Welcome to the Global Culinary Medicine Award 2026

At a time when global health is under increasing pressure, the culinary world has an important role to play in shaping healthier, more joyful and more sustainable ways of eating.

The Global Culinary Medicine Award celebrates the chefs and culinary innovators helping to show that food can be both a source of pleasure and a powerful contributor to human health.

ABOUT THE AWARD

The Global Culinary Medicine Award is a new international initiative established by the Physicians Association for Nutrition (PAN International) to recognise chefs and culinary innovators creating exceptional food at the intersection of flavour, health and sustainability.

Food has the power to nourish people, connect cultures and shape a healthier future. Across the world, chefs are translating nutrition science into dishes that are creative, meaningful and inspiring, yet this contribution is rarely recognised on an international stage.

This Award celebrates recipes that demonstrate how culinary excellence and evidence-informed nutrition can come together, showing that food supporting human and planetary health can also be delicious, culturally relevant and accessible.

The inaugural Award will be presented at the Soil to Soul Symposium in Zurich, Switzerland, on 29 October 2026. Set against the backdrop of Zurich, a city known for Swiss excellence, hospitality and innovation, the ceremony will bring together influential voices from food, healthcare, science and sustainability.

THE PRIZE
Recognition on a global stage

The winner of the inaugural Global Culinary Medicine Award 2026 will be celebrated at the Award ceremony during the Soil to Soul Symposium and invited to share the story behind their recipe with the global culinary medicine community.

As the first recipient of the Global Culinary Medicine Award, the winner will help set a benchmark for culinary innovation that supports healthier people and a healthier future.

The winner will receive:

The title of Global Culinary Medicine Award Winner 2026
A CHF 5,000 cash prize
Support to take part in the Award ceremony, including a contribution towards travel for those able to attend in person
An official award certificate and commemorative prize
International visibility through PAN International’s global network, communications channels and community of partners

If the winner is unable to travel to Zurich, a virtual presentation will ensure they can still be part of this special moment.

MEET THE 2026 JURY

The Global Culinary Medicine Award will be reviewed by an international expert jury bringing together perspectives from medicine, nutrition science, culinary arts, public health, food systems and journalism.

Chaired by Dr Robert Graham, internationally recognised physician, culinary medicine pioneer and Chief Health Officer at Performance Kitchen, the jury will review shortlisted eligible submissions and select the inaugural Award winner.

Dr Robert Graham
Jury Chair | Physician, Chef & Culinary Medicine Pioneer

Harvard-trained physician and chef, Dr Graham brings over twenty years of experience at the intersection of food, health and medicine. As a leading voice in the Food is Medicine movement, he works to transform how we think about food’s role in wellbeing through culinary medicine, education and medically tailored nutrition.

Ronnie Hasson
PAN Board Member | Registered Dietitian & Nutritional Scientist

Ronnie is a registered dietitian and nutritional scientist with extensive experience in national and community health promotion. As a PAN International Foundation Board Member, she brings extensive expertise in clinical nutrition, health promotion and sustainable food environments.

Paul Newnham
CEO, SDG2 Advocacy Hub | Food
Systems Advocate

Paul is a global food systems advocate, working at the intersection of sustainability, advocacy and food transformation. He founded The Chefs’ Manifesto, a global network that empowers chefs to contribute to a healthier, more sustainable food future through collective action and advocacy.

Remo Gisi
Co-Founder, Tastelab | Food Innovator & Science Communicator

An ETH Zurich computer scientist and a passionate food innovator, Remo co-founded Tastelab, an ETH spin-off bringing together culinary arts, science and sustainability. Through immersive dining experiences, creative food projects and science communication, he explores how innovation can shape the future of food.

Esther Kern
Swiss Journalist & Author

Esther is one of the most distinguished voices on the future of plant-based food in the German-speaking world. A Swiss journalist and author, she launched Leaf to Root in 2014, a pioneering project that helped shape a new culinary movement around the full use of vegetables. Through the startup Veg-Alp, she has shown how plant-based products can reinterpret traditional food craftsmanship. Kern advises companies, delivers keynote speeches and regularly reports on food culture and vegetable innovation for Swiss public radio, Radio SRF 1.

Dan Barber
Michelin-Starred Chef, Author & Food Advocate

Dan is the chef and co-owner of two-Michelin-starred Blue Hill at Stone Barns and one-Michelin-starred Family Meal at Blue Hill in New York. He is also the co-founder of Row 7 Seed Company and the author of The Third Plate. A leading advocate for more sustainable and ethical approaches to farming and cooking, Dan's writing on food and agricultural policy has appeared in The New York Times and other publications

HOW TO ENTER

Submitting your recipe for the Global Culinary Medicine Award is easy. The process involves two short steps:

Step 1: Tell us about yourself and your recipe

Tell us about yourself, your culinary background and the story behind your recipe.

Step 2: Share your recipe details

Share the ingredients, method and key details of your recipe so that culinary, nutrition and medical experts can understand its contribution to culinary medicine, including its nutritional quality, health relevance, creativity and overall impact.

Submissions close on 30 September 2026.