Author: Kristín Edda Gylfadóttir

Peer-reviewed articles

Is renewing Icelandic demersal trawling vessels resulting in lower greenhouse gas emissions?

Contact

Guðrún Svana Hilmarsdóttir

Specialist

gudrun.svana@matis.is

Understanding and reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of bottom trawl fisheries is of importance, as it directly impacts efforts to mitigate climate change and promotes sustainable fishing practices. As a considerable part of global landings is fished using demersal trawls and vessel renewal is often mentioned as an important mitigation measure. This study compares the greenhouse gas emissions of older and newer trawlers in the Icelandic fleet, using Life Cycle Assessment methodology with the functional unit "1 kg of demersally trawled fish at landing". The global warming potential (kg CO2-eq) from older Icelandic bottom trawlers was assessed and compared to the newer ones, where older vessels were in some cases being decommissioned. A total of 11 trawlers were assessed, providing a cross section of the Icelandic bottom trawler fleet, with respect to age, size, catch composition and onboard operations. The results show that freezer trawling was more energy-intensive compared to trawlers landing their catches chilled/superchilled. Fleet renewal alone does not explain the reduction in fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions in the Icelandic bottom trawl fleet between 2012 and 2022, highlighting the need for a comprehensive approach considering multiple factors such as catch composition, fishing ground, and vessel characteristics, which explained 87% of the emissions. Catching indicated increased fuel consumption compared to steaming. The greenhouse gas emissions allocated to each demersal fish species ranged on average from 0.5 to 1.0 kg CO2-eq/kg of the weight of demersal fish landed, and from 1.4 to 2.7 kg CO2-eq/kg of the edible part of demersal fish landed (mass allocation), where redfish stood out as having the highest emissions.

Reports

On line technologies to measure intramuscular fat in lamb carcasses

Published:

04/12/2024

Authors:

Guðjón Þorkelsson

Supported by:

Sheep farming development capital

Contact

Guðjón Þorkelsson

Strategic Scientist

gudjon.thorkelsson@matis.is

Fat explosion has not been measured during the quality assessment of lamb and ewe carcasses because it is not possible to visually assess muscle since the carcasses are not cut after cooling in slaughterhouses. It is changing. Australia, the world's largest lamb exporter, has adopted intramuscular fat as a breeding target. In order to breed and pay farmers for fat in the muscles of lamb carcasses, fast and automatic measurements of hot carcasses on the slaughter line are needed. Meat and Livestock Australia and public bodies have supported the development and testing of meters based on different technologies. One meter has been certified and is being tested/used in several abattoirs in Australia and New Zealand. The meter is from Meqprobe and is based on probes being inserted into the warm back muscle on the slaughter line, which assess intramuscular fat using laser technology.

Other measures, such as optical imaging (OCT), based on the adaptation of needles used in medical imaging to measure intramuscular fat and other properties, and magnetic resonance imaging (NMR) are still under development.

The purpose of including intramuscular fat in the quality assessment is to make lamb meat from Australia stand out in demanding markets in other countries that are willing to pay a higher price for higher taste quality.

We are considering whether to breed for intramuscular fat in Icelandic sheep. Conditions in Iceland are completely different from Australia, where about 25 million lambs are slaughtered per year, the age at slaughter is 6-8 months, the average weight is 25 kg, and about 70% of the production is sold abroad. The slaughterhouses in Iceland might be too small to cover the costs of an objective assessment of muscle fat, and there is also a question as to whether it serves any purpose both for farmers and different markets. Another option is to focus on breeding and measure intramuscular fat in the back muscles of lambs from progeny research farms the day after slaughter in cold slaughterhouses. The carcasses would then have to be cut to access the spinal muscles of the lambs and NIR meters or imaging should be used to measure fat in the muscles.

The NIR meter from the company SOMA OPT has been certified in Australia to measure intramuscular fat in the spinal muscles of lamb carcasses. Imaging equipment for beef is also being adapted to lamb meat. It is also interesting to observe the development of technology for image analysis with ordinary mobile phones.

It is also interesting to see if it will be possible to use ultrasound on live cattle to tell about intramuscular fat. This report is a summary of the development of instrumentation in relation to intramuscular fat in lambs in Australia and New Zealand. It is part of the project "Fat blasting in lamb meat", which is funded by Development Fund for Sheep Farming.
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Marbling of muscle is now a sheep breeding objective in Australia and New Zealand. Marbling has in breeding programs been evaluated in the loin muscles of carcasses of lambs from progeny testing either by sampling muscle for chemical analysis or measuring samples or muscle surfaces by Near Infrared Reflectance (NIR) instruments. Rapid, accurate and reliable techniques for measuring intramuscular fat in loin muscles of lamb carcasses are needed if it is to be included in the price to farmers, grading and further processing and marketing. This is being done in Australia and New Zealand. Different technologies have been developed and tested with the support of MLA (Meat and Livestock Australia).

Online technologies of interest include:

"MEQ (Meat Eating Quality) probe" is an industry applicable technology to estimate intramuscular fat (IMF) percent in lamb by inserting laser-based probes in the loin muscle of hot carcasses. It has been granted conditional AUS-MEAT accreditation to measure IMF% in hot lamb carcasses and is being used and tested in abattoirs in Australia and New Zealand.

The start up company Miniprobes has developed a needle with a fiber optic probe to measure IMF based on optical coherence tomography (OCT).

The company AMPC is developing the Marbl™ technology using a single-sided nuclear magnetic resonance sensor alongside the longissimus muscle to capture IMF measurements without penetrating the carcass.

NIR analyzer from the company SOMA OPT has been accredited Australia for estimating intramuscular fat in lamb loin muscles. It is based on cut carcass technology which can be used in research and progeny testing.

Including intramuscular fat as a breeding goal in sheep production in Iceland is being considered. It is still too early to say if it is feasible. Data must be collected from progeny testing for many years using the SOM OPT NIR meter or similar tools to see if there is enough genetic variation to justify intramuscular fat as a breeding objective. The small size of sheep production in Iceland with around 400 thousand lambs slaughtered in 8 weeks each year in 3-4 abattoirs will probably make it too expensive to adapt sophisticated online technologies to measure and use intramuscular fat to control and improve the eating quality of the meat.

View report

Course

Food handling for kitchen and canteen staff

Contact

Óli Þór Hilmarsson

Project Manager

oli.th.hilmarsson@matis.is

Matís offers courses on food handling, hygiene, main risks and food safety, which are specifically aimed at staff in canteens, kitchens and restaurants. The purpose of the courses is to ensure that the knowledge and understanding of those who handle food on food safety and hygiene is good, in order to minimize the risk of harmful infections reaching food and thereby threatening the health and safety of consumers. The curriculum is recognized by the Swedish Food Agency. The course will be offered both as an on-site course and as an online course.

Matís and its experts are the sponsors of this project, but the study material is recognized by the Swedish Food Agency. The educational material is prepared from various data such as the laws and regulations that deal with food, from previous research and the study and presentation material that has been prepared by Matís and Matvælastofnun.

It is estimated that two to three lessons (3×45 min) will take the student to read over and absorb what is presented and to take an exam at the end of the course. If the participant has passed the test, a certificate, known as a food safety certificate, is issued. The certificate is a confirmation that the participant has acquired sound knowledge as a result of working with food handling according to the requirements of the regulations that canteens and restaurants must comply with. 80% correct answer is required and it is possible to repeat the test twice.

The following episodes are played:

1 Food Safety

According to the World Health Organization, about 240,000 people die each year from foodborne illnesses or food poisoning, and one third are children under the age of five. It can therefore be said that food safety is dead serious. This section reviews the main hazards in food and their possible origins. Special emphasis is placed on pathogenic microorganisms, which are the main ones and how they get into food. It is also discussed how they manage to multiply and what are the main consequences if they manage to infect consumers.

It discusses the dangers associated with food and goes over the categories (physical, chemical and biological dangers, where it is discussed what kind of dangers there are and where they might be). It also discusses how to prevent the dangers from entering food and consumers. The handling and storage of food is reviewed, and cleaning and handling of food is also discussed. Finally, the necessity of registrations is reviewed.

2 Food handling and storage

This section discusses how to protect food from external contamination. It also covers the importance of the right temperature when cooking, serving, cooling and storing food.

3 Cleanliness

Review the importance of cleaning and disinfecting the environment and utensils used in food preparation, and special emphasis is placed on the hygiene and health of those who handle exposed food.

4 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)

Food regulations stipulate that all food handling and processing must be based on the HACCP philosophy. It goes over what it means and what requirements are made to different companies and institutions.

5 Allergens

Certain foods and ingredients can trigger strong allergic reactions in certain individuals. It discusses what foods and ingredients they are and what requirements are placed on those who offer foods that contain such ingredients.

Course information (pdf)

The price of a webinar is 22 thousand ISK. Dates will be announced later.

Further information is provided by Óli Þór Hilmarsson, olithor@matis.is.

News

Course on food handling for canteen and kitchen staff

Contact

Óli Þór Hilmarsson

Project Manager

oli.th.hilmarsson@matis.is

Matís offers courses on food handling, hygiene, main risks and food safety, which are specifically aimed at staff in canteens, kitchens and restaurants. The purpose of the courses is to ensure that the knowledge and understanding of those who handle food on food safety and hygiene is good, in order to minimize the risk of harmful infections reaching food and thereby threatening the health and safety of consumers. The curriculum is recognized by the Swedish Food Agency. The course will be offered both as an on-site course and as an online course.

Matís and its experts are the sponsors of this project, but the study material is recognized by the Swedish Food Agency. The educational material is prepared from various data such as the laws and regulations that deal with food, from previous research and the study and presentation material that has been prepared by Matís and Matvælastofnun.

It is estimated that two to three lessons (3×45 min) will take the student to read over and absorb what is presented and to take an exam at the end of the course. If the participant has passed the test, a certificate, known as a food safety certificate, is issued. The certificate is a confirmation that the participant has acquired solid knowledge as a result of working with food handling according to the requirements of the regulations that canteens and restaurants must comply with. The 80% correct answer is required and it is possible to repeat the test twice.

The following episodes are played:

1 Food Safety

According to the World Health Organization, about 240,000 people die each year from foodborne illnesses or food poisoning, and one third are children under the age of five. It can therefore be said that food safety is dead serious. This section reviews the main hazards in food and their possible origins. Special emphasis is placed on pathogenic microorganisms, which are the main ones and how they get into food. It is also discussed how they manage to multiply and what are the main consequences if they manage to infect consumers.

It discusses the dangers associated with food and goes over the categories (physical, chemical and biological dangers, where it is discussed what kind of dangers there are and where they might be). It also discusses how to prevent the dangers from entering food and consumers. The handling and storage of food is reviewed, and cleaning and handling of food is also discussed. Finally, the necessity of registrations is reviewed.

2 Food handling and storage

This section discusses how to protect food from external contamination. It also covers the importance of the right temperature when cooking, serving, cooling and storing food.

3 Cleanliness

Review the importance of cleaning and disinfecting the environment and utensils used in food preparation, and special emphasis is placed on the hygiene and health of those who handle exposed food.

4 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)

Food regulations stipulate that all food handling and processing must be based on the HACCP philosophy. It goes over what it means and what requirements are made to different companies and institutions.

5 Allergens

Certain foods and ingredients can trigger strong allergic reactions in certain individuals. It discusses what foods and ingredients they are and what requirements are placed on those who offer foods that contain such ingredients.

Course information (PDF)

The price of a webinar is 22 thousand ISK. Dates will be announced later.

Further information is provided by Óli Þór Hilmarsson, olithor@matis.is.

Photo: Shutterstock

Peer-reviewed articles

Environmental impacts of different single-use and multi-use packaging systems for fresh fish export

Contact

Guðrún Svana Hilmarsdóttir

Specialist

gudrun.svana@matis.is

The production and pollution of plastic present a significant threat to global ecosystems, where annual plastic emissions in aquatic ecosystems are projected to triple between 2020 and 2030. Currently, plastics are widely used for food packaging but depending on the polymers, properties, the recyclability ratio of the plastics varies. Polymers, such as polyethylene (PE), polyurethane (PUR), and expanded polystyrene (EPS), are widely used for packaging and transporting foods such as fresh fish, where multi-use fish tubs often consist of PE and/or PUR and single-use boxes of EPS. This study evaluated the environmental impacts of reusable tubs of different volumes and sizes made of PE/PUR vs single-use EPS boxes, transporting 1000 tons (T) of fresh fish from Iceland to Europe, per year based on life cycle assessment methodology. This is to identify the packaging solution with the lowest environmental impact. The overall results show that multi-use tubs had lower environmental impacts when transporting 1000 T of fresh fish from Iceland to Europe per year, even during the first year of use. For Global warming impacts, producing and using EPS boxes for transporting 1000 T of fresh fish was 141 T CO2-eq and ranged from 4 to 46 T CO2-eq for varying multi-use packaging solutions for one year. The weight of the raw materials (plastics) and size of the tubs were key factors affecting the environmental impacts when transporting the tubs.

Peer-reviewed articles

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and Chemometrics for Effective Online Quality Monitoring and Process Control during Pelagic Fishmeal and Oil Processing

Contact

María Guðjónsdóttir

Project Manager

mariag@matis.is

Near-infrared spectroscopy has become a common quality assessment tool for fishmeal products during the last two decades. However, to date it has not been used for active online quality monitoring during fishmeal processing. Our aim was to investigate whether NIR spectroscopy, in combination with multivariate chemometrics, could actively predict the changes in the main chemical quality parameters of pelagic fishmeal and oil during processing, with an emphasis on lipid quality changes. Results indicated that partial least square regression (PLSR) models from the NIR data effectively predicted proximate composition changes during processing (with coefficients of determination of an independent test set at 𝑅2𝐶𝑉RCV2 = 0.9938, RMSECV = 2.41 for water; 𝑅2𝐶𝑉RCV2 = 0.9773, RMSECV = 3.94 for lipids; 𝑅2𝐶𝑉RCV2 = 0.9356, RMSECV = 5.58 for FFDM) and were successful in distinguishing between fatty acids according to their level of saturation (SFA (𝑅2𝐶𝑉=0.9928, 𝑅𝑀𝑆𝐸𝐶𝑉=0.24) RCV2=0.9928, RMSECV=0.24), MUFA (𝑅2𝐶𝑉=0.8291, 𝑅𝑀𝑆𝐸𝐶𝑉=1.49)RCV2=0.8291, RMSECV=1.49), PUFA (𝑅2𝐶𝑉=0.8588, 𝑅𝑀𝑆𝐸𝐶𝑉=2.11)RCV2=0.8291, RMSECV=1.49). This technique also allowed the prediction of phospholipids (PL 𝑅2𝐶𝑉=0.8617, 𝑅𝑀𝑆𝐸𝐶𝑉=0.11RCV2=0.8617, RMSECV=0.11, and DHA(𝑅2𝐶𝑉=0.8785, 𝑅𝑀𝑆𝐸𝐶𝑉=0.89) RCV2=0.8785, RMSECV=0.89) and EPA content 𝑅2𝐶𝑉=0.8689, 𝑅𝑀𝑆𝐸𝐶𝑉=0.62)RCV2=0.8689, RMSECV=0.62) throughout processing. NIR spectroscopy in combination with chemometrics is, thus, a powerful quality assessment tool that can be applied for active online quality monitoring and processing control during fishmeal and oil processing.

News

Matís is looking for an ambitious specialist in food microbiology

Contact

Sæmundur Sveinsson

Research Group Leader

saemundurs@matis.is

Matís is a leader in the field of food research and biotechnology. At Matís, there is a strong group of around 100 employees who are passionate about finding new ways to maximize the use of raw materials, increase sustainability and promote public health. Matís' role is to strengthen the competitiveness of Icelandic products and business life and to ensure food safety, public health and sustainable use of the environment through research, innovation and services.

Main tasks and responsibilities

  • General microbiological research using professional methods
  • Participation in skills tests in the field of food and medicine
  • Participation in internal control sample testing of various foodborne pathogens
  • Participation in projects that fall under the field's reference research
  • The structure of professional focus regarding service measurement in microbiology

Qualification requirements

  • Education in food science, biomedical science, biology or related subjects is a requirement
  • Experience with research and measurement is desirable
  • A positive attitude and agility in interpersonal communication are a requirement
  • Interoperability and flexibility
  • Independent and organized way of working
  • Initiative and professional ambition
  • Good general Icelandic and English skills, both spoken and written.
  • Good general computer skills

Employment rate is 100%. The person concerned will work at Matís' laboratory at Vínlandsleið 12, Reykjavík.

Applications must be accompanied by a detailed CV and cover letter.

All genders are encouraged to apply.

Information is provided by Sæmundur Sveinsson, professional manager of microbiological measurements and genetic analyses, saemundurs@matis.is, 422 5130.

Apply for a job

News

E. coli STEC in ground beef – Source of foodborne infection confirmed by whole-sequencing of Matís

Contact

Sæmundur Sveinsson

Research Group Leader

saemundurs@matis.is

Matís can identify whether E.coli STEC is in food products

Over the past two weeks, Matís' experts have been working hard to trace the source of the group infection E. coli STEC that appeared in a kindergarten in Reykjavík in mid-October. The study was carried out in close collaboration with the National Food Agency, the Epidemiologist, the Department of Pathology and Virology of Landspítál and the Reykjavík Health Authority.

A number of suspect foods were screened for
E. coli STEC but this bacterium can hide in many places. It soon became clear that mincemeat, which was used in cooking at the kindergarten, was by far the most likely source of the infection. A large number of bacterial strains were cultured from the mince, and finally three strains containing characteristic virulence genes and of the same serotype as the strain isolated from the patient were isolated. The genomes of these four strains were finally sequenced at Matís. That analysis revealed that the strains from the hack and the patient were genetically identical. Matís was a pioneer in the implementation of this methodology in Iceland to trace the origin of foodborne infections.

Finally, Matís would like to draw attention to the fact that the company offers analyzes of E. coli STEC in food. Matís is a reference laboratory (NRL) for these analyzes in Iceland. This means that Matís constantly updates his methods according to the latest knowledge and methods in Europe. E. coli STEC is a bacteria that can cause serious illness.

Press release MAST

Brain isolation of Listeria and other foodborne pathogens
Measurements of STEC in meat on the domestic market in terms of food safety

News

The importance of research infrastructure for the development of the bioeconomy

Contact

Katrín Hulda Gunnarsdóttir

Project Manager

katrinh@matis.is

On 5-6 In September, Matís and RISE from Sweden hosted a workshop on behalf of the European project BIO2REG. The workshop was called "BIO2REG expert workshop on research infrastructure and living labs" and discussed the connection of the bioeconomy with research infrastructure and "living labs". Experts in various fields of the bioeconomy were brought together and they learned about projects related to bioeconomy, the development of the last decades and the importance of green energy.

Day 1 was spent visiting. The day began in Brim, where visitors were introduced to the company's activities, but Iceland's bioeconomy is largely based on fishing. Next, we went to Vaxa Impact Nutrition in Hellisheidi and learned about their activities, where microalgae are produced in a unique way. The day ended at Matís' aquaculture research station, MARS, and their activities were presented. Day 2 took place at Matís headquarters. There were presentations from a number of speakers, including Matís, RISE, Orkídeu and Forschungszentrum Jülich. There was a lot of discussion and lively discussions took place.

Sven-Ole Meiske, Matís fish farm's test manager, presents the facility's activities to the visitors of the workshop
Katrín Hulda Gunnarsdóttir takes guests around Matís' premises
It was accompanied by a film team working on videos about the project. In the picture, they can be seen photographing Cecile Dargentolle, project manager at Matís, at her usual work
The guests of the workshop visited VAXA technologies

The workshop was one of the five that the project held. The other four covered bioeconomy education, social aspects of bioeconomy, value chains and financing. The results of the workshops will be used to achieve the goals of the BIO2REG project, the aim of which is to facilitate the green transformation of industrial areas that emit large amounts of greenhouse gases. For more information about BIO2REG you can visit project webpage and website of the project. BIO2REG is a three-year e-project and there are 9 participants from all over Europe. BIO2REG is a coordination and support project (CSA) funded by the European Union.

News

Natalie's annual meeting in Gran Canaria

On the 14th-16th October, all 43 participants of the European project met Natalie in Las Palmas on Gran Canaria to discuss the progress of the project in the first year and the next steps. The participants also had the opportunity to meet in person, many of them for the first time. The project brings together 43 companies and organizations from across Europe with the aim of developing nature-based solutions that increase the resilience of regions against the effects of climate change. The project lasts for five years and is funded by the Horizon program of the European Union.

Around 100 people participated in the meeting and representatives of most of the partners were present, along with stakeholders in the region and other stakeholders. The discussions at the meeting included the following:

Status of the project after the first year

The project involves many participants in different countries where the needs are diverse. Reviewing the situation together gave them the opportunity to gain an insight into what is going on elsewhere in Europe. Each research area updated partners on what had gone well and what the main challenges had been over the past year. 

The study area of Gran Canaria visited. The picture shows a constructed wetland with a measuring device.
Contributors section of CS7. From left: Annar Berg Samúelsdóttir (Matís), Tinna Halldórsdóttir (Austurbrú), Gabríel Arnarsson (Austurbrú), Katrín Hulda Gunnarsdóttir (Matís) and Jess Penny (University of Exeter).

Preparing for the next workshop

An important aspect of the project is to connect with stakeholders in the area, and four workshops are held for this purpose. The first one has already taken place, but the meeting discussed how it would be most efficient to hold the next one.

Next steps

At the end of the meeting, the participants had the opportunity to sit down and plan the next steps. In such an extensive project, there are many aspects that need to be looked at, so it is important that everyone is on the same page.

In addition, a field visit was made to one of the research areas, where the participants got a good idea of the real impact of implementing a nature-based solution on the local environment. After long, but successful meeting days, Matís' representatives enter the next year of the project full of anticipation.

About the project

Natalie's project concerns the development of nature-based solutions that increase the resilience of regions against climate change. Austurland was chosen as the seventh research area (CS7) of the project and the participants in CS7 are Matís, Austurbrú, University of Tromsø and University of Exeter. More information can be found at project website.

Natalie Leaflet (PDF)

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