EHL Institute of Nutrition R&D

Bringing Taste and Science to Scalable Food Innovation

At EHL Institute of Nutrition R&D, we bridge gastronomy and culinary science, combining creativity with scientific rigor. By leveraging our expertise in taste, gastronomic science, and business strategy, we help you accelerate food R&D and culinary innovation through tailor-made prototyping and consumer testing solutions, while keeping you in full control of your product.

Institut de Nutrition R&D - food innovation

Overcoming the Challenges of Food Innovation

Developing nutritious, sustainable, and consumer-approved F&B products is increasingly complex, and taste often remains the biggest challenge.

Our culinary research institute helps turn your ideas into products that meet technical standards while preserving their flavor integrity.

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Supporting You From Prototype to Production

Prototyping

Our team of chefs, experts, and scientists prototype food and beverage products
to prove feasibility or develop pre-industrialization solutions.

Market Validation

We propose rigorous food consumer testing and market validation methodologies adapted to different phases of product development.

Prototype Analysis

We can analyze your prototype for nutritional information, vitamin content, and microbiological safety in collaboration with our trusted laboratory partners.

Project Spotlight: Perfecting a Plant-Based Innovation

Watch the video and discover how the Institute collaborated with Yumame Foods, supporting the development of a new product, facilitating process scale-up and validating the product/market fit with consumers.

Explore our other projects

Key Figures

200+

prototypes

One

book published

One

patent pending

30+

countries - international partnerships

180+

media articles

4

conferences and keynotes delivered

Our Culinary and Nutrition R&D Experts

Meet the team at the heart of our Institute, culinary and nutrition R&D experts who collaborate closely with world-class professionals across the food and hospitality sectors, including five Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (MoF).

Patrick Ogheard

Dean EHL School of Practical Arts, Co-Director of the EHL Institute of Nutrition R&D

Patrick Ogheard has a dual background combining operational excellence and academic expertise. Chef with a Master's degree in Hospitality and Catering Management, he has worked for over twenty-five years with renowned chefs, helped create the ADF training centre and co-wrote the Grand Livre de Cuisine d'Alain Ducasse, a reference work for professionals.

He joined the Institut Paul Bocuse in 2007, where he contributed to the opening of the Research Centre in 2009 alongside Bruno Goussault, a pioneer in sous-vide cooking. Since 2012, Patrick Ogheard has been working at the EHL Hospitality Business School as Dean of the School of Practical Arts, where he also co-founded the EHL Institute of Nutrition R&D.

In 2025, he co-authored the book La Cuisson à Juste Température (Hachette Pratique), alongside Bruno Goussault and other experts, confirming his role as a leading authority in the field of precision cooking, sous-vide cooking and the scientific transmission of taste.

Dr Inès Blal

Associate Professor EHL Undergraduate School, Co-Director of the Institute of Nutrition R&D

Dr Inès Blal is an Associate Professor of Strategy at EHL, specializing in hotel investments, entrepreneurship for social impact, and small hotels. She also founded and co-directs the EHL Institute for Nutrition R&D.

Before stepping down in 2024 to revert to her academic passions, Inès held a six-year leadership position at EHL. She served as Dean of the Undergraduate School, Executive Dean, Managing Director of the academic units, and member of the Executive Leadership Team. During her tenure, she led the educational strategy of the institution with a focus on quality management, directed the academic operations, and the implementation of a multi-campus structure.

Ines holds a Ph.D. in Strategic Management in Hospitality from Virginia Polytechnic. Her research and consulting works focus on socially and economically sustainable hospitality concepts.

Cyrille Lecossois

Senior Lecturer at EHL Practical Arts, Manager of the Institute of Nutrition R&D

Chef Cyrille Lecossois, Lecturer at EHL, teaches culinary arts. Initially a chef, he obtained certifications in culinary arts and hospitality management.

After working in restaurants in France and at Club Méditerranée for six years, he developed effective teaching methods for advanced studies and practical arts.

He joined EHL in 2001, holding various positions from culinary instructor to executive chef. Since 2021, he is the manager of the EHL Institute of Nutrition R&D.

Dr Adrien Demongeot

Research Associate of the EHL Institute of Nutrition R&D

Adrien Demongeot is a Food Scientist and Research Associate at the EHL Institute of Nutrition R&D. He graduated in 2013 with a MSc degree from ESPCI Paris.

In 2016, he obtained his PhD in materials science at Sorbonne University. He received the SFIP Student Award for his PhD work. From 2017 to 2021, he worked at EPFL as a scientific collaborator.

At EHL, he is particularly interested in how chemistry, physics, biology, and engineering principles can illustrate gastronomy.

Antonin Soussan

Lecturer, Project Manager of the EHL Institute of Nutrition R&D

Antonin Soussan is a Lecturer at EHL. As graduate of EHL in hospitality management, he interned in kitchens before obtaining a master's in innovation and product development.

He has taken part in several product development projects in different fields. He is currently concentrating on managing innovative food and beverage projects at the EHL Institute of Nutrition R&D.

Our Research Focus

Our work explores the intersection of gastronomy and food science, with particular expertise in:

Innovative cooking methods
Conservation and preservation research
Sustainable product development

A highlight of our research is the collaboration with Bruno Goussault, pioneer of precise temperature and sous-vide cooking, which has positioned the Institute as an international reference in precision cooking.

Our Story

The EHL Institute of Nutrition R&D was founded in 2021 by Inès Blal (PhD), expert in strategy and social entrepreneurship, and gastronomy leaders Patrick Ogheard and Cyrille Lecossois.

Adrien Demongeot (chemistry) and Antonin Soussan (product development) joined the team shortly after, bringing complementary expertise and strengthening the Institute's interdisciplinary approach.

With Nestlé Research being the Institute’s very first partner, the beginning of a strong collaborative journey was marked.

EHL Institute of Nutrition R&D partners (2)

Trusted by Innovators and Industry Leaders

Since our founding, we have partnered with start-ups, universities, research networks, and global companies, including Nestlé Research, EPFL, Swiss Food Research and Yumame. Together, we work to accelerate the transition toward a more sustainable and nutritious global food system.