Traditionally, the roles of chef and food scientist have been separated. While chefs are almost always found in restaurants and other food serving locations, food scientists commonly remain in the lab, developing new products and ways to keep them preserved on store shelves. Today however, a new breed of culinary experts are being trained at top universities and colleges around the country. These food experts are known as culinologists, and what they are trained in is called culinology.

A culinologist is both an artist and a scientist. Their role is to make food safer, tastier and more nutritious, and they can be employed at all levels of the food service and production industry.

Using their knowledge of science, culinologists are keenly aware of the chemical and biological forces at work in food products. Their primary concern, in this regard, is keeping foods safely preserved and tasting great. This is no small feat, as evidenced by the steady demand for culinologists in the job market. Recently, culinologists have found work in some of the nation’s largest food manufacturers.

Aside from their scientific base, culinologists have an aesthetic appreciation for food products. At heart, culinologists are still chefs – they know that food products must be presented in an appealing fashion and taste great for them to be successful. A culinologist knows how to cook and present food for the consumer, and thus, many find themselves employed at restaurants and other food serving institutions. In this role, a culinologist doesn’t just cook, but they may also be incharge of developing new dishes, deciding the menu, and making sure the kitchen adheres to proper food safety standards.

More and more culinary schools are now offering a culinology degree program or elements of culinology in their regular culinary programs. As food products become increasingly influenced by technology, it is expected that the need for culinologists will grow exponentially.