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Week 45 · 29 Oct–4 Nov 2026 · Food & nutritionFood & nutrition, this week
What the farming and nutrition podcasts we follow said this week about food & nutrition: 3 stories lean strongly to it, led by “GLP-1 drugs and diet”. What was said, why it matters, and where to listen.
- Food & nutrition
GLP-1 drugs and diet
On Weight Loss And..., Dr Gary Foster said roughly 11 million people use GLP-1s, a fraction of those who could benefit; Dr Holly Wyatt said reduced appetite doesn't guarantee better food choices. The Nourished Child covered GLP-1 use in children; Nutrition Diva examined natural GLP-1-boosting claims.
“I had hoped, that perhaps when cravings were lower or appetite was lower, then people might start making better choices about their diet or when their knees didn't hurt because they've lost 30 pounds, they might start moving a little bit more. And so far the data, we don't really have great data, but that may not be happening automatically.”
Dr Holly Wyatt, Weight Loss And ...Why it matters. As GLP-1 use grows, questions about diet quality, paediatric use and food marketing claims affect nutrition guidance and food demand.
Listen: The Food Chain · Weight Loss And ... · Nutrition Diva · Nutrition Science Bites with Professor Clare Collins AO
- Food & nutrition
Farm system shapes beef micronutrients
This study measured 14 micronutrients and bioactive compounds in beef from 489 animals across 53 European farms, using machine learning to link the results to farm management practices. Published in animal (2026), it found that heme iron and total iron levels were best explained by slaughter maturity and animal physiological state, while carnosine varied mainly by breed; most other compounds were less predictable from farm practices.
Why it matters. It gives farmers and buyers evidence that specific, checkable choices - like age at slaughter and breed selection - measurably shift the nutritional make-up of beef, though the authors note many compounds remain hard to predict from farm data alone.
Read: animal (journal), 2026
- Food & nutrition
UK quinoa and ethical sourcing
Farming Today reports on quinoa cultivation in the UK, with Steven Jones calling it a high protein, high fibre crop amid rising healthy eating interest. The Checkout's Sarela and Matt discuss transparent, fair-wage quinoa sourcing from indigenous smallholder communities, in a segment hosted by a former Whole Foods VP.
“For the British crop, it's a really high protein, high fiber crop, and actually healthy eating now seems to be on the up.”
Steven Jones, Farming TodayWhy it matters. Signals both a potential UK diversification crop and buyer scrutiny of ethical sourcing further down supply chains.
Listen: Farming Today · The Checkout: Grocery Nerds
Also in this edition
- Soil and pasture profit returns
- Farming's climate and emissions footprint
- Extreme weather hits yields
- Low-input and grass-based livestock systems
- Grain market risk management
- Water-use figures in food claims
- Dairy price pressure across UK and EU
- Digital Dairy Chain skills project
Food & nutrition in earlier weeks
The full Week 45 edition · The podcasts we follow · The weekly data