Professions are not only primary targets of institutional change, but also key contributors to innovation processes. By focusing on how the knowledge needed in support of innovation is professionalised and reaches accepted modes of organising work, the paper examines the interplay between the emergence of a new professional domain and the institutional dynamics of the industry(ies) within which professionals operate. To this aim, we propose a reflection on the mechanisms that underpin the professionalisation of design activities in food industries. Empirical evidence draws attention to those practices that allow knowledge originated in different contexts to be socialised and converge towards the same institutional umbrella, that is, a new professional domain. The degree to which such professionalisation resonates with extant professions literature is discussed.