A very sweet episode

Elizabeth Hotson tracks the rise of sugar as a luxury good and its transformation into a staple of western diets. Sara Pennell, a Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Greenwich will explain some of sugar's history as well as the dark strands of human history that made it affordable for so many. We’ll also hear about sugar addiction, the efforts to reduce the sugar content of western diets and the companies resisting the change. Producer: Elizabeth Hotson

(Picture: An assortment of chocolates; Credit: Elizabeth Hotson)