Dr El-Nagar is a veterinarian, a certified Food Safety and Quality Consultant, and an experienced scholarly writer on Medium and Substack. You can find him on LinkedIn, too.
Dear members and followers, I trust this post finds you well today. Due to a hectic schedule, I couldn’t post about the interviews I conducted recently. But today I allocated an hour and decided to share one of the recent interviews I conducted with a healthcare professional and an accomplished writer writing about science, health, nutrition, food, and other topics in a scholarly style.
Today, in this episode of my insightful conversations with creative and authentic writers, I will introduce you to Dr. Hatem El-Nagar, whom I met through LinkedIn and was impressed by his professional and creative work.
Dr El-Nagar answered my questions generously. I believe his work and story might resonate with you from different angles. He deals with food quality and safety, which relates to all of us.
For my readers on Medium, I have also posted a version of this story to our Health and Science publication, allowing healthcare professionals to connect with Dr. El-Nagar for potential collaboration.
Let’s Meet Dr Hatem El-Nagar, Hailing from Exotic Land Egypt, Cairo 👏
Please enjoy this exclusive interview as a free service of our ILLUMINATION community on Medium, Substack, Patreon, and other platforms.
Hi, Dr El-Nagar, let’s start with a bit about your background.
Hi Dr Yildiz, thank you for the opportunity. I’d be glad to share some key points from my background.
I work as a veterinarian and a certified Food Safety and Quality Consultant. I completed a master’s degree in Food Safety from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, majoring in Food Safety, and a Quality Management Diploma from the American University in Cairo.
Over the past decade, I’ve worked across the food industry in hospitality, catering, and auditing.
I’m also a writer and storyteller who simplifies scientific knowledge into engaging narratives that empower people to make safer, smarter choices about the food they eat; stories that ultimately protect your plate, your health, and the planet.
My work has been published in international publications such as Wise & Well, Quantastic Journal, Science Spectrum, Rooted, The Environment, and STEM Parenting.
What are your hobbies or what excites or entertains you?
Traveling and exploring food cultures excite me the most.
I love immersing myself in new places, tasting local dishes, and discovering how culture and cuisine reflect one another.
I also enjoy listening to music, attending concerts, and cooking because there is something therapeutic about creating a meal from scratch.
In my free time, I enjoy staying active through walking and running, spending time with friends, and unwinding at the beach whenever possible.
I’m also passionate about reading and exploring the arts, whether through cinema, theater, concerts, or even a quiet evening at the opera.
What do health and well-being mean to you?
To me, health and well-being mean having the physical energy, mental clarity, and emotional balance to live and work at my best every day.
Health is not just the absence of illness, but the ability to thrive, stay resilient under stress, maintain strong relationships, and keep learning and growing.
As a food safety professional, I see well-being as inseparable from access to safe and nutritious food. Physically, safe food protects us from infections and chronic diseases. Mentally, it provides us with the clarity and focus we need to learn, work, and make informed decisions.
Emotionally, knowing that the food we serve and eat is safe brings peace of mind and reduces anxiety for families and communities.
In relationships, trust in the safety of shared meals strengthens connections, whether at home, in restaurants, or across entire food systems.
In short, safeguarding food safety is the foundation for protecting both individual health and the collective well-being of society. Therefore, I chose it as my profession, which ultimately became a lifestyle.
What are the top three books that affected your life?
I read a lot, but the following three books left a significant impression on my life and profession:
· How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie:
This book taught me the timeless art of communication and empathy. It reminded me that success is not just about knowledge, but about how we connect with others, with respect, sincerity, and understanding.
· The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan:
It opened my eyes to the hidden systems behind our food and deepened my awareness of where our meals truly come from. It also strengthened my passion for writing about food safety and sustainability.
· Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki:
It changed the way I think about money, work, and independence. It inspired me to pursue multiple income streams and build a career that blends passion, purpose, and financial freedom.
Why do you write on Medium?
Medium allows me to merge science with storytelling. It is a platform where knowledge meets empathy, where a microbiologist, a traveler, a parent, and a curious reader can all learn from each other.
I started writing on Medium to make food safety accessible and engaging, not technical or intimidating.
Each article is my way of transforming complex concepts into stories that readers can relate to, whether they are parents packing lunchboxes or travelers judging a hotel buffet.
What are your values as a writer?
Integrity, clarity, and service.
I believe every piece of writing should educate, enlighten, or empower someone. I write with scientific accuracy but also with heart.
My goal is not just to inform; it is to spark curiosity and encourage change.
Above all, I value honesty and responsibility in what I share, because misinformation about food can have real-world consequences.
How do you connect with your readers?
I connect through storytelling.
Instead of lecturing, I start with real experiences such as hotel inspections, travel adventures, or family moments, and let science emerge naturally from the narrative.
I also interact directly with readers through comments and social media. Many share their own experiences or questions, and that dialogue keeps my work alive. Food safety often starts with conversation.
What are your top five stories that you want to share with your audience and why?
1. How to Spot Disgusting, Unsafe Hotel Bars and Buffets: Based on my real experience as a hotel food safety expert, this story helps travelers recognize food safety and hygiene red flags in buffets and bars before it is too late.
2. Don’t Lick the Spoon: Why One Sweet Moment Could Send Your Child to the ICU: A cautionary story for parents, explaining how a simple act in the kitchen can expose children to dangerous bacteria like E. coli.
3. Stop Wasting Good Food: What Expiration Dates Don’t Tell You: A call to rethink our fear of food labels, balancing safety with sustainability to reduce global food waste.
4. Farms Are Quietly Breeding the Next Public Health Crisis: A deep dive into how antibiotic misuse in agriculture fuels the rise of drug-resistant superbugs.
5. Why Nobody Should Order a Burger Cooked Medium: A reality check for burger lovers, revealing the science and outbreak history behind undercooked ground beef.
Each story reflects my mission as a writer to turn scientific facts into meaningful stories that protect public health, promote awareness, and inspire smarter choices around food.
What are your plans as a writer or professional?
Professionally, I aim to establish my own food safety consultancy that empowers hospitality businesses and food industries by building strong food safety management systems, building food safety cultures, and combining science, training, and storytelling to drive real improvement.
As a writer, I plan to continue creating engaging stories about food safety, public health, and sustainability, and to publish an e-book compiling my most-read Medium stories and new, relevant pieces.
My long-term vision is to bridge the gap between experts and everyday readers worldwide, making science both accessible and impactful.
How has your background in food safety shaped your voice as a writer?
It taught me precision and accountability. In food safety, every word on a label or report matters, and the same is true in writing.
My professional background gave me access to real-world stories, the kind you cannot find in textbooks.
I have seen both the science and the human side of food: chefs under pressure, families affected by outbreaks, and the systems that fail when awareness is missing.
Those experiences shaped my storytelling into something authentic, urgent, and relatable.
What impact do you hope your stories have on readers and the food industry?
I hope my stories make readers more curious and cautious, without fear but with understanding.
In the food industry, I aim to promote transparency, responsibility, and innovation.
If one reader starts storing leftovers properly or one restaurant rethinks its food safety culture after reading my work, then I have done my job.
What challenges have you faced in turning complex science into engaging stories?
The biggest challenge is turning technical language into emotional understanding. Science can sound distant, but storytelling brings it closer.
I also have to balance detail and readability. Too much jargon loses readers; too little can oversimplify the science.
I overcome this by using metaphors, anecdotes, and real cases to make microbiology feel human.
How do you balance factual accuracy with creativity in your storytelling?
I begin with verified data from the WHO, CDC, or peer-reviewed sources, and then craft narratives around it. Creativity comes in the framing, not in the facts.
I often imagine myself explaining a concept to someone at dinner. It has to be accurate but also engaging enough to keep them listening until dessert.
That is my test for balance. I also draw on my living and professional experiences to make my stories authentic.
What do you recommend to new writers?
Write about what you care about, not what trends. Consistency matters more than virality.
Start small, but write deeply. Learn to edit ruthlessly. And most importantly, read, because every great writer is a lifelong student.
Your voice will evolve with time, but your purpose should remain clear: to connect, to enlighten, and to leave something of value behind.
Many thanks to Dr. Hatem El-Nagar for allocating his precious time for this lovely conversation. Thank you for reading and following him on Medium, Substack, and LinkedIn. You can contact Dr Hatem on the Illumination Slack Workspace for collaboration.
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