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Today, Friday 21 March, a doctoral defense will take place at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition, University of Iceland. Magnea Guðrún Karlsdóttir, a food scientist, defends her doctoral dissertation Oxidative mechanisms and stability of frozen fish products.

Opponents are dr. Santiago Aubourg Professor at CSIC in Spain (The Spanish Research Council) and dr. Sigríður Jónsdóttir researcher at the University of Iceland. Supervisors in the project were dr. Hörður G. Kristinsson and Professor Sigurjón Arason. Dr. Þórhallur Ingi Halldórsson, President of the Faculty of Food and Nutrition, will chair the ceremony, which will take place in the Celebration Hall of the University of Iceland in the Main Building and will begin at 14:30.

On the subject of the dissertation | Oxidation processes and stability of frozen seafood

Consumption of processed and frozen seafood has increased significantly in recent years due to growing consumer demand for convenient, high-quality food. Fats in fish products are a good source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) which have been shown to have a positive effect on human health. Fish products with a high percentage of PUFA are extremely sensitive to evolution. Preservation of fat quality is therefore one of the main challenges when it comes to storage and processing of seafood. Freezing and cold storage is an effective method for preserving the quality and extending the shelf life of fish products, and it has been used for many years. Despite these advantages, the quality of the products can still deteriorate in cold storage. The aim of this project was therefore to increase knowledge of the different oxidation processes that take place in frozen fish products, as well as to study the variability between lean fish species in terms of stability during prolonged cold storage. The effect of different storage temperatures and raw material quality on the stability of fish products was studied, as well as the effect of heating and continued freezing of cooked products on the quality of the fat. Furthermore, the usefulness of various chemical and rapid measurements to monitor fat degradation was evaluated.

The research of this project provided a deeper understanding of the different processes of oxidation and stability of frozen seafood and how different storage conditions and variability of raw materials affect these processes. Temperature and storage time proved to be very important factors in the stability of frozen products. The quality and stability of the fat in the cold store was also highly dependent on fish species as well as muscle species. Furthermore, prolonged pre-cooking storage had the greatest effect on post-cooking fat stability.   

A short summary in English

Consumption of processed and frozen fish has increased in recent years as a result of an increasing consumer demand for convenient high-quality food products. Fish lipids are a natural and good source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) which have been reported to have several beneficial health effects. However, due to the high amount of PUFA fish lipids are highly susceptible to lipid degradation. Lipid quality preservation is therefore one of the major challenges associated with seafood raw material storage and subsequent processing for food use. Freezing and frozen storage is an effective method of preserving physicochemical properties and to prolong shelf life of fish products. However, some deterioration in fish quality occurs during frozen storage. Therefore, the aim of this project was to gain more understanding of different oxidative processes taking place in frozen fish products, and to investigate how two lean fish species with similar type of commercial utilization, differ in oxidative stability during prolonged frozen storage. The effects of different storage temperature and initial raw material quality on oxidative stability were studied, as well as the impact of cooking and subsequent cooked frozen storage on the lipid quality. Furthermore, the applicability of various chemical lipid quality markers and alternative non-invasive approaches to monitor fish lipid degradation was evaluated.

general information

Magnea Guðrún Karlsdóttir was born in 1978. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in food science in 2008 from the University of Iceland and an MS degree in food science in 2010. In addition to her studies, Magnea has worked for Matís and worked on various research projects.

Magnea's parents are Karl Jóhann Valdimarsson and Erla Þóra Óskarsdóttir. Magnea's husband is Ingvar Júlíus Tryggvason and they have four children together, Ástrós, Erla Ósk, Eva María and Tryggvi.

The project is complete Super-chilled whole fish - for freezing to death which was funded by the AVS Fisheries Research Fund R 062-11 but the project was carried out in collaboration with Matís, Skagan and Rekstrarfélag Eskja.

The project has resulted in increased knowledge of supercooling of white fish, in particular supercooling of whole fish, and the effect of supercooling on quality, freshness and shelf life. The results of experiments are now available, which will be used to design a supercooler for whole fish, but so far Skagan's CBC technology has mainly been used to supercool fillets. Shelf life test performed in the project and storage forecast models indicate that supercooling at -1 ° C can increase the shelf life of whole fish by 2–3 days and the shelf life of fillets by 1 day based on 6 days old raw material during processing. Thus, it must be considered probable that the project's products will be used by fresh fish producers to maximize the quality and safety of their products. By applying supercooling to fish processing, it is possible to put cold products in packaging, which means that fresh fish fillets can be transported to a more distant market than before, while the heat load in transport is minimized.

More detailed results from the project's experiments can be found in Matís reports Super-chilled whole fish - Final Report, Matís report number 12-13 and Effects of supercooling on spoilage processes and shelf life of whole fish and fillets Matís report number 22-12.

For further information Arnljótur Bjarki Bergsson, Head of Resources and Products.

Matvælalandið Ísland invites to a conference at Hótel Saga on Thursday 20 March at 12.00 - 16.30 under the heading: Growth in tourism - is the food ready?

Sveinn Margeirsson, CEO of Matís, participates in a panel discussion.

The conference is free and open to all and more information can be found at Samta websiteka Industry. Required to register here.

Matvælalandið Ísland is a co-operation platform for many parties that have to do with food in one way or another and want to strengthen Iceland as a food production country. These include the Ministry of Industry and Innovation, the Farmers' Association of Iceland, Íslandsstofa, the Association of Tourism, the Association of Fish Processing Plants, the Association of Industry, Matís and the University of Iceland.

Matís Consumer Bank is a group of consumers that participates in Matís consumer surveys. By expressing their views in Matís research, participants can influence the development of food in Iceland.

Participants' contributions may include answering a survey online or by telephone, participating in discussion groups or tastings, and giving their opinions on various products.

Matís places great emphasis on confidentiality and secure handling of personal information. All information that Matís receives about individuals is stored securely and handled according to the law on privacy. When presenting data, care is taken that it is not possible to trace answers to individuals.

Matís never provides third party information about respondents in the surveys without their consent.

• Buyers of surveys, such as companies that use Matís 'services, never get access to individuals' answers.
• Matís employees who have access to personal information have a duty to respect the confidentiality of respondents.
• Survey participants are always free to refuse to answer a survey.
• Participants in Matís Neytendabankinn have the opportunity to win prizes for their participation.

Are you interested? Then sign up Matís Consumer Bank.

A conference will be held on 25 June to discuss the Nordic Bioeconomy and the Arctic Bioeconomy.

The bioeconomy

The term bioeconomy has been used to cover all life resources, their interplay and context and their impact on economic, environmental and social factors. Bioeconomic research thus transcends industries and seeks to maximize the benefits of resources without compromising them. Strengthening the bioeconomy An important part of Matís' operations is to strengthen and increase value creation in the bioeconomy, among other things through projects aimed at increasing biomass production and by fostering innovation, working for better utilization and sustainability in production processes and thus more efficient productive resources. Matís' staff therefore welcomes the Nordic emphasis on the bioeconomy and work closely with the Icelandic government on the implementation of three-year presidency projects in this area, which began this year when Iceland took over the Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers.

On this occasion, a conference will be held at the Selfoss Hotel on June 25, where these issues will be discussed from various perspectives.

On the website of the Guest Reception / Yourhost you can sign up for the conference.

Innovation in the Nordic and Arctic bioeconomy

Draft agenda

• 09:15 Coffee and registration
• 10:00 Opening the conference | Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture
• 10:15 No standard = no market | Dr. dr. Andreas Hensel, President at BfR                 
• 11:00 Product development in the Arctic Bioeconomy | Sigrún Elsa Smáradóttir, Research group leader, Matís                        
• 11:30 Industry success stories | Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland   
• 12:00 Lunch | Special taste of innovation
• 13:30 Branding of Nordic food | Emil Bruun Blauert, CEO, Executive Advisor and Developer, WNEAT
• 13:50 Microfeed: Turning wood into food | Clas Engström, Managing Director, SP Processum          
• 14:10 Nutrition for the future - Possibilities of the Nordic areas? | Bryndís Eva Birgisdóttir, Associate Professor, University of Iceland
• 14:30 Coffee break             
• 14:50 Food waste: Problem or growth opportunity? | Nils Kristian Afseth, Research Scientist, PhD, Nofima.       
• 15:10 Investing in algae - Ingredients for future food production | Olavur Gregersen, Managing Director, Syntesa Partners & Associates               
• 15:30 Assessing and mitigating risk in the Nordic Bioeconomy | Guðmundur Halldórsson, Research Coordinator, Soil Conservation Service of Iceland
• 15:45 Reflection panel | Nordic and Arctic bioeconomy in local & global perspective
• 16:30 End of conference

More about the Arctic bioeconomy

The bioeconomy in the Arctic One of the projects that Matís has led the way is the Nordic project Arctic Bioeconomy, where Sigrún Elsa Smáradóttir, Director of Business Development, is the project manager. The project is for two years and includes mapping of life resources in the Arctic, assessment of their yield, and comparison and analysis between regions. The focus is on Greenland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands, but almost on living resources in the northern part of Norway, Sweden and Finland. "The project pays special attention to food production with regard to food security, in addition to which the innovation capacity of the areas and individual industries will be assessed. This is done so that it is possible to assess opportunities and threats and subsequently launch projects that strengthen the areas in this field, "says Sigrún Elsa, but the project is expected to be completed in September 2014.

"There are many living resources in the Arctic and they are important for the countries' economies, both directly and indirectly. Here in Iceland, the fisheries sector is one of the main basic industries and data on the state of the fisheries sector are in very good shape, but data relating to other resources, such as land use, are inferior. It is important to compile an overview of resources and their results so that the results can be assessed and how the areas can be strengthened. By increasing the value of products, stimulating and strengthening the bioeconomy and its capacity, we increase economic success, "says Sigrún Elsa, adding that the living resources of this area are changing due to global warming. "It is necessary to monitor these changes closely, they can involve both opportunities and threats. It is important to take advantage of the potential that opens up for food production in this area due to changed living conditions and environmental impact. The unfortunate fact is that while opportunities in this field in the Arctic may increase, they will shrink elsewhere at the same time as the world's population growth continues ".

^{Sigrún Elsa Smáradóttir}

The project aims to strengthen the countries' active participation in international co-operation projects, including at the Nordic level. "When it comes to research programs and support for innovation, it is clear that great emphasis will be placed on the bioeconomy, both in a Nordic and European context," says Sigrún Elsa.

For example, the Nordic Committee for Agricultural and Food Research (NKJ) has developed a strategy for the "Nordic Bioeconomy Initiative". This strategy pays special attention to the sustainability of natural resources and the use of biomass in a similar way as other nations at European level have done. The committee consists of three Icelanders, Torfi Jóhannesson, an expert at the Ministry of Industry and Innovation, Sveinn Margeirsson, CEO of Matís and Sigurður Björnsson, division manager at Rannís. The strategy should, first and foremost, improve and facilitate Nordic co-operation projects aimed at research into the bioeconomy and promote further policy-making in this area. Thus, the intention is to promote sustainable resource utilization in basic production and derivative industries.

"The intention is to strengthen the co-operation of processing industries, such as food production or feed and fertilizer production, with basic industries, such as fisheries and agriculture, and work towards comprehensive solutions that transcend industries and maximize the benefits of utilizing the resources without compromising them. . Sustainable production and utilization of biomass contributes to the economic and social strengthening of the areas adjacent to the resources, increased food production and thus increased food security. It also looks at environmentally friendly production of energy sources from biomass to replace fossil fuels, but then it is important that ways are found so that such production does not come at the expense of food production. High competition for raw materials, on the one hand for food production and on the other hand for energy production, can have serious consequences for food prices and the ability of people in the world to feed themselves, "says Sigrún Elsa.

Icelandic presidency project

The Nordic countries take turns chairing the Nordic Council of Ministers and leading the activities for one year at a time. This year, it will be up to Icelanders to chair the council, and at the same time a three-year presidency program will be launched in the field of bioeconomy, which will bring direct economic benefits to the Nordic countries. The implementation of chairmanship projects in the field of the bioeconomy is now being completed, but Matís has been an active participant in that implementation under the leadership of Sveinn Margeirsson, Matís' CEO.

"The presidency projects will call for increased collaboration between industry and the research and education system in practical value-added projects. The focus will be on how to promote knowledge creation and development in sustainable resource utilization and biomass production in the Nordic countries, and to transfer existing knowledge and technological solutions between regions, "says Sigrún Elsa.

In connection with the chairmanship project, a panel committee, the Nordic Bioeconomy panel, will be formed, which will advise the Nordic Research Fund when it comes to research calls in the field of bioeconomy. In addition, the committee's role must be to promote the Nordic countries 'position abroad when it comes to the bioeconomy, thus facilitating the countries' access to international research grants. The combined forces of the Nordic countries will thus have an impact in this area.

"The fact that Iceland plays a leading role in such co - operation, takes the lead in an ambitious presidency plan in the field of the bioeconomy and plays a leading role in related research in the Arctic, directs the eyes of others to the country as an interesting partner in bioeconomy projects. Broad multinational co-operation in this field, both in research and development, is an important basis for strengthening the bioeconomy and thus economic progress in Iceland, "concludes Sigrún Elsa.

For further information Sigrún Elsa. You can also find interesting material about the big challenges in the near future on Matís video page.

A conference on small boat fishing in the North Atlantic will be held at Matís' headquarters at Vínlandsleið 12 in Reykjavík on March 25-26.

You can follow the conference by visiting the following URL: https://meet.matis.is/jonas/3B0WBFFM

Small boat fishing and sea settlements in many parts of the North Atlantic are currently lagging behind. Difficult operating conditions, low recruitment, high start-up costs, strong competition from other industries and fishing groups, as well as negative rural development are among the factors that make this fishing group difficult to navigate. Nevertheless, there are also many in this sector doing very good things, as people have managed to adapt to new operating conditions and see new opportunities.

Researchers and other stakeholders related to the small boat sector in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland and Newfoundland have in recent months been studying the operating conditions, main problems and potential opportunities within the industry in their countries. These parties are now going to hold a conference in Reykjavík 25-26. March where the status of small boat companies in each of these countries will be reviewed, as well as a comparison will be made of their operating environment. The National Association of Small Boat Owners in each of the aforementioned countries will hold a presentation, experts in the field of marketing of small boat fish will present their research, sellers of various solutions for the small boat sector will present their products, parties offering small boat fishing for tourists will present their activities and much more.

Participation is free and open to all.

More information can be found on the Coastal Fisheries website, www.coastalfisheries.net.

You can register for the conference by sending an e-mail to Jónas R. Viðarsson, jonas@matis.is.

The results of the European research project, EcoFishMan, were presented at an international seminar held at the National Research Council in Rome on 28 February 2014. The project was also presented on 5 March at the International Conference of Fisheries Dependent Information held at FAO headquarters in Rome.

The project has developed a new Responsive Fisheries Management System (RFMS) in collaboration with the main stakeholders in European fisheries. The aim of the EcoFishMan project has been to promote a completely new approach to fisheries management in Europe that is acceptable to stakeholders, governments and the fishing industry alike, and thus to have a significant impact on future fisheries policy.

RFMS describes how responsibility for fisheries management can be transferred to the fishermen, that is, the users of the wealth, provided that they set themselves and achieve defined management goals. Environmental, commercial and social factors are taken into account, as well as ways to improve co-operation and mutual understanding between policy makers and stakeholders to facilitate the implementation of the system. Stakeholder participation is strengthened by taking into account their knowledge and needs.

RFMS is implemented in stages and tailored to each type of fishery individually. The first step in the EcoFishMan project towards proposing different options for each type of fishery was to evaluate different approaches to fisheries management. The co-operation with stakeholders revealed that they consider RFMS to be a useful tool for fisheries management in suitable European pilot projects. It can also be used as a "program" to draft measures to reduce discards, as part of the ongoing reform of the European Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

Mike Parrk of the Scottish Catfish Producers' Association said: "I think with this new approach to fishing, we can address the current disadvantages of CFP, which are: vague goals and the short-sighted and often responsive decision-making process that makes it difficult for industry and stakeholders to implement change." .

The new system places increased responsibilities on fishermen to manage and report on their activities. The responsibility for allocating individual quotas and for monitoring compliance with the rules is transferred from the government to the fishermen. This will increase local ownership of fish and data, and increase transparency, both in decisions and violations of rules.

The project was funded by the European Union's Seventh Research Program, EU FP7. The grant was a total of 3.8 million euros and was for three years from March 1, 2011. The EcoFishMan project involves a total of 14 institutions, companies and universities in eight European countries, Dr. Anna Kristín Daníelsdóttir, division manager at Matís, is the project manager and dr. Sveinn Margeirsson, CEO of Matís, is on the project's science committee. Participants are Matis (IS), Eurofish (DK), CETMAR (ES), Syntesa (FO), Háskóli Íslands (IS), National Research Council / Institute of Marine Sciences (IT), Nofima Marin (NO), University of Tromsø ( NO), Centro de Ciências do Mar (PT), IPMA (PT), MAPIX technologies Ltd (UK), Marine Scotland Science (UK), University of Aberdeen (UK) and Seafish (UK).

Further information

Anna Kristín Daníelsdóttir, anna.k.danielsdottir@matis.is and Sveinn Margeirsson, sveinn.margeirsson@matis.is.

Budrygindi invites to a seminar on innovation and a vision for the future of rentals.

Program organized by Búdrýgindi in the Ársal of the Agricultural University of Hvanneyri, Saturday 8 March 2014, 13 - 16.

Speakers:

• Vilhjálmur Egilsson Rector of Bifröst | Benefits of new courses in food management at Bifröst.
• Dominique Pledel Jónsson, Slow Food Reykjavík | Slow food - Icelandic forces and society.
• Brynhildur Pálsdóttir designer, Meeting of farmers and designers and Vík-Prjónsdóttir | The value of design in product development and marketing
• Gunnþórunn Einarsdóttir, Matís | Innovation in food production - Now's an opportunity to put ideas into action!
• Arnheiður Hjörleifsdóttir, Bjarteyjarsandi | Sustainable past and focus on the future
• Davíð Freyr Jónsson, Arctic Seafood | Arctic Seafood and a kitchen workshop in Borgarbyggð
• Guðrún Bjarnadóttir, master's student at LBHÍ, owner of Hespa | Hespuhúsið - grass use, wool crafts and education

The program director is Kolfinna Jóhannesdóttir, headmistress of Menntaskólinn í Borgarnes.

The seminar is open to everyone and it is hoped that as many farmers as possible will be able to attend and all those interested in product production in rural areas. Also those who are interested in regional affairs in general.
The lectures will be rather short and concise, but the lecturers talk about the possibilities that they think the future holds and hope that a fruitful discussion will be created following the lectures.

EVERYONE WELCOME!

More information can be found at Facebook page of the event.

It is called a food factory when a facility for various food processing has been prepared, which has received a permit from the competent authorities for the operation.

The facilities can vary from one workshop to another, but what they all have in common is that there is a wide range of food processing equipment and tools and other facilities that the processing requires. Users receive training on the equipment and free access to the production of the products that are possible with regard to facilities and equipment and issued licenses by the health authorities.

The food factories regularly hold courses on the production and processing of various products as well as courses on internal control. Matís food factories are on Flúðum, á Harbor in Hornafjörður and in Reykjavík.