Gastronomy vs Gastrology

Gastrology is the branch of gastronomy concerned with patients who experience disordered or impaired oral intake.

In this context, gastronomy is conceived as the systematic study of food, culinary techniques, flavour development and food culture, with explicit attention to the interactions between ingredients, the senses, technology, history and social context. It examines the mechanisms of flavour perception, the construction of dishes, the design of eating experiences and the evolution of culinary practices across diverse societies.

Gastrology constitutes a parallel discipline that translates this body of knowledge into a clinical context. It is an EPC‑based science (evidence, practice, creative) that places the patient at the centre of care and employs taste and palatability as key concepts in the restoration or optimisation of nutritional intake.

Within this discipline, systematic methodologies are developed to adapt the flavour profile, texture and composition of foods to the physiological, sensory and motor limitations of the individual eater.

Through the integration of culinary evidence, professional practice‑based expertise and methodical creativity within medical settings, gastrology is evolving into a distinct academic domain.

This domain functionally translates culinary principles into care interventions and is characterised by a high degree of complexity arising from the medical, contextual and psychosocial realities of patients with disturbed food intake.