At California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Culinology students are required to take Nutrition Science and Health, a course focusing on nutrition, diet and diseases in the context of recipe development and consumer food choices. Martin F. Sancho-Madriz, Ph.D., professor, Department of Human Nutrition & Food Science, notes that the school currently not only has Culinology students pursuing a minor in nutrition, but also nutrition students pursuing a minor in Culinology.
Currently, the only program accredited through ADA where students can pursue the opportunity of becoming a registered dietitian while simultaneously studying the culinary arts is the four-year Culinary Nutrition Bachelors of Science program offered through Johnson & Wales University. The school began the program in 1999 and saw 400% growth in program enrollment during its first four years, notes Suzanne Vieira, M.S., R.D., department chair, Culinary Nutrition program, Johnson & Wales University, Providence, RI. “Enrollment this year is the biggest yet,” she says.
AND THEN THERE WERE THREE
Clearly, it’s increasingly important for R&D chefs to develop a background in nutrition. In addition, it requires that they work more closely with nutritionists and dietitians, once considered the “food police.” The sentiment that “people eat food, not nutrition” is no longer true. Consumers are asking for more nutritious foods, and there is room for a new way of approaching product and menu development.
Chefs with a background in nutrition and food science are quickly forming a new genre. These “culinary nutritionists” are in demand because companies see the benefit of hiring one person who has a unique combination of three skill sets.
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