Show Notes
Thirty-two doctors. That’s how many Jess saw while her son was vomiting nightly, losing his hair, and covered in eczema, and not one of them would consider that food might be the cause. She trusted her gut anyway, and she was right. If you’ve ever been dismissed by a doctor, you need to hear this story. What really got me was how deep corn runs in our food system, from carriers and processing aids to natural flavors, and how none of it has to show up on a label. This is exactly why I’m so passionate about label transparency. Jess is a fierce, loving mom who turned her family’s hardest season into a company, and I think you’ll walk away inspired and a little more label-savvy.
Here are a few of my biggest takeaways from our conversation:
Trust your gut. Jess was dismissed by doctor after doctor when she suspected food was the root cause of her son’s symptoms. Her advice to parents: a mother’s (and father’s) intuition matters, so hold your ground when something doesn’t feel right.
Corn hides almost everywhere. With 1,800+ corn derivatives, it can show up in maltodextrin, citric acid, natural flavors, vitamin D carrier oils in milk, enriched flour fortifications, and even machine processing aids that never have to be listed on a label.
“Natural” doesn’t mean what you think. Terms like “clean” and “no fluff” aren’t regulated, and many brands don’t even know what’s in their own natural flavors. Jess’s rule for Cob is simple: if you wouldn’t find it in your own kitchen, it doesn’t go in the product.
Sorghum is an ancient grain worth knowing. It’s naturally gluten-free and non-GMO, pops just like popcorn, can be made into tortilla chips, and is a low-resource, drought-resistant crop.
Listen and share this one with anyone you know struggling with food allergies.
Meet Jessica:
Jess Davidoff is the founder and CEO of Cob, a snack brand making corn-free, gluten-free snacks from the ancient grain sorghum.
A serial entrepreneur and Princeton graduate, Jess developed the concept after her son’s corn allergy diagnosis led her to overhaul her family’s entire diet. After testing her popped sorghum at a Hamptons farmers market in 2024, she brought on tennis champion Novak Djokovic as co-founder. Djokovic also led the company’s $5 million seed round.
Today Cob offers popped sorghum in four flavors and a sorghum tortilla chip. Jess lives in Sag Harbor, New York, with her husband and two sons.
Connect with Jess Davidoff:Website: cobfoods.comInstagram: @cobfoodsAlso available on Amazon and in specialty stores nationwide
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