UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Allinfoodz, the podcast from the Food Decisions Research Laboratory in the School of Hospitality Management at Penn State, continues to explore how people make choices about food and the impact of those choices during its new season.
The Allinfoodz podcast explores topics ranging from the serious, “Restaurant Labor in the Post-COVID Era,” to the lighter hearted, “Behind Tailgate Parties,” to the socially conscious, “Locally Sourced Food in Restaurants.” All topics work to answer part of the podcast’s core question: How do people choose what to eat, where, with whom and when?
Each topic is explored by a guest expert and Amit Sharma, professor of hospitality management, director of the Food Decisions Research Laboratory, and regular host of the podcast.
“Life is incredibly busy and complex, and no one has time to think about everything,” Sharma said. “Food can be easy to take for granted for people who get enough to eat. But the food we consume and the decisions we make when we eat have an enormous impact on our health, our economy and our planet. The Food Decisions Research Laboratory started this podcast to join the conversation about the vital -- but also very interesting and fun -- topics of food and eating.”
Outreach is an important part of the mission of the Food Decisions Research Laboratory. In addition to the podcast, the researchers have worked with students to inform and educate the public about and the measures that are being taken to combat food insecurity in Centre County and Philadelphia. This work resulted in data collection, educational flyers about food insecurity, and the creation of an online map that shows locations where food-insecure Centre County residents can access free food. The work even inspired one student to create a student organization at Penn State to feed local people who are in need.
“In March of 2020, my colleagues and I were feeling sort of helpless in the face of the pandemic,” said Sharma. “We knew we had to do something and decided on an assessment of food security. In academia, research will always be one of our most important functions. Sometimes, however, it is as important to respond to a practical need. We focused on providing information in the short term to address the human needs first.”
That same spirit applies to the Allinfoodz podcast. Sharma and his colleagues have created a resource that is accessible and relevant to everyone.
In each episode, Sharma works to uncover new insights and explore a food theme that is poorly understood or underappreciated. In a recent podcast about the culture of tailgating, Penn State Teaching Professor of Anthropology Kirk French explained that tailgates are black tie affairs in some parts of the nation, a stark contrast to the informal gatherings before Penn State football games. In another recent episode, Justin George Kappiaruparampil, assistant teaching professor of agricultural, food, and resource economics at Michigan State University, explained how disruptions in food supplies can reduce access to food for people caught in the midst of military conflicts. Whatever the topic, Sharma said that he always learns new things.
Sharma emphasized that the podcast conversations encourage us to pause and think before acting; and given that our actions matter, it is important we take the time to have these conversations.
“We cannot trivialize the effect of consumer demand,” Sharma said. “If we demand more beef, there will be more cattle. If we demand more fresh vegetables in restaurants, they will appear on menus and more will be sold by farmers. People need to internalize that the way we eat has bigger impacts.”
Many episodes are available now, and new episodes will be released at least until this season ends in March 2022. Allinfoodz can be found through Apple podcasts and other podcasting services.
Tyler Estright and Kim Impelliteri of the School of Hospitality Management make the Allinfoodz podcast possible through their hard work.