What leads food down the right pipe?

Food is directed down the esophagus and into the stomach through a coordinated process involving swallowing and the action of the epiglottis. When you swallow, the muscles in the throat contract to push the food down, while the epiglottis closes off the trachea to prevent food from entering the airway. This ensures that food travels down the esophagus, the correct pathway, rather than accidentally entering the lungs.