Chef Andrew Zimmern Launching New MSNBC Series WHAT'S EATING AMERICA

Today MSNBC announced What's Eating America, hosted by four-time James Beard Award-winning TV personality and chef Andrew Zimmern, which premieres on Sunday, February 16 at 9 p.m. ET with a special two-hour long episode featuring fellow award-winning chef and humanitarian José Andrés.

In each of the series' five episodes, Zimmern travels the country to explore some of the most provocative political issues impacting Americans today - immigration, climate change, addiction, voting rights and healthcare - through the lens of food. Zimmern seeks out the inspiring stories of individuals most affected by these issues, and those seeking to change them:

Sunday, February 16 from 9-11 p.m. ET: "Who's Feeding America" - In the first episode, Zimmern is joined by Andrés to reveal the role immigrants play in putting food on America's table. Throughout the premiere, Zimmern and Andrés go behind-the-scenes to unravel U.S. immigration policies and how the food industry utilizes migrant and immigrant labor on a daily basis.

Sunday, February 23 from 9-10 p.m. ET: "Overcooked" - The U.S. food system is heavily impacted by climate change. Zimmern travels to Milwaukee, Wisconsin where the native perch fish is disappearing from the warming waters of Lake Michigan. In New Jersey, he meets scientists creating the farm of the future where fresh greens are grown inside a converted steel mill instead of farms.

Sunday, March 1 from 9-10 p.m. ET: "A Chef's Story" - Zimmern, a former addict who is now 30 years sober, reveals how he found his way from homelessness to recovery through food and cooking. In this moving episode, he focuses on the growing problem of alcohol and addiction in the restaurant business and how it can offer a path forward to those in recovery.

Sunday, March 8 from 9-10 p.m. ET: "A Seat at the Table" - To explore why many Americans are excluded from the ballot box, Zimmern embarks on a journey through southern battleground states. To find answers, he shares meals with voting rights activists, meets with reformed felons fighting to have their rights restored and questions the politicians behind voting registration bills.

Sunday, March 15 from 9-10 p.m. ET: "The Fresh Food Fail" - Zimmern travels to the heart of the country to explore the state of America's healthcare where the population is eating more processed food than ever before. The episode takes a look at the relationship between food and health in the U.S.

"There is no more important time than right now to be telling stories about civics, politics and culture through food," said Andrew Zimmern. "Food, after all, is the love language of our national discourse. Kitchen table civics and food politics have been absent from our dialogue at this level for a long time. I can't wait for the viewers to see an entertaining show that dives deeply into the important issues of our day."

Check out a preview of the series here. Tune in to What's Eating America on MSNBC on Sunday, February 16 at 9 p.m. ET and follow along with @MSNBC and @andrewzimmern on Twitter using #WhatsEatingAmerica.

For more, visit MSNBC.com/WhatsEatingAmerica. What's Eating America is sponsored by Celebrity Cruises.

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