Science on the Menu

With the arrival of spring comes another episode celebrating festive foods! This time, we are diving into one of the most widely consumed products across Europe – eggs. Whether decorative, chocolate, or boiled, eggs play a central role in many springtime celebrations. Curious about how to dye an egg? Or how to win at a game of egg tapping? Join us as we explore these traditions and share tips on storing and enjoying eggs safely. Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

Tiny killers. Mosquitoes are the most dangerous creatures on our planet. Millions of humans and animals die each year from diseases spread by mosquitoes and other insects. How do they spread these diseases? And how does climate change affect the trend? Join us as we explore the lives of some of the planet's least popular insects and learn what we can all do to protect ourselves from bites. We also look at ways health authorities are working to combat these vector-borne diseases. Tune in to find out what the buzz is all about!Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

What is the reality of being a female scientist in Europe? In celebration of the International Day of Girls and Women in Science on 11 February, we're exploring women in science. How far have we come in ensuring women's voices are the norm in science? What does the journey toward greater female representation look like from the perspective of someone living it every day? To find out, we turned to our own Océane Albert, who shared her experiences as a former researcher, now scientist in EFSA's novel food team, and a new mum. Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

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 issues from farming on land. Climate change is opening new sea routes for trade. But what are the risks for food safety? How could changing uses of the oceans affect our food supply? Join us as we explore the ocean deep! Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

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 traditions. Listen in for some curious facts and even a few red herrings. You'll also gather food safety tips along the way! Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

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 we take some foods off the shelves to investigate! Listen out for tips on maintaining a healthy diet and how to decipher what's on your food labels.Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

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 north, to other plant species too. What's being done to stop its spread? What lessons can we learn? Join us to find out how scientists are fighting back and how green shoots of resistance mean olives trees may return once more!  Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

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 animal's diets. They even provide hope in the fight against climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from livestock. Come explore with us what's on our animal's menus and why this matters!  Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

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, causing widespread alarm. Could this be the next pandemic? Can we stop it spreading? Will vaccination help? Join us as we investigate why avian flu is making headlines and what we can do about it.Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

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 protected. Preparing for the unexpected is the theme of this year's world food safety day. Join us to learn about the teams in place that respond to food safety incidents and how we stay prepared.Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

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 this exploration of the gut and how research is shedding new insight into our diets, which could give hope for celiac disease and allergy patients.  Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

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, new technologies, future pandemics – what challenges and opportunities do they bring? Tune in to hear the views of one of the EU's leading figures on food safety.Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

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 for part II of o joint podcast episode on One Health with four other EU scientific agencies. Whether it's safeguarding access to life-saving medicines or combating the next pandemics, a One Health approach will be essential to how our society navigates the future.Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

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 to hear from experts at five EU scientific agencies about how we can put One Health into practice. Whether it's safeguarding access to life-saving medicines or combating the next pandemics, a One Health approach will be essential to how our society navigates the future. Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

Animal testing has helped keep us safe for over 60 years since it was first introduced. But recent advances in data modelling now offer a better and more ethical alternative. Tune in to find out more! Join us on a journey that starts with a tragic incident resulting in birth defects, to laws requiring animal tests on new substances, to a glimpse of a future without animal testing.Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

Invasive alien species can cause serious problems when they enter new territories, for example as pests in agriculture and forestry. In this episode, we shine a spotlight on our work on plant health and the risks posed by these unwelcome guests. Join our scientific experts Agata Kaczmarek and Sara Tramontini, and communications expert Irene Zanetti, as we explore the stealthy invaders that can infiltrate our landscapes, and the impact they can have. You will also learn about EFSA's Plant Health for Life campaign and the practical steps that each of us can take to help protect the environment.Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

Contaminants can enter our food through various pathways, including cooking and processing methods, pollution from human activities and naturally occurring sources. At EFSA we assess the risk posed by all these types of contaminants and give recommendations to policy makers or consumers on how to reduce risks. In this episode our expert, Mary Gilsenan, guides us through these considerations together with ECHA's scientist Bastian Zeiger, who features a cameo on PFAS.Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

Our food and drinks encounter all kinds of materials – plastic, metal, glass, and ceramics to name a few. But what are the health risks? And faced with the growing problem of plastic pollution, how is food packaging changing? Tune in to find out more! We'll take you on a journey from plastic to metal to bamboo, from recycling to new intelligent materials. Grab your reusable drinking bottle and join us for this latest edition of Science on the Menu.Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

Ever wondered what a lab-grown steak tastes like? Or how to grow one? Listen in to find out! From cultivated chicken nuggets to cell-based beef burgers, food derived from cell culture has been making headlines around the world. We look at the motivations behind it, the challenges that producers face and whether it could ever become an alternative to traditional meat. Our expert Wolfgang Gelbmann explains how we will assess the safety and the process for gaining approval in the EU. Grab a snack and join us for this latest episode of Science on the Menu.Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

What happens to us when we get dehydrated? How can we prevent it? It's not just about drinking water. Listen in to find out! We also look at how elite sportspeople maintain optimum performance and why older adults and parents should pay particular attention to hydration. Our expert, Silvia Valtueña, gives us her tips and talks us through EFSA's scientific conclusions on daily water intake. Grab yourself a cool beverage and join us on this latest edition of Science on the Menu.Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

Harmless to humans, but deadly to pigs and wild boars, African swine fever (ASF) is a viral disease for which there are neither vaccines nor cures. In recent years it has spread across Europe and worldwide, causing serious socio-economic consequences in the affected regions. Join us for this episode of Science on the Menu, in which our expert Lina Mur explains the state of play.Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

Most of us will be familiar with the impact climate change has on the environment – biodiversity loss, rising sea levels, higher temperatures and much more. But it also has direct and indirect effects on the safety of our food and this is something that EFSA has to take into account when assessing risks to human, animal and plant health. Join us as we talk to one of our experts, Angelo Maggiore, about how climate change can act as a driver of emerging risks in the area of food and feed safety. Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

Antibiotics are nowadays very important. They protect human and animals from a wide range of infections, but this precious resource is to be used with care. A growing number of bacteria are able to survive or multiply in the presence of antibiotics, some of them widely used to treat common diseases that, only one century ago, could be lethal. Join us for this episode of Science on the Menu, in which our expert Ernesto Liebana discusses the challenge that Antimicrobial Resistance represents and what can be done against it.EFSA has launched the Traineeship Call for 2023. Applications are open until May 15th!Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

The situation regarding avian influenza continues to evolve in Europe and globally, with new outbreaks reported in birds, occasional infections in mammals and sporadic cases in humans. Join us for this episode of Science on the Menu, in which our expert Francesca Baldinelli explains the state of play.Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

Animal welfare affects us all. Did you know your health is directly linked to the well-being of animals? Listen in to find out why! Welfare is not only an ethical issue, it's a scientific one. Our scientists at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) are investigating the latest scientific evidence on how animals experience their surroundings. Our expert, Sean Ashe, walks us through EFSA's most recent findings, with special attention to animal transport. Come and join us on this (hopefully enjoyable) journey with Science on the Menu.Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

What's your idea of a tasty snack? Fruit, biscuits, bread and jam perhaps? What would you say if you were offered something more adventurous – fried crickets or grasshoppers? Popular in some countries such as Thailand and Mexico, they are often eaten with chili and lime. In Europe, reactions are mixed! Our expert Ermolaos Ververis explains how EFSA's novel foods team assesses whether foods such as insects are safe, and he makes us rethink what we know as staple foods in Europe. Come join us for this episode of Science on the Menu, where we even put these questions to the test.Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

Are you looking forward to the holiday season to savour the finest traditional dishes with your friends and loved ones? The second episode of our podcast “Science on the menu” is the perfect soundtrack.Valentina Rizzi, Head of EFSA's Biological Monitoring team, walks us through the risks linked to food contamination and the rules we should follow to make sure the food we prepare and eat is safe. We will also discuss how EFSA deals with foodborne outbreaks in Europe in collaboration with other European institutions, such as the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).If after this second episode you would like to know more on foodborne outbreaks, visit our dedicated story map and the interactive dashboard. If you are curious about the work of ECDC, listen to their podcast “ECDC: On Air”.Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

What is your first concern regarding food? Does food safety cross your mind when you think about what to eat? For close to half Europeans it is the case, as EFSA social scientist Domagoj Vrbos explains to us. Come and sit at our table in this first episode of “Science on the menu”, in which we will talk you through the insights of the latest Eurobarometer, unveiling EU citizens' perception about food risks and how those influence what we eat. If after this episode you are still hungry for information, check out the country factsheets and navigate this dynamic map of food safety concerns across the EU.Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

Should you wash fruit even if you don't eat the peel? Would you dare try cricket based hamburgers? Do you trust the food you eat? If you would like to learn more about the science behind safe food, welcome to Science on the Menu, a podcast produced by EFSA, the European Food Safety Authority.