The Food Chain

BBC World Service

The Food Chain examines the business, science and cultural significance of food, and what it takes to put food on your plate.

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553 episodes
Updated Wednesday

Episodes553

Newest first

May 28, 2025 · 26 min
May contain: The food allergy risk
What it’s like to be diagnosed with life-threatening food allergies?
May 21, 2025 · 26 min
Let food do the talking
Does food have the power to send messages when words aren’t enough?
May 14, 2025 · 26 min
Snackification: Our love affair with snacks
How did snacking start and why do we do it?
May 7, 2025 · 26 min
Stress, eat, repeat?
What happens to our eating habits when we’re stressed, and how to change that
May 1, 2025 · 26 min
A fresh start
The bakeries and eateries employing staff with criminal records or history of addiction
Apr 23, 2025 · 26 min
Food cottage industries
We hear from the women making food products at home as a source of income
Apr 16, 2025 · 26 min
What’s the future for Indigenous food?
First Nations people in Canada talk about opportunities and barriers to food security.
Apr 10, 2025 · 26 min
The packaging problem
Sustainable packaging is evolving, but will consumer habits catch up?
Apr 2, 2025 · 29 min
How to run a local shop
Why convenience stores are having to change to stay in business
Mar 27, 2025 · 26 min
The power of the review
How reviews are changing and what that means for restaurants
Mar 20, 2025 · 26 min
Why is saffron so expensive?
What it takes to harvest the world’s priciest spice
Mar 13, 2025 · 26 min
The art of food branding
The designers influencing what and where you eat
Mar 6, 2025 · 26 min
Why we love noodles
The history and evolution of this popular food
Feb 27, 2025 · 26 min
Bouillon: The story of stock
How the simplest dish influenced restaurants and cuisine today
Feb 20, 2025 · 26 min
Masters of the craft
What motivates someone to dedicate years of their life to learning one skill?
Feb 13, 2025 · 26 min
How to make a TV cooking show
Three TV cooking programme producers provide the secret ingredients to a hit cooking show
Feb 5, 2025 · 26 min
The world's oldest restaurants
How has the oldest restaurant in the world stayed open for 300 years?
Jan 30, 2025 · 28 min
Crunch!
Why we like crunchy foods, and what benefits they might have
Jan 23, 2025 · 26 min
Is anyone following dietary guidelines?
Exploring how realistic official healthy-eating advice is
Jan 16, 2025 · 29 min
Should we eat less rice?
This staple grain is impacted by and contributes to climate change

The Food Chain

May contain: The food allergy risk

Let food do the talking

Snackification: Our love affair with snacks

Stress, eat, repeat?

A fresh start

Food cottage industries

What’s the future for Indigenous food?

The packaging problem

How to run a local shop

The power of the review

Why is saffron so expensive?

The art of food branding

Why we love noodles

Bouillon: The story of stock

Masters of the craft

How to make a TV cooking show

The world's oldest restaurants

Crunch!

Is anyone following dietary guidelines?

Should we eat less rice?