What’s Cooking at the RCA Conference and Expo

The Research Chefs Association’s Annual Conference & Culinology® Expo, which will take place Wednesday to Saturday, March 6–9, 2013, in Charlotte, N.C., is the only research and development conference focused on the discipline of culinology—the blending of culinary arts and food science. This year’s event offers plenty of learning and networking opportunities for everyone from seasoned professionals looking to expand their knowledge to students learning more about the culinary arts industry.

Chef Homaro Cantu, who is best known for blending food with science, technology, and art to create an innovative dining experience at his Chicago restaurants, Moto and iNG, will present the keynote address on Friday, March 8. Hear his ideas for replicating “junk food” out of “real food,” redefining what consumers purchase from grocery stores, improving diets without harming the planet, and commercializing these new foods. The theme of the keynote address is “Trailblazing a New Culinary Frontier.”

Attendees will have a variety of chances to learn about the food industry and consumer trends affecting the culinary industry. As in years past, the RCA Annual Conference & Culinology Expo will bring together chefs and other culinary professionals, food scientists, food science and technology professors, and trend analysts, who will speak about menu trends and new menu item development, ingredient innovations, consumer trends, school foodservice, health and wellness issues, techniques for successfully selling product ideas, and many more topics at breakout sessions scheduled for Thursday to Saturday, March 7–9.

The first of three general sessions, “Food Product Development Toolkit: Designing Deliciousness from Tip to Tail,” slated for Thursday, March 7, will address culinology core knowledge competencies of competitive products and competitive product analysis as well as the understanding of the product development process. More specifically, a panel of research chefs, culinary scientists, sensory scientists, and consumer behavior experts will discuss incorporating experimental design into product development, leveraging cross-functional teams, and applying science-based knowledge in product development.

Mehmood Khan, Chief Scientific Officer for PepsiCo, will lead the second general session, “Global Food Challenges: The Future of Food and the Implications for R&D Professionals,” on Friday, March 8. Khan will discuss the resources and expertise that global food and beverage companies can leverage to access worldwide food that is safe, delicious, affordable, and nutritious.

The final general session, “The Future of Food & Beverage: Authenticity, Risk Taking, and Experimentation,” scheduled for Saturday, March 9, will instruct attendees on how to spot opportunities for developing successful food and beverage concepts, cross-analyze trend information related to food, flavor, and beverage trends, and gather practical ideas for improving flavors without affecting the bottom line.

In addition to the learning opportunities presented at the breakout sessions and the general sessions, RCA will offer several preconference workshops on Wednesday, March 6, on the sensory science behind wine tasting, CRC exam prep, tasting and evaluating flavorings, and food product development. Additional registration fees are required to attend the workshops.

Discover new products and ingredients and meet company representatives who help shape food and beverage R&D at the Culinology Expo on Friday, March 8. Attendees should arrive at the expo hungry as their appetites will be satisfied by the wide array of product samples that showcase some of the new menu items and food and beverage products appearing at restaurants and in grocery stores. Exhibitors will showcase ingredients such as sweeteners, dairy, fats and oils, flavorings, colorings, fruits, vegetables, starches, grains, and more that are used to formulate a number of creative products. Attendees will be able to speak with representatives from exhibiting companies like Bell Flavors & Fragrances, Almond Board of California, TIC Gums, Kalsec, Wild Flavors Inc., and McIlhenny Co. to learn about their ingredient and food product offerings.

Students who put their culinary classroom experience to work will present their entries in the RCA Student Culinology Competition. Attendees can watch the teams compete via live video feed or onsite at Johnson & Wales University in a viewing room adjacent to the competition kitchen on Thursday, March 7, from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information about the Annual Conference & Culinology Expo, visit www.culinology.com.