March 2023
On March 28th, 2023, a workshop was held at the EOLOS
amphitheater in CERTH, Thessaloniki, Greece. The workshop was
organized by the University of Aegean team, Anagnostis
Argyriou, along with colleagues Evangelia Mouchtaropoulou and
Konstantinos Koukaras. The workshop had a total of 20
participants.
Key industry representatives from various sectors attended the
workshop, including Pelopac (Greek and Mediterranean products
for leading brands and retailers), Dryfo (dry food packing
company), Farm Koukaki (dairy products company), Provil
(ingredients and supplements for the food industry), MEVGAL
(dairy products company), ATE Cluster (innovative solutions
and services), Konva (seafood company), Alchemia-NOVA
(circular economy and nature-based solutions), Mytilos
(seafood company), and Taralas and Posto Karras Estates
(wineries).
The workshop was conducted in Greek as all participants either
spoke the language natively or had a good understanding of it.
Anagnostis Argyriou, as the chair, began with an overview of
the GourMed project, highlighting its objectives and potential
benefits. Evangelia Mouchtaropoulou then discussed the
molecular tools in the value chain that promote fairness,
followed by Konstantinos Koukaras, who addressed the digital
tools that enhance transparency in the food value chain
system. There was an extensive discussion about introducing
incremental value throughout the project via genetic barcoding
in all stages of food production, as well as how digital tools
can foster trust among food chain operators and guide consumer
choices toward fair and transparent Mediterranean food chains.