news trends&
Events
03-24-2026
International Pizza Expo
Presented at the International Pizza Expo, sharing insights on global flavor trends, menu innovation, and practical strategies to help operators translate culinary trends into scalable, profitable offerings.
From bold, globally inspired concepts to simple, high-impact menu upgrades, the sessions focused on bridging creativity with real-world execution in today’s evolving pizza landscape.
👉 Access the Global Pizza Innovation Playbook:
https://www.globalcuisineconsulting.com/pizza-innovation-playbook
03-16-2026
Featured by Foodservice Women’s Alliance
Where Tradition Meets Innovation Across Europe
Honored to be featured by the Foodservice Women’s Alliance, recognizing my journey at the intersection of culinary innovation, science, and wellness.
From early inspiration rooted in food as medicine to founding Global Cuisine Consulting, this feature highlights a mission-driven approach to helping brands develop globally inspired, clean-label products with purpose.
👉 Watch the feature and learn more: https://lnkd.in/gUAc5CQN
07-01-2025
Europe Trends & Flavor Learning Tour
Where Tradition Meets Innovation Across Europe
In July 2025, we traveled across Europe to explore the depth and diversity of its culinary landscape—from the coastal flavors of Spain and Portugal to the refined traditions of France and Monaco, the regional richness of Italy, and the vibrant food cultures of Greece, Malta, and Turkey.
This immersive journey offered firsthand insights into evolving food trends, regional ingredients, and timeless techniques that continue to influence global cuisine and inspire modern product innovation.
03-01-2025
Trends & Flavors Exploration
Learning Tour – Southeast Asia & Beyond
In March 2025, we embarked on an immersive culinary journey across Asia, exploring the dynamic intersection of tradition, innovation, and emerging food trends. From the vibrant street food culture of Malaysia and Vietnam, to the refined culinary landscapes of Japan and South Korea, and the fast-evolving markets of China, Singapore, and the Philippines—this tour was a deep dive into flavors shaping the future of global cuisine.
More than a tour, it was a firsthand exploration of ingredients, techniques, and cultural insights that continue to inspire next-generation product development and menu innovation.
05-18-2025
CIA Alumni Event | Chicago
Connected with fellow alumni at a Culinary Institute of America gathering hosted at the Whirlpool Experience Center in Chicago—an inspiring space showcasing innovation through professional kitchens and KitchenAid equipment.
It was a great opportunity to reconnect with the CIA community, exchange insights on culinary innovation, and experience emerging products and technologies shaping the future of food.
05-18-2025
National Restaurant Association Show
Represented Fresh Nature at the National Restaurant Association Show, showcasing innovative applications of green chickpeas and engaging with industry leaders on emerging ingredient trends and product opportunities.
01-01-2024
Alighnable.com
Food Innovation & Product Development Group
In January 2024, I launched the Food Innovation & Product Development group on Alignable—a space designed for forward-thinking professionals passionate about culinary innovation, product development, and bringing ideas to market.
If you’re a food entrepreneur, R&D professional, chef, or industry innovator, I invite you to join us. Let’s exchange insights, spark new ideas, and support each other in shaping the future of food.
👉 Join us and be part of the conversation.
9-21-2023
TOSSED 2023
At Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Thomas Griffiths, Certified Master Chef and I spent an evening Rutgers University–New Brunswick yesterday. Serving as judges for the Tossed Cooking Competition, one-of-a-kind cooking competition! Fellow students work in team prepared a gourmet salad, using mystery basket ingredient from the Rutgers NJAES research farms and the Food Innovation Center.
It was very inspiring to get to know all student’s contestants who may and may not be food science major but passionate about food.
5 teams 5 ways of salads with almost similar ingredients.
So innovative, so fresh, so inspiring.
Nolan Lewin, we felt honoured that youve included us in such a fun event.
#productinnovation
8-12-2023
ACF CULINARY MEDICINE SUMMIT
Culinary Research and Development: Examining Classical Vs Ultra processed Foods
My husband, Chef Thomas Griffiths CMC, and I will be speaking at the Culinary Medicine Summit on August 12, 2023 in Kalamazoo, MI.
During this presentation and culinary demonstration, we will discuss food culture and the origins of food processing. During this demonstration and tasting, learn how R&D Chefs are able to offer convenience in a more healthful way, by utilizing products for preservation and flavor enhancement, including the use of variety of starches, dehydrated ingredients, and spice blends. Taste and see how chefs from kitchens to labs can incorporate health into today's menus and tomorrow's food products.
PODCAST: How to Launch a Food Product From Scratch
I was recently interviewed on the Online Marketing Secrets podcast with Lopaze. In this far-ranging conversation we talk about tips, tricks, and pitfalls of launching a new food product.
03-16-2023
Food as Medicine: Goitrogen Vegetables
A RCA member Adam Howell, invited me to share my passion of food as medicine with RCA members.
We may fee fatigue, more sensitivity to cold, constipation, dry skin, weight gain, memory problems, etc.? Maybe we are consuming too much goitrogenic foods?
A variety of foods contain goitrogen such as cruciferous vegetables, soy-based food, some nuts and fruits. How will these goitrogenic foods affect our thyroid health?
Fortunately, the goitrogen content of foods varies widely and can be modified. We discussed cooking methods and food pairing with these goitrogenic foods to bring out the best nutrients.
02-09-2023
Presentation at Campbell Soup with never Better Foods
Representing Never Better Foods with Douglas Kantner, the founder and CEO. We presented plant-based cream cheese, Parmesan cheese and Mozzarella.
We prepared vegetable layered dip to showcase the versatility of the product. We also made a vegan Alfredo sauce with the cream cheese and pasta.
06-01-2021
dreams are real
PODCAST EPISODE 164
"How you eat matters as much as what you eat with Chef Junnie, Principal and Research Chef at Global Cuisine Consulting.
It’s not just what you eat, but how you eat that matters. Preparation, exploration, and clean label eating help build a life of health and happiness.
Chef Junnie Lai began learning about food as a kid in her Grandfather’s bakery and never stopped. Her collection of degrees and wealth of world and career experience position her uniquely to be an important, powerful, and much-needed voice in the culinary world, especially in a time where foods aren’t often valued for their medicinal and beauty enhancing properties.
03-01-2021
International cuisine
Read my interview with the Food Institute report on the growth in popularity of international cuisine.
04-01-2021
Food as medicine
By Chef Junnie Lai 5-20-2021
The Food Institute reached out to me wanting to interview me for two articles that they want to publish, which are my personal passion:Food as Medicine. I do believe in the saying “you are what you eat”. Well prepared and nutritional food is one of the most important pillars to keep us strong and healthy. Click image to read article.
10-03-2019
RCA EVENT AT CIA COPIA
Tom and I taught at the RCA event in Napa, at the Culinary Institute of Americain Copia Napa, California. Tom taught Pacific Rim Fusion Cuisine, explore underutilized fish for texture and flavor. I taught Southeast Asian Cuisine, making Roast Pork Dumplings with a secret ingredient in Chinese style puff pastry.
10-03-2019
Roast pork dumplings
Roast Pork Dumplings with a secret ingredient in Chinese style puff pastry.
07-19-2019
CARAMELIZED SUGAR EDUCATION AT CIA
We proposed to Versatile Foods to educate the next generations with their caramelized sugar products.We made arrangement with CIA Applied Food Studies senior class to present the product specification and applications, to give them real life experience in the R&D world.
After Versatile Foods present the information to the students with samples.Then the students were tasked to use the caramelized sugar product to apply into their developing products and presenting their prototype to us for tasting. We enjoyed a very special day at the CIA discussing our consulting and R&D experiences with Chef Lui’s amazing students.
03-13-2019
RCA 2019
RCA 2019 was held in Louisville, Kentucky on March 13-15, 2019.
Tom and I were representing Versatile Products & Ingredients, LLC at the RCA 2019.VPI imports caramelizes sugar from France and Germany, along with some fantastic baking ingredients.To showcase their products at the Culinology Expo, we have prepared a dessert plate that baked with caramelized sugar: a chocolate cake that have 25% reduction of cocoa powder (yet still taste very rich) and a Baumkuchen cake with salted caramel.
Our second creation, which also caught lots of attention... we have created a caramel quinoa puffs cones, loaded with caramel butter, topped with a creamy sriracha sauce,some micro green, and finally a cricket. Even though cricket have been in the market as the high protein food, attendees are still not used to seeing a cricket on their food. Hence, we have gotten all kind of fun reaction and some awesome pictures at the expo.We have a huge success during the expo educating the attendees about caramelized sugar is the natural source to substitute caramel color, along with some fantastic feedback and networking.
