Are big companies controlling what we eat? | AUT Food Politics Matters

Welcome to Auckland University of Technology’s (AUT) Research Matters! 🚀 AUT’s Research Matters video series is where AUT academics answer everyday questions about their fields of expertise. Get the answer to those questions you’ve always had – or maybe never knew to ask. Do you ever get the uneasy feeling that big business is controlling your food? 🍫🌍 From seeds and supply chains to supermarket shelves and “health” claims, food politics shapes what ends up on our plates - but it’s not always easy to spot. Why is “healthy” food so expensive? And why is it so hard to tell what’s actually good for you from the label? Tracy Berno, a professor at AUT, is unpacking what food politics is, what’s wrong with the global food system, and what we can realistically do as individuals in the latest episode of Food Politics Matters. Chapters: 00:40 What is food politics? 01:11 What’s wrong with the global food system? 02:48 Are big companies controlling what we eat? 05:18 Why is healthy food so expensive? 08:04 Why is it so hard to work out if food is good from the food label? 10:42 Is how we eat destroying the planet? 11:18 Would it be better if we go vegetarian? Is this the way of saving the planet? 12:22 Does it matter that my rubbish bin is full of food I haven’t eaten? 13:30 What can we do as individuals to address the problems with the food system? If you’d like to know more about the examples mentioned in this episode, check out these news stories: Milo and health star ratings: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/351581/milo-washes-off-milk-powered-health-rating The reality behind chocolate supply chains: https://www.thepost.co.nz/business/360882899/bitter-truth-behind-your-christmas-chocolate Misleading food marketing: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/aug/24/heinz-fined-225m-for-misleading-marketing-of-snacks-for-toddlers Who controls seeds and food systems? https://www.fda.gov/food/agricultural-biotechnology/gmo-crops-animal-food-and-beyond Food waste and climate change: https://unfccc.int/news/food-loss-and-waste-account-for-8-10-of-annual-global-greenhouse-gas-emissions-cost-usd-1-trillion 📚 Recommended reading on food politics Food fight: From plunder and profit to people and planet. Stuart Gillespie (2025) Ultra-processed people: Why do we all eat stuff that isn’t food … and why can’t we stop? Chris van Tulleken (2024) There are also lots of good documentaries, including Food Inc and Food Inc 2. 🎓 Study gastronomy at AUT: https://www.aut.ac.nz/study/study-options/hospitality-tourism-and-events/courses/master-of-gastronomy 👩‍🏫 Find out about Professor Tracy Berno: https://academics.aut.ac.nz/tracy.berno 🍽️ AUT Centre for Critical Food Studies: https://foodstudies.aut.ac.nz/