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News

Open workshop on environmental impact assessment in fish product value chains

On Wednesday 13 March, Matís ohf. at Vínlandsleið 12 in Reykjavík, an open workshop in the WhiteFish project, which is funded by the European Union's 7th research program.

The project aims to develop methodologies and software that enable producers of cod and haddock products in a simple way to carry out assessments of the sustainability and environmental impact of their products. Icelandic companies and organizations play a key role in the project, but in addition Norwegian, Swedish, British and Dutch parties are involved in the project. 

There is a growing demand for green accounting in international trade, and many of the world's largest retail chains have already announced that seafood producers who keep green accounts have priority in their purchases. For small and medium-sized businesses, meeting such requirements can be extremely costly and complicated.

The project is called WhiteFish and is a so-called "research project for the benefit of associations of small and medium-sized companies". The project, funded by the Seventh Framework Program of the European Union, will run for three years and has a total budget of almost three million Euros.

"The goal of the WhiteFish project is to ensure that small and medium-sized companies in the cod and haddock value chain have access to solutions that will help them keep track of the many positive qualities of whitefish from the Northeast Atlantic. This will probably give producers an advantage in the market ", says Petter Olsen from the food research institute Nofima in Norway, who is leading the project.

The WhiteFish project is owned by five industry associations from Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The association employs more than 1,200 small and medium-sized companies that have interests in fishing and processing of cod and haddock.

Four value chains of cod and haddock products within the aforementioned countries have been selected and will be subject to a life cycle analysis (LCA). This analysis will calculate the environmental impact of the products in each link in the value chain. Subsequently, methodologies and equipment will be developed that enable manufacturers to calculate the environmental impact in a simple way, with the use of traceability. The equipment will then be verified within the project.

The WhiteFish project has now been going on for over a year and at the working meeting various preliminary results will be announced and contributions will be sought for the continued progress of the project from those who are interested.

The meeting is open to everyone and participation is free, but those who intend to participate are asked to announce their participation to jonas.r.vidarsson@matis.is

More information can be found on the project's website www.whitefishproject.org or Jónas R. Viðarsson, tel. 422-5107

News

Microbial Assembly

Gloved hand holding a Petri dish

The spring session of the Icelandic Society of Microbiology will be held on Wednesday 6 March 2013. It should also be noted that the association is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary.

The meeting will be held at Matís' premises at Vínlandsleið and will take place from 20:00 to 22:00. At the session, members of the Icelandic Society of Microbiology present their recent research with a poster and a short presentation.

The conference is open to anyone interested in microbial research in Iceland.

News

Landsýn - the scientific conference of agriculture

Ahead is the scientific conference of agriculture, which will be held at the Agricultural University of Iceland in Hvanneyri on Friday 8 March.

It is clear from the agenda that a very interesting discussion is expected there, including the utilization of land and products. Guðjón Þorkelsson and Kolbrún Sveinsdóttir from Matís will give a talk in a seminar on "Sustainable production and home production of food", but you can read more about the agenda of the conference on the website Shrine.

For further information Guðjón Þorkelsson at Matís.

Reports

Genetic diversity, growth, maturity and migration, in catfish (Anarhichas lupus L.) / Genetic diversity, growth, maturity and migration, of the Atlantic wolffish (Anarhichas lupus L.)

Published:

01/03/2013

Authors:

Ásgeir Gunnarsson, Christophe Pampoulie, Sigurlaug Skírnisdóttir, Anna K. Daníelsdóttir, Vilhjálmur Þorsteinsson

Supported by:

The Icelandic Fisheries Research Fund

Contact

Sigurlaug Skírnisdóttir

Project Manager

sigurlaug.skirnisdottir@matis.is

Genetic diversity, growth, maturity and migration, in catfish (Anarhichas lupus L.) / Genetic diversity, growth, maturity and migration, of the Atlantic wolffish (Anarhichas lupus L.)

In this study, the genotype, sexual maturity and growth of catfish from the Westfjords and Eastfjords were investigated. The genotype study used 16 genetic markers and the Rhodopsin gene. Despite the fact that catfish is a local fish and there is little drift on its eggs and larvae, no differences in its genotype were found between regions or years with the genetic markers that were studied. The genetic studies showed a reduction in the population size of catfish in Iceland. In the warm seas out of the Westfjords, catfish grow faster and reach sexual maturity younger and smaller than catfish in the colder seas out of the Eastfjords. The results were examined on the basis of catfish biology, the length of time that catfish has been distinguished between areas around Iceland and the value of the study for sustainable fishing.

The stock structure of the Atlantic wolffish was investigated at Icelandic fishing grounds from two areas with different temperature regimes, using 16 microsatellite loci and the Rhodopsin gene. Growth and maturity was also examined. Despite the potential of the Atlantic wolffish to exhibit genetic structure (lack of eggs / larval dispersal and adults are sedentary), the genetic tests applied in this study did not detect significant genetic differentiation among the samples analyzed. However, the results on genetic diversity revealed a significant decrease in population size (bottleneck effect). Atlantic wolffish grows faster and matures at a younger age and smaller size in the warmer sea west of Iceland than in the colder sea east of Iceland. These results are discussed in terms of biological characteristics of Atlantic wolffish, recent isolation of populations and their application to sustainable fisheries management issues.

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Reports

Survey on domestic market for travel food and special food from seafood / Survey on domestic market for travel food and specialty diet from seafood

Published:

01/03/2013

Authors:

Kolbrún Sveinsdóttir, Jón Trausti Kárason, Guðjón Þorkelsson

Supported by:

AVS Fisheries Research Fund (V11004‐11)

Contact

Kolbrún Sveinsdóttir

Project Manager

kolbrun.sveinsdottir@matis.is

Survey on domestic market for travel food and specialty diet from seafood

Canned bags are flexible packaging with an airtight closure and are intended for ordinary foods with high acidity. The bags are resistant to canning and the contents can be sterilized. The main market for canned food is in Asia and Europe. About 5 billion packages of canned goods are sold in North America each year. Ie. about 750 thousand tons to a value of about 750 billion ISK. The market has grown by 10% per year. Most of it is produced from pet food, food rations for soldiers and for relief work in the third world. The greatest growth is in food, where technology has become recognized as a method of preservation and packaging. The restaurant and canteen market is also opening up with the development of larger bags that replace cans. An online survey was conducted to identify target groups in Iceland who might be interested in buying and using food in canned bags and to examine what kind of food is interested in using. An online survey was completed by more than 100 people. Representatives of large kitchens and outdoor enthusiasts were also interviewed regarding the use of canning bags. The results indicated that among the main target groups such as outdoor enthusiasts and large kitchens, there seems to be a general interest in the innovation that food packaged in canned bags is on the Icelandic market. The needs of the target groups are different in terms of dosages. The general public has very fixed views on canned food and these views are perhaps reflected in previous experience and the product range that has existed in Iceland so far. It is clear that in order to market ready-made dishes in canned bags, special care must be taken in the choice of recipes, ingredients and their handling. This is especially true if seafood is packaged in this way, as fish is a very sensitive raw material.

Canning bags are flexible containers with air ‐ tight sealing and intended for ordinary foods with high acidity. The food is canned in the bags. Most of the products in canning bags are pet foods, food portions for soldiers and aid activities in the Third World. The greatest growth is in food products and the technology has become recognized as a preservation and packaging process. The restaurant and canteen market is also opening up to development of larger bags to replace the cans. A web ‐ based survey was done to identify target groups in Iceland that could be interested in buying and using foods in canning bags and to explore what kind of food is of interest. Over 100 participants completed the survey. Representatives of big kitchens and outdoor enthusiasts were interviewed on the use of canning bags. Results indicated that among the major target groups widespread interest appears to be for such novelty food in the domestic market. The needs of different target groups vary in terms of size of packages. The public has a very firm view regarding canned foods probably reflected from past experience and past and current product ranges in the Icelandic market. It is therefore clear that in order to market ready meals in canning bags, the recipes and ingredients have to be chosen carefully. This is particularly important in the case of seafood as it is a very perishable raw material.

Report closed until 01.04.2015

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Reports

Consumer's evaluation of enriched seafood product concepts / Consumer survey of enriched seafood dishes

Published:

01/03/2013

Authors:

Kolbrún Sveinsdóttir, Kyösti Pennanen, Raija ‐ Liisa Heiniö, Rósa Jónsdóttir, Emilía Martinsdóttir

Supported by:

Nordic Innovation

Contact

Kolbrún Sveinsdóttir

Project Manager

kolbrun.sveinsdottir@matis.is

Consumer's evaluation of enriched seafood product concepts / Consumer survey of enriched seafood dishes

Compared to consumers elsewhere in the West, consumers in Europe seem to be more skeptical about food enrichment, and although food health claims carry a message of health effects, they do not necessarily make the product more attractive to consumers. Therefore, the development of enriched foods requires an understanding of consumer demands. An online survey was conducted to evaluate consumers' responses to product ideas on seafood that had been enriched with omega-3, fish proteins and algae, with different information on possible effects and functional properties. Icelandic consumers (n = 460) evaluated ideas for cod products and the results showed that enrichment of such seafood was a viable option, especially with omega-3. Although information on enrichment had a rather negative effect on people's experience of product ideas, information on ingredients and health effects of consumption had a positive effect on people's experience and the likelihood of buying the products in question. The impact of such information was somewhat greater among those consumers who placed more emphasis on health and had a positive attitude towards targeted foods. Finnish consumers (n = 432) evaluated ideas for salmon products and the results showed that the enrichment of seafood with kelp was one of the best results, especially when information on the reduction of salt content was included. From the results, it can be concluded that the enrichment of seafood is a realistic option. However, it is very important to consider the labels and information to consumers about such products.

Compared to consumers elsewhere in the Western world, European consumers generally seem to be more suspicious towards enrichment of food. Although health claims in food products communicate the health effect, it does not necessarily make the products more appealing to consumers. Therefore, development of enriched foods requires understanding of consumers' demands. The aim of this study was to measure consumer responses towards various concepts of enriched seafood products. Web ‐ based questionnaires were used to study Icelandic and Finnish consumers' responses towards concepts of convenience seafood products enriched with omega ‐ 3, fish proteins and seaweed extracts with different information about possible effects / functional properties. Icelandic consumers (n = 460) evaluated cod product concepts and the results showed that enrichment of convenience seafood was a realistic option, especially with omega ‐ 3. Although information about enrichment had rather negative effects, information about ingredients and health effects positively affected product perception and buying intention. The effect of information was greater among consumers which placed higher emphasis on health and expressed more positive attitudes towards functional foods. Two sets of Finnish consumers (n = 432) evaluated nine salmon product concepts. The results showed that products enriched with seaweed received relatively the highest scores, especially when information about salt reduction was provided. To conclude, enrichment of convenience seafood products with marine based ingredients is a realistic option. However, it is very important to consider labeling and information provided to the consumers.

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Reports

Superchilled Round Fish - Final Report / Supercilled Whole Fish - Final Report

Published:

01/03/2013

Authors:

Björn Margeirsson, Valur Oddgeir Bjarnason, Sigurjón Arason

Supported by:

AVS Fisheries Research Fund (R 11 062‐11)

Contact

Sigurjón Arason

Chief Engineer

sigurjon.arason@matis.is

Superchilled Round Fish - Final Report / Supercilled Whole Fish - Final Report

The main objective of the project "Super-chilled whole fish - for death solidification", which began in July 2011, was to investigate whether super-cooling of whole fish on board a fishing vessel could extend the shelf life and increase the quality of the products. Appropriate temperature and time settings for red and touch refrigerators were sought with four refrigeration experiments and the best settings were used to supercool whole fish in a shelf life experiment. The results of a shelf life test indicate that supercooled processing of whole cod can extend its shelf life by two days. According to sensory evaluation, however, there was little difference in the shelf life of different fillet groups. Shelf life was estimated at 16-18 days, which is quite a long time for cod fillets. However, the freshness period of the experimental group with super-chilled fillets of super-chilled whole fish seemed to be somewhat longer than the other groups. As with whole cod, there was little difference between the fillet groups in terms of microbial growth, chemical and physical properties. Limited differences between experimental groups can possibly be explained by stable and supercooled storage conditions. With this in mind, it is recommended to carry out another similar experiment, simulating more typical environmental temperature processes in the transport of fresh fish products (0–4 ° C) than in this experiment (–1.4 to –1.2 ° C). The results of computerized thermodynamics and hydrology modeling indicate that such models could be used for the continuous design of red and touch chillers for whole fish.

The main aim of the R&D project "Superchilled round fish - pre ‐ rigor", which was initiated in July 2011, was to investigate whether superchilled processing of whole fish on ‐ board fishing ships could increase product quality and prolong storage life. The appropriate temperature and time settings for the superchilling equipment were studied in four cooling trials and the best settings applied when preparing samples for a storage life study. The results from the storage life study indicate that superchilled processing of whole cod can extend storage life by two days. However, differences in sensory scores between the fillet groups were small. Storage life was estimated between 16 and 18 days which is quite long storage life for cod fillets. However, the group with superchilled fillets from superchilled whole fish seemed to retain freshness a little longer than other groups. As in case of the whole cod, the differences in bacterial count, chemical and physical properties between the fillet groups were small. Very similar fish temperatures between both the whole fish and the fillet groups resulting from the superchilled storage conditions applied may be the main reason for the small differences obtained. Thus, another study with more common temperature conditions during transport and storage of fresh fish (chilled but not superchilled) should be performed. The results obtained in this study show that CFD modeling of fluid flow and heat transfer is a realistic and functional tool to simulate superchilling of whole fish in a CBC ‐ cooler. In future work CFD modeling can be used to determine optimal values for parameters such as holding time, chilling temperature and air velocity. 

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News

Change in Matís' operations

At the turn of the month, there will be changes in Matís' operations in the field of chemical analysis. The aim of the changes is to increase financial efficiency and further strengthen the professional basis of chemical analysis. Unfortunately, there has been a sharp decline in public procurement in the field of food control-related chemicals, despite increased demands following the introduction of food legislation in 2011.

It is important for Matís to ensure the utmost efficiency in operations, without compromising the professional aspects of these specialized measurements. The development of equipment for pesticide measurements, which Matís has financed with grant applications, is now imminent, but in order for it to be possible to operate such equipment, it is necessary that all expertise is utilized as much as possible. Therefore, expertise in the field of chemical analysis is gathered in one place in Reykjavík. Pesticide testing of fruits and vegetables is very important to ensure consumer safety.

Matís' high rent at Borgir has also affected this result, but there are no final decisions on other changes to the company's operations in Akureyri. Matís has emphasized having strong operations in most parts of the country, as can be seen in the number of the company's offices.

News

UNA skin care products with bioactive substances from seaweed

The positive results of Matís' biotechnology research in recent years on algae and the bioactivity of the substances in them laid the foundation for the company Marinox, which has now started operations.

The first products are skin products under the UNA brand. They are already on the market in Iceland, but there are also plans for the production of food supplements and additives for the food industry in the future.

Hörður Kristinsson, division manager at Matís and Rósa Jónsdóttir, division manager, were responsible for founding the company in collaboration with Matís.

"It can be said that Marinox is a formal channel for our research and a logical continuation of research for many years. In 2007, we started screening for algae substances with antioxidant activity, and those studies led us to the brown algae bubble seaweed, which we decided to work with better. We have now reached the point where we have isolated bioactive substances from the bubble seaweed that we have experimented with as a food supplement in food processing and for the production of UNA skin products. The antioxidant activity helps the skin to counteract the undesirable effects we experience in our environment, counteracts the aging of the skin and so on, "says Rósa." has of consumption.

"The idea with Marinox is to produce food supplements and ingredients for food producers, but also to develop our own products that contain these positive bioactive substances. With UNA skincare, we have therefore taken a new step in the process, but research on algae and the bioactivity of substances in them will continue with us, as this is a great resource that Icelanders can use in the future, "says Rósa Jónsdóttir, professional director.

News

Saltfish guide for producers

We have just finished compiling practical information for salted fish producers. This handbook is based on research and development projects that have been carried out at Matís in collaboration with salted fish producers in recent years.

Several years ago, Dr. Jónas Bjarnason, chemical engineer, compiles a handbook for salted fish producers. That book was very popular and was considered to contain a lot of useful information. The edition of the book went dry a few years ago and salted fish producers have requested a new publication that better describes the methods that have been used in recent years.

Research and development projects for salted fish producers have long been bulky in the activities of the Fisheries Research Institute and later Matís. The results of these projects have been published in several reports and now it was time to highlight the main points in one place.

This handbook is therefore based on the research of many individuals and it is difficult to list them all, but it should be mentioned that Sigurjón Arason, an engineer at Matís and a lecturer at the University of Iceland, has been a common denominator for many of them, Dr. Kristín Anna Þórarinsdóttir, a food scientist, worked on salted fish research for years and completed a doctorate after completing her research. The preparation of this handbook and the compilation of the material was largely in the hands of Kristín Anna before Páll Gunnar Pálsson, a food scientist, took over and took care of putting the handbook into this form. But the manual will only be available in electronic form (pdf), which provides an opportunity to improve and modify at low cost.

The handbook can be accessed on Matís' website (www.matis.is/saltfiskhandbokin)

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