Trash Panda is a food ingredient scanning app focused on ingredient transparency rather than calorie counting or diet culture. Below is a selection of press coverage, podcast appearances, and expert commentary featuring our team and mission.
Secret Experts Podcast • February 2026
Julia Putzeys discusses the founding of Trash Panda, the gap between front-of-package marketing and back-of-package ingredient reality, and how everyday additives like food dyes and artificial sweeteners affect health. The conversation also covers her transition from software product management to building a consumer health app.
The Well Nourished Mama • January 2026
Julia Putzeys joins The Well Nourished Mama to discuss how introducing solids to a baby often prompts parents to reexamine their own pantry, why ultra-processed foods are engineered to be hard to resist, and how to navigate picky eating without defaulting to convenience products. Practical guidance on which additives to watch for and how to make label reading less overwhelming.
Healthy Teen Life Podcast • January 2026
Julia Putzeys joins the Healthy Teen Life Podcast to discuss why ingredient awareness is a more useful framework than calorie counting, how ultra-processed foods affect energy and cravings, and how to read labels without it becoming overwhelming. Aimed at teens looking for a sustainable, non-restrictive approach to food.
News12 | connecticut • December 2025
News 12's Rebecca Surran interviews Julia Putzeys about how Trash Panda helps shoppers decode ingredient labels, with a holiday-season focus on prioritizing whole foods and real ingredients over packaged convenience options.
Dr. Darshan Shah MD • Longevity Physician • November 2025
Julia Putzeys joins Dr. Darshan Shah on EXTEND to discuss how ultra-processed foods are engineered to drive cravings, why ingredient density matters more than macro counts, and how labeling claims like "low-fat" and "sugar-free" can mask additive-heavy formulations. The conversation covers seed oils, artificial dyes, and how shifting toward whole foods affects the gut microbiome over time.
WPTF Morning News • November 2025
San Diego Business Journal • November 2025 • Eli Walsh
San Diego Business Journal profiles Trash Panda's founding, growth to over half a million downloads since its 2021 launch, and Julia Putzeys' path from senior product manager to certified nutritional therapy practitioner. The piece situates the app within a broader cultural shift around food transparency and a growing competitive landscape for ingredient-scanning tools.
“everyone should have access to real food that helps them thrive and feel their best”
Colorado and Company KUSA-TV • October 2025
Colorado & Company host interviews Julia Putzeys about how Trash Panda helps shoppers navigate confusing front-of-package marketing claims like "all-natural" and "high-protein." The conversation covers why ingredient labels reveal more than calorie counts, the over 10,000 additives in the U.S. food supply, why "sugar-free" products often contain more concerning sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners, and how the app surfaces better-choice swaps when a scanned product has flagged ingredients.
The Authority Company Podcast • October 2025
Julia Putzeys joins host Joe Pardavila on The Authority Company Podcast to discuss how a career in product management — including a stint at the NFL — combined with her nutrition background to shape Trash Panda. The conversation covers how the app flags harmful ingredients via barcode scan, why packaged foods aren't categorically the problem, and Trash Panda's commitment to independence with no paid brand partnerships.
The Ultimate Human Podcast with Gary Breka • June 2025
Health expert Courtney Swan recommends Trash Panda on Gary Brecka's Ultimate Human Podcast as a tool for scanning grocery products, identifying flagged ingredients, and surfacing alternatives. The mention came in a broader conversation about consumer-driven shifts toward ingredient transparency and how purchasing habits can drive change in the packaged food industry.
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