Do you give food emojis much thought? If not, perhaps you should. Emily Thomas hears how these tiny digital images can have a big social and economic impact. We reveal who decides which emojis are accepted and how you can propose your very own. Two Venezuelans living in the US explain why their brand new ‘flatbread emoji’ could be one the most significant achievements of their lives, and the emoji artist responsible for everything from the ‘dumpling’ to ‘bubble tea’ tells us why she sees her work as a calling, and how it has made her an unexpected cultural ambassador.

(Picture: selection of food emojis. Credit: Lumen Bigott/Yiying Lu/BBC)

Contributors:

Sebastian Delmont, software developer
Lumen Bigott, graphic designer
Yiying Lu, artist and entrepreneur

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk