Contact
Georges Lamborelle
Station manager of Matís Aquaculture Research Station
georges@matis.is
This report is closed.
Author: Kristín Edda Gylfadóttir
Contact
Sigurlaug Skírnisdóttir
Project Manager
sigurlaug.skirnisdottir@matis.is
Microorganisms are part of our food. However, knowledge of which microorganisms are found in food and in the production environment is still limited. A recent study, in which Matís participated, has provided new insight into this subject. The results will contribute to a better understanding of the effect of microorganisms on various aspects of food, such as shelf life, safety, quality and taste.
The study was part of the European project MASTER, which brought together 29 partners from 14 countries. One of the goals of the project was to create a database of microorganisms in food by sequencing genetic material from 2533 samples taken from various foods and their production environment. Matís was in charge of studying samples from Icelandic fish processing plants, but the research project covered all major food groups. This is the largest study ever conducted on the microbial composition of food and production environments, but a better understanding of these microbes could contribute to the improvement of people's health, as some microbes from food can become part of our microflora.
A total of 10899 food-associated microorganisms were identified in these samples, half of which were previously unknown species. The results showed that food-related microbes form an average of about 3% of the intestinal flora of adults and about 56% of the intestinal flora of infants.
"These results suggest that some of the microbes in our gut come directly from food, or that humans have historically acquired them from food, where they have later adapted and become part of the human gut flora," says Nicola Segata, a microbiologist at the University of Trento and the European Cancer Institute in Milan. Although 3% may seem like a low percentage, these microbes can have a major impact on the functioning of the intestinal flora. The database is therefore an important contribution to science and public health, as it will be useful for research on the effects of food-related microorganisms on our health.
Although few pathogenic microorganisms were identified in the food samples, there were several species that may be undesirable due to their effects on the taste or shelf life of foods. Knowledge of which microorganisms belong to certain foods can therefore be useful for producers, both large and small, to improve product quality. This information can also assist food control in defining which microorganisms should and should not be present in certain foods as well as tracking and certifying their origin. The results of the study were published last August 29 in the magazine Cell Press and the database is now accessible. Findings specifically related to seafood have also been published in the journal Heliyon, published by Cell Press. As mentioned above, the research is part of the European research project MASTER and was funded by Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Research Council, the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, the Science Foundation of Ireland and the Irish Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries.
Contact
Sæmundur Elíasson
Project Manager
saemundur.eliasson@matis.is
Thursday November 7th 2024. Held in Ríma conference room in Harpa, Austurbakka 2, 101 Reykjavík. Supported by the Nordic Council of Ministers – Working Group for Fisheries (AG-Fisk).
Workshop description:
The workshop is held to discuss and investigate factors that affect catch quality and pricing, how they interconnect and differ between the Nordic countries. This includes discussions on quality characteristics, how quality parameters currently are and should be measured, regulation frameworks and what affects pricing and market situations. The outcome of the workshop will outline the strengths of different strategies that relate to catch quality within the Nordic region and explore if there are opportunities to implement different methods between regions to achieve higher overall catch quality and value.
Revised suggestions for topics in the workshop agenda are:
- Price and catch value: What affects the prices? Are they reflected correctly by quality parameters?
- Quality characteristics: What are the most important quality parameters (handling factors, fish size, condition factor,...)? How do we measure the catch quality parameters? Suggestions for standardization of quality assessment?
- Fishing methods: How do different fishing strategies and methods affect catch quality?
- Regulations and legal matters: How do regulations vary between the Nordic countries? How does the regulation work across the countries and are there lessons to be transferred?
- Market aspects: How do prices differ between direct sales vs auction markets and Vertically integrated company's vs fish market.
Program draft:
9:30 – 12:00 Workshop presentations and discussion
9:30 Opening and short introduction from Jónas R. Viðarsson, Matís
9:45 -10:45
- Catch quality parameters and fishing gear, Sæmundur Elíasson from Matís and the University of Akureyri.
- Price and catch value – Norway vs. Denmark market, Sector Sogn-Grundvåg from Nofima
- Fishmarket perspectives on price and quality, Bjarni R. Heimisson from the Icelandic fishmarkets
10:45 Coffee break
11:00 -12:00
- Can ecolabels tune a supply chain? The case of MSC certified haddock from Norway, Julia Bronnmann, University of Southern Denmark.
- Pricing and markets, Direct sales vs. Auction, Freysteinn N. Mánason from the University of Akureyri
12:00 – 13:30 Lunch and networking with the Icelandic Seafood Conference
13:30 – 15:00 Group discussion and analysis
15:30 Round up
16:00 Refreshments with the Seafood Conference
Contact
Georges Lamborelle
Station manager of Matís Aquaculture Research Station
georges@matis.is
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Contact
Þóra Valsdóttir
Project Manager
thora.valsdottir@matis.is
Skyr is a traditional Icelandic product that has probably been made in Iceland since the colonization, but a dairy product under this same name was then known in all the Nordic countries. Skyrgerð, however, seems to have been preserved only in Iceland. Curing was a way to preserve milk and maximize its nutritional value, but curd was an important staple food that helped Icelanders survive. In the past, butter was considered a premium food, while curd was considered a poor man's food. Now we know that due to the high protein content of curd, it was indeed the salvation of poorer households and provided the energy needed for daily work. Skyr is made from skimmed milk that remains when the cream is separated from the milk to make butter. Skyr is still a popular food and for centuries it was by far the most common dairy product in Iceland, along with butter and whey.
It is likely that the curd in the colonial era was different from what we know today, both more acidic and thinner. There has been a big change in the production of skyrs in the last century with the introduction of its factory production. Skyr is an important part of the cultural heritage of Icelanders, and it is therefore necessary to gain more knowledge about this product.
Recently, Matís and the University of Iceland started research on Icelandic curds as biological cultural heritage. The research brings together farmers, ethnologists, dairy scientists, food scientists and biologists and focuses on the cooperation of the species involved in making the curd: humans, farm animals and microbes. Live curd bacteria are a good example of how the symbiosis of microbes and humans over the centuries has contributed to a diverse microflora in curds and in the intestines of Icelanders. In the project, this diversity will be investigated and the aim will be to reproduce varieties of curd that correspond to the taste and texture of the past based on the memories of the people of curd and the experience of farmers and dairy experts in curd making. The aim is to deepen the understanding of the diversity and resilience of biological cultural heritage by looking at the complexity and transformation of curd over time. We are looking for interviewees who have experience making curd both in the past and now, and interviewees who have eaten curd for many decades and can tell stories from the past and the changes they have experienced. Those who are interested in participating in the research are kindly asked to contact Jón Þór Pétursson ethnographer or Þóra Valsdóttir food researcher at the email address skyrlifi@gmail.com or by phone at 853-5118. See more about the project at www.matis.is.
Contact
Kolbrún Sveinsdóttir
Project Manager
kolbrun.sveinsdottir@matis.is
People are increasingly moving away from the primary production of food, and the connection to raw materials and their processing is often unclear. Young people are the consumers of the future. Their attitude and trust in food is therefore of great importance to food manufacturers. The needs and values of young people are not necessarily the same as those of older people. The goal of the WeValueFood project was to find ways to increase the understanding and knowledge of young people so that they understand the values and values of food and become more aware of food in a wider context.
Three workshops were organized by Matís, where university students and the Icelandic food industry were brought together. The workshops focused on current communication patterns and the industry's provision of information to consumers, and the goal was to support the food industry's communication with consumers of the future. Various food companies and stakeholders came to the workshops and worked with young consumers to define food values and have a conversation about communication channels. Emphasis was placed on increasing interest and knowledge of food in order to promote the following generations to make rational and informed decisions in their food choices. The three workshops took place online in the fall of 2020: 1) With university students – to explore their food values and opinion on current food industry communication channels, 2) With participants from the food industry – to explore how they experience the next generation of consumers and how the food industry can support education/knowledge and participation in food-related issues and 3) With university students and participants from the food industry – to introduce food industry ideas and communication channels, and explore student responses.
The students placed great emphasis on environmental impact, as transparency and honesty are key factors for a positive image and trust in food producers. Young people want to know more about how food is produced and, no less, what is involved in the production process. They wanted to see more about how food is produced in Iceland, either on social media, on the websites of food companies or through food labels. What young people called for included verified information on everything from origin to cooking and storage instructions. Emphasis was placed on the fact that the information had to be confirmed by neutral parties such as scientists. Participants from the food industry were generally aware of the needs of young people in terms of information and means of communication, but often had difficulty meeting these needs due to costs and time. The food industry called for a partnership with the authorities to address the knowledge and education needs of young people to ensure adequate and scientifically proven information is available to all. One of the solutions proposed by the industry participants could easily respond to the needs of young people for specific food knowledge, which at the same time could contribute to increased interest and participation of young people. This solution involved a food science website, which would be managed by independent bodies, such as universities, to share scientifically proven information without conflicts of interest. The workshops created an interesting conversation between the 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 dialogue and flow of information between consumers and producers in order to meet the needs of the consumers of the future.
WeValueFood was funded by the European Union through EIT Food. In addition to Matís and the University of Iceland, the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and the IMDEA Food Institute in Spain, EUFIC in Belgium, Koppert in the Netherlands, the University of Cambridge and the University of Reading in the UK, the University of Helsinki in Finland, the University of Turin in Italy, the University of Warsaw in Poland and Flatev in Switzerland for the project. The project as a whole was led by the Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland.
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Food consumption trends have increased the gap between primary food production. The proximity to production of raw materials and food processing has become more unclear to many consumers. Young people are the consumers of the future. Their attitude towards food is therefore important to food producers. Their needs and values are not necessarily the same as those of older consumers. The aim of the WeValueFood project was to find ways to increase the understanding and strengthen young people's knowledge and understanding so that they better appreciate the values of food and become more aware of food in a wider context.
Three online workshops on food values of next generation consumers (NGCs) were carried out in Iceland in the autumn of 2020, by Matis in collaboration with the University of Iceland. The communication between university students of various study categories and food industry was explored within the three workshops: 1) With students – to assess their food values and opinions on the current food industry communication; 2) With industry participants – to understand how they perceive the NGCs and how they can help to educate and engage them with food; 3) With students and industry – to present industry's ideas of communication and receive student feedback on industries' communication strategies.
The students emphasized the environmental impact of foods, transparency, and honesty in communication for a positive image of and trust in food producers. They wanted to know more about how food is made, either on social media or food industry websites, or with food labels. Emphasis was placed on information about everything from origin and environmental labels to cooking and storage guidelines. Not less important, the information needed to be verified by a responsible independent third party, such as scientists. The food industry participants were generally aware of NGC's information needs and communication channels, but struggled to meet these needs, mainly due to cost and time. The food industry needs cooperation with authorities to educate the next generation on food related issues, to fulfill the NGC needs for knowledge, with scientifically valid and trustworthy information available for everyone. One of the idea pitches from the industry summarized the overall need for knowledge and communication, both for the food industry and NGC that could improve food involvement and engagement. The pitch was about a food science website, supervised by independent parties, such as universities, to provide fact-based, scientifically correct information, without any conflicts of interest.
WeValueFood, was supported by EU through EIT Food, was a two-year collaborative project between Matis, University of Iceland, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM-IMDEA) and IMDEA Food Institute in Spain, EUFIC in Belgium, Koppert in the Netherlands, University of Cambridge and University of Reading in England, University of Helsinki in Finland University of Turin in Italy, University of Warsaw in Poland and Flatev in Switzerland. The entire project was managed by the Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast, North Ireland.
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Contact
Kolbrún Sveinsdóttir
Project Manager
kolbrun.sveinsdottir@matis.is
Kids cooks is a project that has been in development at Matís since 2017 as a step towards the sustainability goals of the United Nations. Kids cook was developed based on the idea that kindergartens and elementary schools could use the project in an easy and effective way to teach about sustainability and food nutrition through entertainment and education (fun). The project Krakkar kokka was first tested in the fall of 2018 in Skagafjörður in the Elementary School east of Vatna and in Varmahlíðar School. In 2020, Krakkar kokka was connected to the European project WeValueFood, which aimed, among other things, to increase food awareness, interest and knowledge of European children.
A total of six schools within and outside the capital city area started the project in collaboration with Matís and the University of Iceland's School of Education. Children aged 11-12 years old learned about local community consumption and sustainability through entertainers (Krakkar Kokka), who combine education, field trips to source ingredients, cooking and consumption, as well as documentary filmmaking. The impact of the curriculum was assessed with a questionnaire administered to the children before and after the fun education, and with interviews with teachers.
Due to Covid-19, four schools out of six completed the project, and only one school managed to finish within the time frame. However, positive signs of change could be seen, as the children showed more interest in food-related topics after the project, as well as they tried to reduce food waste and paid more attention to information related to food produced in the local environment. Teachers were generally satisfied with the learning material and were interested in continuing to use it.
Project description Kids cooks for schools and videos of school children from the implementation of the project are available on Matís' website: https://www.matis.is/krakkar-kokka/
Funded by the European Union through EIT Food, WeValueFood was a two-year collaborative project of several European universities, research institutes and innovative companies. In addition to Matís in collaboration with the University of Iceland, the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM-IMDEA) and IMDEA Food Institute in Spain, EUFIC in Belgium, Koppert in the Netherlands, University of Cambridge and University of Reading in Great Britain, University of Helsinki in Finland came to the project , University of Turin in Italy, University of Warsaw in Poland and Flatev in Switzerland. The project was led by the Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland.
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Kids Cuisine is a project that has been in development at Matís since 2017 as a step towards reaching the sustainability goals of the United Nations. Krakkar kokka is designed from the viewpoint that primary schools can easily and effectively use the project in education on health, well-being and sustainability, through entertainment and education, combined in edutainment.
The first testing of the implementation of the project took place in the northern part of Iceland (Skagafjordur) during the school year 2018-2019. In autumn 2020, the project implementation was tested again, including evaluation of children's food engagement and teacher's feedback, as a part of the European project WeValueFood, that aimed at increasing European children's food awareness, interest and knowledge.
A total of six schools within and outside the capital area participated in the project in collaboration with Matís and the University of Iceland's Faculty of Education, where 11-12 year old children learned about local consumption and sustainability through edutainment (Krakkar Kokka). The concept was straight forward, combining education, field trips to gather raw material, cooking and consumption, as well as documentary filmmaking of the process. The impact of the curriculum was assessed with a questionnaire administered to children before and after the education, together with interviews with teachers.
Due to Covid-19, four schools out of six completed the project, and only one school managed to finish within the time frame. However, positive signs of change could be seen, as the children showed more interest in food-related topics after the project, as well as they tried to reduce food waste and paid more attention to information related to food produced in the local environment. Teachers were generally satisfied with the learning material and were interested in continuing to use it.
Project description of the Krakkar kokka project for schools and videos of school children from the implementation of the project are available on Matís' website: https://www.matis.is/krakkar-kokka/
WeValueFood was supported by the EU through EIT Food. It was a two year collaborative project between Matis, University of Iceland, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM-IMDEA) and IMDEA Food Institute in Spain, EUFIC in Belgium, Koppert in the Netherlands, University of Cambridge and University of Reading in England, University of Helsinki in Finland University of Turin in Italy, University of Warsaw in Poland and Flatev in Switzerland. The entire project was managed by the Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast, North Ireland.
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Contact
Þóra Valsdóttir
Project Manager
thora.valsdottir@matis.is
Children are usually interested in new technology and open to new knowledge, as long as it is presented in an interesting way. An intervention study was carried out with the aim of evaluating whether virtual reality-based educational material has a greater effect on the learning and attitudes of children aged 12-13 than more traditional ways of presenting the material. The intervention included the introduction of new teaching materials in six primary schools, where emphasis was placed on healthy eating to promote one's own health as well as that of the earth. The teaching material included a slide deck, a virtual reality video and practical exercises. The intervention went under the working title "The Tomato Project” where the theme was tomatoes. Emphasis was placed on sustainability, the origin of food, food technology, food production, food waste, etc. in relation to tomatoes. A questionnaire was given to the children, both before and after the intervention, to measure the effect of the teaching material on learning, and interviews were conducted with teachers after the intervention to assess the usefulness of the teaching material in teaching.
The results of the intervention indicated that the use of virtual reality in teaching can increase interest in food and contribute to positive changes in children's attitudes towards healthier eating. Overall, there was satisfaction with the teaching material among the teachers, the teachers who had used the virtual reality glasses were the most enthusiastic. The intervention also demonstrated that the use of virtual reality can be integrated with teaching in other formats. A positive learning experience and increased interest in a healthy diet, including eating tomatoes, was observed in all cases, regardless of the type of teaching material. Teachers were also satisfied with teaching materials that contained such a wide range of concepts that could be combined in the theme and how theoretical and practical learning could be integrated. The teachers' experience was that a lot of material could be covered in a relatively short time.
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Children are generally excited about new technology and open to consuming knowledge if it is made interesting to them. An intervention study was performed whose goal was to assess whether virtual reality-based educational material has a greater impact on children's learning and attitudes than more traditional ways of presenting the material. The intervention involved the introduction of new teaching materials in six primary schools where the emphasis was on healthy eating for one's own well-being and as well as for the planet. The teaching material includes a slide pack, a virtual reality video and practical exercises. The intervention went under the working title "The Tomato Project" as the theme was tomatoes. Emphasis was placed on sustainability, food origin, food technology, food production, food waste, etc. in relation to tomatoes. The children filled in a questionnaire before and after the intervention to measure the effect of the teaching material on learning and interviews were conducted with teachers to evaluate the usefulness of the teaching material in teaching.
The results of the intervention indicated that the use of virtual reality in education can increase interest in food and contribute to changes in children's attitudes towards healthier and healthier diets. Overall, there was satisfaction with the teaching material among teachers, those teachers who had used the virtual reality glasses were the most interested. The intervention also demonstrated that the use of virtual reality can be integrated with teaching in other forms. Positive learning experiences and increased interest in healthy eating, including eating tomatoes, were observed in all cases, regardless of the type of teaching material. Teachers were also pleased with the teaching material that contained such a wide range of concepts that could be combined in the theme and how theoretical and practical learning could be integrated. The teachers' experience was that it was possible to cover a lot of material in a relatively short time.
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Contact
Hildur Inga Sveinsdóttir
Project Manager
hilduringa@matis.is
Nematodes pose significant challenges for the fish processing industry, particularly in white fish. Despite technological advances, the industry still depends on manual labor for the detection and extraction of nematodes. This study addresses the initial steps of automatic nematode detection and differentiation from other common defects in fish fillets, such as skin remnants and blood spots. VideometerLab 4, an advanced Multispectral Imaging (MSI) System, was used to acquire 270 images of 50 Atlantic cod fillets under controlled conditions. In total, 173 nematodes were labeled using the Segment Anything Model (SAM), which is trained to automatically segment objects of interest from only a few representative pixels. With the acquired dataset, we study the potential of identifying nematodes through their spectral signature. We incorporated normalized Canonical Discriminant Analysis (nCDA) to develop segmentation models trained to distinguish between different components within the fish fillets. By incorporating multiple segmentation models, we aim to achieve a satisfactory balance between false negatives and false positives. This resulted in 88% precision and 79% recall for our annotated test data. This approach could improve process control by accurately identifying fillets with nematodes. Using MSI minimizes unnecessary inspection of fillets in good condition and concurrently boosts product safety and quality.
Contact
Gunnar Þórðarson
Regional Manager
gunnar.thordarson@matis.is
There is considerable variation between countries how the species (Nephrops) is caught. Some countries rely largely on creeling (pot fishing) while bottom trawling is the common approach in other regions. Most common in Scandinavia is a combination of both systems, trawling in open sea and deep water, and pot fishing within fjords in shallow water. There are no considerable conflicts between the two groups.
There are pros and cons in both trap fishing and trawling for Nephrops. Both methods have some environmental impact, and both affect the Nephrops stock. Both methods need to respond to increased demands on awareness in environmental issues and sustainable fishing.
The effects of bottom trawling on potential habitat destruction were discussed. Recent developments in fishing gear technology were introduced and evaluation of future directions explored.
Common outcome from the meeting was a need for further research and lack of knowledge on stock assessment and biology. Another outcome was the need for all stakeholders to share information and increase cooperation in the future.
Participants agreed on the severity of the black market for Nephromas, and the damage it does for the value chain, and making stock assessment insignificant. Discharging is another important point regarding running an economic sustainable fishery. Homepage: https://norwlobster.com/