This scholarship is provided by Allen Freed, who founded Gum Technology in 1981. Gum Technology specializes in gum and hydrocolloid blends. Freed created the company after he repeatedly saw the need for stabilization in products that he was working on as a food consultant. By giving back to the Research Chefs Foundation, companies like Gum Technology have the opportunity to positively impact the future for Culinology professionals and product development.

“We believe in the Research Chefs Association (RCA) and its mission, and we are looking toward a future where there is increased participation and contributions from research chefs to the food industry,” Freed says. “We at Gum Technology have felt rewarded from our participation in the RCA and want to give something back. We also feel that the freshest ideas will come from our youth and people without preconceived notions about how hydrocolloids work. Chefs and students seem to come up with the most radical, new ideas, and we want to help encourage that behavior.”

The Research Chefs Association, through the Research Chefs Foundation, provides financial assistance in the form of scholarships to qualified students and professionals pursuing higher learning and continuing education in Culinology®, culinary arts and food science. Founded in 2002, the Research Chefs Foundation was established to help achieve the RCA mission: to promote the value of Culinology® and empower its community.