CIA Establishes $1 Million Research Partnership with Coca-Cola, Campbell Soup Company, Tyson Foods, and Ventura Foods

07/11/06 Reinforcing its prominent role as an innovator in foodservice research, The Culinary Institute of America's (CIA) President Dr. Tim Ryan, announced the establishment of a unique program -- The Menu R&D and Flavor Discovery Initiative -- a program dedicated to the science of food research and development for the foodservice industry.

The initiative will begin with four founding partners, The Coca-Cola Company, Campbell Soup Company, Tyson Foods, Inc., and Ventura Foods. Each has pledged $250,000 to directly support three key areas of applied research, student scholarships, and curriculum development. The partnership also will buttress the expansion of menu research & development as a critical foodservice industry discipline and professional career endeavor.

A key element of The Menu R&D and Flavor Discovery Initiative is the applied research component, which will generate studies intended for publication via trade and technical journals. Areas of research will include flavor discovery, consumer preference in the foodservice environment, and evaluation and application of emerging foodservice technologies.

"The Menu R&D and Flavor Discovery Initiative builds on the unique capabilities of the CIA," said Dr. Ryan. "With this new program, the college grows beyond its core offering of foodservice education and becomes an innovation champion for this dynamic industry. Through applied research, the CIA will provide operators with solutions to contemporary challenges, helping them to understand trends in flavor and consumer preference."

"This special partnership between Tyson Foods and The Culinary Institute of America reinforces our commitment to culinary excellence and our passion for food," said Sylvia Wulf, Vice President of Foodservice Marketing for Tyson Foods, Inc., Springdale, AK.

"Faced with a competitive growth environment, changes in the behavior of the foodservice consumer base, and a growing number of alternatives to food prepared away from home, the CIA can offer the solutions for identifying new consumer food value and preference. The CIA's research can help the industry identify new ways to build consumer food value -- and this is what we are truly excited to learn more about," said Kelly Brintle, Senior Vice President for Corporate Strategy & Business Development at Ventura Foods, Brea, CA.

The Menu R&D and Flavor Discovery Initiative will supplement the support made available for ongoing scholarships in the CIA's MenuMasters on-line program. Currently, the college offers approximately 50 scholarships per year. Based on the new partner support, this amount will be increased to benefit a larger number of students who desire to pursue menu research and development as a career discipline.

"The foodservice industry needs research to help it address rapid changes in the environment," explains Ryan. "The recent proposal to ban trans fats in New York City is just one example, and the use of trans fats is one of the many topics the CIA will address in its research. The Menu R&D and Flavor Discovery Initiative will support The Culinary Institute of America's more than 60 years of experience in pioneering innovative solutions for the industry."