Megas Yeeros organized the 1st Scientific Gyros Management Conference on February 20, 2017 at the Hilton Hotel. The Conference was attended by senior executives of Alpha Bank and Eurobank, the 100 greatest entrepreneurs in the industry, suppliers, representatives from the Hellenic Food Authority (EFET) and Veterinary Medicine. Industry magazines, food bloggers, major newspapers and magazines were among the media that attended the event.
The main focus of the conference was the safe management of our traditional product, Gyros, as well as the growth of the industry. The conference began with a brief greeting on behalf of the CEO of Megas Yeeros, Mr. Nikolaos Loustas, who explained in a few words the company’s plans for the future. Next, it was the Sales Manager’s turn, Mr. Antonis Hatzidiamantis, who, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the company, made a brief presentation of the company’s development: productive, geographical and commercial, highlighing at the same time the dynamics of the industry worldwide.
The presentation by the Doctor and independent collaborator Mr. Leonidas Kyriazis for the part of Aluminum in our diet was also very interesting explaining that a habit that is part of our daily routine can have so many negative effects on our health.
The Quality Control Manager, Mrs. Korina Moumtzidou, underlined the importance of adhering to the quality assurance systems in the stores, so as to offer to the consumer a safe and quality product giving rise to the central theme of the conference, the search for correct management.
The presentation of the study was made by the Assistant Professor, Dr. Dimitra Houhoula, from the Research Laboratory of Food and Beverage Safety of the School of Food and Nutrition Technology of the Technological Educational Institute of Athens. For the research that lasted one year 50 super-frozen gyros from Megas Yeeros were studied, as well as 50 fresh ones from the market, in diverse variations of kilos and management conditions! The research focused on the microbiological and temperature changes during the grilling of the gyros (fresh and super-frozen) as well as its microbiological conditions. More than 1000 microbiological analyzes were performed, in which the microbiological loads were analyzed under different conditions of preparation and grilling.
The results showed that in the super-frozen gyros the inside remains at low temperatures during the greatest part of grilling , while the fresh one remains at high temperatures inside during the greatest part of grilling (for 7 out of 8 hours it is in high risk zones). It is indeed remarkable that by the time the crust in the fresh product reaches 85 degrees and is ready to be served, 8 mm deeper inside the temperature of the product is 45 degrees!
“What if the griller/ handler cuts a portion a little thicker than usual, that is 4-6 mm?”
“Can someone cut all day at the same rate ??”
“Maybe once they cut a little deeper and cause a food infection, since the product may seem ready, but it is not.
Always with respect for the consumer, this research wanted to take the industry a step further by creating a safe management guide for a better and tastier end product!
Afterwards, the Marketing Director Mrs. Popi Trakada, together with Chef Dimitris Skarmoutsos, Brand Ambassador of the company, wanted to present the trends of the global market, and the need to create added value to the product, so that it responds to the evolution of stores and the high services offered nowadays by them.
By the end of the discussion at the conference, the companies raised the need to turn this conference into an institution, in order to promote market trends and new practices. Megas Yeeros, once again setting the bar high and wanting the product to reach a global level, organized the 1st Scientific Conference on Gyros Management with great success aiming at the annual organization of conferences with new research for the development of the industry.