Sliced Bread

Which is the most hygienic for cleaning your kitchen?
Most of us will be familiar with the cheap packs of coloured kitchen sponges with the abrasive tops, used for washing dishes and wiping surfaces. But could they be harbouring a host of bacterial baddies?
Listener Caroline wants to know as she uses them regularly and even goes as far as running them through the washing machine to keep them cleaner for longer! Does that really work? And are there concerns about these sponges releasing microplastics? Would alternatives like cloths or brushes be a better option?
To answer all of these questions, presenter Greg Foot is joined by Markus Egert, Professor of Microbiology and Hygiene at Furtwangen University in southwest Germany and one of the authors of a major study into the hygiene of sponges; and Vilde Snekkevik, research scientist at the Norwegian Institute for Water Research in Oslo.
All of our episodes start with YOUR suggestions. If you’ve seen an ad, trend or wonder product promising to make you happier, healthier or greener, email us at sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk OR send a voice note to our WhatsApp number, 07543 306807.
RESEARCHER: JULIA RAVEY
PRODUCERS: SIMON HOBAN AND GREG FOOT

Can robotic lawnmowers save you time without hassling hedgehogs?
Listener Pat has seen adverts for robotic lawnmowers and has lots of questions: Do they cut effectively? How do they manage with edges and flower borders? And what about avoiding wildlife and other objects in the garden?
To find out, presenter Greg Foot is joined by BBC Gardeners' World magazine's tech reviewer Harry Duncton, alongside Dr Sophie Lund-Rasmussen (aka 'Dr Hedgehog'), who has carried out research into the dangers to hedgehogs posed by robotic lawnmowers.
All of our episodes start with YOUR suggestions. If you’ve seen an ad, trend or wonder product promising to make you happier, healthier or greener, email us at sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk OR send a voice note to our WhatsApp number, 07543 306807.
RESEARCHER: JULIA RAVEY
PRODUCERS: SIMON HOBAN AND GREG FOOT

Can a test tell you what's living inside your gut - and what to do about it?
That's what listener Pete Mace asked us, kicking off a brand new series of Sliced Bread! He's seen 'gut microbiome tests' advertised by ZOE, Randox Health and others. They promise to tell you about the bacteria - and other bugs - currently making your intestines their home. Many also claim they'll use this information to make personalised diet recommendations, showing you exactly what you should and shouldn't eat to nurture the right bugs and improve your health.

Pete wants to know: what can these tests really tell you? And can they really provide a diet tailored precisely to your personal wellbeing?

To find out more, presenter Greg Foot is joined by Dr Nick Ilott, Senior Researcher and lead Bioinformatician at the Oxford Centre for Microbiome Studies; and Dr Fred Warren, group leader at the Quadram Institute who researches how gut microbes interact with food.

All of our episodes start with YOUR suggestions. If you’ve seen an ad, trend or wonder product promising to make you happier, healthier or greener, email us at sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk OR send a voice note to our WhatsApp number, 07543 306807.

RESEARCHER: JULIA RAVEY
PRODUCERS: PHIL SANSOM AND GREG FOOT

Orange was once one of the most recognisable brands in Britain — a mobile network with its iconic slogan “The future’s bright, the future’s Orange”, it helped turn mobile phones from elite business tools into everyday essentials.
But while the Orange name still exists globally, its mobile service disappeared from the UK. So what happened?
BBC Business journalist Sean Farrington investigates how Orange took the UK by storm in the 1990s telecoms boom — and why, at home, it ultimately gave way to a new brand: EE.
Joined by resident business expert and entrepreneur Sam White, Sean explores the bold brand thinking that set Orange apart, the rapid growth that made it a takeover target, and the strategic turning points that reshaped the company.
Along the way, they hear from the people who built the brand, including founding marketer Chris Moss, former executives Linda Kennedy and Stuart Jackson, and former EE CEO Olaf Swantee, to understand how Orange captured the public imagination — and why it couldn’t remain a standalone mobile network in the UK.
At the end, Sam draws her own conclusions: as the future stayed bright but less Orange, was the brand overtaken by change — or did it choose to evolve into something new?
If you have an idea for an interesting Toast topic, email toast@bbc.co.uk.
This episode was produced by Linda Walker. Toast is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Izal medicated toilet paper was once a staple of British bathrooms - a curious cultural icon, remembered as much for its distinctive feel as for its antiseptic promise. Produced for decades by the Sheffield‑based company Newton, Chambers & Co., Izal became woven into the fabric of schools, hospitals and public buildings across the UK.
So how did a product that was everywhere for so long, end up disappearing from shelves, surviving only in nostalgia, and uncomfortable memories?
BBC Business journalist Sean Farrington investigates how Izal medicated toilet paper went from national widespread use to historical footnote, joined by resident business expert and entrepreneur Sam White.
To uncover the story, Sean and Sam dig into industrial archives, public‑health records and the memories of those who grew up with the unmistakable crinkle of Izal.
They hear from former Newton Chambers employees, alongside Dr Alice White - Digital Editor at English Heritage and Historian of Psychology and former Jeyes employees, Nicholas Goodwin and Jayne Howe- who followed the Izal brand closely after it changed hands in the 1980s.
At the end, Sam must draw her own conclusions about the fate of Izal medicated toilet paper - from changing hygiene standards to the rise of softer, more luxurious competitors - and decide whether its decline was inevitable or simply a failure to adapt?
If you have a good idea for an interesting Toast topic then tell us about it - email toast@bbc.co.uk
This episode was produced by Linda Walker. Toast is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds