Welcome from the editor: back to the future

Welcome, and thank you for joining me this weekend.

Should we travel back in time and start eating like our parents and grandparents did – real, natural foods, that are in season? Is the answer to some of the problems affecting consumers, the food industry and the environment, simply going ‘back to the future’?

I remember when ‘diet’ products became all the rage. Sugar was out and alternatives seemed to be the holy grail, because they were said to provide sweetness without the added potential health issues.

All of a sudden sugar free products were everywhere: soft drinks, spreads, biscuits, chocolate, and sweeteners that were suitable for baking to name a few. Consumers thought they could have their cake and eat it (literally) without any consequence to their health. But there’s more to the story, and we explore it in The truth about sweeteners: the pros and cons of sugar substitutes.

In a similar vein, eating out of season produce used to seem like progress. Fancy asparagus at Christmas? No problem, it can be imported from Mexico. Cherries in January? There are some lovely Chilean ones in supermarkets. But should we consume summer fruit and veg in the winter months and vice versa, or should we eat them as nature intended, i.e. in season? Emilie Vanpoperinghe, Co-founder, Oddbox joins Food Matters Live Podcast to discuss: What difference would it make if we all ate seasonal food?

With plant-based milk becoming a popular alternative to dairy for flexitarians, vegans, those suffering from lactose intolerance and consumers who simply prefer it to the animal-derived variety, we look at different types – from soy and rice to nut and hemp beverages – and bring you a comprehensive guide looking at taste, nutritional value and health benefits in The best plant-based, non-dairy milk alternatives explained.

If local specialities and buying from smaller producers are your areas of interest, you’ll love Divine delicacies: delectable foods and drinks born out of convents and monasteries and Are you buying the real thing? Fake foods and how to identify them – an unmissable feature that’ll help you make sure your balsamic vinegar comes indeed from Modena, Italy, and not from Slovenia or China.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend,

Stef