How Food Science is Reinventing Meat

0:00 0:00

Omnivore

Episode Description

In this episode of SciDish, we sit down with Bruce Friedrich, founder and president of the Good Food Institute, to unpack his new book MEAT: How the Next Agricultural Revolution Will Transform Humanity’s Favorite Food—and Our Future, recently named one of Publishers Weekly’s Top Ten New Releases in Science. Rather than arguing against meat consumption, Friedrich explores a pragmatic question: if global demand for meat continues to rise, can science help us produce it more efficiently, safely, and sustainably? We dig into the food science and biotechnology behind plant-based and cultivated meat, the real-world bottlenecks to scaling these innovations, why conventional meat companies are investing in alternative proteins, and how policy decisions today could quietly shape the future of protein production.

Plus: This episode of Omnivore is brought to you by IFT FIRST - Food Improved by Research, Science, and Technology. Join the leading food science and innovation expo, IFT FIRST, at McCormick Place in Chicago, July 12th through the 15th, for the industry's premier event connecting innovation, science, and business. Learn more at ift.org.

Featured Guest

Bruce Friedrich Founder and President

Bruce Friedrich is the founder and president of the Good Food Institute (GFI), a global nonprofit and science-focused think tank with more than 240 team members across the United States, India, Israel, Brazil, APAC, and Europe. Friedrich has written for The Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy, Wired, and Nature, among other outlets.

Omnivore

IFT’s Omnivore and Omnivore Presents: SciDish podcasts spark lively, thought-provoking conversations with the science, business, and regulatory leaders shaping the future of food. Each episode delivers sharp analysis, practical insights, and bold ideas designed to challenge assumptions, ignite innovation, and energize your work across the global food system.

Subscribe All Omnivore

Recent Podcasts

All Episodes

People crowd in form of arrow on a white background. 3d illustration

Jun 21, 2026

Science, AI, and Trust: Insights Ahead of IFT FIRST

Omnivore special episode featuring Anupama Joshi (CSPI) and Alon Chen (Tastewise), exploring food misinformation, policy transparency, scientific trust, and how agentic AI accelerates smarter, safer food innovation from concept to commercialization.

Podcasts