Sliced Bread

Listener Jenny, who enjoys a 90% cocoa bar from time to time, got in touch to ask if some of the reports that dark chocolate can have a positive effect on things like circulation and mood - have any truth behind them? 
But Jenny also told Sliced Bread that since she read reports that heavy metals such as lead and cadmium could be in dark chocolate - she's been unable to enjoy her regular bar, until she knows it's safe to eat!
Each episode Greg investigates the latest ad-hyped products and trending fads promising to make us healthier, happier and greener. Are they really 'the best thing since sliced bread' and should you spend your money on them?
If you’ve seen an ad, trend or wonder product promising to make you happier, healthier or greener, email us at [email protected] or send a voice note to our WhatsApp number, 07543 306807.
RESEARCHER: PHIL SANSOM 
PRODUCERS: KATE HOLDSWORTH & GREG FOOT

Is it ok to stay on weight loss injections?
They have been nothing short of a pharmaceutical phenomenon. But for people like listener Lynn who've had huge success on weight loss drugs like Mounjaro, the question now arises about the implications of using them long-term. Could there be a 'maintenance' dose that would potentially allow for use over many years, or even a lifetime? And as scientists study the data, are other benefits emerging that go beyond just losing weight that could burnish their wonder-product reputation?
Presenter Greg Foot is joined in the studio by Lynn to hear her story and do a deep-dive into the science alongside Professor of Molecular Neuroendocrinology at the University of Cambridge, Giles Yeo.
At Sliced Bread we're hungry for your suggestions so we can keep making fresh batches! If you’ve seen an ad, trend or wonder product promising to make you happier, healthier or greener, email us at [email protected] OR send a voice note to our WhatsApp number, 07543 306807.
RESEARCHER: PHIL SANSOM
PRODUCERS: SIMON HOBAN AND GREG FOOT

What led to the collapse of the Christmas savings club Farepak?
The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, investigates with the entrepreneur, Sam White, alongside him.
It's our Christmas special and we're turning the clock back to the mid 1960s…. and looking at a business which started from humble beginnings in a Peckham butcher's shop, and went on to change Christmas for tens of thousands of families all over the UK.
So, why did Farepak end up toast?

Sean interviews:
-David Goodhart - founder of Prospect Magazine, journalist, commentator and author. David tells us more about the man known as Farepak's founder, Bob Johnson and how his passion for philanthropy influenced the business.
-Suzy Hall - Former Farepak customer and agent who went on to become a national campaign coordinator for Unfairpak- a campaign set up in the wake of the Farepak collapse.
-Dermot Power - Former senior partner with the accountants BDO Stoy Hayward, Dermot was appointed as joint administrator to the Farepak business and can talk us through what happened and how he worked to help get customers' money back.
Produced by Linda Walker. A BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. Contact: [email protected]

The fashion chain C&A continues to thrive elsewhere so why did it shut all its UK stores?
The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, investigates how they ended up toast, in the company of resident business expert and entrepreneur, Sam White.
C&A used to be one of the biggest fashion retailers on the UK's high streets until a shock decision in 2000 led to the stores' sudden closure.
To help explain what happened, Sean and Sam delve into the BBC archives and hear from expert guests including Donna Bevan - fashion historian, lecturer and course leader at the School of Creative Industries at Southampton Solent University and Stephen McDermott who worked at C&A for 35 years.
Produced by Jon Douglas, Toast is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.
If you have a good idea for an interesting Toast topic then tell us about it - email [email protected]

Why did Skype fall out of favour in a world of global video calls?
The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, investigates with the entrepreneur, Sam White, alongside him.
Sam never knows what's coming so, at the end of every episode of Toast, she gives her off-the-cuff and authentic professional opinions on why a brand disappeared based on what she has just heard and her own business knowhow.
In this episode, we learn how Skype worked by using Voice Over Internet Protocol to send audio and video data over the internet. It connected users through a centralized, cloud-based service which allowed free voice and video calls between Skype users.
It really changed the game when it came to keeping in touch with friends and family around the world. It helped grandparents meet their grandchildren for the first time without leaving the house and gave us a way of cutting our phone bills.
Sean interviews:
- Peter Raeburn - an award-winning composer who worked with Skype’s founders to create the iconic sounds that became the familiar sound track to Skype which, at its peak, was used by over 300 million people worldwide.
- Andrew Sinclair - a General Manager for Skype for Business who offers his insight into what happened after Skype was sold by Ebay, and snapped up by tech giant, Microsoft.
-Sam Shead - a journalist who witnessed how Skype changed the world of communication, soaring and then sinking and has taken an in depth look at the names behind the brand, so what did he uncover?
Produced by Linda Walker.
Toast is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.
You can email the programme at [email protected]
Feel free to suggest topics which could be covered in future episodes.