The Prepared Foods Podcast

Makin' Bakon

Thrilling Foods sets the highest bar for plant-based bacon analogs

Color Shift: Change to Natural Colorants from Artificial Moves Into High Gear

Food and beverage makers are switching from artificial to natural colors in double time

Fine tuning cheese for customized flavors and textures

In this episode, we dive into the booming world of cheese innovation. Join Prepared Foods’ Executive Editor David Feder as he chats with the expert team at Foremost Farms USA about how traditional cheeses like cheddar, mozzarella, and Swiss are being reimagined for today’s food products. From pizza to salads, learn how these dairy staples are crafted for flavor, melt, stretch, and performance in modern culinary applications.

Unique Twist on Pretzels

When it comes to snacking, crunch is king. And it could easily be said that the king of the crunchy snacks is the pretzel.

Change, Challenge at the "Tipping Point"

Prepared Foods talks tariffs, food color bans, GLP-1 and more with Rob Dongoski, Kearney’s global lead for Agriculture and Food.

GLP-1’s Botanical Boosters

Dr. McCurdy discusses many other natural botanical boosters of GLP-1 and the science behind how they do their metabolic magic.

Cheese It Up!

Interview with Barbara Alexander, Culinary Educator and Consulting Partner with the Culinary Institute of America, and spokeschef for the California Milk Advisory Board.

From Inspiration to Innovation

Protein 1.0: An Informal Webinar

In this exclusive webinar, Chef Kang, Joey Jurgielewicz, and Chef Peter share some of the tricks of their trade for prepping and cooking pork, duck, and beef.

Natural Products Expo West 2025 Review with Kerry Hughes

Kerry Hughes discusses the trending foods, beverages, and ingredients—especially those using botanicals and other natural functional ingredients—that she spied at the 2025 Natural Products Expo West.

Food As Medicine with Dr. Keith Ayoob

While there are foods and beverages marketed as contributing to health in order to prevent certain diseases or dysfunctions, to support immunity, or to be generally “better for you,” products presented as medicinal foods are those foods and beverages crafted to address specific disease states. Consumer studies have found that some three-quarters of Americans are interested in bioactive ingredients, with approximately half of those persons willing to pay more for products containing such ingredie...

Going Up! Natural, Organic Product Sales, Innovation

Natural products industry sales were expected to hit nearly $320B in 2024 with growth across virtually very department. In advance of Natural Products Expo West, Prepared Foods covers everything from innovation to ingredients with Scott Dicker, market insights director at SPINS LLC, Chicago.

Where Taste Meets Trend

How does the nation’s largest refrigerated foods processor mine the relationship between culinary inspiration and R&D innovation? Prepared Foods talks trends and tastes with Reser’s Fine Foods executives Chef Sean Dwigans, Culinary Business Development Manager; and Chef Todd Ketterman, Culinary Manager.

Botanicals of Newtopia

The replacement for Natural Products Expo East, Newtopia Now, launched in the center of the country, kicked off last August in Denver, Colorado. Prepared Foods’ contributing editor Kerry Hughes, MS, ethnobotanist and principal for EthnoPharm covered the inaugural show, sharing highlights of the botanical ingredients as well as other ingredients and CPG products showcased there in the Mile-High City.

Ethnic Flavors–Beyond Authenticity

Trends in ethnic flavors and flavor fusion in new product development continue to grow and expand as we move deeper into the 2020s. We seem to be entering a period of culinary development when the flavors and culinary traditions from more countries and regions than ever before are making their way into America's culinary patois. This presents opportunities as well as challenges for the research chefs and R&D experts creating the next generation of foods and beverages with a pan-global appeal...

Bon Voyage

Interview with Adam Maxwell, CEO and Founder of Voyage Foods, Inc., and Kelsey Tenney, founding team member and VP of R &D of Voyage on their creation of a cocoa-free, allergen-free chocolate analog that perfectly recreates the flavor and organoleptic qualities of real chocolate.

Natural Appeal

Naturally Colorado supports connection, community to help processors drive natural, organic product innovation.

Better Coffee—From the Ground(s) Up

Prepared Foods talks with Atomo Coffee Founder & CEO Andy Kleitsch about Atomo’s upcycled beanless coffee.

In Good Spirits

In this episode of Reasoned Opinion, Executive Editor–Technical David Feder’s editorial series on trends in the food beverage, nutrition, and ingredient industries, he subjectively discusses half a dozen trending whiskey spirits and what they bring to holiday tables. And, of course, he reminds those involved with the consumption of alcohol beverages to encourage responsible drinking.

Frontiers in Digestive Health and Immunity

Interview with Dr. Miguel Freitas, Vice President of Health and Scientific Affairs for Danone North America, and Dr. Dana McCurdy, Dairy Fermentation Scientist

Less (Packaging) is More (Appealing)

Prepared Foods talks sustainability with packaging designer Tom Newmaster, owner and partner at FORCEpkg, Lancaster, Pa.

Formulating Focus: When What’s On Trend is "Off-Premise"

Prepared Foods talks off-premise foodservice trends and consumer eating patterns—with Faye Schoenherr, McCain Foods’ North American Senior Brand Manager for SureCrisp French fries.

Asian Sauces and Ingredients with Chef Robert Danhi

To define some core trends in Asian and Asian -inspired sauces and ingredients, Prepared Foods turned to regular contributor and research chef Robert Danhi. Danhi, the award-winning author of “Southeast Asian Flavors” (Mortar & Press, 2008) and host of the TV show Taste of Vietnam, is one of the leading experts on Asian cuisine, and as a “curator of cultures,” he leverages his deep knowledge and passion as a consultant to food service operators, CPG companies, commodity boards, and education...

Clean Label Shelf Life Preservation Strategies and Ingredient Options

Prepared Foods discusses clean label shelf life preservation strategies and ingredient options with Zal Taleyarkhan, Director of Innovation and Corporate Research Chef at Charlie Baggs Culinary Innovations, Chicago. Brought to you by Kalsec

The Rapidly Growing Use of Mushrooms in Food & Beverage Formulations

Prepared Foods recently welcomed Pam Smith, Culinary Innovator and Leader of Food Service Outreach for the Mushroom Council to walk us through some quick mushroom trends and discuss the rapidly growing use of mushrooms in foods and beverage formulations for flavor, nutrition, and health.

Food & Beverage Innovation: Leverage Trends, Lead by Example

What do top-selling new foods and beverages have in common? Prepared Foods breaks it down with Joan Driggs, Circana’s vice president for content and thought leadership. Driggs identifies trends fueling success for Circana’s top New Product Pacesetters at both the retail and convenience store channels.

Formulating With Chocolate

Mayana Chocolate Owner and Chief Chocolatier Daniel Herskovic joins Prepared Foods Executive Editor-Technical David Feder for a chocolate chat that looks at the global favorite flavor in its traditional role as the king of candy and confections as well as its uses in savory and other uncommon formulations.

IFT 2024 Round-Up

The Institute of Food Technologists’ IFT FIRST 2024 conference and expo was one of the organization’s best shows ever. Immunity and Dairy Fermentation scientist Dr. Dana McCurdy shares with the Prepared Foods’ audience highlights of the show.

Tree Nut Ingredient Applications

Prepared Foods talks food and beverage tree nut ingredient applications with Robin Puskas, chief innovation officer at JPG Resources.

Combining AI Technology with Functional Ingredients for Personalized Nutrition

Prepared Foods interviews Rachel Yarcony, founder and CEO of myAir, Ltd. Yarcony pioneered the myAir system, an AI-driven personalized platform that combines advanced technology with functional ingredients to offer tailor-made nutrition that “enhances stress resilience.”