of all food produced in the United States is handled at some point by migrant farm workers? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Marita Canedo, coordinator of the Milk with Dignity Program for Migrant Justice, a Vermont-based advocacy organization with a miss…

Did you know that nearly all non-organic, commercially grown corn and approximately half of soybeans, cotton and wheat seeds are treated with neonicotinoid pesticides? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Rebecca Raney, investigative journalist at U.S. Right to Know. Raney discusses her …

Did you know that gas stoves pose health hazards, especially to vulnerable populations? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Mark Vossler, M.D., cardiologist, and President-elect of Physicians for Social Responsibility. Vossler discusses the unhealthy air pollution from gas stoves, relat…

Did you know that in September, the Appalachian region was surprisingly hit by Hurricane Helene which destroyed mountain communities and farms, disrupted their water infrastructure, and impact their tightly-knit, well-connected regional food system. Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with M…

Did you know that community networking is key to taking steps toward mitigating climate change? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Marianne Krasny, Ph.D., Professor and Director of the Civic Ecology Lab at Cornell University and author of In This Together: Connecting with your Communit…

Did you know that agroecology offers a holistic approach to agriculture? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her conversation with Alexis E. Racelis, PhD, Professor of Agroecology at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Racelis discusses the impact of climate change on agriculture in his unique geogra…

Did you know there are probably millions of cases of foodborne illness every year in the U.S.? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her conversation with Don Schaffner, PhD, food microbiologist, Distinguished professor, and Extension Specialist at Rutgers University. Schaffner discusses Covid -19 and food’s …

Did you know that pregnant women should avoid deli lunch meats due to the risk of listeria-related foodborne illness? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Don Schaffner, PhD, food microbiologist, Distinguished Professor, and Extension Specialist at Rutgers University. Schaffner discusses…

Did you know that there are efforts to weaken the organic label? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Max Goldberg, MBA, Founder and Editor of Organic Insider newsletter covering the organic industry, and administrator of the Organic Food Industry group on LinkedIn. Goldberg discusses ge…

Did you know that organic farming is both regenerative and climate smart? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Thelma Velez, PhD, Research and Education Program Director at the Organic Farming Research Foundation. Velez explains USDA’s organic label, and how organic farming practices ben…

Did you know that food is the most important “school supply?” Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Stephen Ritz, award-winning science teacher and founder of the Green Bronx Machine. Ritz teaches in the poorest school district in the nation but has turned children’s lives around with food …

Did you know that Midwestern industrial agriculture influences our national food system? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Audrey Tran Lam, MPH, Environmental Health Program Director at the Center for Energy & Environmental Education, at the University of Northern IA. Tran Lam explain…

Did you know that indigenous food systems are based on cooperation? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with A-dae Romera- Briones (Cochiti/Kiowa), native Agricultural Food Systems Leader and Director of Programs for the First Nations Development Institute. She discusses the nature and histo…

Did you know that a good share of dairy farms and food processors employ migrant laborers? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Jim Goodman, M.S., retired third-generation dairy farmer, president of the National Family Farm Coalition, and farm activist. Goodman advocates for a farmer-con…

Did you know that farm soil is increasingly becoming a reservoir for plastic? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Grey Moran, award-winning journalist and staff writer at Civil Eats, where their writing focuses on climate change, the food system, public health, and environmental justice…

Did you know that trial attorneys work to protect farmers against harms they experience from the use of agricultural chemicals? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Daniel Hinkle, J.D., lawyer, lobbyist and Senior State Affairs Counsel at the American Association for Justice. Hinkle desc…

Did you know that the sugar alcohol xylitol has been linked to increased risk of blood clots? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her interview with Tod Cooperman, M.D., President and Founder of ConsumerLab.com, the leading national independent reviewer of food products and dietary supplements. Cooperman rev…

Did you know that food and beverage companies spend nearly $2 billion dollars each year marketing food to kids and the vast majority of these foods are unhealthy? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her conversation with Katie Marx, policy associate with the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Marx d…

Did you know that climate change is fueling the spread of bird flu? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Katelyn Jetelina, MPH, PhD., epidemiologist, data scientist and science communicator who serves as a scientific consultant to the White House and Centers for Disease Control and Prevent…

Did you know that plastic is made from fossil fuel, and has deleterious effects on planet and people? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Lisa Kaas Boyle, JD, environmental attorney, cofounder of the Plastic Pollution Coalition, and executive producer of the documentary film, Overload: Am…

Did you know that the mundane advice dietitians give to “eat a variety of foods in moderation” is actually critical to both reaching nutritional adequacy and protecting us from contaminants in foods? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Kellie Casavale, RD, PhD., Senior Science Nutrition A…

Did you know that our nation’s agricultural policies (the Farm Bill) largely subsidize crops that don’t support “food as medicine?” Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Christina Badaracco, MPH, Registered Dietitian, and co-author with Dan Imhoff of The Farm Bill: A Citizen’s Guide. Badara…

Did you know that 80 to 90 percent of all agriculture globally is based on annual grain crops? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Evan Craine, Ph.D., Research Associate at The Land Institute, who discusses the ecological benefits of perennial agriculture. Related website: www.landinstitu…

Did you know that U.S. farm policy values corporate profits over human health? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Omanjana Goswami, Ph.D., Interdisciplinary scientist in the Food & Environment Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Goswami discusses the connection between soil and…

Did you know that teaching children how to cook improves their motivation and ability to eat well? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Pam Koch, Ed.D, R.D., Mary Swartz Rose Associate Professor of Nutrition and Education, and Faculty Director at the Tisch Center for Food, Education & Poli…

Did you know that our brains play an important role in regulating appetite and food intake? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Marc Cornier, MD Professor of Medicine and Director of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases at the Medical University of South Carolina…

Did you know that pesticides are widely used in U.S. agriculture and residues may remain on and in the foods we eat, even after washing or processing? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Alexis Temkin, Ph.D., Toxicologist, at the Environmental Working Group. Temkin discusses EWG’s 2024 Sh…

Did you know that astronauts’ liquid wastes are recycled into drinking water in space? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Peter Annin, national water journalist, director of the Mary Griggs Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation at Northland College, Ashland, WI, and author of Purified: …

Did you know that heavily subsidized biogas digesters pose a risk to rural communities and are not the climate-change solution they’re made out to be? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Chloe Waterman, M.S., Senior Program Manager for Climate Friendly Foods at Friends of the Earth. Water…