Fermenters new and old wrestle with how best to comply with the myriad health and safety regulations that affect their products. Hear from experts in the field as they suggest they best ways to make this compliance process as easy as possible, and also to suggest how the regulatory landscape could be improved in the future. 

Lack of consumer understanding of fermentation and its flavor and health attributes is consistently cited by producers the top obstacle to increasing sales and acceptance of fermented product. On this panel we bring together producers, scientists, retailers, and journalists to discuss ways to better educate the (potential) customer.

This year, two articles helped propel a conversation on diversity among fermenters: Miin Chan's Eater article "Lost in the Brine" (which explores cultural appropriation in fermentation) and Jiayang Fan's New Yorker piece "The Gatekeepers Who Get to Decide What Food is 'Disgusting'" (which highlights how Westerners' views of "disgusting" food require immigrants to assimilate to local food culture). Listen to these two writers and a trio of BIPOC producers as they debate the topics of diversity and cultural appropriation among fermenters, and discuss who gets to determine what "tastes good."