Author: Ísey Dís Hávarsdóttir

In recent years, Matís ohf has been responsible for projects on the value chain of grain from grain cutting to food production. Most of these projects have dealt with Icelandic barley, its quality, chemical content and value added through food production. 

It has been shown both in projects and in companies that Icelandic barley can be used for the production of alcoholic beverages. The production of alcoholic beverages in Iceland has increased significantly in recent years. There are now about 22 craft breweries in the country as well as two large producers of beer. Whiskey is increasingly produced in Iceland. In most cases, imported barley is used for production.

In Matís' projects, the focus has increasingly been on sustainability. One of the results of a recent grain project is a chapter on the sustainability of beer production in the book Case studies in the Beer Sector which was published this September by the book publisher Elsevier. The book covers many areas of beer production, such as the development of the beer market, innovation and marketing. A promising methodology for marketing is suggested and how beer is related to regional food and tourism. The conflict between environmental and economic sustainability is discussed and it is concluded that sustainability needs to be discussed with the government and municipalities.

It is expected that Icelandic beer producers will be able to download many ideas for the book, which can be ordered on Elsevier's website:  elsevier.com. 

It should also be mentioned that Matís was involved in a scientific article on the value chain from barley to beer, but it is in open access here. 

The ice processing

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 Daníel Jón Jónsson and Fannar Alexander Arason at Klakavinnslan. 

In 2018, the company Klakavinnslan was founded and today it is Daníel Jón, one of the founders, and Fannar Alexander who take care of the operation. They have both worked in the restaurant industry for years and got to know each other through that work. They are big fans of good and high-quality drinks, but in their work as bartenders they often found that the low quality of the ice cream they used in the making of the drink meant that they could not serve drinks of the quality they would have preferred. In their opinion, glaciers did not receive enough attention in the restaurant world, despite the fact that they were a large and important part of most of the drinks served by bartenders. In addition, access to good clocks was minimal in Iceland

Those members saw an opportunity there to start production in Iceland of high-quality clams from Icelandic water. There is no newspaper about the fact that Icelandic water is one of the best in the world, so they envisioned that ice made from it, made according to the rules of the art, could be exceptionally good. The ice from Klakavinnslan is frozen slowly and with pressure so that they become very dense. There is no air left in them and they are therefore completely clear and free of holes. This means that each glaze melts more slowly than otherwise and as a result the drink stays undiluted and in its true form much longer.

Klakavinnslan conducts business services, so it is possible to get ice from them for your drink at the various restaurants and bars in Reykjavík, such as Slippbarn, Sushi Social and Miami. In addition, product development has taken place and many exciting things in the pipes, but they have recently been put on sale in Melabúðin and selected Hagkaup stores so people can approach them in a simple way and cool their drink.

More information about The ice processing can be found at their website. 

Matís has good facilities and a strong team of experts in the field of aquaculture research, especially in terms of feed and fish behavior.

In the Matís experimental farm, which is colloquially called MARS (Matís Aquaculture Research Station), there are three aquaculture systems that consist of two RAS systems (Recirculation Aquaculture System) and one flow-through system.

• RAS 1 consists of 36 pots, each of which holds about 200 liters of water / sea.
• RAS 2 consists of 24 pots, each of which holds about 800 liters of water / sea.
• The flow-through system consists of 48 pots, each holding about 20 liters of water.

In MARS, among other things, feed is developed and produced from new proteins, in addition to which growth and digestibility experiments are carried out on various fish species. There is also a great demand from feed producers and aquaculture companies around the world for service projects in MARS. Among other things, they produce feed from raw materials that these parties are developing (or buying from their suppliers) and then growth and / or digestibility experiments are performed on the feed.

In MARCH, we work with different fish species, as well as fish at different stages of life, from juveniles to adult fish. The species that have been caught in MARCH are Atlantic salmon, tilapia, trout, rainbow trout, white-tailed prawns and oysters.

There are few experimental farms in the world that can offer services comparable to Matís in terms of feed production and aquaculture research. In addition, there are significant synergies with other areas within Matís, such as chemical measurements, microbiological measurements, sensory evaluation, processing, product development, etc. There is a great demand for collaboration with Matís in the fields of feed and aquaculture, both in research projects and service projects.

We at Matís are very proud of the facilities and knowledge that exist within the company and look forward to future aquaculture and aquaculture research. 

With the increasing population growth and awareness of the environmental impact of world food production, the need for the development of new ingredients has also increased. At the same time, the food industry continues to strive to meet consumer demands for food quality and nutritional value. Based on this, it has been examined whether biotechnology can be used to develop protein-rich ingredients in food and thereby meet the demand for increased sustainability and wholesomeness in food.

The FUNGITIME project, which is funded by the European Union through EIT food and Matís, leads the development of various foods that contain ABUNDA® mushroom protein. The ABUNDA® protein contains a mixture of nutrients, fiber, vitamins and minerals, and the foods that are evolving are varied. Examples include snacks, pasta and various beverages such as milk substitutes. The aim of the project is to develop foods that have excellent nutritional and biological properties while meeting as many consumer demands as possible.

In recent months, Matís has carried out development work on recipes for fresh tagliatelle pasta that contains ABUNDA® mushroom protein. On the one hand, it is a traditional pasta recipe where a certain percentage of flour is replaced by ABUNDA®. However, a pasta recipe has been developed that is suitable for those who prefer a vegetarian diet.

There are various problems with developing pasta in this way, but some properties of the pasta dough, such as adhesion and elasticity, change considerably when it is used. Consumer surveys conducted in connection with the project have also shown that consumers want more products without all the additives that are often used when producing substitute products that are supposed to mimic some kind of original product. It has therefore been assumed that no added material will be used in this development of pasta to meet these requirements.

However, the use of ABUNDA® fungal protein is expected to have several benefits. The protein is of high quality but the production cost is nevertheless low and the production is largely sustainable. The protein is also healthy, high in fiber and suitable for vegetarians and greengrocers.

Further reading on ABUNDA® mushroom protein and the technology behind it can be found here. 

Kombucha Iceland

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 Ragna Björk Guðbrandsdóttir and Manuel Plasencia Gutierrez at Kombucha Iceland. 

The couple Ragna Björk and Manuel founded the company Kombucha Iceland to manage their production of various varieties of kombucha drinks in 2016. They already had considerable experience in the making of beverages, but Manuel, who is from Cuba, had been experimenting with fermenting various foods and drinks. here in Iceland, as is the tradition in his childhood home in his home country, for several years.

Kombucha is basically a tea that is fermented according to the rules of the art. Tea is poured, but Ragna and Manuel use five types of high-quality organic tea leaves and Icelandic water. Under the right temperature conditions and with the help of organic sugar, the fermentation begins and it initiates a process that fills the drink with a variety of health-promoting compounds, beneficial bacteria and vitamins. Kombucha is therefore considered very good for health and not least for the intestinal flora and digestion. The drink is naturally carbonated and has a pleasant sour-sweet taste.

In the production, the couple have strived to have as many ingredients as possible in the drink fresh, organic and preferably Icelandic if possible. Kombucha Iceland is available in many flavors, such as cranberry flavors, but the family usually goes to Borgarfjörður to pick berries for beverage production. You can also get beetroot, glowaldin, rhubarb and vanilla flavors as well as the original flavor that has many fans. Kombucha is a health-promoting and refreshing drink that can be enjoyed on most occasions. It contains caffeine from tea and carbon dioxide due to the fermentation, and commentators have said that it is suitable for beating sugar cravings and as a substitute for soft drinks or alcohol.

Further information about Kombucha Iceland can be found on their website, https://kubalubra.is/.

Kristján Þór Júlíusson, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, and Matís have signed two new agreements, a service agreement to ensure security services in the field of food research for the benefit of Icelanders and an agreement to strengthen Matís' operations in rural areas.

"Through the agreements, we entrust Matís with the development of its operations in the countryside in line with the policy we have set ourselves to increase jobs and increase value creation in the countryside," says Kristján Þór Júlíusson, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture. "The new service agreement sets a clear framework for the important task of ensuring security services in the field of food research for the benefit of the people. The agreement is now being signed for the first time for three years to increase stability. Matís plays a key role in the country's food security and it is important to ensure a safe and predictable operating basis for that activity. "

Development in the countryside in accordance with the Minister's policy

Through an agreement to strengthen Matís' services in rural areas, Matís will receive ISK 80 million over a two-year period to strengthen its operations and increase collaboration with industries in development and research.

"With this, Matís will be able to create opportunities for increased collaboration with companies, institutions and educational institutions. We aim for at least 10% Matís job values to be in the countryside, "says Oddur M. Gunnarsson, Matís' CEO, but this is in line with the government's policy on jobs without placement.

The aim of the agreement is, among other things, to bring Matís' operations closer to customers and improve value creation for the future through increased innovation, research and development work.

Service contract for three years

The Minister also signed a three-year service agreement on research, the operation of a reference laboratory and security and priority services in the field of food. The aim of the agreement is to ensure security services in the field of food research for the benefit of the people. The agreement also stipulates Matís' role in the field of research that increases the value of Icelandic food production and promotes its safety and wholesomeness.

Through the agreement, Matís ensures access to laboratory security services and a minimum response time in the event of unexpected events that could threaten food safety and consumer health. Matís also ensures that the necessary research infrastructure is in place so that strong food control can be carried out.

"The agreement is in line with the goals of Iceland becoming a leader in the production of healthy products from sea and land, in addition to promoting increased innovation in the value chain of Icelandic food production," says the Minister. 

Inga Kristín Guðlaugsdóttir and Elín Sigríður Harðardóttir are product designers who run the company Efnasmiðjan together. In recent months, they have been working on and leading a project entitled "Lupine in a new light - the fiber of the future" and based on research and experiments on Alaska lupine.

Icelanders know the lupine well, but it was imported into the country in 1945 and has since been widely used in soil revegetation throughout the country. At the beginning of the project, the properties and strengths of lupine as a raw material were investigated. The aim was to study the properties of fibrous material extracted from various parts of the lupine from different harvest times using different methods. 

The purpose of the project is to develop environmentally friendly fiber materials, for example in packaging and building materials, from Alaska lupine in a sustainable way. The material is free of any external binders or additives and can also decompose rapidly in nature. Emphasis is placed on utilizing this material, which already exists to a large extent in Icelandic nature, without, however, eliminating it.

The project is still in the research stage and is currently being examined how different fiber materials can be made using different methods. Various experiments and measurements, such as texture measurements and more that require facilities, equipment and further scientific knowledge are in the hands of Matís, who is a partner in the project and is Sophie Jensen contact.

The results of research and experiments that have already been carried out indicate that lupine has special properties that make its fibers bind well together and form a strong fibrous material that is useful in many ways.

Lupine is in many ways an interesting research topic and the main emphasis has been on examining its physical properties. However, she also aroused Inga and Elín's interest in how controversial she is in Icelandic society. Lupine is in fact an endless source of lively debate and most people have strong opinions on its issues; people either love lupine or hate it.

Inga and Elín received the President of Iceland's Innovation Award in 2018 for the project, in addition to which it has received widespread coverage, such as in design publications and at conferences. You can follow the progress of the project and get more information on its website; Lupineproject.com.

SVAVA the Icelandic Mustard lady

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 Svava at Sælkeraspinnepi Svava or SVAVA The Icelandic mustard lady 

Svava H. Guðmundsdóttir is behind the project, the beginning of which can be traced to the fact that she lived with her family in southern Sweden in the years 1975-1982. There is a special Scanian mustard around it, it is a strong mustard with a sweet taste, a very popular side dish with various foods and Svava learned to make it herself. When the family moved home, it proved difficult to find this type of mustard in the country's stores, which led Svava to develop its own mustard under the influence of Scanian. Around the time of the economic collapse, Svava began to think of new opportunities to seize life and saw the possibility of expanding the niches in mustard production, which until then had only been intended for family and friends.

Production The company Sólakur ehf started in 2014 under the name Sælkerasinnep Svava but in 2020 the packaging and name were changed and the products are now available under the brand
SVAVA (The Icelandic Mustard Lady).

Mustard seeds from Sweden are used in the production, but we try to get as much of the other raw materials as possible from Iceland and preferably from local people in the district. This shows itself well in the product range, but today 6 taste-related products are produced; Strong sweetness, which is the basic mustard, Main blueberry and thyme, Cumin and liqueur, Flóki whiskey, Icelandic rhubarb and Licorice. All types of mustard also contain Icelandic beer from the north, Kaldi lager.

Iceland does not have the same tradition of using mustard with and in food as in the other Nordic countries, but with the introduction of mustard from Svava, access to good mustard has increased and therefore there is nothing to stop you from trying your hand at cooking. The mustard can be used with sausages, on top of bread, with grilled fish or meat, in marinating for barbecue, in salad dressings and even with stews to name a few.

More information about SVAVA The Icelandic mustard lady can be found at the company's facebook page. 

Earlier this year, a joint Nordic project was launched to study plastic additives in the sea. These are collaborative projects between Aarhus University in Denmark, Nofima in Norway and Matís in Iceland. The project is funded by a joint Nordic working group on the sea, coastal areas and chemistry under the auspices of the Nordic Council of Ministers, and is expected to be completed in October 2021.

Background: It is estimated that up to 8 million tonnes of plastic waste will be released into the sea worldwide each year, and emissions are expected to increase in the coming years. Plastic is found in countless products, but a variety of chemical additives are added to the plastic so that it meets certain conditions or has certain properties. Plastic products that end up in the ocean gradually decompose into smaller particles and their structure and chemical composition change due to the decomposition. Chemical additives can be released from the plastic and lead to undesirable effects on the marine environment if they have harmful health effects. It is not yet known what the impact may be on human consumption of seafood and knowledge of what substances are added to the plastic, how much is released into the sea and the risk of these factors to the marine environment is deficient.

About the project: In this Nordic project, the residues of chemical additives in two products made from two common types of plastic, on the one hand polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and on the other hand polyurethane (PUR), will be examined and measured. The plastic will be crushed into micrometer small particles or so-called microplastic and placed, in water-permeable bags, in Samnangerfjörður near Bergen in Norway. It will be stored there from June to October 2020. After decomposition in the water, the types and amount of chemical additives in the plastic particles will be determined by chemical analysis methods and compared with the types and amounts in the original plastic. This will provide knowledge of what chemical additives are in the plastic and their possible tendency to be released into the marine environment. Based on the possible effects of the chemical additives on the marine environment and people, a list will be made of the additives that are measured and then ranked according to the risks they entail.

Dissemination: The results will be disseminated in a project report and in the Nordic co - operation network NordMar plastic. The aim is to use the results in teaching materials and as data to build on in various types of decision-making, in the plastics industry, in the plastics industry associations and distributors. In addition, the results will be presented and discussed with the Danish Environment Agency, in scientific articles and on partner websites and their social media.

The project manager of the project is Patrik Fauser at Department of Environmental Science at Aarhus University and Sophie Jensen is a contact at Matís. More information can be obtained from them.

The news can also be read in the original language here.

NordMar Plastic, a pan-Nordic project led by Matís, aims to raise awareness and educate the public about plastic pollution in the environment, as well as to develop and publish study materials or hold events that promote increased innovation in connection with the subject. A guide has now been published on how to hold a so-called hackathon or idea competition that deals with a specific topic.

The guide is useful for hacking an idea competition on environmental issues, either in the place where people meet as usual in a traditional season or in online worlds. The guide includes a to-do list, ideas for setting up a program, reviews and tips on what to do and what challenges organizers may face when planning an event of this kind. The guide is based on the planning and implementation of two hackathon events that were held in Iceland in the autumn of 2019 and 2020.
The guide is available in Pdf. formi here.

In September 2019, Plastaþon was held, an idea competition that aimed to find solutions to problems that people face in connection with the use of plastic. Participants received training and education on the issue and met a diverse group of people who came together to seek creative solutions under the guidance of experts. 50 people signed up, but a total of 34 completed the hack. Participants formed teams and worked together to solve the problem of overuse of plastic. The winning idea was to set up self-service stations for dairy products and other liquid products in supermarkets. Customers could then bring their own recyclable packaging and refill as needed.

A similar event was held in August this year, under the name Spjaraþon. Due to COVID-19, the event was moved to online worlds, which brought with it various challenges, but an attempt was made to keep all technical aspects as simple as possible. In this hackathon, participants came together to learn about the environmental problems associated with the textile industry and look for ways to combat textile waste. Experts talked to participants about the state of the problem and the state of the design process in the industry, and from the discussions, good ideas emerged about the development of solutions that were at the same time effective, realistic and useful. 14 individuals put forward good ideas but the winning solution was entitled Spjarasafn. Spjarasafn is a kind of Airbnb for clothes that allows users to rent out and borrow expensive luxuries that would otherwise normally hang unused inside the wardrobe.