Science on the Menu: A Food Safety Podcast by EFSA

We’ve been looking for ways to preserve food for millennia. Salt helped many civilisations develop. We pickled food in vinegar and stored fruit in honey. But for what purpose are food additives used today? And how did the emergence of supermarkets change this? What about health risks? Join us as we take some foods off the shelves to investigate! Listen out for tips on maintaining a healthy diet and how to decipher what’s on your food labels.Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

Olive trees are an iconic feature of the landscape and cultural heritage in southern Italy. But a deadly bacterium, Xylella fastidiosa, has left parts of the Apulia region looking like a wasteland. Is there any hope? Millions of trees are dead, and the bacterium threatens to spread further north, to other plant species too. What’s being done to stop its spread? What lessons can we learn? Join us to find out how scientists are fighting back and how green shoots of resistance mean olives trees may return once more!  Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

We love our pets. But how well do we understand their diets? What role do additives play in their feed? From improving animal nutrition and welfare, to boosting production on farms, to changing an animal’s appearance, feed additives have a huge range of uses and are a fascinating element of our animal’s diets. They even provide hope in the fight against climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from livestock. Come explore with us what’s on our animal’s menus and why this matters!  Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

Avian flu has decimated poultry and wild birds around the globe in recent years. The virus has now spread extensively among mammals, affecting more than 50 species from cats to sea lions. The disease was recently discovered in dairy cows in North America and some farm workers were infected, causing widespread alarm. Could this be the next pandemic? Can we stop it spreading? Will vaccination help? Join us as we investigate why avian flu is making headlines and what we can do about it.Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.