Food Matters Live Podcast

592: Bridging the cognitive health nutrient gap

Can the right nutrients in early life protect your brain decades later? Are we missing critical brain-boosting compounds in our daily diets? In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, recorded at our event in Rotterdam, neuroscience experts reveal the nutrient gaps undermining cognitive health across every life stage - and the innovative ingredients that could fill them.  We discover that 90% of the UK population fails to meet omega-3 recommendations, and we learn about emerging evidence around the links between cognitive performance and products like spearmint extract and curcumin. How many of the claims can be backed up with science? And are we just scratching the surface when it comes to link between our cognitive health and our diet?

591: Food innovation trends for 2026 and beyond

How does a trending flavour make it from social media hype to supermarket shelves? And why do some innovations succeed while others end up gathering dust in warehouses? In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, recorded at our Dublin event, industry leaders from Tesco, Green King, Yo! Sushi, and Danone reveal how they navigate the innovation process.  We discover why Tesco segments millions of customers into just six categories, how Green King balances 2,000 traditional pub-goers with innovation at the menu periphery, and why even the most science-backed products need consumer testing to distill complex claims into one simple line. Our expert panel will guide you through in our look ahead to 2026 and beyond.

590: Butter boards and milk manga - the renaissance of dairy

Dairy products may be perceived as 'much-loved by uninspiring' in some quarters, but there's plenty of work being done to change the category's image. In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, recorded at our Dublin event, we discover how it's being transformed through the prism seven consumer lifestyle pathways. We learn about communal dining trends driving butter and cheese boards across Gen Z, and "prejuvenation" - where 20-somethings obsess over aging and drive collagen-infused dairy innovation. And there is a GLP-1 angle. As appetite suppressors change how people experience food, dairy is leaning into sensory innovation - texture (yogurts with three different textures in one pot), olfactory cues (fragrance as a purchase driver in Chinese RTD teas), and maximalist joy.  From milk manga comics revealed as Japanese schoolchildren empty their bottles, to Velveeta's unapologetic 100-year celebration with nail polish and candles, dairy's future isn't about being healthy and boring - it's about nutrient density delivered with color, fun, and connection.

589: The next generation of sustainable protein

The next wave of protein innovation is here - and it looks nothing like the plant-based burgers that dominated the last five years.  In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, recorded at our Ascot event in 2025, we explore two radically different approaches to meat alternatives. Mycelium fermentation that grows centimetre-length muscle-like fibres, requiring just four ingredients, and extremophilic micro algae that thrive at pH 1 without contamination or arable land. But our panel of experts also confront the hard numbers: with billions of chickens slaughtered annually and current meat consumption mathematically unsustainable by 2050, these innovations must need to achieve price parity, superior nutritional value, and genuine consumer acceptance to make a meaningful impact.

588: Forecasting the future of flavour innovation

What does the future hold for flavour innovation in the food sector? In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, recorded at our event in Dublin, five culinary innovators reveal which flavour trends are defining the 2020s - and which unexpected ingredients will reshape menus by 2030. The panel dissects everything from "borderless cuisine", to the relentless march of hot honey across every category.  And what of plant-based meat alternatives? Some of our panel push back on products trying too hard to mimic meat. And could we be about to witness a turnaround in fortunes for the PR around MSG?