Preface: Its a known fact - culinary skills of Americans is declining. Its time for food manufacturers to bring a "bon appetit" quality to their prepared foods. Read to know how to improve culinary skills of Americans.Folding culinary arts into food service - includes related article on trendy food manufacturing.
It is increasingly important for food manufacturers to utilize both culinary professionals and food scientists in their Research and Development efforts, else we are heading towards a society where there wont be any good food to eat.
Food flavors can be either added to foods or developed during cooking processes. However, processes used in
kitchen usually produce different results than those in manufacturing.
Culinary professionals can help scientists envision fine restaurant food presentations, which can then be taken and duplicated on a large scale through flavor and/or process technology.
The Odd Couple?
Although working together can be challenging, food scientists and culinary professionals can benefit from learning each other's perspectives on product development. Language/terminology differences can create communication gaps as are often
case when people in different disciplines work together.
Matthew Walter, corporate chef at a flavor and ingredient house, says, "To work with manufactured food, a chef does not need to become a food technologist, but does need to understand
ingredients and
parameters within which they are working. When both
culinary and technical views come together,
highest quality product results." Walters also adds that it is definitely possible to have fine restaurant-quality manufactured food. "Anything can be done for a cost, and while cost has traditionally been
biggest inhibitor of high quality, people are willing to pay for good food," he adds.