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The Laboratory of Nutrition at Landspítali, the Faculty of Food and Nutrition at the University of Iceland and Matís are looking for participants in a study that aims to examine how well the body utilizes omega-3 fatty acids from different sources.

In addition to participating in a fun study and receiving free food, everyone who completes the study has the opportunity for a great gift card.

Further information can be found here.

On 6 September 2013, the Fisheries Conference will be held in Ísafjörður 'Fisheries marketing in the light of research and development‘.

Fisheries Conference - 6 September 2013

The conference will focus on research and development in the fisheries sector, as well as quality and marketing issues in the fisheries sector. Special emphasis will be placed on the West Fjords fishing industry and competitiveness.

The conference is open to everyone as long as space allows and no conference fee. Registration for the conference is at the Westfjords Development Center, phone 450 3000 and at reception@uwestfjords.is

The National Association of Master Bakers (LABAK) and Matís present the LABAK award-winning bread. The bread is the result of a competition that was held among members earlier this summer and was chosen from 11 submitted breads.

The author of the recipe, Sigurður M. Guðjónsson Bernhöftsbakaríi recently received an award at Matís' premises, where those present had the opportunity to taste the bread and get to know it better.

On that occasion, Jóhannes Felixson, chairman of LABAK, spoke about the origins of the competition, the purpose of which is to promote better hygiene in the diet of Icelanders. He mentioned that there was only one master baker on the jury, but that the emphasis was on getting people of different ages and of both sexes to the judiciary to ensure that the greatest emphasis was placed on taste and texture. The LABAK award-winning bread was the right bread for the whole public, as it was chosen by the public itself.

The Office of the Medical Director of Health took part in setting the requirements that bread had to meet in order to take part in the competition.

The bread was required to meet all the requirements of the Nordic keyhole as well as to be classified as wholemeal bread, which means that at least half of the flour is wholemeal grain that contains all the original nutrients of the grain. Furthermore, it was demanded that at least 20% of the flour be Icelandic barley.

The jury consisted of Ásgeir Þór Tómasson, master baker, Hotel and Food School, Hólmfríður Þorgeirsdóttir, food and nutritionist, Office of the Medical Director of Health, Jóhanna Eyrún Torfadóttir, Public Health Scientist, University of Iceland, Kári Steinn Karlsson, Achievement Athlete, Matinar B. Steinar B.

Sales of the award-winning bread began in bakeries within LABAK on Friday 23 August.

Matís and Landsbankinn have established an innovation competition for business ideas in the food and biotechnology industry that will be based on Icelandic raw materials or ingenuity.

The competition is intended to encourage the development of companies and the development of projects in the food and biotechnology industry with the aim of increasing lasting value creation in the Icelandic economy. The competition is entitled "This is something else" and refers to a discussion about innovations in the economy that often ends in the way that "something else should be done", or the undefined one that many people talk about but do not have a name for. This competition provides an opportunity to present ideas about "something else".

Landsbankinn and Matís join forces with the aim of bringing the ideas to life. Matís works on a variety of projects in the field of food and biotechnology, with an emphasis on innovation, value added and food safety. Landsbankinn has emphasized being a driving force in society and providing support and advice in the field of innovation in the business sector and the education system.

From the signing of a co-operation agreement between Landsbankinn and Matís. From left: Helgi Teitur Helgason, Managing Director of the Individual Division, Sveinn Margeirsson, CEO of Matís and Þorsteinn Stefánsson, branch manager of Landsbankinn in Grafarholt.

Cash prizes and important support

A cash prize will be awarded for the best idea, in addition to which Matís will provide those with the most important technical advice and facilities. The authors of some other excellent business ideas will also have the opportunity to learn more about the development and production processes in the food and biotechnology industry as well as the planning and arrangement of presentations for investors.

Applications have already been advertised and the application deadline is Monday 2 September. All ideas in the field of food and biotechnology that have a role in the market and are based on Icelandic raw materials are eligible for the competition.

Further information can be found on Matís' website, www.matis.is/nyskopun, and Landsbankinn, www.landsbankinn.is.

Since the establishment of Matís in 2007, a number of students have been in research-related jobs at the company and many of them have chosen to continue working at Matís after graduation. After all, Matís has set its sights on taking good care of its students, and at the company's headquarters, for example, there is a large office space intended for those who conduct research in connection with their studies.

One of the reasons why so many students have come to work at Matís is the good collaboration with the University of Iceland as well as other educational institutions in this country. Research-related studies in collaboration with Matís have also been a springboard for many students into the world of work. Whether they start working indoors or elsewhere after graduation, it is clear that the work at Matís returned well-prepared employees to the labor market.

It is also the case that some of those who continued to work for Matís after graduation or during their postgraduate studies have gained such a good reputation that they have been offered jobs at other companies, more often than not Matís' partners, due to their knowledge and skills. This fact is very gratifying for Matís. Despite the fact that the company always looks after good employees, it is no less important to see them flourish elsewhere, knowing where the foundation was laid.

We at Matís contacted some former students and employees who have a good reputation elsewhere and we asked what stood out, from the time they worked for the company:

Björn Margeirsson Started working for Matís in 2007 and worked here as a doctoral student until 2012. The doctoral project which dealt with cooling fresh fish and was carried out in collaboration with the packaging manufacturer Promens Tempra, Eimskip, Samherji, Brim etc. He currently works as a research director at Promens Tempra. He says that the Doctoral project and his work at Matís have given him a theoretical background and insight into the Icelandic fishing industry. "Which enabled me to develop in my job and open up exciting job opportunities for me at Promens, where I now work as a research director. What stands out from my time at Matís is a pleasing collaboration in my perpetual environment between universities and industry. " 

Guðmundur Gunnarsson Started working for IFL / Matís in 2006 and worked as a station manager at Höfn in Hornafjörður. He started working as a production manager at Skinney-Þinganes in Höfn in 2010. "The time I worked at Matís has been a good foundation for my current job." in addition to having set up a Food Workshop in Höfn.

Hólmfríður Sveinsdóttir Worked as a specialist in Matís' biochemistry and biotechnology division in Sauðárkrókur from 2009 - 2013, when she took over as managing director of Iceprotein ehf. At Matís, I gained experience, both as a researcher and as a project manager, which will undoubtedly be useful to me in my work today. What stands out is the great trust I was shown and the great encouragement I received from my superiors at Matís. There I also had the opportunity to work with very skilled experts both inside and outside Matís. All of this strengthened me a lot. "

Kristín Anna Þórarinsdóttir Started working at IFL / Matís while pursuing a master's degree in 1998. After that she worked on research at Matís and then went on to a doctoral program that ended in 2010. Her master's and doctoral projects dealt with the physical properties of salted fish and control of salted fish. Kristín currently works in the field of innovation at Marel. "All education in the field of food production and fisheries, increases the understanding of what people are dealing with through the value chain, from fishing until the product is on the consumer's table. This way we can make good things even better and keep us at the forefront of fishing and processing fish products. At Matís, I acquired skills that have been useful to me here at Marel and I know that this will continue. "

We are happy to be the bridge that connects science and business in an efficient and job-creating way, and can thus offer our students real opportunities for research and influence.

For further information Steinar B. Aðalbjörnsson, marketing director of Matís.

Poorly blooded poorly chilled fish leads to poorer quality of raw materials and products - "It is never possible to turn a poor raw material into a fine product and we should focus more on quality and value than quantity."

Recently, an interview appeared in Fiskifréttir with Sigurjón Arason, an expert at Matís. There, Sigurjon talks about the handling of catch and says that he recoils when he sees pictures of laden boats where uncooked fish flows up through train hatches and slides out into every nook and cranny on the deck.

The interview that Guðjón Einarsson, at Fiskifréttir took over with Sigurjón, can be found in its entirety below.

Catch management has undergone major changes for the better in Iceland in recent years, and fortunately most people pay more attention to quality than quantity. In this respect, however, the pot is broken, as can be seen in the pictures that you see on the internet of laden boats that come ashore with much more catch than they have the opportunity to complete on board in a decent way. The fish is uncooked and not allowed to bleed even after the capillary has been cut. You are shocked to see this because this kind of catch treatment inevitably affects the value of the products, "says Sigurjón Arason, chief engineer at Matís and professor at the University of Iceland, in a conversation with Fiskifréttir.

Huge sums of money at stake

What should people do when they occasionally encounter such a large fishery? "People must have to base their catch on how much catch can be handled on board and not according to the boat's fishing capacity. In a good fishery, it is possible to reduce the number of lines and even go out twice according to the catch, if necessary. The discussion on fishing should not be about catching as much as possible, as was previously the case, but should make the most of the limited catch that is allowed to be caught. The quality is based on the fish being bled as soon as it is caught and allowed to bleed in the flowing sea and then cooled down. This is a key factor in maximizing the value of the raw material.

And there is a huge amount of money at stake. For example, good cod fillets are sold for ISK 1,500-2,000 per kilo, but the condition is that the raw material is first class. Poorer raw materials end up in a block and for a kilo of it you only get 500-800 ISK. The same is true of the value of the heads. Black head of badly bloodied fish is sold in Nigeria at 50% lower price than yellow, beautiful head, for example. The value of the product is always ultimately reflected in the raw material treatment. "
Pricing does not reflect quality

But is it not a matter for consideration that there should not be a greater price difference than is actually evident in good fish and unfortunately good in the Icelandic fish markets? "Yes, it is certainly a concern because it does not contribute to improved raw material quality. It seems that the shortage of fish and the fact that there is more demand than supply in the fish markets means that the pricing is not based sufficiently on quality.
Those who take good care of their fish do not get the reward they deserve. Admittedly, I know that some producers only buy fish from certain fish markets or certain boats that they know well. "

The biggest opportunity

"My words must not be understood at all so that here is a catch reading in a lot of unread. Fortunately, there has been tremendous progress in this area in recent years and in many places the raw material treatment is exemplary. But it can be done much better. I have the feeling that improved catch management is one of our biggest opportunities in the fisheries sector. That opportunity is worth billions.

One thing is for sure: it is never possible to turn a poor raw material into a fine product and we should focus more on quality and value than quantity, "said Sigurjón Arason.

On occasion, the project shall be informed Safe foods, which was part of the IPA program, is important to further ensure food security and protect Icelandic consumers regardless of EU accession. The project enables the Icelandic authorities, Matvælastofnun (MAST) and the municipal health inspectorate (HES) to better enforce regulations on food safety and consumer protection, which have already been implemented in Iceland through the EEA agreement.

• According to a regulation, at least 190 pesticides are required to be measured in food and a capacity to measure at least 300 pesticides is required.
• Today, only 63 pesticides are measured, so it is not known whether other pesticides are present in food in this country.
• Samples of natural toxins such as fungal toxins and samples for measuring toxins in shellfish need to be analyzed abroad today.
• In 2011, 8 of the 276 control samples for pesticides were measured above the permitted limit, while in 2012, 3 of the 275 control samples were measured above the permitted limit. So far this year, 5 of the 140 control samples have contained pesticides above the permitted levels.
• The most recent example is that on 6 August 2013, imported spinach was recalled from the consumer market due to a pesticide identified in the product that is not allowed to be used in vegetable cultivation in Europe.

Background

Iceland has had an exemption for the analysis of fewer pesticides in food samples, which is required by EEA rules, while improvements are being made to chemical analyzes. The preconditions for this exemption and the necessary improvements will be eliminated if the implementation of the project "Safe food" does not take place, which also covers more contaminants and constituents in food. As things stand today and if the Icelandic government is unable to respond, food security in Iceland is at risk rather than working towards the necessary improvements in accordance with existing plans and commitments.

Consumers must be able to ensure that food in Iceland does not threaten their health, and the above task is part of ensuring this. Therefore, this project is primarily related to the implementation of current regulations aimed at improving food safety in Iceland.

It is essential for consumers to be able to trust that the food they buy and consume does not threaten their health. The key goal of this project is to further increase food security in Iceland and protect consumers by ensuring the wholesomeness of food on the Icelandic market. The project is therefore urgent for Iceland to be able to meet all the obligations we have undertaken by adopting and implementing food legislation in the EEA.

Short response times are key to food security threats. Iceland is geographically isolated and it is therefore necessary to ensure that the necessary research and security services are always available in the country. To this end, MAST has entered into a safety and priority service agreement with Matís on food safety. Matís is an official laboratory that is responsible for diagnosing the main pathogens and contaminants in food that are likely to be found in Iceland, but the company also provides advice on sampling, analysis of food samples and participates in risk assessments of food safety.

The project Safe foods was launched to work on the development of the necessary equipment to detect pesticides, contaminants and other substances that can be found in food. Research staff and regulators should also be trained in the use of equipment, legislation, sampling and quality issues related to food control and food research. These are tasks that are in fact part of current legislation, which requires sampling and analysis, as well as the necessary training for inspectors, and inspections are based on risk assessment and recorded procedures.

The project was originally intended to be funded through an IPA grant, but given that this grant is unlikely to be received, it is necessary for the Icelandic government to fund the project and even work on its solution with the involvement of foreign partners MAST and Matís, who are willing to to contribute.

Further information is provided by Ingibjörg Jónsdóttir at Matvælastofnun and Hrönn Ólína Jörundsdóttir at Matís.