Episode Ep 291 July 31, 2026 48 min 4s

291: How Companies Turn Industrial Waste Into "Health Food" - with Steven Rofrano

Josh sits down with Steven, founder of Masa Chips, to explore how products like cottonseed oil, Crisco, and modern vegetable oils entered the food supply, and why many processed foods bear little resemblance to the foods humans historically consumed. Together they examine how industrial agriculture, food processing, pesticides, and modern manufacturing practices may influence gut health, inflammation, and overall wellness from a root-cause perspective.

Steven also shares his personal journey through chronic digestive issues, immune challenges, and pancreatitis as a child—an experience that ultimately led him to study nutrition and build a company focused on producing snacks using traditional preparation methods rather than modern shortcuts.

The discussion explores topics including organic farming, regenerative agriculture, sourdough fermentation, nixtamalization, gluten, GMOs, glyphosate, beef tallow, ancestral diets, and why food quality often depends more on processing methods than individual ingredients alone. Rather than simply debating whether grains are "good" or "bad," the conversation focuses on how traditional cultures prepared foods to improve digestibility and nutrient availability.

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