Author: Ísey Dís Hávarsdóttir

Jónas R. Viðarsson, Director of Value Creation at Matís, gave a talk at the Knowledge Center in the Westman Islands on 25 February, entitled "Challenges and the success of Icelanders in further processing and processing of marine products for export from Iceland". 

In his presentation, Jónas discussed developments in fish processing in Iceland and sought to answer the question of whether Icelandic companies can approach consumers to a greater extent than hitherto or whether they are doomed to be primarily raw material producers for foreign parties. Jónas took some examples of prices of exported products from Iceland and then finished products out of the store. He reviewed the amount of raw or unprocessed fish exported from Iceland in 2020. Jónas also took some examples of Icelanders' export experiments on finished seafood and considered various reasons that could possibly explain why full processing in Iceland is not greater than she is. He considers various factors as possible reasons why full processing is not greater in this country. In addition, examples were taken of production units abroad that are owned by Icelanders, as the factories are in most cases close to the markets.

At the end of his talk, Jónas briefly discussed some well-chosen fisheries-related research and innovation projects that Matís has been involved in, related to further processing or full processing. Both projects that have been successful, as well as some that have not been successful. Jónas discussed the importance of reviewing both projects that had been successful and projects that had not been successful.

A recording of the talk and the slides can be found on the website of the Knowledge Center in the Westman Islands here.  

At the moment, you can find a variety of discussions and lively discussions about goat breeding on various news and social media. The trigger for this was a comment with a rejection that was received by the applicant in the Food Fund, but he was the only applicant among the goat breeders in Iceland. The review has received considerable attention because of it is considered to be a sign of prejudice and ignorance of commentators on the state of goat breeding in this country today.  

The Icelandic Goat Breeding Association has been in operation for 30 years, but the association's role is to promote the protection and breeding of the Icelandic goat population and look for ways to improve the utilization and increase the value of goat products. The Icelandic goat population is considered to be in danger of extinction as there are only almost 1500 animals. Riða, which came up in Skagafjörður last autumn, took its toll on the stock, in addition to which sheep disease prevention lines also apply to goats. There has been considerable inbreeding in the stock, but this poses a risk to the future of the stock. It is therefore important to increase the number of stocks and one of the key prerequisites for this is to develop as many goat products as possible. materials for goat farmers and the general public. The key conclusion is that the products of Icelandic goats are well suited for a variety of foods that are healthy and have a variety of uniqueness. At Matís, leaflets on this subject were compiled, e.g. a leaflet on the quality of goat products in all kinds of foods. Reports on goat products have also been published, for example on nutritional value of goat products and the uniqueness of Icelandic goat products with an emphasis on the countless possibilities for product development and production.

When it comes to goat products, there are many interesting products. Dairy products, meat products, steaks (yeasts), skins and yarns are among them and some products have gained popularity around the world. For example, goat cheese is considered a special delicacy in many countries and has also become widespread in Iceland, in Italy goat milk ice cream is popular and in Poland sweets are made from goat milk. The goats themselves provide so many opportunities in tourism as they are known for their pranks and special looks. The fashion sector can also process goat products, both clothing and items.

It is clear that the products of Icelandic goats are well suited for food as well as for various value creation. There is every reason to continue research, ideas and development work on a variety of products, both in the near and distant future.

Recently, a rather unconventional cookbook was published by the Nordic Council of Ministers, in which Matís was involved. In the book entitled Cookbook for system change - Nordic innovation methods for sustainable food systems discusses the important systemic changes that need to take place to facilitate innovation in food systems so that we can address the societal challenges facing the world. 

The book contains instructions and some ingredients such as a traditional cookbook, such as a template for the development of interventions, instructions on how to take the first steps and parables about interdisciplinary projects. These ingredients can then be used to create custom recipes for changes and improvements.

The cookbook is mainly intended for innovative institutions in each country. Its content strongly encourages targeted decisions in the innovation environment to strengthen the food systems of all areas that benefit people, communities and the planet as a whole. The book also sheds light on how individuals, entrepreneurs and grassroots researchers can influence the system as a whole. 

The book can be found in Pdf. form here: Cookbook for systems change - Nordic innovation strategies for sustainable food systems

Transportation has begun at Matís' office in East Iceland. The four employees who work there are currently moving to a new building that has been named Múlinn samvinnuhús, but it was taken into use at the end of the year. 

This is a 900 square meter building by Nesbakki in Neskaupsstaður. The building, which partly housed the retail space, has been overhauled and an extension that accommodates a variety of commercial activities. The building is divided into an office cluster that will be used by many companies and institutions, in addition to which specialized laboratories and open spaces are under the same roof.

Matís will use a specialized laboratory for microbiological and chemical measurements as well as office space.

Múlinn samvinnuhús is owned by Samvinnufélag útgerðarmanna Neskaupstaður or SÚN and in addition to Matís are some of the companies that have secured facilities in the house Advania, Austurbrú, Deloitte, Hafrannsóknastofnun, Náttúrustofa Austurlands, Nox health, Origo, Rannsóknarstofa fyrir örveru- og línamjóllingar, Stapi Trackwell.

Today, February 11, is International Women's Science Day. It is therefore appropriate to shed light on one powerful scientist and introduce a new director of public health and food safety at Matís, Dr. Ásta Heiðrún E. Pétursdóttir.

Ásta Heiðrún graduated as a chemist from the University of Iceland in 2008 and then began a master's degree in collaboration with Matís and the University of Iceland, but the project consisted of researching different chemical forms of arsenic in fishmeal.

Ásta Heiðrún began her doctoral studies at the University of Aberdeen in the autumn of 2010 and graduated in early 2014. Ásta quickly showed talent in the field of research and information dissemination. She has received various grants to attend conferences and events around the world. Ásta's research during her doctoral studies became a collection of 6 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters that were published during her studies and 3 articles that were published following her doctoral dissertation. Ásta's research was primarily concerned with developing methods for the analysis of different chemical forms of arsenic. 

In recent years, Ásta has, for example, led a European research project aimed at examining the methane emissions of cows after algae feeding, and she is also in charge of strengthening safety in Matís' working environment.

Ásta is a powerful scientist and very advanced in the field of chemical analysis, but her work has not only had an academic impact but also on regulations and their implementation, in addition to which the research results have been disseminated to a very wide group and thus reached scientists, stakeholders and the public. Ásta's interest in research is constantly shifting to the field of climate change, which is one of the biggest challenges facing the world.

The 33rd volume of the journal Icelandic Agricultural Sciences for the year 2020 was published recently and can be found in electronic form at ias.is. 

The journal, formerly called Búvísindi, is published at least annually and the articles published there are in English. This time, eight articles were published on a variety of topics, all related to life sciences, as well as an editorial, where the importance of having a scientific journal like this open and accessible to the public so that it is possible to utilize information collected through research. The articles are as follows:

• Parasites in chickens in Iceland then and now
• Effect of fat admixture in dairy cows' feed on the utilization and chemical content of milk
• Sheep breeding organization in Iceland with emphasis on maternal characteristics
• Use of a seedbed for revegetation in moorland. Isotope measurements and the effect of geothermal gas on measured soil respiration in warm areas in the South
• Relationship between bacterial communities and soil properties on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
• Impact of environmental factors on annual growth (annual latitudes)Betula pubescens) and pine (Sorbus aucuparia) in the East
• Impact of different grazing weights on young larch forest

Icelandic Agricultural Sciences is the only journal in the field of life sciences in Iceland that meets the requirements for international peer-reviewed scientific journals according to ISI (e.Institute of Scientific Information) standards. The editor-in-chief is Björn Þorsteinsson, professor at the Agricultural University of Iceland, who is responsible for the publication Agricultural University of Iceland, Forestry Research Station at Mógilsá, Marine Research Institute, Marine and Water Research and Consulting Institute, University of Iceland Laboratory of Pathology at Keldur, Matís ohf, Land reclamation and Agricultural Advisory Center. 

There is an advertisement for a student in a master's project

Matís is leading a new project on improved quality, shelf life and less waste in the value chain of Icelandic vegetables, which is funded by the Food Fund for one year.

Opportunities exist for a larger domestic market share and vegetable exports. The quality of the vegetables harvested by farmers can be better preserved by reforming the entire value chain to consumers, but this requires a concerted effort. The opportunities are also there, special growing conditions in Iceland and a cool climate offer to maintain the high quality of the crop.

We are looking for a master's student in the project, which focuses on research into the shelf life of vegetables. The project can be 60 or 90 credits.

The project will be limited to one or a few types of vegetables and can focus on simulation experiments to predict shelf life in order to maximize quality and reduce waste. Proposals should be made for improvements in the value chain of vegetables.

The project can start now as early as February 2021. The scope of the project will be defined according to the number of credits (60 or 90 credits).

A grant of ISK 1 million is available, which is performance-related.

Supervisors:

Ólafur Reykdal, Matís (olafurr@matis.is, phone number 4225098)

Dr Kolbrún Sveinsdóttir, Matís and the University of Iceland (kolbrun@matis.is, phone number 4225079)

Professor Guðjón Þorkelsson, University of Iceland (gudjont@hi.is, phone number 4225040)

For more information, please contact:

Ólafur Reykdal

Email: olafurr@matis.is

Phone number: 4225098

The results of monitoring of undesirable substances in edible parts of seafood for the year 2020 are now available. Systematic monitoring has been going on, intermittently, since 2003 and Matís ohf. Responsible for data collection and publication of reports due to it. 

The aim of the project is to demonstrate the position of Icelandic seafood in terms of safety and health and to use the data in the risk assessment of food to ensure the interests of consumers and public health. The project builds a knowledge base on the amount of undesirable substances in economically important species and marine products. This is defined as a long-term project where expansion and revision are constantly needed. 

The results for 2020 show that all samples of marine products for human consumption were well below the EU maximum values for persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals. The concentration of so-called ICES6-PCBs turned out to be low in edible parts of seafood, compared to the EU maximum value according to Regulation no. 1259/2011. The results also showed that the concentration of heavy metals, such as cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) in Icelandic seafood was always below the EU maximum values. 

The full report can be read here: Results of continuous monitoring of undesirable substances in seafood from the 2020 resource