Collegial exploration of key notions in gastronomy, food and meal science: The International Conference on Culinary Arts and Sciences (ICCAS).

ntroduction Within the interdisciplinary field of food and meal science, there is still no unified conceptual framework that integrates key notions such as the meal, gastronomy, public meals, and sustainability. Since 2015, the MEAL research group (Food and Meals in Everyday Life) at Kristianstad University, Sweden, has worked collaboratively to deepen theoretical understanding and clarify relationships among these concepts. Drawing on earlier contributions (Bryngelsson et al., 2025; Nyberg et al., 2022; Höijer et al., 2020; Nyberg et al., 2015), this ongoing collegial process seeks to bridge social, natural and applied sciences. The overarching aim is to establish a coherent conceptual foundation that supports sustainable and gastronomically meaningful practices across both private and public meal contexts. Methods This collegial exploration combines conceptual analysis with empirical and literature-based approaches. Methods include systematic and scoping reviews, interdisciplinary literature syntheses, and an exploratory mixed-method study involving focus groups and surveys. Through these varied approaches, the researchers investigate how concepts are used across disciplines - ranging from food technology and nutrition to cultural and communicative studies - and how they may be redefined for contemporary academic and practical contexts. To assess scientific and societal impact, citation analyses were conducted using Scopus and Web of Science, complemented by PlumX verification of mentions in policy documents. Results Across the reviewed and empirical studies, the meal emerges as a multidimensional phenomenon encompassing biological, cultural, and experiential dimensions. Traditionally understood as a nutritional unit, it is increasingly framed as a social and identity-building practice. Gastronomy is reinterpreted as knowledge-based food and meal design, far beyond fine dining, emphasising pleasure, ethics, and sustainability, especially in public meal contexts such as schools, hospitals, and eldercare. Sustainability functions as a connecting principle within the concept of circular gastronomy, where circular economy thinking is merged with gastronomic creativity to promote resource efficiency, waste reduction, and cultural continuity. Reviews of health and sustainability in public meals reveal that these aspects are often treated separately; integrating them through gastronomic approaches can strengthen both the sensory and ethical quality of meals while supporting public health and environmental objectives. The total impact, measured through citations and mentions in policy documents, currently amounts to approximately 30 citations in Scopus and 3 mentions in policy documents. A more detailed analysis will be presented at the International Conference on Culinary Arts and Sciences (ICCAS) in 2026. Conclusions This collegial and interdisciplinary inquiry establishes a shared platform for conceptual development in food and meal science. Although the measurable scientific impact so far is moderate, the synthesis underscores the importance of viewing the meal, gastronomy, and sustainability as interconnected rather than discrete domains. By positioning gastronomy as a transformative framework, linking sensory, health, social, and ecological dimensions, this work advances theoretical and practical understanding relevant to sustainable food systems in the face of global challenges. References Bryngelsson, S., Ehn Börjesson, S.-M., Calven, A., Ekstrand, B., Forsberg, S., Höijer, K., Nyberg, M., Olsson, V., Rothenberg, E., Sonestedt, E., & Wendin, K. (2025). Gastronomy in Public Meals: A Scoping Review. Gastronomy, 3(3), Artikel 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/gastronomy3030010 Höijer, K., Lindö, C., Mustafa, A., Nyberg, M., Olsson, V., Rothenberg, E., Sepp, H., & Wendin, K. (2020). Health and sustainability in public meals: an explorative review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17020621 Nyberg, M., Bryntorp, A., Håkansson, A., Höijer, K., Olsson, V., Rothenberg, E., Sepp, H., & Wendin, K. (2015). Exploring the meal concept: an interdisciplinary literature overview. 69-75. Abstract från The IX International Conference on Culinary Arts and Sciences (ICCAS). Nyberg, M., Ehn Börjesson, S.-M., Höijer, K., Olsson, V., Rothenberg, E., & Wendin, K. (2022). Circular gastronomy: exploring a new compound concept at the interface between food, meals and sustainability. International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, 30, 1-8. Artikel 100610. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgfs.2022.100610