Bridging the gap in the communication of food science knowledge and technology

Small and medium sized enterprises (SME's), as well as entrepreneurs and those processing food for their personal use, are a significant component of the agri-food processing sector. However, the needs of these groups are vastly under-served when it comes to providing relevant training material and general information. Most academic food science research is directed toward ground-breaking advances and developing cutting-edge technology which can achieve the rigorous standards of peer-reviewed journals. While essential for the enhancement of scientific knowledge, these works do not address the more basic requirements of those facing the challenges of delivering high-quality safe products to their local consumer base. This paper examines a variety of ways in which the communication gap can be bridged between academic sources of food-related information and those requiring guidance in food processing techniques. One of the first steps is to break down the barriers caused by the traditional methods of technical writing by translating this knowledge into plain language that can be understood by a predominantly non-scientific audience.