High prices, busy lives and the rise of intermittent fasting mean more people are skipping breakfast. This week, Ruth Alexander speaks to three experts in nutrition about whether that matters. She finds out what it’s best to eat for your first meal of the day and when is best to have it. Experts Courtney Peterson, a researcher in intermittent fasting and associate professor at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health in the United States.. Professor Alexandra Johnstone, a nutrition scientist based at The Rowett Institute at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland snd Marianella Herrera, an associate professor in public health nutrition at Central University of Venezuela and visiting lecturer at Framingham State University in the US, share their insights. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

Producer: Izzy Greenfield Image: A bowl full of cereal and a spoon (credit: Getty)

Bottom trawling is one of the most widely used - and most destructive - fishing practices in the world. Dragging heavy nets across the seabed damages fragile ecosystems, depletes global fish supplies, and puts the livelihoods of small-scale fishers at risk.

In this episode of The Food Chain, Rumella Dasgupta speaks to John Worthington, one of the last remaining fishermen in Fleetwood, UK, who fears a proposed ban on bottom trawling in Marine Protected Areas could end his business. Fisheries economist Dr Rashid Sumaila of the University of British Columbia explains the global consequences of trawling, from overfishing to illegal and unregulated catches.

On the coast of West Africa, Aissata Daouda Dia, Head of Advocacy at Blue Ventures, tells us hom much coastal communities rely on local catch. Nana Kweigyah from Ghana’s Canoe Fishermen Council describes how foreign industrial trawlers are devastating coastal communities. And in Singapore, Adrian Poon of the Cinnamon Group explores the challenges of sourcing fish sustainably in a market dominated by cheaper, trawled seafood.

Producer: Izzy Greenfield Image: Getty

The quality of food in care homes for the elderly can be underwhelming.

Ruth Alexander talks to the people highlighting the issue and finding ways to bring nutrition and comfort back on the menu.

Dr Lisa Portner, a medical doctor and researcher at the Berlin Institute of Health at Charite, outlines the inadequate diet offered by three nursing homes she studied in Germany.

Australian restaurateur and food writer Maggie Beer tells how she came to set up the Maggie Beer Foundation, which aims to research the issues, raise awareness and offer culinary training.

Ronald Marshall explains the simple ways he found to help carers understand the food preferences of his mum, who was diagnosed with dementia in 2020.

And Navgot Gill Chawla recounts the conversations she had as a PhD student at the University of Waterloo in Ontario with South-Asian Canadians living with dementia and their families and care partners. When the subject of care homes came up, she says food was uppermost in their minds.

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

Producer: Beatrice Pickup.

(Image: Two cooks in a care home kitchen are preparing roast vegetables. Credit: Sam Kroepsch)

From ancient Egyptian pyramid builders to French chefs, garlic has been prized, feared, and even used to ward off evil. In this episode, Rumella Dasgupta explores garlic’s journey through history and across cultures - from its medicinal roots and rich folklore to its starring role in kitchens worldwide. Featuring chefs, historians, and dietitians, we uncover how this pungent bulb became a global favourite - and ask the ultimate question: is garlic really good for us?

Producer: Izzy Greenfield Image: A bulb of garlic split in half to reveal cloves Credit: Getty

The World Health Organisation says close to 60 million people are living with dementia; and there are 10 million new cases every year. But could what we eat help to prevent it?

Three guests who've been exploring the potential for diet to help prevent dementia tell Ruth Alexander about their findings. We hear from Professor Christy Tangney of Rush University System for Health in the United States – she co-created the MIND diet; Anne-Marie Minihane, Professor of Nutrition and Genetics or Nutrigenetics as it’s known, at Norwich Medical School at the University of East Anglia in the UK; and Dr Lizette Kuhn, a dietitian in Pretoria, South Africa.

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

Produced by Izzy Greenfield and Alistair Kleebauer

(Image: two sides of a brain; one made up of fruits and vegetables, and the other a sketch. Credit: Getty Images)

Dementia is a syndrome associated with a decline of brain function that can affect memory, thought processes and behaviour. In some cases this can impact people’s ability to shop, cook and eat a meal. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s Disease.

In this programme Ruth Alexander meets people living with dementia and their families, to hear about the ways in which a diagnosis can impact mealtimes.

Ruth meets Alan and Amy Lambert in Manchester, England. Alan was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in 2024 and his daughter Amy lives with him. They share some of the techniques they’ve developed at home to support Alan.

For Ruby Qureshi in Canada, cooking was a huge part of her life before being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2020. Ruth hears how her husband Pasha Qureshi has joined her in the kitchen in a supporting role.

Jo Bonser in Nottingham, UK shares her experiences of supporting her mother who lived with vascular dementia and in 2016 stopped eating and drinking. Jo has gone on to set up a company, Dignified Dining that offers training in this area.

And Aideen McGuinness is a registered dietitian working in the Memory Assessment and Support Service in Country Wexford Ireland, and co-author of a guide on dementia and nutrition.

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

Produced by Beatrice Pickup.

(Image: Alan and Amy Lambert sat at the kitchen table with a bowl of soup and plate of toast. Credit: BBC)

Something as simple as sharing a meal or utensils can carry social stigma for the millions born into the bottom of India’s caste system, a social structure that divides people into different groups.

In this programme Devina Gupta explores the foods of the Dalit community, historically considered at the very bottom of the caste system. She hears how many dishes evolved from necessity, due to low incomes and lack of available food and speaks to people looking to record and share these dishes with future generations.

Devina meets people who identify as Dalit to talk about the discrimination they have experienced in their communities and workplaces as a result of their family’s social status, and how it can be particularly hard to find work in the food industry.

If you’d like to contact the programme you can email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk.

Producer Beatrice Pickup.

(Image: some foraged green leaves being washed in a bowl of water. Credit: BBC)

What’s at stake when a child has their first meal in a new home?

For children entering care, especially those who have faced food insecurity, that first plate of food can be a big moment.

In this programme, Ruth Alexander explores how food and mealtimes can help children feel safe and give them a sense of belonging.

She meets Jessica-Rae Williamson, a 21 year old care leaver from Manchester, England, who still remembers the first meal she ate with her foster family, aged 13.

In Wrexham, Wales, Ruth meets long-term foster carers John and Viv, Cath and Neil and Rosemary, who have opened their homes to dozens of children through Foster Wales. They discuss their strategies for dealing with picky eating and hoarding.

Dr Katja Rowell, feeding expert and author of the book “Love Me, Feed Me: The Adoptive Parent’s Guide to Ending the Worry About Weight, Picky Eating, Power Struggles and More”, gives her counter-intuitive tips for avoiding mealtimes becoming a battleground.

And Melissa Guida-Richards, author of the book “What White Parents Should Know About Transracial Adoption”, shares her experience of being adopted from Colombia by Italian and Portuguese parents living in the US and her subsequent search for her Colombian heritage through food.

This programme contains discussion of food poverty and insecurity, and disordered eating. If you’ve been affected by any of the issues raised and need support, speak to a health professional.

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

Produced by Beatrice Pickup.

(Image: a partly eaten plate of spaghetti bolognese sat on a child's knee.Credit: Getty Images/BBC)

Protein is a health and fitness buzzword – plastered on packaging, prioritised in diets and praised by fitness influencers. But is our preoccupation with protein overshadowing another nutritional essential – fibre? Ruth Alexander explores the science, and marketing, behind protein’s popularity with expert guests Dr Emma Beckett, a food and nutrition scientist and communicator in Australia, and author of You Are More Than What You Eat; physician and social media creator Dr Karan Rajan, who is the author of This Book May Save Your Life; Scott Dicker from SPINS market research company in Chicago; Paul Kita, deputy editor of Men’s Health Magazine in the US.

Producer: Izzy Greenfield

It can be the difference between life and death for your character, signal you’re on a hostile planet or in a sumptuous world, or can even give you the whole basis for a game.

In this week’s Food Chain we hear where the ideas for some of the most disgusting and delicious foods in games come from, and how to recreate them in real life.

Video game creator Tim Cain tells us why food was such an important tool in his games Fallout and The Outer Worlds. Author and gamer Cassandra Reeder tells us why she started making entire recipe books based on food from video games, and how important is food in gaming? Video game enthusiast Harriet tells us why it's an essential tool for escapism.

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Ruth Alexander Producers: Izzy Greenfield and Hannah Bewley

What can we tell about a society from the plates, bowls and cups it uses?

In this programme Ruth Alexander learns about the history of pottery, from early earthenware to the porcelain discovered by ancient China, known as ‘white gold’.

Professor of archaeology, Joanita Vroom from Leiden University in the Netherlands explains why every pot has a story to tell.

Historian Professor Suzanne Marchand from Louisiana State University in the United States picks up the story of porcelain in the 18th century. Such was its value that it prompted numerous failed attempts, theft and even imprisonment of those who knew the secret recipe.

Ruth visits the Wedgwood factory and museum collection in North Staffordshire in the English Midlands. V&A curator Kate Turner explains how the company’s founder, Josiah Wedgwood, changed dinnerware tastes once again – catering to an emerging consumer class looking for affordable ways to decorate their home. Ruth tours the factory and meets Emma Glynn, Creative Director of Wedgwood to discuss the challenges in today’s market.

Produced by Beatrice Pickup

(Image: a potter throwing a plate on a potter's wheel. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)

Love Thai food? It might be thanks to a two-decade long policy on the part of the government of Thailand to promote its food culture abroad, with the express aim of increasing trade and tourism.

Ruth Alexander explores how food can be used as a foreign policy tool, influencing not just world leaders but seeking to win the hearts and minds of the public.

Academic Sam Chapple-Sokol at George Washington University in the US explains why gastro-diplomacy is such an effective tool for soft power.

Jan Wisansing, tourism policy consultant in Bangkok, explains the impact of the Global Thai scheme on international tourism to the country.

Ruth speaks to the owners of LumLum Thai restaurant in Copenhagen, Denmark, who have recently received a Thai SELECT award, an official endorsement from the government of Thailand.

And writer and historian Ali Domrongchai in the US talks about the impact of this approach on her own family’s Thai restaurant in Florida.

Producer: Beatrice Pickup. Reporter: Gideon Long in Bangkok

(Image: A plate of pad thai, said to be Thailand’s national dish, with Thailand’s flag in the background. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)

How is artificial intelligence reshaping the global food industry? Rumella Dasgupta explores how AI is helping chefs experiment with new recipes, reducing food waste in factories and streamlining supply chains.

She speaks to Tamsin Deasey Weinsten, a though leader on the AI industry, to discover the parts of the food supply chain that AI is affecting the most.

In the kitchen, chef Matan Zakan tells us how he uses AI chatbots to assist him with recipes and food orders.

AI is also revealing problems that have long been overlooked. We speak to Dini McGrath, co founder of ZEST, a company that has developed an AI programme to address food waste.

And the CEO of Chef Robotics, Rajat Bagheria, welcomes us to meet his AI enabled robots, designed to help labour shortage problems in the food industry.

Our shops are full of products sourced from all over the world, and its someone’s job to find and secure them – at the right quality and quantity for the best price possible. In this programme Ruth Alexander speaks to three food buyers on three different continents. She is joined by Beatrice Muraguri, a Tea Buyer and exporter based in Mombasa, Kenya; Chloe Doutre-Roussel, who travels the world sourcing cacao beans for speciality chocolate makers. And Jim Gulkin, the chief executive of a trading company, which deals mainly in frozen seafood based in Bangkok, Thailand.

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

Produced by Rumella Dasgupta and Beatrice Pickup.

(Image: a cup of tea with teabag in it, a peeled prawn and some squares of milk chocolate. Credit: Getty Images/ BBC)

What it’s like for your child to be diagnosed with life-threatening food allergies? Ruth Alexander explores the realities of shopping, socialising and eating out with a food allergy, and discusses what needs to change to make food safer for everyone.

Amanda Bee and her daughter Vivian, 13, tell us how they navigate her allergies to milk, beef and dragonfruit.

We hear from Dr Alexandra Santos, a professor of paediatric allergy at King's College London, about why food allergies are rising across the world.

In which parts of the world is it most difficult to have a food allergy? Deshna in Coimbatore, India, tells us what it’s like to have a lactose allergy in a country that uses so much milk and cheese.

Chief of the food allergy committee at the World Allergy Organisation, Alessandro Fiocchi, and head of allergy at the paediatric hospital Bambino Gesu in Rome, explains the problems around ‘may contain’ labelling and how confusing they can be to consumers. And how despite the challenges, medicine is providing more and more solutions to those living with food allergies.

Does food have the power to send messages when words aren’t enough? This week Ruth Alexander finds out how food can sometimes speak much louder than words.

Lecturer in Chinese Cultural Studies Dr Zhaokun Xi explains why gifting a pear in China can quietly suggest separation — and how it still carries weight today. Chef Beejhy Barhany reflects on the role of Ethiopian food in expressing care and welcome through gursha, the act of feeding people with your hands. We find out how food can be used as a signal of protest from historian and food researcher Aylin Oney Tan. From the Janissaries tipping their cauldrons of soup to signal unrest, to black pepper in a wedding dish to symbolise the role of the mother in law. And we learn about the power of food in mourning; Greek food writer Aglaia Kremezi tell us about koliva, a sweet dish served at funerals in Greece — and how it attempts to soften the bitterness of loss.

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Ruth Alexander Producer: Izzy Greenfield

Ruth Alexander looks at the world of snacks. Have we always snacked or is it a more modern phenomenon that started with formal meal patterns? What snacks have been popular through the ages, what’s the industry doing now and what could we be eating in the future?

We talk to food historians Dr Annie Gray and Professor Janis Thiessen, the former CEO of Unilever Paul Polman - who remembers the rise of some of the biggest brands - and Christine Cochran from the international trade association SNAC International.

We also hear from snack fans across the world.

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

When you’re feeling stressed, does it affect your appetite?

In this programme Ruth Alexander is joined by two experts in chronic stress to discuss why it can cause us to crave certain foods, the impact on our bodies and whether there’s anything we can do to prepare for periods of stress in our lives.

Ruth is joined by Professor Rajita Sinha, clinical psychologist and founding director of the Yale University Interdisciplinary Stress Center in the United States, and Dr Mithu Storoni, neuro-ophthalmologist and author of the books ‘Stress-Proof’ and ‘Hyperefficient’.

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

Presented by Ruth Alexander.

Produced by Beatrice Pickup.

(Image: a woman studying and eating a slice of pizza whilst wearing headphones. Credit: Getty Images/ BBC)

There are bakeries, cafes, bars and restaurants around the world which don’t just exist to serve up food and drink – they're on a mission to rebuild lives.

Ruth Alexander hears the stories of risk, reward and redemption from three businesses on three different continents:

At The Dusty Knuckle bakery in London, the trainee programme manager Charlie Atkinson explains why she thinks a cafe and bakery is the perfect place to foster team spirit.

Reporter Gideon Long visits La Trocha in Bogota, Colombia, a bar and cultural centre run by a group of former Farc rebels.

Rob Perez and Mindy Street of DV8 Kitchen in Lexington, Kentucky, US, talk about how they’ve won over customers.

Producers: Hannah Bewley and Sam Clack

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

(Image: hands kneading dough. Credit: Getty Images/ BBC)

Cottage industries, usually referring to small scale home-based production, can be found all over the world. Often they provide a vital source of additional income for women, particularly in low income and rural areas.

In this programme Devina Gupta speaks to women who are working in food cottage industries in India, Eswatini in Southern Africa, and Ecuador, to hear about the work and the difference it makes to their finances.

Devina goes to meet some of the 40,000 women working for Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad, India’s multimillion-dollar co-operative, which produces 'Lijjat Papad' poppadoms, sold nationwide.

If you’d like to contact the programme you can email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

Presented by Devina Gupta.

Produced by Hannah Bewley.

(Image: two women rolling poppadom disks in Delhi. Credit: BBC)