FAGE
Antonios Maridakis President of Fage USA and
Ioannis Papageorgiou, International Business Director of Fage USA
Go to: Their SYR Radio Episode & MP3
The Greek Yogurt Company
Stephen and Holly met Mr. Maridakis and Mr. Papagergiou at the 2006 Fancy Food Show at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California. While sitting with them at the Fage booth, Mr. Maridakis and Mr. Papageorgiou discussed their delicious product with them.
FAGE (pronounced ''fah-yeh'') is the second largest food producer and the leading dairy company in Greece. Through its extensive distribution network, the company sells a wide range of branded dairy products, including yogurt and dairy desserts, milk and milk cream, and cheese. These products are sold under the FAGE® trademark, which is one of the most recognized in Greece.
FAGE uses state-of-the-art equipment in its production processes. A substantial part of each process is fully automated, with the primary role of the company's factory employees being that of monitoring the automated equipment and conducting the frequent quality control checks located at various points along the production lines. Yogurt and milk are produced in closed-circuit aseptic production lines which are sealed to prevent contamination from airborne bacteria or human contact. While traditional cheese production methods do not allow for similar processing, FAGE employs numerous quality control measures to ensure the highest quality and production standards. FAGE's Athens facility, which is ISO 9002 certified, received an award from the Ministry of Urban Planning, Housing and Environmental Affairs for outstanding architecture and design in 1989. This plant has one of the largest yogurt production capacities of any such plant in Europe.
FAGE has fully implemented all health and safety procedures required by Greek and European Union regulations for the production, packaging, labeling, storage and transportation of milk and dairy products. In accordance with such regulations, the Company has implemented the HACCP (''Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point'') Standard, a systematic approach to the recognition and control of potential hazards in the production process. FAGE has one of the most modern milk and milk by-products production facilities in Europe; thanks to state-of-the-art technology annual yogurt production capacity of 500,000,000 pots as well as a refrigerated warehouse with a capacity of 4,000 pallets automated by robotics. FAGE cheese products are produced at three plants in Greece wholly owned by the company and two in which FAGE has an interest. These plants are found in high ewe-goat milk access areas in Western Greece, Northern Greece, Central Greece and on the island of Crete. These factories, which were redesigned with new refrigerated warehouse space, larger maturation areas and new cheese packaging lines, give FAGE a distinctive edge over its competitors in the cheese market.
Greek Yogurt Cake with Honey and Walnuts
Ingredients
1 (8oz) FAGE Greek Strained Yogurt
1 sachet (1/4 oz) gelatin powder
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
6 Tablespoons honey
5 oz. finely chopped toasted walnuts
To make this cake you will need a spring form cake tin.
Beat together the FAGE Greek Strained Yogurt and three tablespoons of honey in a bowl until they are the same consistency. Add half the grated walnut and the vanilla essence and mix well. Dissolve the gelatine in half a glass of cold water and leave it for one minute. Then gently heat it in a small saucepan until completely dissolved and fold it into the yogurt mixture. Empty the mixture into the cake tin and place in the fridge for at least six hours. Before serving, sprinkle with the remaining grated walnut and pour over the rest of the honey.