When it is first mentioned, many people are often confused about what culinology actually is. Most often they misinterpret it as colonology, but I can assure you that it is definitely not. Culinology is a unique blend of culinary arts, food science and food technology. In which we, culinologists, seek to achieve two main goals: to make food better while making it more consistent and safer for consumers. However, when it's explained to them, they usually respond "Oh, so you're a chef." We are more than your average chef, we research, design and create a vast amount of food products for “you”, the consumers, to enjoy. As culinologists we give you choice, 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 professionals. Who today still work towards a common goal: bringing excellence to the development of food products. The RCA believes that culinologists define and will create the future of food. To accomplish such a feat, there is a lot of work to be done, and a big part of achieving this goal is being able to predict what consumers want. Today's trends are constantly evolving, which greatly depends on what consumers are interested in. This is why an important part of the Culinologist's job is to be constantly aware of current trends, while predicting those to come. This allows us to create innovative products and improve/adjust older ones. Trend research is a long and tedious process that often involves: collecting data from retail stores, internet searches, and laboratory sensory testing... the middle of a sheet of paper... which takes a long time (Cheng). The life of a culinologist is constantly evolving, as is the constant multitude of trends. I may not be a pro in my field yet, but that's what I've concluded. Doing what we do takes a lot of work, but I couldn't imagine a better way to spend my life. For what? Some people might ask? That's because in my own way, I help the world by simply doing what I love to do. It may not be perfect, even though 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-for-you baked goods.” Food Design (2014): 10-63. Print.David Feder and Dean Lavornie. “Bread and breakfast.” Prepared Foods (2014): 23. Print. Mike Gude. “Go gluten-free. » Culinology (2014): 12-34. Print.Katie Ayouab. “The top ten trends”. Flavor and menu (2014): 10-36. Print.