When first mentioned, many people are often confused as to what Culinology actually is. Most of the time they misinterpret it as colonology, but I can assure you that this is absolutely not the case. Culinology is a unique blend of culinary art, food science and food technology. In which there are two main objectives that we culinologists try to achieve: making food better and at the same time making it more consistent and safe for consumers. However, when they are explained, they usually say "Oh, so you're a chef." We are much more than the average chef: we research, design and create a large quantity of food products for the pleasure of "you" consumers. As culinologists we give you choices, without culinologists the food market would have a limited number of options to choose from. A large community that represents and promotes culinology is known as the "Research Chef Association" (RCA). This association was founded in 1996 by a group of like-minded food industry professionals. Who still work towards a common goal today: to bring excellence in the development of food products. RCA believes that culinologists define and create the future of food. A great deal of work needs to be done to achieve such a feat, and a big part of achieving that goal is being able to predict what consumers want. Trends today are constantly evolving, which largely depends on what consumers are interested in. That's why an important part of being a culinologist is constantly keeping up with current trends while predicting future ones. This allows us to create innovative products and improve/adapt older ones. Trend research is a long and tedious process that often consists of: data collection from retail stores, internet searches, and sensory lab testing… half the paper… and a large amount of time to complete ( Cheng). The life of a culinologist is constantly evolving, just like the constant bevy of trends. I may not be a professional in my field…yet, but this is what I've concluded. It takes a lot of work to do what we do, but I couldn't think of a better way to spend my life. Why? Some people might ask? It's because in my own way I help the world simply by doing what I love to do. It may not be perfect, although most things in life aren't, but that's what makes it so exciting. Works Cited Cheng, Michael. Telephone interview. March 27, 2014.Cindy Hazen. “Better Baked Goods for You.” Food Product Design (2014): 10-63. Print.David Feder and Dean Lavornie. “Bread and breakfast.” Prepared Foods (2014): 23. Print.Mike Gude. “Becoming gluten-free.” Culinology (2014): 12-34. Print.Katie Ayouab. “Top Ten Trends.” Flavor and Menu (2014): 10-36. Press.