Food Technology Magazine | Issues and Insights

Understanding Modern Hungers

Food ethnographer June Jo Lee decodes consumers’ eating patterns to help brands forecast market-shaping cultural shifts.

By Kayt Sukel
Food Ethnographer June Jo Lee in her home

Photos by Angela Decenzo Photography

June Jo Lee grew up at the intersection of Korea, California, and Texas. At an early age, she tried to understand why her American classmates turned up their noses at her mother’s spicy, tangy kimchi, which she adored. This marked the beginning of her journey in food ethnography.

Ethnography is a research method used in cultural and social anthropology to explore what is meaningful to different groups. Through targeted interviews and observational studies, ethnographers try to unravel the complex…

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Hear More From June Jo Lee at IFT FIRST

June Jo Lee’s ability to explore complex issues will be front and center this summer at the IFT FIRST Annual Event and Expo when she moderates a keynote panel discussion on GLP-1 drugs and their impact on consumers and the food industry. That keynote session, “The Desire Dilemma: How GLP-1 Agonists Shape Behavior and Future Research Opportunities,” is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, July 15, at Chicago’s McCormick Place.

The roster of panelists that Lee will lead in the discussion includes Lydia Alexander, chief medical officer at Enara Health and president of the Obesity Medicine Association; Nicole Avena, associate professor of neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and visiting associate professor of health psychology at Princeton University; David Despain, senior principal nutritionist at Nestlé Health Science; and Bruno Didier, head of B2B at CookUnity, a meal subscription service featuring chef-crafted menu items.

About the Author

Kayt Sukel is a book author, magazine writer, and public speaker who frequently covers scientific topics ([email protected]).

In This Article

  1. New Product Development
  2. R&D
  3. Diet and Health
  4. Consumer and Marketplace Trends
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