What if your favorite bread and pasta could deliver significantly more fiber without changing the taste or texture? In this episode of Rooted & Restless, Marianne Smith Edge talks with Jessica Wellnitz of Bay State Milling about a new high-fiber wheat flour developed through decades of traditional breeding.

With about 10 times more fiber than traditional white flour, this innovative wheat is already being used in products consumers can find today.

What We Cover

• How decades of traditional wheat breeding created a high-fiber flour without sacrificing taste or texture

• Why resistant starch and fiber matter for digestive and overall health

• How high-fiber wheat moves from the field to consumer products

• How farmers are contracted and rewarded for the nutritional quality vs the quantity of the wheat crop.

Jessica also explains how this innovation could help close our society’s fiber gap and make bread a more nutritious staple for improving public health.

Guest: Jessica Wellnitz — Director of Business Development, Bay State Milling

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Note: No financial support received from any mentioned products.

In this episode of Rooted & Restless, Marianne Smith Edge talks with Dr. Frank Mitloehner, University of California, Davis professor, extension specialist, and director of the CLEAR Center, about the science behind livestock emissions, methane, and the environmental impact of our food choices.

Known as the “Greenhouse Gas Guru,” Frank explains how a widely cited 2006 UN report helped shape the conversation around livestock and climate—and why the way emissions were measured created an apples-to-oranges comparison between livestock and transportation…and their respective global location.

The conversation takes a closer look at methane and why managing it may be an opportunity for dairy farmers using technologies such as anaerobic digesters and feed additives rather than climate liability.

What We Cover

• What the science really tells us about livestock, methane, and greenhouse gas emissions

• Why comparing livestock and transportation emissions can be misleading

• How farmers are reducing methane and turning climate challenges into opportunities

• What’s behind the changing market for plant-based and cell-cultured meat

Marianne and Frank also explore how consumers make food choices, and why taste, price, nutrition, and trust in the product often matter more to shoppers than environmental impact.

Guest: Frank Mitloehner, PhD, Director, University of California Davis CLEAR Center, Animal Science Professor

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In this episode of Rooted & Restless, Marianne Smith Edge talks with registered dietitian and food scientist Joy Dubost, PhD, RD about the science and regulations behind some of today’s biggest food and nutrition debates. They take a closer look at the current GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) process, what the proposed changes could mean for food safety and transparency, and the ongoing debate over how we define ultra-processed foods.

They also explore the push to replace artificial food colors with natural alternatives—and why “natural” doesn't automatically mean safer or better. Along the way, Joy and Marianne unpack how food science, regulation, and nutrition misinformation can get lost in the headlines, leaving consumers wondering what they can trust.

What We Cover

• An overview of the current GRAS process and how the new proposed rule could impact transparency

• Why replacing artificial colors with natural colors isn't as simple as it sounds

• Why defining ultra-processed foods is more complicated than it may seem

• How consumers can navigate nutrition misinformation and make informed food choices

The takeaway? Food and nutrition are rarely as simple as a headline suggests. Understanding the science, looking at the bigger picture, and relying on credible sources, like registered dietitians can help consumers make informed choices without getting caught up in fear or confusion.

NOTE: The comment period for the GRAS proposed changes has been extended to a 120- day time period rather than the 90-day period mentioned in the episode.

Guest: Joy Dubost, PhD, RD Owner, NJOY Health & Nutrition, LLC , a nutrition, regulatory affairs & scientific consulting company.

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