‘Curious Conversations’ podcast: Melissa Wright talks about food ingredients, nutrition, and labels | Virginia Tech News | Virginia Tech
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‘Curious Conversations’ podcast: Melissa Wright talks about food ingredients, nutrition, and labels
By
Travis Williams
13
Apr
2026
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Melissa Wright joined
Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations”
to talk about navigating food, food ingredients, and nutrition. She explained how people should interpret labels and discussed the complexities of topics such as raw milk, protein, and color additives. Wright also offered practical advice for consumers and producers to make informed decisions about food safety and nutrition.
“Curious Conversations” is available on
Spotify
Apple
, and
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Takeaways
Food labels list ingredients in descending order by weight, which means the first few ingredients are the most prevalent in the product.
Raw milk can contain harmful bacteria that pasteurization typically eliminates, posing health risks and raising the need for consumer awareness and regulatory compliance.
Not all proteins are created equal. Complete proteins contain all nine essential amino acids, while others may lack one or more. A product’s listed percentage of daily value, as opposed to the grams, is the best way to evaluate its true protein content.
About Wright
Wright
is director of the
Food Producer Technical Assistance Network
at Virginia Tech, which supports food entrepreneurs by assisting with nutrition label content, food safety analysis, and pertinent food regulations. The program’s goal is to help Virginia’s food-processing industry produce high-quality, safe, and innovative food products.
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Expert shares tips for food safety at cookouts and potlucks
About the podcast
"Curious Conversations" is a series of free-flowing conversations with Virginia Tech researchers that take place at the intersection of world-class research and everyday life. Produced and hosted by Travis Williams, assistant director of marketing and communications for the Office of Research and Innovation, university researchers share their expertise and motivations as well as the practical applications of their work in a format that more closely resembles chats at a cookout than classroom lectures. New episodes are shared each Tuesday.
Contact:
Lindsey Haugh
Tags
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Curious Conversations Podcast
Food Safety
Food Science and Technology
Food Science and Technology
Research
Virginia Cooperative Extension
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