What is the future of Maine's food system?

Everyone loves food. It fills our stomachs, tantalizes our taste buds, sustains us through times of strife and prosperity, fuels multiple industries and helps define cultures. How best to obtain, consume, preserve, distribute and regulate food drives aspects of health care, science and politics. As food science innovation coordinator for the University of Maine’s School of Food and Agriculture, Rob Dumas brings a unique perspective on food to the table. Managing the food science pilot plant at the school, conducting research, and working with food companies has given Dumas morsels of insight into the future of Maine’s food system. In this episode of “The Maine Question,” Dumas discusses the latest food trends, the “Made in Maine” brand, food insecurity, the state of the food economy in Maine and more. The veteran chef and food innovator also speaks about his previous work as a chef on a nuclear submarine for the U.S. Navy and for the White House, where he cooked for former President Barack Obama and his family, politicians and leaders from around the world.