03 Jul Science and Cooking World Congress and the Food Industry

It will come as no surprise to hear that the integration of scientific knowledge in cooking, such as the kinetics of enzymatic reactions and their dependence on temperature or pH, has revolutionized our understanding and ability to manipulate texture, flavor, and/or aromas in the gastronomic field. This knowledge is drawn from the industrial world to the kitchen, and obviously also the other way around, from the kitchen to the food business.

From my position as a ‘veteran’ in the food industry, there has been, and continues to be, a limited interest in understanding how and, more importantly, why the texture, flavor, and/or aroma of foods such as eggs, potatoes, or carrots change through manipulation in the kitchen or in the factory. This leaves us at a disadvantage as we miss the opportunity to design, enhance, improve, or reduce processes in order to create experiences that are not only unthinkable but also unforgettable.

After completing my Ph.D. in food science, I fully entered this world through what some would consider back then one of ‘the big doors’: Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck. From there, I worked for 7 years with Jose Andres’ team in Washington DC as a consultant and with Nathan Myhrvold on the Modernist Cuisine project as an expert reviewer of the collection. A year later, I published “The Laboratory as a Kitchen: Reflections on Food Science and Cooking,” a book that explores the intersection of science and gastronomy through 33 essays written by a wide range of scientists and chefs. This book presents an impressive variety of perspectives on how the kitchen can be seen as a scientific laboratory. Today, it is considered a reference book, with nearly 20,000 copies sold worldwide and translated into Japanese.

I have created links between the industry and culinary schools, particularly the BCC.

I have conducted research projects at the intersection of cooking/industry.

I studied the kinetics of sous vide cooking of egg yolks and created universal models to predict their texture.

I have been a collaborator in each edition of the SCWC.

I was the architect of industrial sponsorship to celebrate the first Harvard Science of Cooking Program and for the 2022 edition of the SCWC.

I am a member of the editorial board of the IJFSG and Food Biophysics.

At the intersection of culinary technique and various areas of science lies a mine that continues to be untapped at the industrial level. This remains a personal motivation to continue promoting multidisciplinary projects, supporting students, and sponsoring events like the SCWC.