Year: 2016

In recent years, there have been a number of cases where intermediaries and consumers have been deceived in trading in seafood. Examples of such deceptions are when cheap species are sold as more expensive, frozen products are sold as fresh, additives are added to products to gain weight, change appearance, extend the life or hide the damage of the product, endangered species are sold under a false flag, and so on.

Matís is hosting a seminar on how genetic engineering can be used to ensure integrity in trade in aquaculture and aquaculture products. The seminar is divided into four parts. Each section begins with a brief introduction to each topic, followed by a general discussion.

1. Methods for monitoring and verifying the content of feed for aquaculture.
2. Methods for detecting unwanted micro-organisms in seafood.
3. Genetic methods for species identification and tracing of origin.
4. Market requirements and utilization of genetic information with regard to regulatory and economic factors.

Location: Matís, Vínlandsleið 12, 113 RVK. Meeting room 312 - Columns.
Time: March 16, 2016, at 9:00 - 12:00.

It is necessary to register participation to Guðbjörg Ólafsdóttir, gudbjorg@matis.is.

All further information can be found in leaflet about the seminar.

A large and powerful group of students at the United Nations Fisheries University (UNU-FTP) graduated from the school this Monday after six months of special studies in Iceland. UNU-FTP is an important link in Iceland's development cooperation, but this is the 18th time that the school has graduated students.

The school is a collaborative project of four institutions / companies: the Marine Research Institute, Matís, the University of Iceland and the University of Akureyri, but in addition, Hólar University is involved in the collaboration and the school work is a good collaboration with fisheries companies all over the country. The day-to-day operation of the school is part of the Marine Research Institute and Tumi Tómasson is the director of the school. 

^{The students who were studying at Matís together with some of the company's employees}

At Matís, all students at the school have received instruction in the basic course on the quality and processing of fish, and in direct continuation, students at the school's quality line have received instruction and practical training. Students usually carry out their assignments with the needs of their own country in mind.

More information about UNU-FTP and this year's graduation can be found at the website of the University of Fisheries.

Content that Reykjavík Office prepared for Matís received two nominations for the annual FÍT award, given by the Association of Icelandic Illustrators, which will be presented next Wednesday, 9 March. The FÍT award is given every year for the works that excel in the field of graphic design and illustration.

The second nomination was for a video that discusses the positive changes that have taken place in recent decades in the fisheries sector. The fisheries sector has made great strides during this time in increasing the value of catches, partly due to the industry's increased emphasis on research and development, and Matís and its predecessors, such as the Fisheries Research Institute (IFL), have been an important partner in many Icelandic fisheries companies.

The second nomination came because of a picture, a cartoon, that was made to shed light on the bioeconomy and how the bioeconomy plays a major role in people's lives every single day. The film was originally intended only for the fishing industry and was related to a large project managed by Matís within the European Research Program (MareFrame) but that picture was so well made that it was decided to implement it for agriculture as well, as the bioeconomy is everywhere.

click on Bioeconomy to view the image, but it is also a thumbnail of this article.

About the FÍT award

This year, the innovation of publishing nominations for the awards is launched, and the jury appoints a broad group of professionals in the field of graphic design. Nominated in 17 categories, they cover the main subcategories of graphic design, such as screen graphics, web design, printmaking, advertising design and illustration.

The nominations can be seen in their entirety at Morgunblaðið's website.

Matís and Þoran ehf will hold an introductory meeting for master brewers and other enthusiasts about malting and brewing on Wednesday 9 March at Matís' headquarters on Vínlandsleið 12 and the meeting will take place from 15:00 to 16:15.

Matís currently manages a project on the utilization of grain for food production, which is funded by the Northern Periphery and Arctic Program. The company Þoran is a member of the project. Participants come from the countries of the North Atlantic; Iceland, Norway, the Faroe Islands, Orkney and Newfoundland in Canada. The first period of the project has now ended and information and plans were gathered at a conference in Orkney at the end of last year. The main role of the project is the transfer of knowledge between countries and the strengthening of the economy in the Arctic. Among the participants, Orkneyingar is at the forefront of using grain from the Arctic for the production of alcoholic beverages, and at the conference they shared that knowledge, ie. cultivation of barley and its malting for the production of whiskey and beer. Matís' role is to disseminate this knowledge to companies in Iceland. At the meeting, instructions from the Orkneys will be presented, as well as possibilities for obtaining information from experts in the Orkneys. It is worth mentioning that Þoran's representative attended the conference in Orkney and received vocational training from a malting and whiskey producer, and he will talk about his presence there at the meeting.

In many countries, interest in regional foods has grown significantly. The increase in tourists is also important in this regard. In Iceland, there is interest in using these factors to increase income from the production of alcoholic beverages. It is also important how and whether malt can be produced from Icelandic barley. There is also reason to focus on hops, as Norwegians have been researching varieties of hops suitable for northern conditions for years, and they have also studied herbs that can be used to give new beers a specialty. The Norwegians' results will be presented at the educational meeting.

Cereal cultivation and beverage production in the Orkney Islands have deep roots. Orkney grain farming can be traced back to 3000 BC. The beverage industry is now very important for the islands' finances. Two companies that produce whiskey are very well known internationally: Highland Park Distillery and Scapa Distillery. Orkney Brewery and Swannay Brewery also operate in Orkney. There is a lot of interest in using the ancient barley variety Bere to give products a strong image uniqueness. The Bruichladdich whiskey producer has been producing whiskey from Bere barley with good results for several years, and bottles of it can currently be found at Keflavík Airport, among other places. The Arran whiskey producer has also got Bere barley from the Orkney Islands to brew. In the Shetland Islands north of Orkney is Valhalla Brewery which produces the beer Island Bere. Orkney's marketing is often based on the Vikings' heritage and is an example of very successful marketing.

For further information Ólafur Reykdal at Matís.

Recently, students from Matvælabrúarinn from Háskólafélag Suðurlands visited Matís and stayed here for a day for a course in sensory assessment. Teachers were Kolbrún Sveinsdóttir and Aðalheiður Ólafsdóttir.

In the course, students gained an overview of what sensory evaluation is and how it is used in food production, and quality control.

The teaching was both theoretical and practical, students learned to recognize basic flavors, use the sense of smell and became acquainted with different methods of sensory evaluation. In addition, students were introduced to how product taste, smell and texture tests are used in consumer surveys and different methods of consumer surveys. The results of the practical exercises were compiled using the same methods as are used in Matís' research, and the discussions became lively and informative.

Further information is provided by Kolbrún Sveinsdóttir and Aðalheiður Ólafsdóttir at Matís and Ingunn Jónsdóttir at Háskólafélag Suðurlands.

News compiled from text on the web hfsu.is.

The Boston Fisheries Exhibition takes place 6-8. March nk. A number of Icelandic companies will be at the exhibition, including Martak, Skaginn / 3X, Fjarðarlax, HB Grandi, Sæplast, Marel and Matís, to name a few.

The exhibition is the largest of its kind in South, Central and North America, and this venue is important to many Icelandic companies in expanding their premises and increasing co-operation.

Matís will be in a common booth with Íslandsstofa and other companies and the booth is number 2555.

For more information Arnljótur Bjarki Bergsson, division manager and Steinar B. Aðalbjörnsson, marketing director of Matís.

The HACCP book which is now published on the web is intended as a support material for those who want to get acquainted with HACCP and the installation of such a system in fisheries companies. This educational material is part of the dissemination of knowledge to those responsible for safe food production.

Ensuring the safety of consumers and ensuring that everyone can be sure that the food on offer is safe is not a simple matter. Every year, thousands in the wider world die because of poor eating habits. It must be borne in mind that some groups of consumers are more vulnerable than others, such as young children and people with underlying diseases.

Therefore, the whole process of each production must be reviewed and all available means must be taken to ensure that food consumers are not harmed because the production process was not carried out correctly. It is and will be a responsibility to produce food, and it is therefore necessary to set a clear framework for all aspects of food processing, and the public interest and consumer safety must be the guiding principle.

Páll Gunnar Pálsson, a food scientist, wrote the text and set up the manual, Margeir Gissurarson, a food scientist, was involved in the planning of the material, read over the entire material and shared his knowledge and experience.

The preparation of this handbook was funded by Matís with good support from the Herring Industry Research Fund.

At Matís, you can get a lot of information about most everything related to seafood and all the company's employees are invited and prepared to do better in cooperation with the Icelandic seafood industry.

In Matís' premises at Vínlandsleið 12, there is a glass cabinet that does not show much at first glance. On closer inspection, however, it turns out that inside the cupboard you will find a large number of products that Matís' partners have developed and come in consumer packages. Of course, there is little space in such a cabinet and not all the products of partners that fit there.

In the good cupboard you can now find rhubarb caramel from Löngumýri in Skeiðar, skyr confectionery from Rjómabúið in Erpsstaðir, UNA skincare products from algae, smoked fish from Reykhöll Gunna á Rif, birch syrup from Holt and Heiðar in Hallormsstaður, gourmet Iceland mustard from Sólakri mustard from Sóla with an old method from TrueWestfjords and local pasta to name a few. Margildi was joining the group with its product line, which produces fish oil from capelin, herring and mackerel.

Larger equipment and solutions that Matís has worked on through its collaboration with the fishing industry cannot be found in this cabinet, as some of these equipment are very large and heavy and in some cases entire factories!

But the cabinet has been named the Glass Cabinet and it can be said with truth that it is like "Glass of fame" here at Matís.

Matís has historically played an important role among companies in the fisheries sector. In part, this can be said about agriculture, especially recently when it comes to small-scale food production, and Matís' food factories are an important link in that.

Matís' role in research and innovation in the fisheries sector is at least diminishing, as progress in the industry is great and companies and individuals in the fisheries sector do well to make full use of everything that is provided and get the best possible price for everything that goes on the market by offering first-class raw materials and products from the sea around Iceland.

But there are far fewer who know about Matís' success in international research and innovation. In this field, Matís has shown the ability and talent to be a strong participant in research projects and has in many cases managed or led large international projects, especially projects that have focused on fish and fisheries. Examples of such projects are EcoFishMan, MareFrame, DiscardLess and PrimeFish.

 _{From the MareFrame project meeting in Romania.}

There are considerable benefits from these projects for Matís and all Icelanders, but in addition to significant funds that result in increased employment of researchers in Iceland, knowledge is created in these projects that translates directly into the Icelandic research and business community.

Further information on Matís' project participation can be found in the leaflet International Cooperation & Research Projects and on www.horizon2020.is.

The Circumpolar Agricultural Association (CAA) is an organization of individuals in all Arctic countries. The association's conferences are held every three years and the ninth conference will be held in Reykjavík from 6 to 8 October 2016.

The topics of the conference will be:

The role of agriculture in the Arctic bioeconomy

The bioeconomy is based on organic resources and more and more attention has been paid to this approach in recent years. Agriculture needs to take advantage of the attention that the bioeconomy receives, because the green bioeconomy is primarily about agriculture and its products.

The conference will focus on regional production that strengthens dispersed settlements, food production in the Arctic, tourism and innovation that responds to changing circumstances. Special emphasis will be placed on promoting good results that have been achieved in one area and that others can benefit from.

A food exhibition organized by the final conference of the NordBio program will be included in the agenda. On October 8, an excursion will take place where guests will get to know Icelandic agriculture.

Further information can be found on the conference website: www.caa2016.com and information can also be found on the conference's Facebook page.

The conference has been held once before in Iceland, but it was in 2001. The conference was called "Legacy and Vision in Northern Agriculture" and was intended to draw attention to the interplay of history and culture with the foundations of agriculture.

For further information Ólafur Reykdal at Matís.