The Food Chain

What can we tell about a society from the plates, bowls and cups it uses?

In this programme Ruth Alexander learns about the history of pottery, from early earthenware to the porcelain discovered by ancient China, known as ‘white gold’.

Professor of archaeology, Joanita Vroom from Leiden University in the Netherlands explains why every pot has a story to tell.

Historian Professor Suzanne Marchand from Louisiana State University in the United States picks up the story of porcelain in the 18th century. Such was its value that it prompted numerous failed attempts, theft and even imprisonment of those who knew the secret recipe.

Ruth visits the Wedgwood factory and museum collection in North Staffordshire in the English Midlands. V&A curator Kate Turner explains how the company’s founder, Josiah Wedgwood, changed dinnerware tastes once again – catering to an emerging consumer class looking for affordable ways to decorate their home. Ruth tours the factory and meets Emma Glynn, Creative Director of Wedgwood to discuss the challenges in today’s market.

Produced by Beatrice Pickup

(Image: a potter throwing a plate on a potter's wheel. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)

Love Thai food? It might be thanks to a two-decade long policy on the part of the government of Thailand to promote its food culture abroad, with the express aim of increasing trade and tourism.

Ruth Alexander explores how food can be used as a foreign policy tool, influencing not just world leaders but seeking to win the hearts and minds of the public.

Academic Sam Chapple-Sokol at George Washington University in the US explains why gastro-diplomacy is such an effective tool for soft power.

Jan Wisansing, tourism policy consultant in Bangkok, explains the impact of the Global Thai scheme on international tourism to the country.

Ruth speaks to the owners of LumLum Thai restaurant in Copenhagen, Denmark, who have recently received a Thai SELECT award, an official endorsement from the government of Thailand.

And writer and historian Ali Domrongchai in the US talks about the impact of this approach on her own family’s Thai restaurant in Florida.

Producer: Beatrice Pickup.
Reporter: Gideon Long in Bangkok

(Image: A plate of pad thai, said to be Thailand’s national dish, with Thailand’s flag in the background. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)

How is artificial intelligence reshaping the global food industry? Rumella Dasgupta explores how AI is helping chefs experiment with new recipes, reducing food waste in factories and streamlining supply chains.

She speaks to Tamsin Deasey Weinsten, a though leader on the AI industry, to discover the parts of the food supply chain that AI is affecting the most.

In the kitchen, chef Matan Zakan tells us how he uses AI chatbots to assist him with recipes and food orders.

AI is also revealing problems that have long been overlooked. We speak to Dini McGrath, co founder of ZEST, a company that has developed an AI programme to address food waste.

And the CEO of Chef Robotics, Rajat Bhageria, welcomes us to meet his AI enabled robots, designed to help labour shortage problems in the food industry.

Our shops are full of products sourced from all over the world, and its someone’s job to find and secure them – at the right quality and quantity for the best price possible. In this programme Ruth Alexander speaks to three food buyers on three different continents. She is joined by Beatrice Muraguri, a Tea Buyer and exporter based in Mombasa, Kenya; Chloe Doutre-Roussel, who travels the world sourcing cacao beans for speciality chocolate makers. And Jim Gulkin, the chief executive of a trading company, which deals mainly in frozen seafood based in Bangkok, Thailand.

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

Produced by Rumella Dasgupta and Beatrice Pickup.

(Image: a cup of tea with teabag in it, a peeled prawn and some squares of milk chocolate. Credit: Getty Images/ BBC)

What it’s like for your child to be diagnosed with life-threatening food allergies? Ruth Alexander explores the realities of shopping, socialising and eating out with a food allergy, and discusses what needs to change to make food safer for everyone.

Amanda Bee and her daughter Vivian, 13, tell us how they navigate her allergies to milk, beef and dragonfruit.

We hear from Dr Alexandra Santos, a professor of paediatric allergy at King's College London, about why food allergies are rising across the world.

In which parts of the world is it most difficult to have a food allergy? Deshna in Coimbatore, India, tells us what it’s like to have a lactose allergy in a country that uses so much milk and cheese.

Chief of the food allergy committee at the World Allergy Organisation, Alessandro Fiocchi, and head of allergy at the paediatric hospital Bambino Gesu in Rome, explains the problems around ‘may contain’ labelling and how confusing they can be to consumers. And how despite the challenges, medicine is providing more and more solutions to those living with food allergies.