Krinos Foods, Inc. is a United States private company based in New York that imports and produces Greek and other Mediterranean foods. It is one of the largest Greek food importers in North America."Not-So-Extra-Virgin Olive Oil", Good Morning America, ABC News, July 29, 2005."the country's largest distributor of Greek foods", Florence Fabricant, "Food Notes", The New York Times, August 14, 1996."North America`s largest importer, distributor and manufacturer of Greek foods", "The Greek Debt Crisis Comes to America", PBS Nightly Business Report, May 28, 2010."the largest importer, packager, and producer of Greek products in the United States and Canada", Demetris Tsakas, "Krinos Foods Plans to Leave LIC and Build a High-Tech Plant in Bronx", The National Herald, September 13, 2012. The company headquarters are in the Long Island City section of Queens, but it has purchased a site to move to the Bathgate Industrial Park in the Tremont section of the Bronx.City scores another food manufacturer for the Bronx, The Real Deal, September 10, 2012.Daniel Beekman, "Bronx getting its fill of food companies as Fairway, Food Fest, Krinos and “R” Best Produce put down roots", New York Daily News, October 17, 2012. In addition to New York, the company has manufacturing facilities in California, Atlanta,Chicago, Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal.About Us , Krinos Foods, retrieved October 22, 2012.

History Krinos Foods traces its origins to the early 1950s, when it was founded by John (Ioannis) Moscahlaidis as a small shop in New York under the name Arista Olive Co. Inc., importing olive oil later marketed under the brand name "Krinos".

In 1958, Moscahlaidis acquired a building in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan and relocated Arista to its first dedicated office. In 1960, he purchased an adjacent building, doubling the company’s storage capacity.

In 1965, the company established its Canadian division.

By 1973, the "Krinos" brand had become widely recognised, and the company was renamed Krinos Foods Inc. in the United States and Krinos Foods Canada Ltd. in Canada.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the company expanded through acquisitions, including Salona Importing Company, George E. Athens Co. (Big Alpha), and Standard Importing Company. Krinos also acquired a controlling interest in Athens Pastries & Frozen Foods Inc., later consolidating operations in Cleveland, Ohio, where Athens Foods became one of the largest producers of phyllo dough products.

In 1981, the company opened a new manufacturing and distribution facility in Long Island City, New York, which received a design award for industrial architecture.

John Moschalaidis later retired and returned to Greece in the early 2000s. His son, Eric Moschalaidis, became the company’s chairman.

In 2004, Krinos acquired Hellas International, a Greek food company headquartered in Salem, Massachusetts.

In June 2016, Krinos Foods opened a new $25 million, 100,000-square-foot facility in the Bronx, New York. The site serves as the company’s corporate headquarters and manufacturing and distribution centre, replacing its previous Long Island City plant.

Products Krinos both imports and manufactures Greek, Italian, Indian, Pakistani and Middle Eastern foods, including "cheeses, peppers, olives, ... cookies",Matt Richtel, "Conservation at the Touch of a Button ", The New York Times, November 7, 2007. phyllo,"Krinos is the most widely available phyllo", Barb Holland, , Toronto Star, March 31, 1999 (payment required) olive and other vegetable oils, figs, halva, grape leaves, yogurt, wines and beers (including Mythos beer from Greece), coffee, tea, fruit juices and nectars.

In the mid-2000s, the company was receiving approximately $18,000 a year in payments for the participation of its Long Island City plant in a remote power cut-off program with Enernoc of Boston.

Controversies In 1988, John Moschalaidis was sentenced to two years' imprisonment after pleading guilty to importing contaminated cheese and mislabeling dairy products.Associated Press, "Importer Pleads Guilty In Tainted Cheese Plot", The New York Times, June 28, 1988.Frances Ann Burns, United Press International, "Importer admits to shipping bad cheese", The Bryan Times, June 28, 1988, p. 2., The Morning Call (Allentown, Pennsylvania), September 12, 1988.

Krinos was also found in 1990 to be selling a banned dye for Easter eggs, and in 1997 to be selling mislabeled cooking oil.

In 2005, an investigation by WABC reported on by ABC's Good Morning America found that some of the company's extra-virgin olive oil contained cheaper ingredients.

Logo The company logo features a letter "K" formed by two green olive leaves against a brown stem.Krinos registration of logo in monochrome with and without remaining letters of the name, circa 1981, with list of products, at Trademarkia.

References

External links Official website Krinos Foods Canada