What inspired you to participate in Ecotrophelia?

The desire to transform my research idea into a final product and test it in front of an industrial audience.

Before the competition, did you imagine your project could become a real business?

Yes

What is your product and what makes it innovative?

The product “Through Olive and Air” is a fermented salami free of preservatives (nitrites and nitrates) and synthetic antioxidants, where a particular olive fruit extract is added as natural antioxidant, flavor enhancer and stimulant of the starter culture to ensure food safety and quality.

What are your core values and missions?

To produce safe, nutritious, low-processed foods, utilize agro-industrial waste in novel food products and applications, and exploit the benefits of beneficial microorganisms in formulating functional foods for healthy consumers.

What’s the difference between your Ecotrophelia prototype and the current market version?

Very few changes have occurred since 2013. Mainly, the secondary carton packaging is now simpler, smaller, and allows better visibility of the product.

 

What were the biggest challenges you faced in developing the brand?

To train consumers to accept a darker color in salami, since they were used to the pink color that comes from preservatives.

What did Ecotrophelia bring you personally and professionally?

It offered a lot of publicity and broad acceptance by colleagues locally and abroad, both for me as a researcher and especially for the collaborating industry (TSIANAVAS S.A., Greece), which gained recognition and visibility due to its success in Ecotrophelia.

What’s your best memory from the competition?

The moment I heard the results, holding my 4-year-old son, and the comments of an Italian food industry expert who told me: “Sir, you have made a fantastic product!”

How did you fund your project in the early stages?

With personal grants and contributions in equipment and consumables by the collaborating industry.

 

 

 

What is your current company size?

I am still an academic (Associate Professor), but the company has developed many other new products and expanded sales and exports.

Are you still working with your original Ecotrophelia team?

The students have now their own careers in food industry and academia, but I continue collaborating with TSIANAVAS S.A.

Do you plan to internationalize your product?

Yes, I have been in contact with many countries interested in adopting the technology or trading the olive extract.

How do you continue to innovate today?

By producing novel functional foods that combine sustainable production with proactive, healthy nutrition.

Do you plan to internationalize your product?

By creating new recipes, exploring ingredient combinations, and improving sustainability. We also listen to consumer feedback and trends.

What are your next big goals?

Expand our presence in France, grow new product ranges, strengthen retail partnerships, and eventually expand internationally.

What is your opinion on food innovation today and tomorrow?

Many technological advancements are in place, but we must not sacrifice food quality, safety, nutrition, and authentic flavor over productivity and profit.

What would you say to future Ecotrophelia participants?

Try to think of something that is not already there and answers a current need, instead of copying another good idea.

Any suggestions to improve the competition?

Environmental aspects, reduction of food waste, and health should be top priorities. Innovative products should not be discouraged if not 100% perfect in flavor or appearance, since students lack the means to produce flawless versions without industrial support.

Any partnerships or success you’d like to highlight?

After Ecotrophelia, many companies started collaborating with my lab, and this trend continues to grow.

A fun anecdote or memory from your Ecotrophelia journey?

In 2015, we were invited to present “Through Olive and Air” at Milan Expo as an Ecotrophelia Europe success story. Due to Greece’s capital controls, it was very difficult to gather funds and travel — but we made it! This product became a story of survival, stamina, and success through hard times.