Haliburton International Foods Inc., a manufacturer of food products, announced the hiring of Ioannis “Yannis” Oikonomakos, Ph.D., as manager of Food Safety and Quality.

Oikonomakos is a graduate of Oklahoma State University with a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Horticulture and a Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Food Science. Oikonomakos also has a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Crop Science that he earned at the Technological Educational Institute of Crete, Greece. Oikonomakos has extensive knowledge and experience in the fields of Food Chemistry, Food Allergens, Agricultural Biosecurity, and Food Microbiology, including microbial forensics and rapid detection of food and plant pathogens. A well-regarded industry professional and research scientist, Oikonomakos has collaborated on research and industry publications in the fields of horticulture, food science, and microbiology.

“Yannis’ experience, integrity and extensive knowledge in the fields of food science and horticulture will be a real asset to our company and to our customers,” says Haliburton founder and president Ian Schenkel. “As manager of Food Safety and Quality, Yannis will lead our Quality Control team, implement product and process optimization studies, and spearhead our industry leading research into pathogen detection, prevention, and elimination. As an industry leader in the field of ready-to-eat foods, we are committed to advancing food safety through research and testing.”