Apostolos Kiritsakis M.Sc., Ph.D. | International Hellenic University
Dr. Apostolos Kiritsakis, an Emeritus Professor of International Hellenic University was born in the island of Crete, and has been involved in olive oil production since childhood and devoted his life to olive oil. He holds a Bachelor degree in Agriculture from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and a M. Sc. and a Ph.D., degrees in Food Science from Michigan State University. Professor Kiritsakis started his carrier in 1972 and he is now a world renowned researcher on olive oil and regarded as a leader in olive oil quality, and health value. He directed various scientific projects on olive oil and was asked to evaluate several European projects as an expert in the field. He was a scientific advisor in olive projects in California (1989, 1992), Albania, (2004 -2006), Tunisia (2001), Australia (2000), Argentine (2005), and in Greece (since 1985). He contributed significantly to the Greek and Foreign olive industry by advising, on the setting up of olive factories, deciding on suitability of proposed lot, machineries, processing methods and operation conditions. He also trained farmers on how to produce better quality olives and olive oil, by preserving their important functional constituents. This effort resulted in significant quality and market improvements for olive oil.
Dr. Kiritsakis was one of the first Greek scientists to determine the change of total phenols in olive fruit by maturation and to conduct extensive research on olive oil quality and promoted significantly olive oil internationally. Dr. Kiritsakis also trained two important groups of Californian and Australian farmers and scientists, who were interested in getting involved in olive oil business.
He has published the first book on Olive Oil in English, by AOCS and has written totally ten (10) books on the subject in Greek and in English (one has been translated into Spanish) and has also published several scientific papers. Additionally has given seminars and presentations in Universities and Congresses, in USA , South America, Australia and several other countries
He was invited to lecture and present seminars on the quality , nutritional and functional aspects of olive oil, given in the following Universities: Michigan State, Rhode Island, Nebraska, and Davis California, and in several countries: Greece (in more than 25 cities), Cyprus (in 3 cities), Albania (in 5 cities), Italy (in 2 cities), The Netherlands (in 1 city) Morocco (in 2 cities), Tunisia ( in 4 cities), Argentina ( in 2 cities), Peru (in 1 city), Chili (in 1 city, USA (in 6 cities) and (Turkey 5 cities) . He is a reviewer of several scientific journals , such as: JAOCS, Food Chemistry, Grasas y Aceites, European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology, Journal Science of Food Agriculture, Journal of Composition and Analysis and other . He is also a member of the advisory committee of the journal “Grasas y Aceites”.
He has received several honors and awards some of which are : Award of the Academy of Athens for the Book “Olive Oil, Elaiolado”, Elected member of Italian Olive Oil Academy, Honorary diploma for the publication of the book on olive oil (in Greek, English and Spanish) and for outstanding work in the field, AOCS Fellow, which is a great honor for everything that Dr. Kiritsakis has done during his carrier.
Totally Professor Kiritsakis has been working for more than 45 years on the subject, teaching and giving seminars and making presentations in national and international symposium and congresses , as invited speaker.
Professor Kiritsakis is known internationally as the “Olive Oil man”.