In the latest segment of Boston Public Radio, Corby Kummer delves into pressing issues facing the food industry, beginning with the alarming food affordability crisis where middle-class families struggle to dine out, significantly impacting the social fabric that restaurants provide. Corby discusses rising grocery prices influenced by potential tariffs and the panic-buying behavior of restaurant owners anticipating cost hikes. He raises concerns about recent cuts to FDA staff and the speed-ups allowed in meat processing, which jeopardize food safety and animal welfare. Furthermore, he highlights the stark contrast between U.S. and European food safety regulations, including stricter bans on certain additives and practices. Corby touches on the challenges of farm labor, particularly for undocumented workers, and concludes with an exploration of educational policies affecting agriculture, including efforts to ban ultra-processed foods in school lunches, underscoring a multifaceted crisis that intersects economic, regulatory, and social dimensions.