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Unlocking the Microbial Diversity and Chemical Changes Throughout the Fermentation Process of “Hákarl”, Greenland Shark

Tengiliður

Sophie Jensen

Verkefnastjóri

sophie.jensen@matis.is

Hákarl is a unique Icelandic product obtained by fermenting and drying Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus), produced for centuries. However, little is known about the chemical and microbial changes occurring during the process. In this study, on a small industrial scale, fresh and frozen shark meat was fermented for eight and seven weeks, respectively, and then dried for five weeks. During the fermentation, trimethylamine N-oxide levels decreased to below the limit of detection within five weeks and pH increased from about 6 to 9. Simultaneously, trimethylamine and dimethylamine levels increased significantly. Total microbiological viable plate counts, and specific spoilage organisms increased during fermentation but decreased during drying. Culture-independent analyses revealed gradual shifts in the bacterial community structure as fermentation progressed. During the first three weeks of fermentation, Photobacterium was dominant in the fresh group, compared to Pseudoalteromonas in the frozen group. During the end of the process the groups became more alike with Atopostipes, Pseudomonas and Tissierella being dominant. The results indicate the possibility to reduce the duration of the fermentation period and since the bacterial composition in ready-to-eat hákarl was similar to other fermented products there might also be a potential to standardize the microbial community with starter cultures to gain an optimal fermentation procedure.

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A New MALDI-TOF Database Based on MS Profiles of Isolates in Icelandic Seawaters for Rapid Identification of Marine Strains

Tengiliður

Viggó Marteinsson

Fagstjóri

viggo@matis.is

Iceland is located between two water masses: the North Atlantic current and the Greenlandic current. Its location makes it a perfect window of the current changes ongoing due to global warming and how marine microbial diversity is coping with it. After the isolation of marine bacterial strains from the Icelandic marine environment, our goal was to identify the isolates by comparing two different molecular methods. The identification of microorganisms relied for many years on 16S rRNA gene sequencing alone. In recent years, MALDI-TOF Biotyper® has offered an inexpensive and rapid identification method for microbes. However, the available database targets mainly human pathogenic strains. How can microorganisms isolated from the natural environment be identified using MALDI-TOF Biotyper? This chapter describes the creation of a database based on mass spectrometry profiles of bacterial isolates in Icelandic seawaters and considers the reliability of this method.

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Survival of Icelandic airborne microbes towards simulated atmospheric stress factors

Tengiliður

Aurélien Daussin

Sérfræðingur

aurelien@matis.is

Surface microbes are aerosolized into the atmosphere by wind and events such as dust storms, wildland fires, and volcano eruptions. Only microbial cells that survive the various atmospheric stressors during their transportation will deposit and colonize new environments. These stressors include desiccation, oxidative stress, solar radiation, osmotic shock, and freeze–thaw cycles. In this paper, we specifically studied the survival of representative microbial model strains isolated from the atmosphere over pristine volcanic landscapes to understand their potential to successfully disperse to novel terrestrial environments. In line with previous studies, we found that the most stringent selection factors were the freeze–thaw and osmotic shock cycles and that the strains affiliated with Proteobacteria and Ascomycota were the best to survive simulated atmospheric stresses. Specifically, isolates belonging to Paracoccus marinus, Janthinobacterium rivuli, and Sarocladium kiliense exhibited the highest levels of resistance to atmospheric stress. However, the number of strains tested in our study was limited and caution should be taken when generalizing these findings.

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The distribution and diversity of eukaryotic phytoplankton in the Icelandic marine environment

Tengiliður

René Groben

Verkefnastjóri

rene.groben@matis.is

Phytoplankton play a crucial role in the marine food web and are sensitive indicators of environmental change. Iceland is at the center of a contrasting hydrography, with cold Arctic water coming in from the north and warmer Atlantic water from the south, making this geographical location very sensitive to climate change. We used DNA metabarcoding to determine the biogeography of phytoplankton in this area of accelerating change. Seawater samples were collected in spring (2012–2018), summer (2017) and winter (2018) together with corresponding physico-chemical metadata around Iceland. Amplicon sequencing of the V4 region of the 18S rRNA gene indicates that eukaryotic phytoplankton community composition is different between the northern and southern water masses, with some genera completely absent from Polar Water masses. Emiliania was more dominant in the Atlantic-influenced waters and in summer, and Phaeocystis was more dominant in the colder, northern waters and in winter. The Chlorophyta picophytoplankton genus, Micromonas, was similarly dominant to the dominant diatom genus, Chaetoceros. This study presents an extensive dataset which can be linked with other 18s rRNA datasets for further investigation into the diversity and biogeography of marine protists in the North Atlantic.

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Current status and future research needs on the quantitative water use of finfish aquaculture using Life Cycle Assessment: A systematic literature review

Sustainable aquaculture is an endeavor towards increasing global food security. While access to sufficient water is key for appropriate fish farming, there are various methodological gaps when assessing quantitative water use (QWU). This study discusses the status of QWU in finfish aquaculture in depth and contributes to the understanding of the different QWU methodologies currently used in this field within the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework. A systematic literature review following the Protocol, Search, Appraisal, Synthesis, Analysis, and Report (PSALSAR) methodology was conducted, to evaluate the available scientific literature (January 2009–March 2022) of LCA studies intertwined with QWU of finfish aquaculture and associated fish processing. A total of 22 articles (80 treatments) were included and classified based on their fish production systems, LCA characteristics, and aquaculture intensity (using the Aquaculture Production Intensity Scale – APIS score). Four QWU methodologies were reported: water dependence (WD, 15 studies), AWARE (3 studies), Water Footprint Assessment (WFA, 2 studies), and consumptive water use (CWU,2). Comparison of results from these methodologies is challenging due to different technical approaches assessing water use quantities. For instance, AWARE, WFA and CWU account for water consumption, whereas WD accounts for all the water reared into a system, regardless of it being returned to the sourced watershed or not. WD can be used for fresh, brackish or seawater, whereas the other methodologies account exclusively for freshwater. WD and AWARE consider only blue water, WFA includes green, grey and/or blue water, and CWU considers green and/or blue. Moreover, WD and CWU are inventory methodologies, AWARE is midpoint, and WFA can be inventory or midpoint methodology. QWU method development for aquaculture, which is a complex system with diverse water requirements, is much needed. This study highlights future research needs in QWU in aquaculture, to help standardize the QWU methodologies used in aquaculture and facilitate the implementation of water management practices for both direct and indirect water usage, which are key for achieving sustainable aquaculture.

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Assessment of Compressive and Flexural Properties and Stacking Strength of Expanded Polystyrene Boxes: Experimental and Simulation Study

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) boxes are used for the packaging of perishable and vulnerable goods during transportation; for instance, fresh fish fillets. It is important to minimize the weight and cost of the packaging materials while maximizing strength to avoid damage to the packaging and the product itself. EPS boxes have to withstand considerable loading, which arises due to rough handling and stacking during transport. This work focused on the compressive and flexural properties and stacking strength of 3 kg capacity EPS boxes with densities of 22 and 23 kg/m33, by combining experiments and simulation. Material properties were obtained from the compression test, and the behavior of EPS boxes under stacking load was investigated through both experiments and finite element simulations. The influences of density and different sample preparation methods on material properties and stacking strength were investigated. The results indicated that, with the density increasing by 1 kg/m33, the initial modulus rises 10–15% and the compressive strength increases by 7–8% in the compression test, while in the flexure test, the rupture stress increases by 3–7%. Additionally, an increase of around 2% was observed for the specimens cut with a hot wire compared to those cut with a table saw. However, because the failure mechanism for a box as a whole differs from that of small units in the compression and flexure tests, density has less of an impact on stacking strength. Finally, a good agreement was obtained between the simulation and stacking strength test results.

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Carcass Characteristics of Nordic Native Cattle Breeds

Tengiliður

Guðjón Þorkelsson

Stefnumótandi sérfræðingur

gudjon.thorkelsson@matis.is


Native livestock breeds are part of the history of the Nordic people and comprise a resource for future foodproduction. In this study, net gain and carcass characteristics of two Danish, three Finnish, one Icelandic, six Norwegian andfive Swedish native cattle breeds were retrieved and compared to commercial breeds: two beef breeds and two dairy breeds.Breed data were collected from national databases and sorted into six animal categories: young bull, bull, steer, heifer, youngcow and cow, for which means and standard deviations were calculated within each country. The native breeds ranged fromsmall-sized milking type breeds with low net gain, carcass weights and EUROP classification to larger multipurpose breedswith high net gains, carcass weights and EUROP classification.

All Finnish and most of the Norwegian and Swedish native breeds had lower net gain and carcass weight than the dairy breedsin the same category and country, but with similar carcass conformation and fatness scores. The two Danish native breedshad higher net gain, carcass weight and conformation class than the reference dairy breed, but lower than the reference beefbreeds. The net gain and carcass traits of the Icelandic native breed were similar to the smallest-sized native breeds fromthe other countries. The carcass traits of the native breeds indicate that they have comparative advantages in an extensiveproduction system based on forage and marginal grasslands. They may also succeed better in the value-added markets thanin mainstream beef production.

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Nýpróteinin afar sjálfbær í samanburði við flest hefðbundnari matvæli

Á dögunum birtist grein í veftímaritinu Horizon, the EU Research & Innovation Magazine þar sem fjallað var um það hvernig viðhorf fólks til ýmissa nýpróteina hafa breyst og þróast undanfarin ár.

Í greininni var meðal annars rætt við Birgi Örn Smárason, fagstjóra hjá Matís um verkefnið NextGenProteins sem hann hefur leitt undanfarin fjögur ár. Í því verkefni voru umhverfisáhrif, næringareiginleikar og viðhorf neytenda til þriggja nýpróteina rannsökuð.

Unnt var að framleiða þrjár gerðir af próteindufti, úr skordýrum, spirulinu úr örþörungum og einfrumuprótein úr gersveppum sem ræktaðir voru á afgöngum sem falla til við skógrækt. Allar gerðir hafa góða næringareiginleika svo hægt er að nota duftið í bæði fóður og fæðu og auk þess hefur framleiðsla þeirra lítil umhverfisáhrif í samanburði við flesta aðra matvælaframleiðslu.

Birgir Örn sagði í viðtalinu að hann trúi því sannarlega að með því að fræða neytendur sé hægt að taka stór skref í átt að aukinni sjálfbærni í mataræði fólks og matvælakerfum heimsins. Í verkefninu voru gerðar ýmsar neytendakannanir meðal fjölda fólks frá Finnlandi, Þýskalandi, Íslandi, Ítalíu, Póllandi, Svíþjóð og Bretlandi.

Í ljós kom að viðhorf fólks eru að stærstum hluta mjög jákvæð í garð spirulinu og einfrumupróteins en dálítið síðri í garð skordýrapróteins. Þrátt fyrir að próteinduft sem búið var til úr krybbum hafi verið þróað sérstaklega til þess að bæta viðhorfin til þessarar tegundar próteins voru samt aðeins einn af hverjum þremur sem gátu hugsað sér að bragða á skordýrum.

Greinina, sem ber yfirskriftina New foods can go from yucky to yummy as people’s perceptions evolve má lesa í heild sinni með því að smella hér.

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Alþjóðleg ráðstefna um matvæli og líftækni

Dagana 26. – 27. september sl. hélt Aarhus Food & Bio cluster í Danmörku ráðstefnuna Food & Bio Global Summit 2023. Meginstef ráðstefnunnar var sjálfbærni í framleiðslu matvæla með áherslu á nýsköpun. Líkt og kom fram á ráðstefnunni eru matvælakerfi heimsins komin að þolmörkum, þá einkum tengt áhrifum veðurröskunar; hamfarahlýnunar, flóða, hækkun yfirborðs sjávar, þurrka o.s.frv. Yfir 170 þátttakendur víðsvegar að úr heiminum sóttu ráðstefnuna sem var hlaðin frábærum fyrirlestrum. 

Eitt mikilvægasta stef ráðstefnunnar var að efla til alþjóðlegs sáttmála um matvæli eða Global Food Alliance, til að tengja og efla sjálfbærni og nýsköpun í matvælaframleiðslu. Þessi sýn er mikilvæg í ljósi Parísarsáttmálans um að halda hækkun hitastigs jarðar undir 2°C miðað við meðalhitastig við upphaf iðnvæðingarinnar. Einnig nær sáttmálinn til þess að efla getu ríkja heims í að takast á við afleiðingar loftlagsbreytinga.

Ein alvarlegasta afleiðing loftlagsbreytinga er áhrif á heilbrigði og getu vistkerfa til að framleiða mat. Hnignun vistkerfa mun því leiða til matvælaskorts og hungursneyðar. Hugmynd ráðstefnunnar um alþjóðlega sáttmálann um mat er að með samstöðu og samstarfi allra sem vinna eða eiga aðkomu að rannsóknum, nýsköpun eða pólitískum ákvörðunum verði hægt að sporna við hörmungum á borð við tap vistkerfa og hungursneyð.

Á ráðstefnunni var þétt dagskrá fyrirlestra tengdum ofangreindum málefnum; samstarfi, nýsköpun, rannsóknum og þróun. Einnig voru haldnir tengifundir, speed date, þar sem hver og einn þátttakandi gat tengst innan síns fagsviðs öðrum þátttakendum og þar með teygt á tengslaneti sínu.

Vel var mætt á ráðstefnuna, og mátti sjá þátttakendur víðsvegar að úr heiminum. Frá Íslandi mætti einn ráðstefnugestur á vegum Matís og var hún afar ánægð með ráðstefnuhaldið og erindin. Málefni matvælaframleiðslu og getu vistkerfa til að standa undir áskorunum framtíðar þ.e. fólksfjölgun og hnignandi vistkerfi sökum hamfarahlýnunar er ein allra mikilvægasta áskorun samtímans.

Nýsköpun og tækniþróun sem hefur átt sér stað í matvælaiðnaði er ekki bara hröð heldur jafnframt afar áhugaverð. Nú ert til dæmis mögulegt að vinna kjöt úr frumum dýra (cell based proteins) og rækta þörunga með hátækni aðferðum o.s.frv. Framundan eru áskoranir í matvælaframleiðslu en samhliða er unnið ötullega að lausnum með þróun tæknilausna og nýsköpun samhliða sjálfbærri þróun og eflingu hringrásarhagkerfisins. Nánari upplýsingar um Food & Bio Global Summit 2023 má finna hér:

Food & Bio Global Summit 2023 

Fréttir

Mikilvægt að draga úr matarsóun

Alþjóðlegur dagur Sameinuðu þjóðanna um matarsóun var 29. september síðastliðinn. Umhverfisstofnun kynnti þann dag niðurstöður nýrrar rannsónar á umfangi matarsóunar á Íslandi en þetta var í fyrsta sinn sem matarsóun hefur verið mæld í allri virðiskeðju matvæla eftir staðlaðri aðferðafræði Evrópusambandsins. Umfjöllun Umhverfisstofnunar má finna hér: Matarsóun á íslenskum heimilum undir Evrópumeðaltali.

Í ljós kom að matarsóun á íbúa á Íslandi var um 160 kg á einu ári. Um helmingur kom frá frumframleiðslu og um 40% frá heimilum. Niðurstöður fyrir matarsóun í heildina voru nokkuð svipaðar og í öðrum Evrópulöndum. Þó er ekki hægt að láta staðar numið því markmið fyrir framtíðina er að minnka matarsóun til muna.

Íslensk stjórnvöld hafa sett sér metnaðarfull markmið um að minnka matarsóun um 30% fyrir árið 2025 og um 50% fyrir árið 2030. Mælingarnar sem nú liggja fyrir verða notaðar sem grunnlína þessara markmiða.

Hjá Matís hafa verið unnin fjölmörg verkefni sem geta hjálpað til við að draga úr matarsóun. Í verkefni um virðiskeðju grænmetis voru gerðar mælingar á geymsluaðstæðum og settar fram tillögur til að draga úr sóun grænmetis. Matís hefur átt þátt í að auka fullvinnslu sjávarafla á Íslandi og víðar um heim og nú er unnið að verkefnum sem geta aukið verðmæti úr hliðarafurðum grænmetisframleiðslu og kjötframleiðslu. Umbúðir matvæla hafa verið mikið til umræðu, ekki síst vandamál varðandi umbúðaplast og endurvinnslu þess en um þessi mál má lesa í skýrslu Matís. Umbúðir geta skipt máli fyrir varðveislu gæða matvæla en gæðarýrnun matvæla vegna vankanta á umbúðum og meðferð getur leitt til matarsóunar.

Auk þessara verkefna eru fjölmörg önnur í gangi hjá Matís sem stuðla með einum eða öðrum hætti að betri nýtingu matvæla og hliðarafurða matvælavinnslu, eflingu hringrásarhagkerfisins og sjálfbærnihugsunar. Verkefni Matís má skoða hér:

Rannsóknaverkefni

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