A New Trend in Gastronomy - Culinary Medicine Chef
A New Trend in Gastronomy - Culinary Medicine Chef
A New Trend in Gastronomy - Culinary Medicine Chef
A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T
Keywords: The aim of this study was to determine the theoretical, practical, and conceptual framework of culinary medi
Gastronomy cine, a niche emerging trend in gastronomy. The focus group interview method, a qualitative research design,
Gastronomy specialist was used, and the framework was evaluated with a total of ten participants in the study. The data obtained from
Dietician
the focus group interview were analyzed using content analysis based on gastronomy, nutrition, and food sci
Culinary medicine
Culinary medicine chef
ence. After evaluation, the following three main themes emerged: Creating the conceptual framework of culinary
medicine chef; practical culinary medicine training for chronic patients and their relatives, and likely contri
bution of gastronomy specialist to the health sector. The study revealed several formal, semantic, and technical
dimensions that affect the conceptual framework of culinary medicine chef. In conclusion, this study helped
determined several formal, semantic, and technical dimensions under the headings of multidisciplinary study,
the contribution of gastronomy to the health sector, practical culinary training, and public health promotion,
which affect the conceptual framework of culinary medicine chef.
* Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: [email protected] (H. Mutlu), [email protected] (M. Doğan).
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgfs.2021.100328
Received 6 December 2020; Received in revised form 25 January 2021; Accepted 1 March 2021
Available online 5 March 2021
1878-450X/© 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
H. Mutlu and M. Doğan International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science 24 (2021) 100328
The objective of the study was to determine the theoretical, practical, Table 1
and conceptual framework of culinary medicine chefs, a niche trend in Some focus group interview questions and overall evaluation results.
gastronomy. Hence, the focus group interview method, a qualitative Interview Questions Overall Evaluation
research design, was used in the study, and the interview data were
1 Is it possible to employ gastronomy Dietitians are hesitant about the work
evaluated using content analysis. experts in the health sector? If so, of gastronomy experts in the health
how? Can you tell us your thoughts? sector. However, they think granting a
Culinary medicine and culinary medicine chef nutritional education certificate for
chronic diseases can improve
gastronomy. Gastronomy experts think
With the “Let food be thy medicine” approach, Hippocrates high that they have sufficient knowledge
lighted the relationship between food and health and underlined the and skill sets to contribute to the health
importance of healthy food production and gastronomy (Hoffman and sector.
Murtzlufft, 2018). Today, expert doctors publish guidelines for dietary 2 Is it appropriate for gastronomy Dietitians consider it generally
experts to contribute to the inappropriate, but the gastronomy
recommendations for their patients, explaining the treatment protocols
preparation of diet and patient experts consider it appropriate.
as well as dietary requirements but giving no information on practical meals? If appropriate why? If not,
training. Culinary medicine chefs in some developed countries (e.g., the why?
USA and the UK) prepare diet meals for chronic patients. For decades, 3 Is it necessary for patients or Dietitians and gastronomy experts
diet cooks in the hospital diet kitchen have been preparing menus for caregivers to receive practical think that patients or caregivers should
culinary training before preparing receive practical culinary training.
patients without possessing any formal training on proper nutrition in meals specific to these diseases? If Practical culinary training can be
case of diseases. These cooks mainly prepare patient-specific food based necessary, how can they do this? Is it carried out in cooperation with
on dietitian’s recipes (Eisenberg et al., 2013). Due to the increasing in possible in today’s conditions? What dieticians and gastronomy experts. For
terest shown in healthy nutrition, culinary services are offered with would you suggest for this? this to happen, they will need to work
together at an advanced level.
special menus such as gluten-free, diabetic, or salt-free foods for chronic
4 Could you describe the concept of Culinary medicine chefs are trained in
patients, especially in hotel diet kitchens. However, chefs who do not culinary medicine chef? the field of nutrition and food science
have sufficient training work in these kitchens (Mauriello and Artz, and can develop disease-specific
2019). Correcting these malpractices depends on properly evaluating menus and prepare meals.
the concept of culinary medicine chef as a niche gastronomy field. Due
to rapid advancements in medical science and access to healthy nutri
gastronomists were invited for the focus group interview, and a total of
tion to reduce diseases, the life expectancy of chronic patients is rising
10 participants (5 gastronomy specialists and 5 dieticians) accepted the
gradually. This could be accomplished by providing practical culinary
interview invitation. Prior permission was obtained from the Ethics
training as per gastronomic practices (La Puma, 2016).
committee of Istanbul Gelişim University (2020/32-54). Also, prior
informed consent from all the participants was obtained.
Culinary medicine chef application areas
In particular, patients with hereditary diseases (celiac, phenylke Data analysis method
tonuria, galactosemia, etc.) and/or chronic metabolic diseases (diabetes,
hypertension, etc.) are diagnosed and their physicians generally provide The content analysis method was used in the study. Content analysis
information about their nutrition. Chronic diseases are increasing all is a research technique based on a systematic analysis of a text and
over the world and the incidence of at least two chronic diseases in the obtaining repeatable and valid results. The repeatability of the research
OECD region is around 30% (OECD, 2019). On the other hand, in genetic means that the same analysis can be done at different times and con
diseases, the incidence of genetic diseases that are especially needed in ditions. If another researcher can reproduce the same results under the
nutrition varies between 1‰ and 0,01‰, and there are 700 different same conditions after an objective evaluation, research is said to be
diseases. One of the syndromes is detected in an average of 1500–5000 valid. The study must be reproducible for obtaining reliable results. The
live births (Bower et al., 2019). The incidence of Phenylketonuria is method should be systematic and consist of determined processes.
between 0,34‰ and 0,005‰ (Lidsky et al., 1985; OECD, 2019). Therefore, the content analysis was done by four different researchers
Now very little practical culinary training is given for patients and (Assarroudi et al., 2018).
dietitians. It will take some time to provide widespread culinary training
to all. Practical culinary training by expert gastronomists will improve Results and Discussion
the health outcomes of patients. For this reason, gastronomy specialists
expertizing in culinary medicine and giving practical culinary training Conceptual framework
will contribute to the health sector (Larson et al., 2006, 2009).
Four main titles and ten subtitles were determined after content
Material and method analysis of the focus group interview for the concept of culinary medi
cine chef (Fig. 1). Thus, many factors, including formal, semantic, and
Data collection technical dimensions, which affect the conceptual framework of culi
nary medicine chefs, were identified.
In the current study, the concept of culinary medicine chef was The data and content obtained from the focus group interview were
evaluated using the focus group interview method, a qualitative analyzed based on gastronomy, nutrition, and food science, and three
research design. A focus group interview is a data collection method in main themes were reached, as shown in Table 2.
which people with knowledge about the research are interviewed
(Nyumba et al., 2018). .Table 1 presents several focus group interview Contribution of gastronomy to health sector
questions and overall evaluation thereof. Through the maximum vari
ation sampling, a purposeful sampling method, focus group interview Content analysis of the focus group interview revealed that
participants were selected in the current study. Patton (2014) argued gastronomy specialist could work under the leadership of dieticians in
that in the maximum variation sampling method, it would be advanta the process of creating new diet recipes for special nutritional re
geous to bring people from various specialties together to maximize the quirements and preparing dietary meals in hospital and other kitchens.
discovery of different ideas and suggestions. Totally, 12 dieticians and Culinary medicine chefs, especially in hospital kitchens, should be
2
H. Mutlu and M. Doğan International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science 24 (2021) 100328
1. Students of the gastronomy department should make a double major In the focus group interview, dietitians showed their concerns about
or minor in the department of nutrition and dietetics. gastronomy specialists replacing dieticians in the health sector. They
2. Organize certification programs in the field of nutrition and dietetics argued that gastronomy specialists should not take an active role in
for gastronomy specialists. hospital kitchens. The dietician group preferred training on gastronomy
and improved their skill sets in food preparation and cooking tech
In this way, the gastronomy specialists may achieve expertise in niques. However, gastronomy specialists think that gastronomy and
nutrition science should work in unison and develop themselves in
3
H. Mutlu and M. Doğan International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science 24 (2021) 100328
subjects such as anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and healthy manner, the gastronomy specialists may specialize in food preparation
nutrition. Thus, gastronomy specialists would be able to work in culi in chronic and metabolic diseases. However, with the combination of
nary medicine (Garriga García and De Las Heras de la Hera, 2018). two disciplines, applied culinary medicine training given by culinary
medicine chefs after discharge will provide a sustainable quality of life
The concept of culinary medicine chef to the patients, and thus, public health will improve. In conclusion,
many factors have been identified, including the formal, semantic, and
A culinary medicine chef is defined as a person who has received technical dimensions, which affect the conceptual framework of culi
extensive training in the field of health of gastronomy specialists, who nary medicine chief. Besides, this study also showed similarity in the
can prepare the meals of chronic patients and play a major role in the concept of culinary medicine chefs to the concept of diet kitchen chefs,
coordination of the preparation process. Thus, the culinary medicine though some differences were also present.
chef prepares the meals of the patients under applied medical nutrition
therapy according to the nutritional rules in chronic diseases. A culinary Implications for gastronomy
medicine chef, adequately trained in the field of nutrition and food
science, can develop disease-specific menus, prepare meals with the This study helped determined several formal, semantic, and tech
right cooking techniques in sufficient quantity, and use appropriate nical dimensions under the headings of multidisciplinary study, the
materials. They can create disease-specific menus approved by the contribution of gastronomy to the health sector, practical culinary
doctor and dietician, prepare and guide the preparation of meals, training, and public health promotion, which affect the conceptual
thereby improving life-long sustainable lifestyle for chronic patients. framework of culinary medicine chef.
Thus, culinary medicine chefs are gastronomy specialists who manage
the process from food supply to patient presentation in the health sector CRediT authorship contribution statement
(Hauser, 2020).
Hayrettin Mutlu: Definition, Conceptualization, Formal analysis,
Job description of a culinary medicine chef Investigation, Writing – original draft. Murat Doğan: Methodology,
Validation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Writing – original draft,
Discussion of focus group interview specified the main job of culi Writing – review & editing.
nary medicine chef to develop and prepare diet recipes under the
leadership and guidance of dieticians and to satisfy the patients in terms
Declaration of competing interest
of taste and appearance. They show knowledge of the nutritional pat
terns specific to diseases, prepare and develop recipes suitable for pa
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
tients, duly following the changes in diseases, flavoring the foods that
patients do not want with new recipes, and developing functional rec
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