Episodes
S01 /
E25
- 14 January 2025
Oceans have long captivated our imagination. Think of swashbuckling pirates or bold explorers seeking far off lands. Today the oceans represent a new frontier. Beneath the seafloor lie precious minerals that could drive technological innovation. Ocean aquaculture could address sustainability issu...
S01 /
E24
- 19 December 2024
Food is always a key part of the festivals we celebrate at the end of the year. But what’s the meaning behind the traditions we attach to them? What foods are thought to bring wealth and good fortune? Why are some foods avoided? Join us as we journey through different countries and their culinary...
S01 /
E23
- 20 November 2024
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...
S01 /
E22
- 31 October 2024
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...
S01 /
E21
- 18 September 2024
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 a...
S01 /
E20
- 17 July 2024
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, causi...
S01 /
E19
- 07 June 2024
The EU has one of the safest food systems in the world. But food safety incidents can always happen. If they do, the EU is prepared to react quickly with immediate action. Identifying the source of foodborne disease outbreaks is crucial and national authorities act to ensure consumers are protect...
S01 /
E18
- 16 May 2024
Over 5 million people in the EU live with celiac disease, a condition for which the only treatment is a gluten-free diet. Why do some people have it? We still don’t fully know. A tool for screening for proteins in foods is a new milestone. As we celebrate celiac disease awareness day, join us on...
S01 /
E17
- 24 April 2024
Food safety has come a long way since the years of numerous crises in the 1990s. The EU established an independent risk assessor at EU level and developed new ways of working. But is the current system enough to manage future threats to the health of humans, animals and the environment? Fake news...
S01 /
E16
- 13 March 2024
Our wellbeing depends on the health of animals, plants and our environment. What affects one affects all the others, and increasingly so. A One Health perspective is about joining forces to find integrated solutions to common challenges such as climate change and antibiotic resistance. Join us fo...
About Science on the Menu: A Food Safety Podcast by EFSA
Is it safe to eat insects? How many cups of coffee can I have per day? How are human, animal and plant health connected? Can we determine animal welfare standards based on scientific evidence? Take a closer look at some of the key topics that EFSA, the European Food Safety Authority, works on to ensure safe food, through providing independent scientific advice to policy makers.