Nanette Ryan (National University at Singapore) 

Rethinking Food “Noise” 

Abstract. Critics have argued that appeals to the silencing of so-called “food noise” – framed as a virtue of GLP-1 receptor agonists – pathologize ordinary hunger and reinforce fatphobic narratives in which fat people’s appetites are treated as morally and biologically suspect. I take this concern seriously and reject the assumptions that hunger and food-related desires are inherently problematic and that weight loss is inherently desirable, health-promoting, or autonomy-promoting. I argue instead that the relevant autonomy-related effect of GLP-1 RAs is not the elimination of “problematic desires,” but their possible impact on food-related cognitive load: the practical, anticipatory, evaluative, and socially mediated burdens associated with hunger, appetite, eating, medication use, and food-related thought. This reframing is not intended to replace “food noise” with a more clinical-sounding label, nor to provide a rationale for encouraging GLP-1 RA use. It aims to clarify how GLP-1 RAs may alter people’s embodied experiences and the circumstances in which choices about medication are made, in order to support more responsive conditions of care.

Andrew McGregor (Macquarie University in Sidney) 

Precision fermentation dairy in Australia: how new tech encounters old imaginaries

Abstract. Precision fermentation dairy technologies have developed to the stage where they can produce high value dairy proteins at a similar or cheaper price than traditional animal dairy.  The vanguard visions of fledgling companies have stressed their potentially transformative environmental, health and animal welfare advantages, successfully securing venture capital and government support for pilot-scale development.  However, the industry requires significant upscaling of investment and infrastructure as well as public interest and acceptance if any socioecological benefits are to be realised.  In this paper we draw on the vanguard visions and sociotechnical imaginaries literatures to analyse the challenges, negotiations and recalibrations that take place when novel technologies emerge from the lab and strive for support in contexts shaped by established industries.  We ask: how do vanguard visions of precision fermentation dairy become articulated, embedded, resisted and extended when they encounter dominant sociotechnical imaginaries of animal dairy.  Drawing on interviews with over 20 stakeholders within Australian precision fermentation and animal dairy industries we trace the disciplinary effects that dominant sociotechnical imaginaries have upon how the technology is unfolding.  We find that radical visions of the technology are being sidelined or abandoned and that the hype around precision fermentation is being dampened in preference for embedding ‘boring’ naming, market and investment strategies, favouring partnerships, rather than battles, with animal dairy.  The outcome is that in this early precarious stage of precision fermentation, the technology is being reworked to fit with, diversify and expand dairy industries into new markets, rather than to challenge or replace animal dairy.  However, the industry is still in its infancy and we canvas the potential for social and environmental benefits as the industry matures.  

Ganesh Bagler (Infosys Centre for Artificial Intelligence, IIIT-Delhi) 

Computational Gastronomy: Blending Food with Artificial Intelligence

Abstract. Cooking is more than an art—it is the foundation of human nutrition, health, and identity. The creative act of combining ingredients into delicious recipes has traditionally been viewed through an artistic and cultural lens. Today, however, the rapid growth of food-related data and advances in artificial intelligence are transforming how we understand gastronomy. Computational Gastronomy is an emerging discipline that applies data science and AI to investigate culinary patterns, nutritional structures, and flavor principles. By making food computable, it enables us to decode long-standing culinary mysteries, uncover the links between diet and health, and design innovative food solutions. This paradigm shift holds immense potential for public health, personalized nutrition, and sustainable food systems. In this talk, I will ask a provocative question—Can a computer think like a Chef? While addressing this question, I will present the vision of making food computable (https://cosylab.iiitd.edu.in), highlighting how structured food data and artificial intelligence can shape the future of food.