Author: Ísey Dís Hávarsdóttir

Stefán Þór Eysteinsson and Hildur Inga Sveinsdóttir will defend their doctoral dissertations in food science on 29 and 30 April in the Main Building of the University of Iceland.

On Wednesday 29 April, Stefán Þór Eysteinsson will defend his doctoral dissertation in food science at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition, University of Iceland. The thesis is entitled: Effects of redfish (Calanus finmarchicus) on the quality of pelagic fish and the management of processing processes. Characterization of Calanus finmarchicus and its effect on pelagic fish processing.

Supervisors and supervising teachers were dr. María Guðjónsdóttir, professor at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition, dr. Sigurjón Arason, professor at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition, and dr. Sigrún Jónasdóttir, professor at the Technical University of Denmark in Copenhagen. In addition to them, dr. Ástþór Gíslason, professor at the Marine Research Institute.

More information can be found here.

On Thursday 30 April, Hildur Inga Sveinsdóttir will defend her doctoral dissertation in food science at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition, University of Iceland. The thesis is entitled: Increased value in the processing of Atlantic mackerel fillets (Scomber scombrus) - A study of the shelf life, chemical and processing properties of mackerel caught off the coast of Iceland. Value addition from Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) fillets - Study of shelf life, chemical properties and processability of mackerel caught in Icelandic waters.

Supervisors and supervising teachers were dr. Sigurjón Arason, professor at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition, dr. María Guðjónsdóttir, professor at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition, and dr. Magnea Guðrún Karlsdóttir, Matís.

More information can be found here.

An article was recently published with the results of a case study of the European project Mareframe are introduced, but the project worked on the development of a multi-stock fisheries management system and ways were found to facilitate its implementation in Europe. 

Emphasis was placed on ecological, sustainable, social and economic management. It also collaborates with fishermen, fishing companies and processing as well as other stakeholders involved in fisheries management.

In the study, Icelandic cod fishing was especially examined and what has been successful in Icelandic fisheries management. A special multi-agency model, "Gadget", was used, which was developed by Icelandic participants in the project and is used widely abroad. At the same time, more co-operation was sought with those involved in fishing and processing in the fisheries sector, as well as other stakeholders in the development of fisheries management systems, which is a key factor in the implementation of the fisheries management system.

The article can be accessed here.

In recent years, Matís, in collaboration with Síldarvinnslan, the University of Iceland and the UNESCO GRÓ School of Fisheries, has been working to build up knowledge in the field of fishing and processing pelagic fish.

Six doctoral projects related to improved utilization and development of processing processes and intended to promote increased value creation have received grants from AVS, the Technology Development Fund and the Herring Industry Research Fund (Sigurjónsstyrkur). The doctoral students have stayed longer and shorter in Neskaupstaður to work on their projects, study measurements and work on the development of new products. Supervisors of the doctoral projects are Professor Sigurjón Arason and chief engineer at Matís and Professor María Guðjónsdóttir, who has led research and development in the field of seafood processing for decades. Below is a brief summary of each project.

• Paulina E. Wasik (Romotowska) worked on a project to maximize the quality of frozen mackerel products. The shelf life of frozen mackerel products was examined and emphasis was placed on finding the best way to freeze, store and transport the mackerel. As a follow-up to this project, work has been done on improving the processing process for filleting mackerel and product development for skinless, frozen mackerel fillets. Paulina completed her doctoral studies in 2016.
• Hildur Inga Sveinsdóttir is working on a project called "Adding value from Atlantic mackerel fillet processing - shelf life, best processing and utilization of by-products." The mackerel caught here by land is particularly high in fat and therefore difficult to handle. Special attention is paid to whether it is possible to cut the mackerel without affecting the quality of the fillets, which can increase the shelf life of the products. The project also addresses the utilization of the red and dark muscles that are cut off during the skin incision and thus promotes the full utilization of mackerel. It is also investigated whether it is possible to use imaging technology to monitor and optimize the processing of skinless fillets. Hildur is expected to complete her doctoral project in the spring of 2020.
• Carina Fernandes works on product development of Atlantic mackerel products caught off Iceland. The aim of the project is to build on the knowledge that has been created by processing mackerel products in Iceland to develop smoked, dried and canned high quality products. The project consists of detailed processing analyzes and market analyzes for the mentioned products to ensure that they are reflected in the relevant market. It is planned that Carina will complete the project in the spring of 2022.
• Stefán Þór Eysteinsson has worked on research on redfish, which is one of the main foods of pelagic fish in the North Atlantic. The purpose of the research is multifaceted. First, the harmfulness of redfish in the processing of pelagic fish is examined and it is examined how best to handle the catch, control the processing and store the products when eating the fish. Secondly, the effect of red oats on the processing of flour and fish oil is investigated, and finally the properties of the oats are examined with regard to whether it can be utilized in any way. Stefán is expected to complete his doctoral project in the spring of 2020.
• Guðrún S. Hilmarsdóttir has worked on research on how fishmeal and fish oil processes can be redesigned so that it will be possible to start production of fish proteins for human consumption, among other things. The most important stages of production are covered, profitability is assessed along with the possibilities for product development. The chemical and physical properties of the product are measured both by conventional measurement methods and by innovative spectral measurements. New processing equipment is tested and production from certain parts of the raw material is separated. Guðrún's doctoral project is expected to be completed in the autumn of 2020.
• Nguyen Thi Hang is working on a project that deals with quality changes in proteins in fish processing. The main objective is to investigate the effects of the main processing methods on the protein quality, such as heating, drying, freezing and cold storage, fishmeal processing and the processing of other products for human consumption. The main emphasis is on the effect of the main processing methods on protein quality in fishmeal production and how the processing process can be changed to increase the quality. Nguyen Thi Hang is expected to complete his doctoral dissertation in the second half of 2021.

Important projects that can have a major impact in the future

Sigurjón says that the collaboration with Síldarvinnslan regarding the doctoral projects has been very successful. "This collaboration has been a leader in connecting the university environment and the industry. It is invaluable to work with a company that places great emphasis on promoting progress and at the same time increasing the value that can be gained from the raw material. Through the collaboration of researchers and the company, it has been possible to achieve an ever better grip on the processing of mackerel, but the mackerel caught in Iceland is a very difficult raw material. The mackerel can be edible and is in fast fat, the fat goes from 5-10% up to 25-30% fat content and the fish muscles are loose and delicate. Ways are also being sought to diversify the production of fishmeal, find new markets and increase its value. In the field of flour processing, significant research is being carried out in collaboration with Síldarvinnslan. The fact is that these are all exciting and important projects and their results can have a great impact in the future, "says Sigurjón.

The FarFish project is hosting a series of lectures on fisheries management and innovation from 9-13 March.

Í FarFish The project focuses on the European Union's fishing fleet in international waters and within the jurisdiction of third world countries that have concluded agreements on access to their fishery resources. An important part of the project concerns the teaching and dissemination of knowledge to stakeholders, whether among European shipowners or representatives of coastal states with which the European Union has agreed. One part of that teaching and knowledge sharing is in the form of a course organized by the University of Tromsø. Matís is waiting for those who are interested to attend individual lectures in the course. The lectures will be streamed into Matís' classroom, followed by discussions led by Matís employees participating in the FarFish project.

Stream of the lectures can be accessed here.

The following lectures are available:

Monday 9 March

8:15-9:00 Welcome and introduction to the course

9:15-10:00 Fisheries management and international law

12: 15-13: 00 International legal framework related to fisheries management

13:15-14:00 Data flows between fleets and administrations

Tuesday 10 March

8:15-9:00 Control in practice: Use of Vessel Monitoring System VMS / Automatic Identification System AIS

9:15-10:00 Marine Protected Areas MPAs / Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems VMEs: what, how and why?

12:15-15:00 Fisheries economy

Wednesday 11 March

8:15-10:00 Supply chains and value chain

Thursday 12 March

8:15-10:00 Information logistics and traceability

12: 15-13: 00 Quality and processing

13: 15-14: 00 Food safety

Friday 13 March

8:15-10:00 Fishing vessel economics

Those interested in attending individual lectures are asked to register at least 24 hours before the start of the lecture, by sending an e-mail to jonas@matis.is.

Icelandic seafood has long been marketed so that emphasis has been placed on its purity and wholesomeness. However, it is not enough to claim that a product is healthy. High-quality and well-defined scientific data on undesirable substances in Icelandic seafood are key factors in demonstrating the status of Icelandic seafood in terms of safety and health. Icelandic food exports also depend on being able to demonstrate their safety, taking into account laws, regulations and market requirements.

In recent report Matís summarizes the results of monitoring of undesirable substances in edible parts of seafood in 2019. The monitoring began in 2003 with the help of the then Ministry of Fisheries, the current Ministry of Industry and Innovation, and Matís ohf. on the collection of data and the publication of reports for this systematic monitoring during the period 2003-2012. In recent years, there has been a lack of funds to continue work on this monitoring project, and therefore this important data collection was suspended as well as the publication of results in the period 2013-2016. The project started again in March 2017, but due to a lack of funds, it now only covers the monitoring of undesirable substances in edible parts of seafood from the resource intended for human consumption, and not fishmeal and fish oil for feed. For the same reason, no chemical analyzes were performed on PAH, PBDE and PFC substances this time.

In general, the results obtained in 2019 were in line with previous results from 2003 to 2012 as well as 2017 and 2018. The results showed that Icelandic seafood contains an insignificant amount of persistent organic pollutants such as dioxins, PCBs and pesticides.

Scientific data of this kind from an independent researcher on the concentration of undesirable substances in seafood is very important in market presentations of seafood for potential buyers and strengthens all marketing work for Icelandic seafood. The data are also used to demonstrate the status of Icelandic seafood in terms of safety and health, as well as in food risk assessments.

The report can be accessed here.

The Energy-2-Feed project was formally launched at Matís on Vínlandsleið last week. The aim of the project is to develop sustainable protein and fat sources from algae that contain large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. The algae cultivation uses clean energy sources and natural carbon dioxide.

The Energy-2-Feed project was formally launched at Matís on Vínlandsleið last week. The aim of the project is to develop sustainable protein and fat sources from algae that contain large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. The algae cultivation uses clean energy sources and natural carbon dioxide.

E2F will offer fully sustainable algae cultivation, but the processing takes place in a controlled environment on Heillisheiði and thus offers continuous production all year round. The production will benefit the European aquaculture industry, which has primarily had to rely on imported and unsustainable protein sources, such as soybeans from South America.

The participants in the project are Matís, Siemens, Waitrose and Algaennovation. Matís leads the project, which is funded by EIT Food.

On February 5, a special policy, or roadmap, was published for research into the micro-flora of the Atlantic. AORA (Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance) is responsible for this publication, which is an organization for marine research in the Atlantic Ocean of which the United States, Canada and the European Union are members.

AORA's goal is to foster the health and preservation of the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the well-being, prosperity and security of future generations. The AORA partnership is a result Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Directorate General Research and Innovation at the European Commission and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the United States.

AORA's policy statement states that the microflora of the ocean plays a key role for human society; for health, food, industry and ecosystems. It is therefore important that the scientific community, industry and policy makers align their efforts to nurture the ocean and better research the properties of the microflora and the potential opportunities it offers. Matís participated in compiling AORA's strategy.

More information about the AORA organization can be found here and a special introductory video about the guide can be found below:

International Day of Women and Girls in Science is today, February 11th.

The United Nations launched this day to raise awareness of the importance of increasing the participation of women and girls in science, which is now almost 30%. The day has been celebrated annually since 2016 to raise awareness of this important issue.

Happy birthday!

Matís ohf. is looking for two specialists to work, one in Akureyri and the other in the Westman Islands. The work mostly involves work on research and development projects in Matís' field of work.

These recruitments are in accordance with the policy of the Ministry of Industry and Innovation on strengthening activities in rural areas. This is a full-time job.
Area of work:

• Strengthen Matís' collaboration with the business community in the field of technology and innovation.
• Acquires projects in the field of Matís in collaboration with companies in the area.
• Set up and manage research projects.

Educational and qualification requirements:

• Work experience and knowledge of fisheries and / or food production.
• A university degree that is useful in the job - further education is an advantage.
• Initiative and independence in working methods.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to express oneself in speech and writing in Icelandic and English

The application deadline is February 17th

For further information, contact Jónas R. Viðarsson, Director of Matís, tel. 422 5000 or e-mail jonas@matis.is

Jónas Baldursson, master's student in food science, gives an open lecture in connection with his master's defense on the project "Cold purification of oil from eating and pelagic fish processing. Effect of temperature on cold refining of valuable fatty acids from side streams of fishmeal and fish oil processing".

The lecture will take place on Tuesday 30 January at 15:30 in room 312 at Matís at Vínlandsleið 14. All interested are welcome!