BrainFood by Sight and Life: Recent Episodes
Sight and Life
This podcast dives into topics on nutrition with a variety of personalities from researchers and government officials to our very own Sight and Life team members.
In the second episode of our Extraordinary Eggs series, we will dive into a sustainable and innovative solution for egg production and consumption in LMIC; the Egg Hub model. How was this model identified and how does it even work? We will get first-hand insights from the implementors and results of the Egg Hub model in Malawi.
In Part 2, we discuss the progress made in increasing egg consumption, behavior change, and the impact of marketing campaigns. We also highlight the positive effects of the Egg Hub model on the livelihoods of farmers and its potential for scalability in different countries.
00:00 Introduction to the Egg Hub's Impact in Malawi
00:40 The Impact of Egg Consumption in Malawi
01:11 The Role of Social Marketing in Increasing Egg Consumption
04:09 The Economic Impact of the Egg Hub on Farmers
05:19 News Update: The SOFI Report and the Egg Hub Model
06:17 The Egg Hub Model's Impact on Farmers' Livelihoods
09:58 The Scalability of the Egg Hub Model
15:58 Key Takeaways and Future Plans for the Egg Hub
18:22 Conclusion
In the second episode of our Extraordinary Eggs series, we will dive into a sustainable and innovative solution for egg production and consumption in LMIC; the Egg Hub model. How was this model identified and how does it even work? We will get first-hand insights from the implementors and results of the Egg Hub model in Malawi.
Part 1 focuses on the topic of egg production and the challenges faced in getting eggs to communities that need them the most, in LMICs. We discuss the traditional egg farming practices in rural Malawi, the hurdles faced by local farmers, and the innovative Egg Hub model as a sustainable solution. Part 1 also touches on cultural beliefs and food taboos that inhibit egg consumption in LMIC, and strategies to promote egg consumption among pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children under five. We conclude with a discussion on the outcomes and impacts of the Egg Hub model in Malawi.
00:00 Introduction and Overview
01:14 Introducing the Experts
03:53 Recap of the Previous Episode
04:36 Challenges in Egg Production in LMIC
07:11 Scouting for Solutions: The Egg Hub Model
14:31 Question of the Day: Cultural Beliefs and Food Taboos in Malawi
18:22 Developing a Comprehensive Social Marketing Campaign
19:45 Success Story: The Story of Grace
21:25 Conclusion
In the inaugural episode of our new podcast series, we will be cracking open a topic that's as nutritious as it is controversial: EGGS.
Eggs are "superfoods" since they are an excellent source of high quality protein, lipids, and 13 micronutrients essential for health and development. They still remain, however, one of the most under-consumed foods in many Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) where the need for such energy-dense, long shelf-life foods is highest.
In the second part of this episode, we scramble the fascinating potential of eggs to come up with solutions on tackling malnutrition in LMICs.
In the inaugural episode of our new podcast series, we will be cracking open a topic that's as nutritious as it is controversial: EGGS.
Eggs are "superfoods" since they are an excellent source of high quality protein, lipids, and 13 micronutrients essential for health and development. They still remain, however, one of the most under-consumed foods in many Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) where the need for such energy-dense, long shelf-life foods is highest.
In this first part, we delve into the nutrition science and unravel the egg-citing debates surrounding this versatile food. From cholesterol conundrums to protein-packed goodness, we break down the facts, myths, and nutritional benefits of the egg.
Moderators
Kesso Gabrielle van Zutphen-Küffer, Director of Science, Sight and Life
Jordie Fischer, Research Associate, Sight and Life
Mathilda Freymond, Nutrition intern, Sight and Life
Speakers
Lora Iannotti: Professor (Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis); Director (E3 Nutrition Lab); Director (Planetary Health, Center for the Environment)
Nelly Zavaleta: Senior Researcher, Director of Services at the Nutritional Research Institute (Instituto de Investigación Nutricional), Lima - Perú
Podcast Team
Kesso Gabrielle van Zutphen-Küffer, Director of Science, Sight and Life
Rachel Natali, Communications Manager, Sight and Life
Jimena Monroy Gomez, Nutrition Associate, Sight and Life
Jordie Fischer, Research Associate, Sight and Life
Mathilda Freymond, Nutrition intern, Sight and Life
00:00 Introduction
03:52 Question of the day ❓
07:42 3 Key nutrients and health benefits of Eggs
08:10 Eggs and "bad" cholesterol
13:36 Conclusion
Diverse plant-based protein consumption is a promising approach to a healthy and environmentally sustainable diet. Across the plant-based meat series of the BrainFood podcast, we have heard thought-provoking insights from our guest experts working in fields such as nutrition, academia, business, behavior change, food technology, and novel alternative protein biotechnology. The fourth episode of this series focuses on the critical considerations for developing plant-based and other diverse alternative protein solutions for low- and middle-income countries. We discuss the issue through the Sight and Life vision by including our very own leadership team as our guest speakers.
Moderators
Kesso Gabrielle van Zutphen-Küffer, Director of Science, Sight and Life
Jacquelyn Bedsaul, Nutritional Immunologist, Sight and Life
Speakers
Kalpana Beesabathuni, Managing Director, Sight and Life
Klaus Kraemer, President, Sight and Life; Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Sufia Askari, Managing Director, Sight and Life
Podcast Team
Jimena Monroy Gomez, Technical Nutrition Associate, Sight and Life
Jacquelyn Bedsaul, Nutritional Immunology Intern, Sight and Life
Rachel Natali, Communications Manager, Sight and Life
Kesso Gabrielle van Zutphen-Küffer, Director of Science, Sight and Life
00:00 Introduction
04:01 Question of the day ❓
05:32 Considerations for alternative proteins (AP) for LMIC
08:10 AP opportunities and challenges for emerging economies
11:29 Number of the day
14:13 Supply chain considerations for diverse proteins
17:05 Local sources of AP and processing needs
18:29 Investment and research needs for AP success in emerging economies
22:13 Newscast 📣
24:55 Factors needed for scaling up AP production in LMIC
27:59 Food Systems Live course, Harvard Business School
29:00 International framework considerations
31:02 Need for the true value of AP
31:47 Entrepreneurial perspectives
32:18 Conclusion
The Plant-based meat market is experiencing rapid production with serious claims, including the ability of such products to improve diets and animal welfare and reduce environmental impacts. Whether or not these Alternative Protein products are more environmentally sustainable than their animal-based counterparts remains to be seen - especially since the evidence is limited. In this episode, we unpack what is known about the environmental sustainability of plant-based meats, dive deep into the complexity of assessing their environmental metrics, and discuss how plant-based meats tie in with the global agenda of making our food system more sustainable.
Moderators
Kesso Gabrielle van Zutphen-Küffer, Research and Knowledge Manager, Sight and Life
PhD Candidate, Global Nutrition, Wageningen University & Research
Dr Simon Brown, Postdoctoral Fellow, Johns Hopkins University
Speakers
Dr Adam Drewnowski, Director of the Center for Public Health Nutrition, University of Washington
Dr Martin Bloem, Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF) in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Podcast Team
Jacquelyn Bedsaul, Nutritional Immunology Intern, Sight and Life
Jimena Monroy Gomez, Technical Nutrition Associate, Sight and Life
Yash Goel, Architect and Design Specialist, Sight and Life
Erin Fagerholm, Communications Lead, Sight and Life
Podcast Timeline
00:00 Introduction
02:29 The two protein transitions
04:04 Bennett’s Law
04:53 Why does animal protein consumption increase as incomes rise?
08:05 Newscast: Impossible Foods environmental claims 📣
12:26 Deep dive on Metrics
16:13 From calories to nutrients
18:23 Assessing environmental impact
19:37 The need to invest in alternative forms of proteins
22:35 Number of the Day 0️⃣
25:26 Distinction between plant proteins
28:04 The need for better data
34:47 Learning to advance in the fog
37:42 Action plan – the next 10 years
39:25 The need for a multi-sectoral approach
40:47 Question of the Day❓
41:42 Alternative protein in the current context (war, climate, hunger)
44:13 Conclusion
Many consumers of plant-based meat products are already concerned about the impact our food has on the environment, our health, and animal welfare. A recent explosion of investments in plant-based meats has further piqued interest and attention from researchers, businesses and consumers alike. But is all this money being used to address the most pressing concerns of consumers? In this Disruptive Science episode of our BrainFood podcast, we discuss why consumers are buying plant-based meat in the first place, trends in this specific market, and related research and investment challenges. Finally, we explore how nutrition science and regulation can shape the future and help put healthier plant-based meats on store shelves and dinner tables.
Moderators
Kesso Gabrielle van Zutphen-Küffer, Research and Knowledge Manager, Sight and Life
PhD Candidate, Global Nutrition, Wageningen University & Research
Emily Yao, Undergraduate student of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University
Speakers
Nick Cooney, Managing Partner, Lever VC
Dr Marleen Onwezen, Theme ambassador & Expertise leader in consumer science, Wageningen University
Dr Hannah Theobald, Head of Nutrition, Quorn Foods
Get insights from the experts in our BrainFood blog: bit.ly/BlogPBMep2
Podcast Timeline
00:00 Introduction
03:19 Question of the Day❓
04:29 Number of the Day
08:35 Markets trends & LMIC
10:05 Plant-based meat denominations and consumer perspectives
13:17 Demand for plant-based meat & alternative protein
15:20 Drivers of consumer behavior and choice
16:47 Marketing tactics
19:25 Pricing of plant-based meats
20:46 How to position nutrition at the center of plant-based foods and consumer choice ?
22:05 Consumer education
23:48 📣Newscast: Is plant-based meat losing its sizzle ?
27:02 Plant-based meat projections in LMIC
28:32 The forgotten mycoprotein
30:36 Dietary patterns and trends of alternative protein
32:41 Collaboration between nutrition and business
38:26 Conclusion
What do we really know about alternative protein products’ nutritional value? At Sight and Life, we value the importance of going beyond the persuasive environmental and health claims currently associated with such products and strive to understand the science and nutritional benefits of this emerging field. This first episode of our series on “Plant-based meat” offers a deep dive into some of the most burning questions we have on the nutritional value, health impacts, and technology of these new products.
Moderators
Kesso Gabrielle van Zutphen-Küffer, Research and Knowledge Manager, Sight and Life and PhD Candidate, WUR
Nitya Vissamsetti, Undergraduate student studying Molecular and Cellular Biology and Psychology at JHU
Jacquelyn Bedsaul, PhD Candidate, Graduate Program in Immunology Department of Biological Chemistry at JHU
Speakers
Dr Simone K Frey, Founder of Nutrition Hub
Dr Stephan van Vliet, Postdoctoral Associate in the Stedman Nutrition and Metabolism Center at Duke University
Dr Alan Hernandez Alvarez, Lecturer in Nutrition and Global Health, University of Leeds
Get insights from the experts in our BrainFood blog: https://bit.ly/Ep1Blog
Backstage Team
Jimena Monroy Gomez, Technical Nutrition Associate, Sight and Life
Yash Goel, Architect and Design Specialist, Sight and Life
Erin Fagerholm, Communications, Sight and Life
Podcast timeline
00:00 – Introduction
04:35 – Question of the day❓
06:23 – The Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS)
10:35 – Terminology around plant-based meat and alternatives
12:35 – Regulation and legislation
19:15 – Production & technology of plant-based meats
21:17 – Protein quality PDCAAS & Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (DIAAS)
26:13 – Impact of technology on protein quality
27:33 – Production challenges
28:40 – 📣 Newscast: plant-based meats & ultra-processed foods
30:06 – Nutrient profiling
38:55 – Evidence on health impacts of plant-based meat
42:05 – Other alternative proteins & safety aspects
45:00 – Consumer insights
56:35 – Conclusion