Jane Black is a journalist who covers food politics, trends and sustainability issues. Her column, “Smarter Food”, appears monthly in the Washington Post and her work appears regularly in the New York Times , the Atlantic , and New York Magazine . This week on What Doesn’t Kill You, Katy Keiffer chats with Jane about her recent article entitled “SNAP Judgment” in Slate Magazine (co-published by the Food and Environmental Reporting Network) that analyzes the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Prog...
Sep 15, 2013•29 min•Ep. 83
Patty Lovera is the Assistant Director of Food & Water Watch. She coordinates the food team. Patty has a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Lehigh University and a master’s degree in environmental policy from the University of Michigan. Before joining Food & Water Watch, Patty was the deputy director of the energy and environment program at Public Citizen and a researcher at the Center for Health, Environment and Justice. On this week’s episode of What Doesn’t Kill You, host...
Sep 08, 2013•33 min•Ep. 82
Arsenic in our food supply? This week on What Doesn’t Kill You, Katy Keiffer checks in Dr. Urvashi Rangan regarding the prevalence of arsenic in food products like rice, apple juice, and poultry. Urvashi Rangan, Ph.D. leads and directs the Consumer Safety and Sustainability Group for Consumer Reports. She is responsible for managing risk analysis, policy assessments, label evaluations and consumer advice for tests, reports, and related advocacy work. Urvashi joined Consumers Union in 1999 and de...
Aug 18, 2013•25 min•Ep. 81
Hospital food has a pretty awful reputation, and the Physicians for Social Responsibility are working on new procurement opportunities that include small farmers and focus on anti-biotic free meat. Tune in to this week’s episode of What Doesn’t Kill You as Katy Keiffer is joined by Robert Gould, a member of Physicians for Social Responsibility and Professor and Vice Chair of Radiology for Technology and Capital Projects at the University of California, San Francisco. Find out why it’s so difficu...
Aug 11, 2013•31 min•Ep. 80
Margo Wootan is the director of nutrition policy at CSPI. Wootan received her B.S. in nutrition from Cornell University and her doctorate in nutrition from Harvard University’s School of Public Health. Wootan co-founded and coordinates the activities of the National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity (NANA) and the Food Marketing Workgroup. She has coordinated and led efforts to require calorie labeling at fast-food and other chain restaurants, require trans fat labeling on packaged foods, impr...
Aug 04, 2013•33 min•Ep. 79
On this week’s episode of What Doesn’t Kill You, Katy Keiffer is talking with Thomas Fox about sustainable building practices. Thomas Fox writes on far-ranging interests, among them sustainability and resilience. An attorney and research editor at Reader’s Digest , Fox is the author of Green Town USA and Urban Farming: Sustainable City Living in Your Backyard, in Your Community, and in the World . His work has been published in The Washington Post , Wine Enthusiast , and elsewhere. Hear how a de...
Jul 28, 2013•31 min•Ep. 78
Katy Keiffer is discussing the sale of Smithfield to Shuanghui International Holdings on this week’s episode of What Doesn’t Kill You with meat industry insider Raoul Baxter. What makes this deal any different than, say, the sale of Swift to JBS, a Brazilian company? What implications will this sale have on American pork prices and production? Raoul gives some very important insight and gives listeners his honest perspective on the situation, noting that at the end of the day The American meat i...
Jul 21, 2013•35 min•Ep. 77
On this week’s episode of What Doesn’t Kill You, Katy Keiffer is joined by Paul Willis, Manager of Niman Ranch Pork Company, former Peace Corps volunteer, father, grandfather, husband, community advocate, sustainability expert, owner and operator of Willis Free Ranch Pig Farm, Global Animal Partnership Board member, and Step-rated farmer 5-step pork farmer. Paul and Katy discuss everything from the history of Niman ranch to the recent proposed sale of Smithfield to Shuanghui International. If yo...
Jul 14, 2013•27 min•Ep. 76
Today on What Doesn’t Kill You, Dr. Scott Hurd, Associate Professor and Director of the Food Risk Modeling and Policy Laboratory at Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in Ames, Iowa, talks with us over the phone about antibiotics in our food system today. He also served as Deputy Undersecretary for Food Safety at the USDA in 2008, and in this position he directed all federal meat and poultry inspection. Learn where Dr. Hurd stands in the antibiotic debate, and our current stat...
Jun 30, 2013•38 min•Ep. 75
Emily Meredith is back for this week’s episode of What Doesn’t Kill You! Emily is the communications director for the Animal Agriculture Alliance. Established in 1987, the Animal Agriculture Alliance includes individuals, companies, and organizations who are interested in helping consumers better understand the role animal agriculture plays in providing a safe, abundant food supply to a hungry world. Emily is also the blogger for MeatingPlace.com’s “Activist Watch” blog. Tune in to hear Katy Kei...
Jun 23, 2013•27 min•Ep. 74
Katy Keiffer talks east coast shellfish with Bob Rheault on this week’s edition of What Doesn’t Kill You. Bob “Skid” Rheault was president of Moonstone Oysters in Narragansett, RI for 26 years. He has a Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography and is an adjunct faculty member in the University of Rhode Island’s Department of Fisheries & Aquaculture. He served as ECSGA President for five years before taking the Executive Director’s seat. Bob established the East Coast Shellfish Research Institute and...
Jun 16, 2013•32 min•Ep. 73
Eben Bayer and Ecovative Design are revolutionizing the packaging industry using mushrooms and agricultural waste. This week on What Doesn’t Kill You, Katy Keiffer calls up Eben to get the scoop on Ecovative Design. Eben is the CEO and co-founder Ecovative, a bio-materials company that grows sustainable materials and products using unique living organisms. Ecovative has been recognized by the World Economic forum as a Tech Pioneer, for its potential impact on climate change by the PostCode Lotte...
Jun 09, 2013•29 min•Ep. 72
Vickery Eckhoff is a journalist who has written for most of the major upscale publications and media companies including The New York Times, Dow Jones, Forbes, The New Yorker, Golf Digest and, for shorter projects, Vogue and InStyle. She has a new blog on Forbes.com called Fat Cats. Her initial series has been an investigation of the horse industry; investigating racing, breeding, responsible ownership and the political and industry forces that are working to open horse slaughterhouses again in ...
Jun 02, 2013•29 min•Ep. 71
Janet Riley is the senior VP, Public Affairs and Professional Development for the American Meat Institute. In her role, she develops public information and issue management strategy, manages press relations and drafts speeches, news releases and other public communications and oversees the Institute’s news reporting on MeatAMI.com. She also oversees AMI’s member services department. In addition, she is the liaison to the Animal Welfare Committee and oversees policy initiatives in this area. As a...
May 26, 2013•31 min•Ep. 70
Tom Colicchio, the face of Top Chef and Craft Restaurant, is talking antibiotics in the food system on this week’s What Doesn’t Kill You. Katy Keiffer calls up Tom to talk about how he good involved in the politics of food and activism. Listen in to hear Tom talk about the differences between charity and direct action, and their respective impacts in the realm of food policy. Hear how Tom’s experience with staph has inspired him to tackle antibiotic usage in food production. How can the restaura...
May 19, 2013•31 min•Ep. 69
Dr. Marion Nestle joins Katy Keiffer for this week’s What Doesn’t Kill You to talk about the tenth anniversary of her seminal book, Food Politics . Tune into this episode to hear Dr. Nestle and Katy talk about the inspiration for the book, and how cancer research influenced ‘the food movement’. Why is Dr. Nestle optimistic about the future of health and good food? Listen in to find out Dr. Nestle’s opinions about Michelle Obama’s ‘Let’s Move’ campaign, and why food labeling is duping consumers i...
May 12, 2013•30 min•Ep. 68
Katy Keiffer is talking antibiotic resistance as seen in ground turkey on this week’s What Doesn’t Kill You with Dr. Urvashi Rangan. Urvashi Rangan, Ph.D. leads and directs the Consumer Safety and Sustainability Group for Consumer Reports. She is responsible for managing risk analysis, policy assessments, label evaluations and consumer advice for tests, reports, and related advocacy work. Dr. Rangan serves as a primary, national spokesperson for Consumer Reports in the areas of sustainable produ...
May 05, 2013•31 min•Ep. 67
What goes into meat inspection? Find out on another informative episode of “What Doesn’t Kill You”, as Katy Keiffer chats with Ted Conover, the author of five books, most recently The Routes of Man, about roads, and Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing, an account of his ten months spent working as a corrections officer at New York’s Sing Sing Prison. Newjack won the National Book Critics Circle Award in 2001 and was finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His other books are Whiteout: Lost in Aspen, Coyotes: A...
Apr 28, 2013•36 min•Ep. 66
Hank Cardello mixes business and health. This week on What Doesn’t Kill You, Katy Keiffer chats with Hank about calories and obesity. Hank is chief executive officer of 27ºNorth, a consulting firm which addresses societal issues that businesses play the largest role in solving. Over two decades, Hank was an executive at some of the world’s largest food and beverage companies, including Coca-Cola and General Mills. He chairs the annual Global Obesity Business Forum, an initiative sponsored by th...
Apr 21, 2013•31 min•Ep. 65
Chris Daly is getting parents and children in touch with nutrition! This week on What Doesn’t Kill You, Katy Keiffer sits down with Chris to discuss his non-profit, Hip4Kids. Chris founded Hip4Kids, as in Hospitality Industry Professionals, 11 years ago. Hip4Kids Inc., a 501 c (3) company, is designed to educate parents and children on the fundamentals and ongoing importance of healthy eating and good nutrition. Hip4Kids’ primary components include multi-media learning programs and community out...
Apr 14, 2013•31 min•Ep. 64
Paul Shapiro is Katy Keiffer’s guest on this week’s installment of What Doesn’t Kill You to talk about animal welfare and ag gag laws. Paul is the Vice President, Farm Animal Protection for the Humane Society of the United States. Shapiro’s work has helped enact farm animal protection laws in California, Arizona, Michigan, Maine, Colorado, Oregon, and Ohio. He’s also worked with dozens of companies, including some of the world’s top retailers, to improve animal welfare in their supply chains. Fi...
Mar 31, 2013•33 min•Ep. 63
In 2005, after a long career in family medicine and as Nebraska’s chief medical officer, Dr. Raymond was appointed Under Secretary for Food Safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. For the next 3 years, Dr. Raymond was responsible for overseeing the policies and programs of the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). In semi-retirement now, he writes several blogs on food safety, has consulted with law firms on foodborne illness cases, is a frequent lecturer on food safety and public hea...
Mar 24, 2013•38 min•Ep. 62
49 million people in the U.S. – one in four children – don’t know where their next meal is coming from, despite our having the means to provide nutritious, affordable food for all Americans. Today’s guest on Straight, No Chaser is Peter Pringle, the editor of the Participant Guide for A Place at the Table , the recently released documentary about hunger in America. For 30 years Peter was a correspondent for The Sunday Times, The Observer, and The Independent, working in Europe, Africa, the Middl...
Mar 17, 2013•31 min•Ep. 61
Tune in for an in-depth conversation on food politics as Katy Keiffer chats with Wenonah Hauter, the Executive Director of Food & Water Watch. She has worked extensively on food, water, energy and environmental issues at the national, state and local level. Her book Foodopoly: The Battle Over the Future of Food and Farming in America examines the corporate consolidation and control over our food system and what it means for farmers and consumers. She has worked and written extensively on foo...
Mar 10, 2013•32 min•Ep. 60
Gary Oppenheimer is connecting food producers with surpluses to food pantries across the world! This week on Straight, No Chaser, Katy Keiffer is talking with Gary about his initiative, AmpleHarvest.org ! Why is it so hard for communities to connect to food pantries in their area? Hear how AmpleHarvest.org plans to expand and reach more producers. Tune in to hear Gary talk about global food waste, and the percentage that can be attributed to the United States. Find out how local food can address...
Mar 03, 2013•29 min•Ep. 59
What happens to our waste water and how does it get cleaned? Find out on Straight, No Chaser as Katy Keiffer chats with Jim Pynn, Superintendent at the Newton Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. Get down and dirty as Jim explains the three steps in waterwaste treatment, including a very interesting process of using microorganisms. Find out what kinds of regulations are in place for businesses to account for chemicals in wastewater and learn how the city dealt with the effects Super Storm Sandy had...
Feb 24, 2013•24 min•Ep. 58
Will “natural” health and medicine practices save the world? On this week’s episode of Straight, No Chaser , Katy Keiffer chats with freelance journalist Nathanael Johnson about everything from microbes to community gardens. Nathanael’s first book “All Natural*: *A Skeptic’s Quest to Discover If the Natural Approach to Diet, Childbirth, Healing, and the Environment Really Keeps Us Healthier and Happier”, separates fact from faith when it comes to natural practices. Tune into today’s program to g...
Feb 17, 2013•31 min•Ep. 57
Emily Meredith and Katy Keiffer talk about monitoring slaughter facilities and ag gag laws on this week’s Straight, No Chaser. Emily Meredith is the communications director for the Animal Agriculture Alliance. Established in 1987, the Animal Agriculture Alliance includes individuals, companies, and organizations who are interested in helping consumers better understand the role animal agriculture plays in providing a safe, abundant food supply to a hungry world. Emily is also a blogger for the i...
Feb 10, 2013•35 min•Ep. 56
Michael Dimin is in the business of sustainable seafood. On this week’s installment of Straight, No Chaser, Michael joins Katy Keiffer in studio to talk about the organization he co-founded, Sea2Table. Tune in to learn about the cod catch share in New England, and how recent restrictions are making some fisherman shake in their galoshes. Hear Michael and Katy talk about the history of fishing in New England, and why it’s not just a livelihood, but a culture. Learn why fisherman are in favor of t...
Feb 03, 2013•30 min•Ep. 55
Maryn McKenna is talking resistant bacteria with Katy Keiffer on this week’s Straight, No Chaser! Maryn is an independent journalist and author who specializes in public health, global health and food policy, and a Senior Fellow at the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism at Brandeis University. She is a blogger for Wired, a columnist and contributing editor for Scientific American, and writes frequently for national and international magazines including SELF, TheAtlantic.com, Nature,...
Jan 27, 2013•28 min•Ep. 54
