16 min

Updated: November 7th, 2024

277 Best Research Titles about Cookery & Food

If you think about it carefully, most of our lives are spinning around food. We talk about it all the time: planning what to eat next, recalling the delicious dishes we had before, and even watching culinary shows.

The cookery and food industry is the largest one, among others. And it gives unlimited career opportunities for those interested in the art of cooking. Custom-writing.org experts prepared the ultimate collection of 277 interesting food topics for research.

☑️ How to Choose a Food Topic?
🍲 Culinary Topics
🍳 Cookery & Food Topics
🍪 Baking Topics
1. 🍞 Bread & Pastry Topics
🍕 Topics on Food Industry
🏡 Home Economics Cookery
🔝 Research Questions
👋 Conclusion

☑️ How to Choose an Interesting Food Topic to Research?

If you are not sure how to choose a food research topic, here is a short guide for you.

First thing first, look into quantitative and qualitative research types. A quantitative approach is all about collecting and analyzing numerical data. A qualitative research method, on the other hand, aims to understand why people think and behave a certain way.

Both types can be used to start exciting research. However, if you don’t want to waste your time looking for the best topic, this article is for you!

There is a list of food-related topics for a research paper below. You can choose between the approaches or move to the bakery, fast food, and restaurant topics.

🔢 Quantitative Research Titles about Cookery & Food

It is so easy to make a first writing step. Just pick a quantitative research title about cookery from the list below!

The impact of the development of Best Cooking Schools Around the World
Cooking schools on the job market. Here you can compare the number of cooking schools opening, for example in France, and the number of outstanding chefs looking for a job. No doubt, the number of schools affects the job market.
Protein foods preservation: statistical analysis. For this topic, you can choose any protein food from any region in the world you like. Collecting the data might be challenging, though. So you can look into something local.
Quantitative analysis of the most popular food preservation techniques. Once again, this quantitative research title about food should be narrowed down to specific food and location. For instance, studying how often people use a chosen fish preservation technique.
Vegan vs. non-vegan customers: statistical analysis. Each year the number of people who don’t consume animal products is growing. Compare the data from different years to see the tendency. Then contrast the proportion of vegans to the rest of the customers.

The impact of fast food development on obesity: WHO
Obesity. It seems like the new chains of fast food keep spreading around the globe that don’t help the healthy lifestyle. You can study the relationship between the number of fast-food restaurants and the percentage of obesity cases in recent years.
Caffeine in different drinks: quantitative analysis.
The impact of using plastic for preserving on the food quality.
Eating disorders and beauty standards: a quantitative evaluation.
A correlation between the climate and diet.
Nutrition and bone density: quantitative analysis.
The impact of the quick-service restaurants on the speed of life.
Salmonella cases in port cities: a quantitative evaluation.
The amount of fats children and adults need: statistical analysis.
A correlation between organic food and health.
The impact of a visual representation of a dish on a customer’s review.

🍇 Quantitative Research Titles about Food Safety

Quantitative microbiology in food safety research.
HACCP-based food safety management system.
SERS analysis in food quality evaluation.
The use of quantitative PCR platforms in food safety analysis.
Quantitative risk assessment in food hazards research.
Evaluation of climate change effects on microbial food safety.
What are the risks of ready-to-eat meals?
Formalin treatment in fish preservation.
Text mining methods in food safety research.
Quantitative methods for food quality assessment in the vegetable industry.
Network analysis for food safety.
Relationship between irrigation water quality and foodborne diseases.

🔪 Quantitative Research Titles about Food Processing

New trends in food processing.
Role of pasteurization in nutrition security.
Nutritional evaluation tools in food processing research.

Comparison of legislation regarding food packaging across Europe.
Unit operations in meat canning.
Enzyme use in food fermentation.
Allergenicity research in food processing.
Energy consumption by national food production industries: Germany vs. France.
Ultrasound use in improved product thawing.
The use of thermobacteriology in food processing research.
Impact of globalization on food drying techniques.
Peculiarities of food processing in developing countries.

🔬 Qualitative Research Titles about Cookery & Food

If you are more interested in a practical qualitative approach, here is a great list of qualitative research titles about cookery:

Carrot cake: a historical analysis. Such a simple, yet so popular dessert. It appears that due to the lack of sweeteners, carrots were used as a substitute. Digging deep and analyzing the development of the recipe throughout history might come out as exciting research!
Health properties of turmeric in Indian cuisine: a case study. One of the best research titles about cookery so far! It brings up the question of medical cooking. People from the East have been using spices, such as turmeric, to boost their immune system for the longest time.

Food safety regulations in India: a qualitative research. Here is India once again! And it is because the issue of hygiene and street food production is very controversial in this country. How is food safety being regulated in a place where people live side by side with cows.
California wine: a historical analysis. A perfect topic for wine lovers! California is not only the biggest supplier of wine for Americans, but it is also well known all around the world. But what makes it so great? Look into the origins of the California wine.
Drinking and Judaism: ethnographic research. Jews have an unusual perception of alcohol. Wine is considered an essential part of rituals. However, overdrinking (aka alcoholism) is prohibited. You would do ethnographic research to shed some light on the situation.
Tea ceremonies in Japan as an art: ethnographic research.
A historical analysis of Chinese tea.
Why do people prefer organic milk: qualitative research?
Canning and preserving meat: a case study.
Qualitative analysis of natural nutritional supplements.
French chocolate: a historical analysis.
Caffeine dependency in Italy: ethnographic research.
Is caffeine in coffee and tea the same?
Vegetarianism: a new trend or philosophy?
Food regulations: a case study of food allergens.

🍲 Culinary Research Topics

What are the fundamentals of culinary arts and meal science?
The art of cooking creativity.
Research the modern culinary innovations.
Future directions of food tourism.
Sensory and consumer research in culinary science.
Culinary tourism supply chains in Asia.
The four-component model of the creative cooking process.
Study the culinary history of Vietnam.
What is culinary medicine?
Science and technology in cooking methods.
The need for comprehensive instruments for culinary creativity evaluation.
Marketing a destination to culinary tourists.
The success of gastronomy tourism campaigns in Germany.
The art of mixing kitchen herbs.
Analyze the concept of culinary nationalism.

🍳 Research Topics about Cookery & Food

Food and cookery is a wide area, which means it includes all the issues related to food. This collection of research titles about culinary consists of every topic from food poisoning to preservation methods.

Food adulteration and law. Producers often add some substances to food to increase its quantity. It harms the quality and safety, though. This example of the research title about food is too general and should be narrowed down to a specific country or even state of your liking.
The most effective methods of detecting adulterated food. Since the law can’t control everything, some adulterated food still makes it to the market. Therefore, the practices of identifying it were created. You can look into the high tech lab approaches or study how people can test the products at home.
The development of the health movement in the US. The first waves of healthy movements go back to the 19th century. Study how and why it has started, as well as the most popular healthy diets. You should also include the opinion of modern dietitians on those trends.
Vegetarianism: when good is bad? People are amazed by how their lives improved after going vegetarian. However, some claim that their bodies can’t function properly without meat. Is it true that a vegetarian diet is not for everyone? You will need to find independent professionals to do objective research on it.

Interval fasting: a modern cure. Social media have exploded with the new trend – fasting. Users say that after fasting for a specific period, their illnesses disappeared. But there is not enough research done to support it.
Is tea the most addictive daily beverage? People would think of alcohol as the most addictive beverage, which is true. However, not everybody knows that green and black tea contain caffeine. That is why tea is not an apparent addiction.
The truth about calcium deficiency and milk. We were raised on the belief that milk is a necessary part of a healthy diet. We think that going dairy-free can cause calcium deficiency. There have been studies that debunk this belief.
Calcium sources for dairy allergic people. Even though someone goes vegan because it’s trendy, some of us develop severe reactions to dairy. In these cases, the question about calcium sources rises. It is one of the food research topics for college students who want to show their vast knowledge of nutrition and cookery!
Good & bad cholesterol: myths. Contrary to popular belief, cholesterol is not bad for you. That’s true that high levels of it can cause heart disease, but don’t forget that there are two types of cholesterol. Bad and good cholesterol have different functions.
Sweeteners vs. sugar: effects on health. You might have heard that it is healthier to use sweeteners to lower the intake of sugar. However, not all substitutes are beneficial for your health. It is one of the topics that would require quite a lot of data analysis.
What are the most recent food labeling innovations? Consumers are becoming more and more aware of what they eat. Therefore, the labeling system must be clean and precise, which is regulated by specific requirements. You can go through each innovation to show how it affects the area.
The most effective ways of reducing food waste. We can see how imbalanced food distribution is in the world. Some countries are suffering from famine, while others are throwing away enormous amounts of food leftovers. The ways to optimize it is one of the most relevant topics now.
Food safety: workplace sanitation guidelines. You can compare and contrast how the workplace sanitation guidelines differ from country to country. However, you might as well research the most effective regulations that keep food safety on the highest level.
Long term ketogenic (keto) diet: impacts on health. Keto diet has proved itself as the best weight loss diet in recent years. Low-carb, high-fat food also helps to gain higher levels of energy thanks to switching your body to a ketosis state. However, how does this diet affect your body in long periods?
School meals in different states (countries): compare & contrast. School meals need to be nutritious and tasty at the same time. Feel free to study the school menus around the US or even the international level. Compare the nutrient density of the meals.
The types of food that can cause abdominal obesity.
Food sensitivities in children: nuts.
Eco-friendly packaging and its issues.
Antioxidant-rich foods in Africa.
Medical food and superfoods from Africa.
Properties of spirulina as a superfood.
Anti-inflammatory foods: nuts and oils.
The features of olive oil during frying.
What are the best oils for frying: saturated fat issue?
Types of cheeses to use for fondue.
The historical analysis of fondue.
Alaska natives diet.
Is it healthy to skip breakfast?
Coffee for breakfast: a destructive habit for women’s health.
Low-glycemic index diet to treat diseases.
Making school lunches healthier and more affordable.
How do different types of wood for smoking affect the taste of meat?
How to use wines for cooking French cuisine properly?
Garlic and onions: Ayurveda point of view.
Is vegetarianism OK for teens?
Why should people with diabetes avoid mass-production sauces?
Genetically modified food: debunking myths.
Healthy eating habits
Italian culinary world: the art of matching wine to the meals.
Are carbohydrates in fruit bad for you?
Diet routine analysis
Why should fruit be eaten separately?
Diets: the root cause of binge eating.
Healthy food: the impact of the vegetarian diet
The impact of reheating on food properties.
The Thanksgiving dinner adaptation around the world.
The historical analysis of Caesar salad.
Pressure baking technique: home cooking.
The types of Italian pasta.
How to cook meat substitutes: soy?
The art of poaching an egg.
The historical analysis of eggs Benedict.
Nutrition and food security within the aboriginal and remote communities of Australia
How to eat your eggs: royale vs. Florentine?
Are beans enough to substitute meat proteins?
Food safety: a policy issue in agriculture today.
Healthy street food in the US.
The secrets of airplane meals: what affects its taste?
Food additives
Why are cereals becoming the breakfast of the past?
The variety of picked food in India.
Low calorie diet & life longevity.
The impact of freezing the dough on its quality.
The historical analysis: how have Asian hot pots become popular in the US?
The historical analysis: the real birthplace of curry.
Binge drinking in the United Kingdom.
Dairy products: the change in consumption over the past decade.
The best ingredient for pizza Margherita: Italian chefs’ overview.
The reasons why people still eat scorpions in China.
How can low-calorie food be tasty?
The impact of the size of the plate on our level of hunger.
The Jamaican influence on British cuisine.

🍪 Baking Research Paper Topics & Ideas

Let’s get more specific! Bread and pastry is part of our everyday life. Therefore, baking research paper topics are always relevant.

Bread dough and high temperatures. Ambient temperature affects the quality of the future bread just as much as the choice of the ingredients. Bakers try different temperatures and humidity levels to find the optimal combination. Dough making is a more complicated process than it may seem.

The importance of starch in baking. It may be one of the baking research topics that need thorough analysis. You would have to research how and starch is used in baking. However, to make it easier, you might narrow it down to one type of starch, for example, corn starch.
Is egg protein necessary in baking? There are more and more people going vegan. They don’t see an issue in replacing animal products in baking with plant-based ones. For instance, eggs are replaced with flaxseed. However, how does it affect the quality and taste of the final product?
Reducing salt in bread: health vs. production. Since bread is a part of most people’s diets, food standards are against adding salt to it. However, the producers are concerned that the consistency of dough suffers from the lack of salt.
Clostridium botulinum and baking. It is one of the most recent bread and pastry research topics. Manufacturers are concerned that these bacteria can become an issue. Therefore, before it happens, research in aerobic and anaerobic conditions needs to be done.
New enzymes in processed food.
The use of buttermilk in baking in India.
Brown butter vs. usual butter in baking.
Savory and sweet in baked desserts.
Ruby chocolate as a new cake trend.
The use of matcha in pastry in Japan.
How do different types of flour affect the quality of the cake?
Stevia vs. sugar: compare and contrast.
The usage of kefir in homemade baked products.
Gluten-free flours and food allergies.
Sugar in the packed cakes: why so much?
How is carob used in baking in Greece?
“Mini pastry,” a new party trend?
Is baking with Coca Cola safe?
Electric vs. gas oven: the effect on baked products.

🍞 Bread and Pastry Research Topics

Cultural differences in external bread and pastry attributes.
Global use of sweet potato flour bread.
How does preparation mode affect pastry and bread quality?
Ways of improving bread texture.
Essential bread and pastry production skills.
What makes a professional pastry chef?
Brand awareness boosting methods in the bakery products market.
Diet and baked goods purchase intentions.
The rising market of artisan bread making.
How does microbial transglutaminase impact pastry lift?
Reduced salt use in modern bread and other bakery products.
Trends and innovations in contemporary bread and pastry production.

🍕 Research Topics on Food Industry

The food industry is an enormous global machine that works non-stop to provide food to people all over the world. It includes all the businesses that produce most of the food supplies. However, private farming is not considered to be part of the food industry.
This industry consists of every process connected to producing and selling food. Everything from agriculture and food processing to distribution and finances is included in the definition of the food industry.

Therefore, any of the topics mentioned above would fit perfectly for the task of picking research topics on the food industry. However, two subcategories make great research titles about the cookery strand: fast food and restaurants.

🍴 Research Titles about Food Service Management

Job satisfaction among food service managers.
Service management and marketing in the food industry.
Student satisfaction with school food service programs.
Principles and practices in food service management.
Food waste management innovations.
What are the service quality measures in the food industry?
Design and equipment in restaurants and food service areas.
The role of food service quality in tourism management in Taiwan.
Innovation in food service technologies.
How does food service affect tourist satisfaction?
Improving food safety practices in the food service industry of Canada.
Ways of establishing a sustainable food supply chain in food service.

🧃 Research Titles about Food and Beverage Services

Role of food and beverage service quality in hotels.
Implications of F&B service outsourcing.
What are the fundamentals of food service management?
Quality of buffets in Turkish spa hotels.
Innovation in the F&B business sector.
Training for staff in the F&B service delivery.
How did COVID-19 impact the food and beverage service industry?
The use of robots in catering services.
What are the human capital challenges in the F&B sector?
Travelers’ satisfaction with food service quality at airports.
Cost control in the F&B sphere.
Satisfaction and dissatisfaction factors in the food industry.

🍔 Fast Food Research Question

These fast food research questions are as relevant as never. People hate waiting for their food for too long, so the fast-food demand is growing.

How do fast-food restaurants hide calories? Aiming for healthier choices, people would choose a fast food dish that has fewer calories than others. However, restaurants often lie about the number of calories. Moreover, even the salad dressing can have hidden calories.
The truth about vegan options in the most popular fast-food chains. The biggest fast-food restaurant chains have already added vegetarian and vegan options to their menus. But how vegan are they? Do restaurants fry patties and nuggets separately from their meat counterparts? It is one of the top research topics about cookery.
The secret of popularity of the fast-food giants. One of the most controversial fast food questions for a research paper. Their marketing strategies are highly effective. However, you would also have to look into the food ingredients that possibly make fast food so addictive.
The connection between fast-food accessibility and obesity. Unfortunately, healthy food is becoming more like a luxury than an obvious choice. For busy people, it’s cheaper and more convenient to buy junk food, like a burger or pizza, than a salad. Find out if the price is the main reason why people opt for fast food.
The development of fast food in the US. Every nation has come up with the idea of quick and cheap dishes at some point in time. However, it is the US that has launched the spread of fast-food chains, like McDonald’s and Burger King, across the globe.
Fast food and childhood obesity.
How do fast food advertisements work?
The negative effects of fast food
What are the most harmful ingredients in fast food burgers?
What makes the process of fast food cooking so fast?
Fast food in healthcare institutions.
Monopoly and Monopolistic Competition in fast food industry.
Fast food in American schools: should it be banned?
How to avoid junk food?
How has fast food changed the food culture in the US?
The most harmful preservatives in fast food.
The long-term effects of consuming fast food on health.
Fast food vs. slow food: what will be the trend in the future?
Healthy fast-food chains in the US: an overview.
“Power bowls”: a new fast food trend?
Fast food: the difference between reality and advertisement.
Self-service kiosk in fast-food restaurants.
The Impossible Meat in fast food restaurants.

🍝 Research Titles about Restaurants

The restaurant industry is the area related to food as much as the others. Therefore, a research title about a restaurant would be a perfect choice for someone who wants a career in this area.

How do restaurants create balanced plant-based menus? Vegetarianism again! But only because it has been the top trend over the past years. This topic should include all the details about how restaurants should approach the issue of balanced vegan and vegetarian meals.
Sustainable packaging & restaurants. People are becoming more aware of ecological issues, and they are getting more demanding. Restaurants need to keep up with the trends and take care of eco-friendly takeaway packaging. It is an excellent issue to look into for college students.
What are the restaurants’ strategies to manage delivery options? Time is money. Customers don’t want to spend much time waiting on their order, so delivery is the optimal choice. However, restaurant chefs need to manage both delivery and walk-in customers at the same time. Look into the most effective management approaches.
The development of global cuisine in the US. This research title about food and beverage services is all about international cuisine. Eating the same food every day is dreary, so visiting Asian, Mediterranean, and other restaurants is a great experience. But how were they introduced to the US market?
Hyperlocal food in the restaurant industry. Hyperlocal food is the new trend that enables a sustainable way of life. Writing a paper on this topic would be extremely relevant. You can research how restaurants growing local food can make a change.
Restaurant industry: smaller plates trend.
How do restaurants create wine menus?
Staff turnover in restaurants: causes and effects
Is the atmosphere that important for restaurants?
The menu standards for international hotels.
The rise of zero-waste restaurants.
Technology trends in the restaurant industry.
How do restaurants fight employee turnover?
The benefits of the all-day breakfast for the business.
The examples of the healthy kids’ menu.
How do restaurant services manage the Big 8 allergens?
The benefits of seasonal restaurants.
The “food halls” approach for starting businesses.
Transparent windows – transparency for the customers.
Local microgreens and herbs in the menu.
How are robots used in the restaurant industry?

💡 Research Titles about Food Innovation

The application of design thinking in food innovation.
Groundbreaking practices in mitigating nutrition and health deficiencies in older adults.
Integration of new technologies in the food industry.
How does consumer adoption affect the food innovation field?
The role of clusters and networks in the promotion of food innovation.
Artificial meat integration in the global food markets.
Study the future of nutrigenomics.
The growing manufacturing and use of functional foods.
Sustainable culinary systems.
Innovation drivers and barriers to food innovation in Mexico.
The concept of a “smart food city.”
Consumer willingness to pay for innovative food attributes.

🏡 Research Titles about Home Economics Cookery

Vital skills taught at home economics cookery classes.
What are the primary values taught at home cooking courses?
Benefits of cooking food at home.
The importance of learning home economics.
Should we teach children home cooking?
The curriculum of home economics in the UK.
Home cooking: a hobby or a professional skill?
Practical cookery skills, techniques, and processes.
The art of mixing ingredients in cooking.
Nutritious and healthy practical cookery recipes.
The value of studying at the Home Economics department.
Do primary school food curriculums need to be reformed?

🔝 10 Food Research Questions

And, of course, the top 10 food research questions for your paper!

Why is a plant-based diet getting more and more popular?
What are the healthiest sugar substitutes?
What are the advantages of the macrobiotic diet?
Can plastic food packaging be banned?
How to achieve the umami flavor in your cooking?
How do the proportions of the ingredients affect the texture of baked products?
What are the properties of CBD infused foods?
What is the best plant milk for baking?
Where did the idea of steaming food come from?
Why can’t people stop eating fast food?

👋 Conclusion

To sum up, this collection of food-related research topics is quite extensive. You can undoubtedly find a question you think is worth developing. Even if the issue has been researched, you can quickly narrow it down. For example, looking into only a particular country or area would make your paper more specific.

We have covered the main areas related to food and cookery. There are various topics in the general category about food processing and the historical background of some dishes. Next, we focused on the baking industry. Then, we moved on to the most relevant topics in our fast-paced world: fast-food and restaurants. Finally, we wrapped the list up with the best ten questions that can inspire you to start working on your research!

Feel free to alter any topic to your liking. There are no rules in this game! Of course, if your assignment doesn’t say otherwise…

Good luck and work hard!

Further reading: