At Matís, work is beginning on a project entitled: "Bioactive flavoring made from Icelandic seafood". The project is funded by the AVS Fisheries Research Fund for three years and will be carried out with the company Norðurbragður ehf. which is the largest producer of flavors from seafood in Iceland.
The production of various flavors is very extensive worldwide. Relatively few companies, on the other hand, produce flavors from seafood in any significant quantity. One company in Iceland, Norðurbragð ehf., Has created a unique position in this market by producing natural flavors from Icelandic seafood, where no additives are added. Demand for natural flavors has increased significantly and is expected to increase further in the coming years.
Flavors from seafood have only been sold for the purpose of giving a good taste and flavor-enhancing effect in various foods. Flavors processed with enzymes in the way that Norðurbragð produces are in fact hydrolysates, or degraded fish proteins. Research in recent years has shown that hydrolysates from various fish, crab and mollusc species can carry high bioactivity and can be very healthy. The traditional explanation for the wholesomeness of seafood has almost always been omega-3 fatty acids, but recent research suggests that there is an abundance of other substances that contribute to the wholesomeness of seafood, including proteins and their peptides. There is therefore a good chance that flavoring substances made from seafood have a similar effect to hydrolysates, but this is unexplored. Such results would give a completely new perspective on flavors made from seafood, and could have a very positive effect on their sales and production, which would result in better utilization of by-products and underutilized species and increased added value for the fisheries sector.
The aim of the project is to investigate and screen for a variety of bioactivity of flavorings made from Icelandic seafood. Antioxidants, antihypertensives, cholesterol-lowering effects, anti-cancer effects and immunosuppressive effects will be screened. This research will be carried out in close collaboration with the Faculty of Food and Nutrition, University of Florida and the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Iceland.
The results of this project are intended to strengthen the existing market for Icelandic natural flavors from seafood and develop a new and much more profitable market for them. The project manager is Dr. Hörður G. Kristinsson, Head of the Department of Biochemistry, Matís-Prokaria's Division of Biotechnology.