Research

Menu Research and Flavor Discovery Initiative

The Culinary Institute of America and its sponsors are proud to foster cross-disciplinary, evidence-based,¹ scholarly work amongst faculty in the area of culinary arts and sciences. The Menu Research and Flavor Discovery Initiative (MRFDI) takes a science-based approach to solving problems encountered in the foodservice environment. The initiative also supports curriculum development in the culinary arts and sciences as well as scholarships for the CIA's Menu R&D online courses. All of these MRFDI outcomes help industry professionals and aspiring culinarians stay abreast of emerging knowledge in the field.

The research that results from the MRFDI is intended for publication in peer review journals such as the Journal of Food Science, Journal of Culinary Science and Technology, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Education, and International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.

The Need for Culinary Arts and Sciences Research

Culinary arts curricula are evolving from traditional vocational training to a more academically rigorous education.² This change in curricula is necessary to support increasingly technical and diverse issues encountered in the field of foodservice.³ The cross-disciplinary field of culinary arts and sciences (i.e., the modern field of culinary arts education) that is emerging is broadly scoped and includes:

• The core culinary techniques and traditions
• Global cuisines
• Application of new technologies
• Sensory evaluation of food
• Evaluation of consumer behavior in a dining context
• Food safety
• Nutrition
• Best business practices
• Physics and chemistry of food and cooking
• Food microbiology
• Cultural and social aspects of food and feeding
• Sustainable foodservice practices
• Educational strategies

Through applied research, the MRFDI provides culinary and foodservice educators with a vehicle to bring their ideas and insight in these areas into the academic mainstream, contributing to the overall betterment of our food systems.

Research that Supports Food Industry Careers

The foodservice industry has become dependent on new technologies, and is increasingly cross-disciplinary and global.^{3, 4, 5} Career opportunities for graduates of culinary college now include fields such as:

• Food product development
• Consumer behavior
• Food marketing
• Restaurant and foodservice business management
• Nutrition
• Food safety
• Culinary education
• Food quality control

Conducting focused, evidence-based, scholarly work through the MRFDI in these and related areas is essential to supporting new curriculum development in the culinary arts and sciences. These curricula in turn provide students with the critical thinking skills they need to become effective leaders in their chosen field.

Culinary Research Partners and Collaborators

The CIA's faculty and staff work together with scientists from the Departments of Food Science and Technology at Cornell University and UC Davis as well as other colleges and universities, to develop sound analytical methodologies and create effective experimental design.

Research Areas

Requests for proposals from CIA faculty and staff are being considered in the following areas:

Best Business Practices, Marketing and Consumer Behavior in Foodservice

Topics can include:

• Impact of menu descriptors on purchase intent, repurchase intent, overall sales, or customer satisfaction
• Effect of environmental factors in the restaurant (such as music, lighting, service, table orientation, and ambiance) on perceived overall quality and value of the food, and on sales
• Efficacy of limited-time offers
• Novel strategies for marketing healthy cuisines
• Implementation of principles for healthy menu R&D

Exploration and Evaluation of World Cuisines

Topics can include:

• Scholarly documentation of a particular regional cuisine, style of cooking, or service technique
• Codification of healthful aspects of world cuisines and approaches for translating these cuisines for implementation in mainstream foodservice operations
• Culinary ethnography

Flavor Discovery

Topics can include:

• Science-based investigations into food and beverage pairings
• Development of a common lexicon for the sensory evaluation of the attributes of foods
• Field-based sensory evaluation of foods (i.e., in the dining context)

Functional Properties of Ingredients

Topics can include:

• Science-based approaches to documenting the physical and chemical characteristics of kitchen ingredients and their functional properties in culinary practice

Health and Wellness Strategies

Topics can include:

• Development of recipes that reduce the amount of trans-fats without negatively impacting product quality
• Reducing sodium concentrations without negatively impacting palatability
• Documentation of strategies for incorporating fruit and vegetables on the menu
• Methods for portion size reduction without diminishing perceived consumer value

Evaluation and Application of New Foodservice Technologies

Topics can include:

• Science-based approaches to evaluating the efficacy and utility of new or existing technologies such as sous-vide preparations, rapid cooling devices, and labor-saving devices

Food Safety Strategies for the Foodservice Environment

Topics can include:

• New techniques for minimizing cross-contamination
• Strategies for increasing hand washing
• Effective and efficient cooling/reheating of foods with minimal effects on quality
• Managerial and training strategies to educate food handlers about current and emerging food safety issues

Educational Strategies in the Culinary Arts and Sciences

Topics can include:

• Evaluation of teaching tools
• Documentation of educational resources for culinary faculty
• Description of educational needs and opportunities