Frankenfood | The Mistakes Series
Summary
Malcolm Gladwell sends Ben Arafat to Mattson Food Lab to explore the naming crisis surrounding lab-grown meat. Interviewing experts Steve Gundrum and Barbara Stuckey, the episode contrasts the public rejection of "GMOs" in the 1990s with current efforts to rebrand cell-based meat as "cultivated meat." The discussion highlights how language shapes consumer acceptance, aiming to prevent a repeat of the "Frankenfood" backlash while showcasing the technology's potential benefits.
Topics discussed
Apple Card sponsorship and features
Intro: Business History and American Genius series
Alzheimer's awareness ad
Introduction to the Mistakes series and Mattson
Barb's mission: Lab-grown meat and naming issues
Sponsorship breaks: Apple Card, Alzheimer's, Hyundai
The first mistake: The history of GMO tomatoes
Public backlash and the 'Frankenfood' label
Why the GMO narrative failed to change
Connecting GMO failure to lab-grown meat naming
Barb's research on naming cultivated meat
Choosing 'Cultivated Meat' as the new term
Tasting cultivated chicken and future outlook
Credits and final sponsor messages
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