Future of Foods Interviews - Alt Proteins, Cell Agriculture, an End to Factory Farming.

Alex Crisp
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Alex and guests discuss the food (R)evolution, cellular agriculture, novel foods, and an end to factory farming. If you have any questions or comments, or wish to discuss collaboration, sponsorship or other, please contact me crisplexmail@gmail.com Watch and subscribe on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@FutureofFoods DONATIONs are gratefully received. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=ABYF9L6UY3A5Y

  1. Holding Food Corporates to Account - Glenn Hurowitz (Mighty Earth)

    1D AGO

    Holding Food Corporates to Account - Glenn Hurowitz (Mighty Earth)

    In this episode of Future of Foods, Glenn Hurowitz, Founder and CEO of Mighty Earth, explains how strategic advocacy is reshaping global agriculture. From deforestation linked to soy and beef supply chains to methane emissions and industrial livestock production, Mighty Earth has built a reputation for turning investigative research into high-impact corporate pressure campaigns. Glenn explains how NGOs identify leverage points inside multinational food businesses, how public campaigns translate into boardroom action, and why voluntary corporate commitments so often fall short. We explore the tension between collaboration and confrontation, the growing scrutiny on greenwashing, and what real climate leadership in food and agriculture actually looks like. This conversation goes beyond headlines to examine power, accountability, and the mechanisms that drive systemic change. This episode offers a candid look at how pressure from the outside can move some of the world’s most powerful companies.

    49 min
  2. How to Navigate the Novel Food, US Regulatory Maze - Gregory Jaffe

    FEB 10

    How to Navigate the Novel Food, US Regulatory Maze - Gregory Jaffe

    In this episode of Future of Foods, we dive into one of the most complex—and often misunderstood—parts of food innovation: the U.S. regulatory system. Our guest, Gregory Jaffe, brings clarity to the question every novel food founder eventually asks: How do I actually get this approved? From cultivated meat and precision fermentation to entirely new food categories, innovation is moving fast. Regulation, understandably, is not. Gregory walks us through the real structure behind the “regulatory maze,” unpacking who oversees what, why approvals take time, and where companies most often get tripped up. We talk GRAS determinations, FDA vs. USDA jurisdiction, data expectations, and the critical difference between what’s legally required and what’s strategically smart. This conversation isn’t just about compliance—it’s about de-risking your roadmap. Gregory shares practical advice for engaging regulators early, building credible safety narratives, and avoiding costly missteps that can stall a product for years. Whether you’re a startup founder, investor, policymaker, or just curious about how the future of food makes it to your plate, this episode offers an insider perspective on navigating U.S. food regulation with confidence.

    51 min
  3. Cultivated Bluefin Tuna - Good for Health and the High Seas - Lou Cooperhouse (Blue Nalu)

    FEB 5

    Cultivated Bluefin Tuna - Good for Health and the High Seas - Lou Cooperhouse (Blue Nalu)

    Future of Foods Interviews' Alex speaks with Lou Cooperhouse, Founder, President, and CEO of BlueNalu, to explore one of the most ambitious ideas in food today: cultivated bluefin tuna. Bluefin tuna is prized for taste and nutrition, yet tied to overfishing, supply volatility, and concerns about mercury and other contaminants common in large, predatory fish. BlueNalu’s approach—growing real seafood directly from fish cells in a controlled environment—aims to deliver the same culinary experience while addressing some of the hardest challenges facing ocean-based protein. We talk about how cultivated seafood works, why tuna is such a critical species to start with, and what differentiates seafood from cultivated meat when it comes to safety, scalability, and consumer trust. Lou also explains why 2026 is shaping up to be a pivotal year to move ever closer to meaningful commercialization. Listen now to find out why.

    42 min
  4. If Meat is the Problem - Is MEAT a Solution - Interview with Bruce Friedrich (GFI)

    FEB 3

    If Meat is the Problem - Is MEAT a Solution - Interview with Bruce Friedrich (GFI)

    In this episode of Future of Foods Interviews, Alex is joined by Bruce Friedrich, founder and president of the Good Food Institute (GFI) an organization driving the global transition to a more sustainable, secure, and just food system through alternative proteins. Bruce has long been one of the world’s most compelling voices for rethinking how we produce meat, dairy, and seafood. We discuss the problem which needs fixing, how he and the GFI are proposing solutions and trying to convince the world to follow, the funding options, sentiment for change, the reach of the GFI and the need for collaboration. We also discuss his new book, MEAT which is out now https://meatbook.org/purchase/ In MEAT, Bruce explores the urgent need to transform the way humanity feeds itself, revealing how innovations in plant-based, cultivated, and fermentation-derived proteins can address the climate crisis, prevent future pandemics, and feed a growing global population without the destructive costs of industrial animal agriculture. Whether curious about food innovation, environmental policy, or the future of protein itself, this conversation with Bruce Friedrich offers an inspiring look at how systemic change can reshape what’s on our plates and why that matters now more than ever.

    1 hr
  5. The Investment Case For Cultivated Proteins and Oils - Jim Mellon - Agronomics

    JAN 27

    The Investment Case For Cultivated Proteins and Oils - Jim Mellon - Agronomics

    In this wide-ranging Future of Foods interview, Jim Mellon, co-founder of Agronomics, offers a characteristically candid take on where food, capital, and climate are really headed. Mellon is bullish on precision fermentation, far less convinced by today’s plant-based category, and unapologetically ambitious about what he sees as category-defining bets. He points to Clean Food Group in Liverpool as Agronomics’ most successful investment to date, predicting fermentation-derived oils could “own the palm oil—and even olive oil—markets within a decade,” delivering deforestation-free fats with lower saturated fat and no environmental trade-off, at price parity. We discuss Liberation Labs, why the Middle East will be a major growth engine for protein, and the strategic case for licensing IP over building pilot plants. Mellon is emphatic about cultivated meat—citing BlueNalu—and the health dangers attached to conventional seafood. He also reflects frankly on portfolio wins and losses, including Meatable, investment geography, Agronomics’ share price, and why he says every pound he makes goes back into improving animal welfare. Related episodes: Meatly, Liberation Labs, FAIRR, Meatable (with Helder).

    1 hr
  6. What Investors Need to See - Funding Novel Food Startups - Adam Bergman

    JAN 19

    What Investors Need to See - Funding Novel Food Startups - Adam Bergman

    In this episode of Future of Foods Interviews, Alex Crisp speaks with Adam Bergman, Managing Director at EcoTech Capital, about the realities of investing in alternative proteins and novel foods in today’s tougher market. Adam shares an investor’s perspective on where the sector stands after years of hype and correction, explaining why capital has become more selective and what that means for founders. The conversation explores why plant-based meat has struggled to reach scale, how fermentation and ingredient-led approaches may offer more practical paths forward, and what it will take for cultivated meat to regain investor confidence. Drawing on his advisory work with food, agriculture, and climate-focused companies, Adam outlines what startups consistently underestimate from manufacturing complexity and timelines to the challenge of building trust with strategic partners. He also discusses new funding models beyond traditional venture capital, the role of blended products, and why credibility and focus now matter more than ambitious storytelling.

    52 min
  7. How BioMass Fungi is Supplementing Meat - Paul Shapiro

    JAN 5

    How BioMass Fungi is Supplementing Meat - Paul Shapiro

    In this episode of Future of Foods – Interviews, I speak with Paul Shapiro about one of the most pragmatic paths toward reducing the environmental impact of meat: biomass fungi. Rather than attempting to replace meat outright, Shapiro explains how fungal biomass, grown through fermentation, can supplement conventional meat in ways that dramatically cut cost, emissions, and resource use while preserving the sensory experience consumers expect. Drawing on his work at The Better Meat Company, he describes how mycelium, the fast-growing, protein-rich root structure of fungi, can be produced at industrial scale using existing fermentation infrastructure. A key insight from the conversation is that hybridization, not substitution, may be the fastest route to impact. By blending fungal biomass into meat products, producers can reduce reliance on animal protein without asking consumers to change behavior, taste preferences, or cooking habits. Shapiro argues that this approach avoids many of the bottlenecks facing fully plant-based or cultivated meat alternatives, particularly around cost, scale, and manufacturing complexity. The discussion also cuts through common misconceptions about fermentation-based foods. Shapiro emphasizes that biomass fungi are minimally processed, nutritionally dense, and well suited to large-scale production—making them a practical tool rather than a speculative technology. Ultimately, the episode frames biomass fungi not as a futuristic novelty, but as a quietly powerful lever for near-term change in the global food system.

    45 min
  8. The Evolutionary Bond - Mycelium Scaffolds with Alice Millbank.

    12/16/2025

    The Evolutionary Bond - Mycelium Scaffolds with Alice Millbank.

    Alex Crisp talks to Alice Millbank, to explore one of the most intriguing ideas in cultivated meat: using mycelium—the fibrous root network of fungi as a natural scaffold for growing meat. One of the biggest challenges in cultivated meat isn’t growing cells, but giving them structure. Muscle cells need something to attach to, align along, and mature on in order to become food with real texture. Alice’s research looks at how mycelium, which already forms complex, meat-like fibrous networks, could provide an edible, low-cost, and scalable solution. We talk about why mycelium and animal cells seem to bond so naturally, and whether that compatibility hints at a deep evolutionary relationship between fungi and animals. From shared biological pathways to surprisingly similar material properties. Alice shares insights from presenting her work at conferences like the International Symposium on Cultured Meat, and what it’s like to work at the cutting edge of cellular agriculture while the industry is still defining itself. We discuss sustainability, consumer acceptance, and what needs to happen for cultivated meat to move from the lab to the plate. If you’re curious about what a man-mushroom might look like or how likely "The Last of Us" scenario really is, then listen to this latest episode of Future of Foods Interviews

    47 min
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About

Alex and guests discuss the food (R)evolution, cellular agriculture, novel foods, and an end to factory farming. If you have any questions or comments, or wish to discuss collaboration, sponsorship or other, please contact me crisplexmail@gmail.com Watch and subscribe on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@FutureofFoods DONATIONs are gratefully received. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=ABYF9L6UY3A5Y

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