Author: Ísey Dís Hávarsdóttir

The project SeaCH4NGE seeks to answer this question.

Two feeding experiments with dairy cows on the one hand and cattle on the other were carried out at the University of Reading, UK, in the second half of this year. Both of these feed experiments have recently been completed and the staff of Matís' chemical department are competing to measure the chemical content of the products.

In the next few days, research will also be carried out on the taste and texture of the products. Sensory evaluation is performed on both dairy products and meat. The first results from the milk study carried out at the University of Reading seem particularly exciting. Clever consumers might find a slight difference in the taste of dairy products of this kind if such products come on the market. This week we at Matís also received many boxes of meat from the feed experiment which will be used to check if there is also a difference in the meat!

The research team in the SeaCH4NGE group is looking forward to seeing and compiling all the results of measurements and research from the project, which will end at the turn of the year. 

Below you can see portraits from the current research work. 

Seafood fraud is a huge problem worldwide, but it is estimated that about a third of all fish sold is served under a false flag. Species fraud is most common there, as cheaper species are sold as more expensive. For example, cod is often replaced by other cheaper whitefish in order to increase the profits of producers, distributors, retailers or restaurants, at the same time as consumers are deceived. Furthermore, thawed fish is commonly sold fresh.

Until now, genetic methods have been used to investigate and combat suspected species fraud. However, this method of analysis is both time consuming and costly. Therefore, there is a great need for rapid methods of species analysis to detect species fraud in a quick and cost-effective manner. This is especially important for products with a short lifespan, such as fresh fish.

REIMS is a research and innovation project funded by the European competition fund EIT Food and Matís is a participant in it. There is currently research on whether a method called REIMS, but it stands for Rapid evaporative ionization mass spectrometery, useful in distinguishing fish species from each other quickly and safely. This method involves taking a sample and applying an electric current to it, which burns a gas that passes through a mass analyzer that differentiates the type of sample. It is also being examined whether the REIMS method can be used to analyze whether fish has been frozen and thawed for sale. The project is led by Queens University in Belfast in Northern Ireland and other partners in the project are the olive oil producer Acesur in Spain and the Belgian food chain Colryut, but the technology is also coming out well in analyzing the quality of olive oil.

It has been found that with REIMS it is possible to easily distinguish cod from other whitefish species, but experiments have been performed on cod, haddock, saithe, ling and baitfish (tilapia and pangasius). A four-week experiment was also performed on cod stored in a freezer at -20 ° C and it was found that it could be distinguished from fresh cod by the REIMS method. In addition, cod that had been thawed after double freezing was compared with cod that had been frozen once and there was a clear difference in the results with the method.

It is clear that this technology gives good results in detecting type fraud and whether products have been frozen and thawed for sale without being specified. Work on the project will continue next year, examining where and how the technology will be used in value analysis in the value chain to prevent species fraud and ensure product traceability and value chain transparency.

Further information is provided by Sæmundur Sveinsson at Matís, in addition to which a presentation of the REIMS technology can be found here:

Young people's attitudes towards food, their needs and values are not necessarily the same as those of older people, but young people today are the consumers of the future.

This autumn, an interesting series of workshops was held where students at the University level and the Icelandic food industry were brought together. The workshops focused on the current pattern of communication and the provision of information to the industry to consumers and the aim was to support the dialogue of the food industry with the consumers of the future. The workshops raised questions such as "What does the next generation of consumers want to know about food and the value chain of food?", "What are their food values" and "How is information and knowledge enhanced best communicated to them?"

The project was carried out by Matís' research and innovation team under the direction of Kolbrún Sveinsdóttir, in collaboration with researchers under the direction of Anna Sigríður Ólafsdóttir at the School of Education at the University of Iceland. The project was carried out in four European countries (UK, Poland, Finland and Iceland). The workshops were part of a larger project funded by the European Union (within EIT FOOD) and the project is called WeValueFood and is managed by the Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast. The purpose of WeValueFood involves finding ways to increase the understanding and empowerment of young people's attitudes so that they understand the value and value of food and become more aware of food in a wider context.

Kolbrún Sveinsdóttir from Matís led discussions with students. Students who took part in the workshops placed great emphasis on the environmental impact of food, but transparency and honesty are key to a positive image and trust in food producers. They want to see more about how food in Iceland is produced, whether on social media, websites of food companies or with food labels.

The results show that young people want to know more about how food is produced and no less what is involved in the production process from A to Z. The information that young people call for includes confirmed information on everything from origin and eco-labels to cooking and storage instructions, but also information on why plastic is used in packaging, for example.

It is clear that the next generation of consumers wants to see their food value reflected in the foods they choose. Among the values associated with food, environmental protection and opposition to food waste were prominent. In order for young consumers to be able to arrange their purchases in line with their needs and values, transparency and good access to information are needed.

The workshops created an interesting dialogue between students and the food producer, which provided important insights for both consumers and the food industry. It is important to follow the workshops and strengthen the conversation and information flow between consumers and producers to meet the needs of future consumers.

Information about the WeValueFood project.

Bulsur

Matís operates a so-called food workshop. The food factory is in fact a kitchen and processing facility with a variety of equipment, appliances and utensils available so that it is possible to carry out a variety of food processing in the facility. Processing may take place provided that it has obtained the required operating license or certification.

Two of the entrepreneurs who have worked on their projects at Matarsmiðjan are Berglind Häsler and Svavar Pétur Eysteinsson with production at Bulsum.

The couple Berglind and Svavar Pétur are behind the making of vegetable sausages which they call Bulsur and produce under that brand. In 2012, the idea for Bulsugerðin came to Svavar's mind, who found himself in the position of longing for a classic sausage but did not want to consume any meat products. He then decided to take matters into his own hands and develop sausages that were suitable for those who opted for a vegetarian diet.

At Bulsugerðin, an attempt was made to use mainly raw materials found in the local area, and after considerable experimental work, he found that barley was a suitable ingredient to build on. All kinds of other ingredients were tested and in 2013 the mixture was perfect. The buns are made from Icelandic organically grown barley barley, beans, flour, seeds and fresh spices and they are without any additives. Furthermore, they do not contain any animal products and the ingredients are as organic and Icelandic as possible.

The couple have continued to experiment with various types of food production over the years, but the Bulsurs have always held their ground and absorbed the weather with the increased interest in the country's vegetarian or vegetable diet. It is best to grill the bulsur or fry them in a pan. The imagination can then completely control how they are served, but they fit with most side dishes and in various dishes. You can serve them in bread like a traditional sausage with everything, put them in a pasta dish or have a daydream, for example. Bulsur is available in most supermarkets all over the country, but in addition, several restaurants offer dishes from the menu that contain Bulsur.

Further information about Bulsur can be found on the website bulsur.is.

The marketing plan for societal challenges is a new competition fund under the auspices of the government, which was set up earlier this year. Universities, companies and research institutes that work together in a specific field of study or interdisciplinary fields of study on the basis of high-quality research programs can apply for grants from it.

One of the 7 projects that receives funding is entitled "Sustainable local utilization of raw materials in fertilizers - a holistic approach to a circular economy". Matís leads the project and the project manager is Marvin Ingi Einarsson, Industrial Engineer.

Iceland produces about 46,000 tonnes of synthetic fertilizer every year, which is an important factor in food production, land reclamation and carbon sequestration. Production, however, is not sustainable. It emits greenhouse gases and is on the verge of depleting limited resources.

In this project, a group of Icelandic companies and institutions will look for the best ways to utilize Icelandic resources, by-products from various industries and develop production processes to produce sustainable fertilizers for Icelandic agriculture and land reclamation.

Partners are Atmonia, the Icelandic Innovation Center, the Agricultural University of Iceland, Landgræðslan and Landsvirkjun.

Updated news: The NASF board has decided to postpone the event until June 8-10. Further information can be expected here on Matís' website in January.

In March every year for the past 15 years, managers and stakeholders in the fisheries and aquaculture industry have flocked to Bergen to attend a conference North Atlantic Seafood Forum (NASF).

The target group of this three-day conference has traditionally been managers in the fisheries, aquaculture and related industries, ie. equipment manufacturers, marketing companies, banks, insurance companies, consulting companies, etc. Although the cost of participation has been significant (the conference fee has been around ISK 150,000 + VAT per participant), between 800 and 1,000 people have attended the event each year, which shows how important this conference is for the target group. Due to COVID, it has now been decided that NASF21 will be an online event, which provides an opportunity to increase the number of participants and reduce the conference fee significantly.

The conference will take place on June 8-10 and is expected to have at least 2,500 participants. The conference fee is around 45,000 ISK + VAT (290 EUR) per participant, but then a volume discount is available for companies that register more participants. This year's program is particularly successful, a total of 130 presentations will be offered and among those present are Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway, Nina Jensen, Secretary General REV Ocean, Jong-Gu Lee, Deputy Secretary General Dongwong Industries which is South Korea's largest fisheries company, Sady Delgado, managing director AquaChile, along with presentations from Yongs, Nutrco, Rabobank, Kontali, Pareto etc.

As in previous years, the program is divided into the following sections:

On June 8, six seminars will take place:

• Aqua tech, managed by Sintef
• Marsh Insurance, where insurance companies are the target group
• Yong leaders summit, where future leaders in the fishing industry are the target group
• A seminar on marine research, chaired by the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research
• Seminar on research and innovation in the Norwegian fisheries sector, led by Norwegian research funds
• Seminar on international research and innovation in the fisheries sector.

The program for June 9 is divided into four parts:

• In the morning, there will be general presentations for all participants at a time, but that part is usually the highlight of the program.
• In the afternoon there are three seminars that take place simultaneously, ie.
  • Aquaculture
  • White fish
  • Markets (Brexit)

The program for June 10 is divided into four parts:

• Pelagic fish
• Markets
• Sustainability
• Introductions to start-ups and innovation

One of the most important part of participating in the NASF has always been the opportunity to gather the main influences in the fisheries sector in one place to establish and maintain partnerships. Good and secure business relationships are always based on personal communication, and NASF has played an important role in this. This time, efforts will be made to meet those needs by offering to connect parties in micro-meetings. Different "packages" are available when it comes to such connections, but the "package" that most people are most likely to choose who is interested in taking advantage of this opportunity costs 500 EUR. For that "package", the company gets its name and presentation on the "wall" and then all general participants can book a meeting with that company.

There are still very few opportunities to get on the list of speakers or to become sponsors of NASF21. 

For further information, contact Jónas R. Viðarsson jonas@matis.is or by phone 4225107.

Lava Cheese

Matís operates a so-called food workshop. The food factory is in fact a kitchen and processing facility with a variety of equipment, appliances and utensils available so that it is possible to carry out a variety of food processing in the facility. Processing may take place provided that it has obtained the required operating license or certification.

Two of the entrepreneurs who have worked on their projects at Matarsmiðjan are Guðmundur Páll Líndal and Jóhann Már Helgason at Lava Cheese

In 2017, the members Guðmundur Páll and Jósep Birgir Þórhallsson founded the company Lava Cheese but later Jóhann Már came into the production and they run the company Guðmundur today. In late 2016, the idea came to light when those friends sat together and feasted on grilled sandwiches with cheese, but talked about the fact that they jumped, grilled the cheese that had hardened on the grill the best part of the meal. Based on these conversations, they began further brainstorming and development and the cheese snack Lava Cheese emerged.

The Lava Cheese snack is made from Icelandic cheese that is cooked in an oven so that it turns into crispy and delicious cheese flakes. Ambition is set to achieve a slightly burnt taste and that is one of the special features of the snack. No unhealthy additives are added to the products, but some varieties are flavored, for example with chili flakes or onions. In one box, therefore, the nutritional information is about 39% protein and 0% carbohydrates. This means that the snack is a good choice for those who choose a low-carb diet or keto.

Today you can get Lava Cheese snacks in various stores all over the country. There are four flavors of the snack, namely Chili, Smoked, Sour cream & onion and Plain flavor, which is really tasteless. It is possible to consume the snack in various ways, but it is most common to eat it alone as a snack. However, the imagination has dominated many people and people have spread slices of Lava Cheese, for example by placing sour cream and caviar or pesto, a slice of bacon and eggs on top of the chips. It is also ideal to crush Lava Cheese in the salad bowl and some recipes at the local salad restaurant offer just that option.

More information about Lava Cheese can be found on their website, among others here  and information in English here.

The AVS project "Interaction of fat and pigment in feed on the growth and quality of Icelandic char" has been completed and has final report of the project now been released. The objectives of the project were twofold: a) to evaluate the effect of fat content in feed on growth, feed utilization and quality of char, b) to find the most efficient way of using and utilizing pigment in feed and its interaction with fat content in feed and fish. But with that, it would be possible to achieve significant savings in charr farming.

The project carried out long-term growth experiments with char, where the effects of feed on growth and important quality factors in char, fat composition and body color were investigated. The first objective of this study was to investigate the effect of different fat sources and fat content in feed on the growth and chemical composition of fillets. The second objective was to investigate the effect of different pigments in the feed and different pigment feeds, during the production period, on the flesh color of the fillets. The project was carried out in collaboration between Íslandsbleikja, Matís, Hólar University and the LAXÁR Fodder Factory.

The experiments showed that different fat content of feed and different fat raw materials did not affect growth, growth rate, feed consumption, feed utilization of FCR or utilization factors at slaughter. The fat content of the feed, on the other hand, was reflected in the fat content of the fillets and the fatty acid composition of the feed was in most cases clearly reflected in the fatty acid composition of the fillets. Different fat ingredients and fat content in the feed had little effect on the visible flesh color in the fillets. Greater color variability became more pronounced when pigments were chemically analyzed in fillets.

Analysis of the concentration of pigments in the experimental feed showed difficulties in the production of feed with an exact color content, according to the plan and feed recipes, regardless of the color of the dyes or in improved quantities. There was a significant loss of feed color, in feed production, when using organic coloring, and this loss appeared independent of admixture. The results indicate that these processing losses (approximately 30%) need to be taken into account to ensure that the fish receives sufficient pigment for normal carcass coloration.

Different pigments and different pigment concentrations had no significant effect on the growth rate of feed utilization or the nutritional content of the fish.

A small difference was detected in visible color (Salmofan), but fillet color measured by Minolta analysis showed more correlation in the color of fillets and eaten pigments. The chemical analysis of fillets in fillets was correlated with the amount of pigments eaten. The concentration of pigments in the feed in excess of 50 mg / kg had no visible effect towards a redder flesh color in the fillets.

They provide more information about the project Jón Árnason at Matís and Ólafur Ingi Sigurgeirsson at Hólar University.

Smári's Volcano Sauce

Matís operates a so-called food workshop. The food factory is in fact a kitchen and processing facility with a variety of equipment, appliances and utensils available so that it is possible to carry out a variety of food processing in the facility. Processing may take place provided that it has obtained the required operating license or certification.

One of the entrepreneurs who has worked on his projects in Matarsmiðjan is Eggert Smári Sigurðsson with Smári's Volcano Sauce

Eggert Smári is behind the brand Smári's Volcano Sauce which produces strong sauces to accompany various foods. He himself likes strong sauces, but he got a taste of them in the southern United States when he lived there for a while. There, it is popular to eat chicken wings with a so-called Hot-Sauce or a strong sauce in some form. When he returned to Iceland, he thought the selection of such sauces was small and not varied enough, so he started making them himself.

For a few years, Smári continued to experiment with making sauces and mainly produced for consumption for himself, family and friends. He developed the recipes himself according to "taste-memory" as he calls it. He remembered various types of sauces he tasted when he was abroad and tried to evoke the right taste in his recipes. 

The raw material used in the sauces is specially ordered from abroad, but each sauce is made from scratch from fresh ingredients. The sauces include jalapeno pepper, green chilli pepper, habanero pepper and Carolina Reaper, which is the second strongest pepper found in the world.

Earlier this year, 2020, Smári started selling his products to the public and they are products Smári's Volcano Sauce now available on the project website and at the resurrection club The Secret Cellar in Reykjavik. In a traditional season when the place is open, you can also get chicken wings with the sauces. The product selection is constantly evolving, but now it is possible to get three different sauces that bear the volcanic names Askja, Hekla and Katla. Recently, two types were added and they are an authentic tropical ranch sauce called Drangjökull on the one hand and the blue cheese sauce Mýrdalsjökull on the other. It is common for these types of sauce to be served with chicken wings that have been bathed in a strong sauce and are therefore a good addition to the product selection.

Further information on product items can be found at website Smári's Volcano Sauce.

The AVS project "Dyeing of Salmon with Natural Pigments" has been completed and has final report of the project now been released. The project investigated the effect of different pigments and their concentration in Atlantic salmon feed on flesh color. The main results of the project were that there was an insignificant difference in body color between the dyeing methods tested. All the pigments gave an acceptable flesh color to the fillets. 

The project was carried out in collaboration with Matís, Hólar University, the LAXÁ Feed Factory and Nofima in Norway. The dye Panaferd AX, derived from the bacterium Paracoccus carotinifaciens, was mixed in different concentrations in experimental feed and the effect evaluated. The reference was the chemical pigment Lucantin® Pink, which is currently most commonly used in feed for farmed salmon. Initially, the dye Aquasta® was also to be tested, but it disappeared from the market and was therefore only used in the first part (of three) of the experiment. In the second part of the experiment, therefore, only a comparison of flesh-coloring with Panaferd AX and Lucantin Pink, given in varying amounts with different sizes of fish.

The project carried out feed experiments where salmon were farmed in aquaculture tanks for a total of 438 days.

At the beginning of the study, it was investigated how much pigment was lost during the production of the experimental feed. The study showed that when using Panaferd AX, only 76.9% of astaxanthin was added, compared to 100 + % when Lucantin Pink was used. Therefore, 30% more of astaxanthin in the form of Panaferd i needs to be added to the feed to ensure that the fish has the same amount of pigment as was obtained using Lucantin Pink.

Growth, feed intake, feed utilization and survival were normal in all groups in the experiment. The results showed little difference in body color between treatments, but there was little correlation between the chemical concentration of pigments and the visible color.

The result of the experiment was that all the dyeing methods tested and both the dyes studied gave a similar and acceptable flesh color in salmon fillets. Panaferd AX is an organic alternative for dyeing farmed salmon, if care is taken to mix enough in the feed to cover the loss of astaxanthin in the feed production process.

Further information can be obtained from Jón Árnason at Matís and Ólafur Ingi Sigurgeirsson at Hólaskóli.