News

Designers and Farmers - A creative approach to the experiences from the New Nordic kitchen

New Nordic food, or New Nordic cuisine as it is often called, is constantly launching new collaborative projects and entering a new arena with the aim of combining experience in the culinary and creative industries.

On the 4th-6th nk november nk. The policy will be set in Reykjavík, where the international conference "You Are In Control" (YAIC) will discuss the project "Meeting of designers and farmers", which is one of many items on the conference agenda that include food and creative cooking.

The YAIC is an annual conference that explores developments in the creative industries of music, arts, design, media, games, literature, artistic expression and film. This is the first time that the conference will be held with a touch of cuisine.

The Designers 'and Farmers' Meeting is a collaborative project between product designers from the Iceland Academy of the Arts and farmers who have jointly developed unique foods based on traditional Icelandic products. In addition to this collaboration, Matís assisted designers and farmers with the technical aspects of food development and production that followed.

During the first three years of the partnership, the group developed four completely new foods. These products are from four farmers from different parts of the country and have been developed and assembled by designers and are now all presented at the buffet at the conference. YAIC and the Designers 'and Farmers' Meeting, together with a creative initiative from Harpa's chefs, give participants the opportunity to enjoy a unique dining experience.

A meeting of designers and farmers will be presented at the conference, on Monday 5 November at 12:00. Following this, the relatives of New Nordic Food and the project will show their work. Minister of Culture Katrín Jakobsdóttir will attend the conference, along with other public guests.

The buffet will include rye bread roll cake, which is a new interpretation of roll cake, but will also offer rhubarb caramel and skyr confectionery. This will be served with Icelandic berries and fruit drinks as well as the house salad, which is grown in Harpan's garden. Bjarni Gunnar Kristjánsson, Harpa's head chef, says that the idea came from his own garden, where he grows his own herbs and salad for the summer. "We wanted to experiment with guests and give them the opportunity to choose their own salad."

"This will definitely be the first step towards future collaboration with new international and creative people. I think we have made the right decision, the unique country Iceland for a new creative Nordic food experience ", says Elisabet Skylare, project manager at Food and Creative Industries and New Nordic Food.

"It is new and exciting to see food as a value along with a number of other creative disciplines such as music, media, art, literature, films, artistic expression, design and games. We feel that this initiative has shown new ways of working together. The food tradition enhances the guest experience, but there are also stakeholders from different backgrounds in the creative industry ", says Anna Hildur, Nomex, Nordic Music Export and chairman of YAIC.

Further information:
You Are In Control
www.youareincontrol.is

Designers 'and farmers' dates
www.designersandfarmers.com

This event is possible due to a collaboration between YAIC, Designers 'and Farmers' Meeting, Harpa, Music and Conference Center, Creative Arts Center, Íslandsstofa and New Nordic Food (www.nynordiskmad.org).

Contacts:
New Nordic Food, Elisabet Skylare, (+45) 2620 7579
You Are In Control, Anna Hildur Hildibrandsdóttir, 854 5763

Reports

Fisheries management for the future / Fisheries management for the future

Published:

01/11/2012

Authors:

Sigríður Sigurðardóttir, Sveinn Margeirsson, Jónas R. Viðarsson

Supported by:

AVS, MariFish, FP7

Contact

Jónas Rúnar Viðarsson

Director of Business and Development

jonas@matis.is

Fisheries management for the future / Fisheries management for the future

This report is the final report to AVS in the Fisheries Management for the Future project, which was partly funded by the AVS Research Fund. This is Sigríður Sigurðardóttir's doctoral project in industrial engineering, where the main subject is modeling in fisheries management. The project itself, which is about halfway through, is part of two larger European projects, EcoFishMan and Badminton. This is not a standard final report as the project has not been completed, but the results of the work components and the detailed methodology will be available in the interim or final reports of both projects when they are published. Similarly, it is planned to publish the results in peer-reviewed articles. This report describes the European projects as a whole, then describes the areas covered by the AVS grant. Methodology and implementation are reported. The badminton project focuses on discard research and its causes. The work component that the Fisheries Management will cover in the future included a systematic analysis of methods for reducing discards, as the result is a kind of tool that fisheries managers can use in decision-making. The EcoFishMan project is intended to be a contribution to the review of the European Union's fisheries management system and focuses on co-operation. The work described here is about modeling grayling fishing in Iceland.

This is a final report to the AVS fund in the project Fisheries management for the future, which was partly funded by the AVS research fund. The project is a part of Sigriður Sigurðardottir's PhD in industrial engineering, where the main topic is to develop simulation modes on fisheries management. Sigriður's PhD, which is half-way done, is a part of two larger European projects, EcoFishMan and Badminton. This report therefore only report's on intermediate results in the larger contents. Further information will be available in reports and publications connected with EcoFishMan and Badminton. This report contains brief descriptions of the European projects and more detailed coverage of the progress, methodology and results in the work funded by AVS. Badminton is a project that focuses on the discarding problem in European waters. Fiskveiðistjórnun til framtíðar contributed to the project by analyzing mitigating measures and developed a kind of a decision support tool for resource managers to assist with decision making. EcoFishMan is a project that is to contribute to the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy of the EU, by implementing co-management and results-based management into European fisheries management. The part of EcoFishMan covered in this report describes simulation modeling for the Icelandic lumpfish fishery, which is a case study in EcoFishMan.

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Reports

From scuba diving / Gourmet Diving

Published:

01/11/2012

Authors:

Ólafur Ögmundarson (Matís), Bjarki Sigurjónsson (Matís), Þorleifur Eiríksson (NAVE), Kristjana Einarsdóttir (NAVE), Sveinbjörn Hjálmarsson, Alan Deverell, Guðmundur Helgi Helgason (Hótel Núpur), Tobias Klose (Dive.is)

Supported by:

AVS V 006-11 - Efforts for job creation

From scuba diving / Gourmet Diving

The aim of the project was to prepare for the establishment of a company by assessing the supply and distribution of seafood that would be lost and caught on the seabed at various diving sites in the Westfjords. This type of utilization increases the utilization and value of seafood acquired in coastal areas. Additional results from the project are also knowledge of the ecology of the seabed that has not been explored in this way before.

To research and evaluate the supply and distribution of edible marine organisms at various potential scuba diving sites in the Westfjords with the aim of establishing service with diving and snorkeling tours that involve collecting seafood, which can be consumed on the surface as part of a gourmet food experience.

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Reports

BADMINTON (Bycatch And Discards: Management Indicators, Trends and LocatiON)

Published:

01/11/2012

Authors:

Sveinn Margeirsson, Sigríður Sigurðardóttir, Elísabet Kemp Stefánsdóttir, Jónas R. Viðarsson

Supported by:

MariFish, Technology Development Fund

Contact

Jónas Rúnar Viðarsson

Director of Business and Development

jonas@matis.is

BADMINTON (Bycatch And Discards: Management Indicators, Trends and LocatiON)

The main objective of the project was to gain knowledge about discard patterns in Europe and to evaluate the effectiveness of discard measures, including the effectiveness of fishing gear. Another goal was to improve methods for assessing and managing bycatch and discards. Two main methods were used in the project. First, data collected under the European Union Data Collection Regulation (2002) was used, later the Data Collection Framework (2008). This is data collected nationally, where inspectors monitor fishing trips and record catches and discards. Data of this kind have some well-known flaws, it is expensive to collect and they inevitably have distortions, but are nevertheless important sources of information. In this project, this data was combined for several countries within the European Union. It was a complex process where data collection methods differed from country to country. This preparatory work will be useful for future projects, where the intention is to use data for more than one country. It is not possible to fully understand human behavior by examining statistical data. Understanding discards is no exception. Therefore, stakeholders and experts were also interviewed about their views on the discard problem. It was hoped that the interviews would add to the knowledge gained from the analysis of the specified data. The two methods used in the project led to the same two main results. Firstly, there is a large difference in discard patterns according to fishing areas, countries, fishing gear, vessel size and species. It seems that the biggest difference is between fishing areas and thus it is best for discard regulations to be adapted to each area. Second, discards, quantities, patterns, and their composition seem to depend on many factors. In particular, current EU Common Fisheries Policy and the interplay between its various components seem to have a major impact. As a result, the usefulness of different methods of reducing discards will be difficult to assess. It is very important which methods are used together.

Discarding keeps being an important issue in world fisheries; it is a way for fishers to adjust their landings to the legal and market constraints, but is largely considered as a waste of rare natural resources and as contributing to the depletion of stocks bearing a high fishing pressure. Many jurisdictions, including the European Commission, are preparing regulations to reduce or ban discards. To design effective regulations, an understanding of the extent and processes of the issue is required. The MariFish BADMINTON project aimed to build up the knowledge of discarding patterns and factors in European fisheries, evaluate the efficacy of selective devices and other discard management measures that have been implemented in the past, and improve methods to analyze, monitor, and manage bycatch and discarding. Specific objectives included the provision of discard estimates for selected European fisheries, and of appropriate indicators; the determination of the most important factors affecting discard amounts and composition; and the elaboration of integrated management approaches to the discard issue. BADMINTON relied on two types of approaches to fulfill these aims and objectives. First was the analysis of onboard observer data, since intensive collection of catch and discard data onboard commercial vessels has been undertaken in European countries under the European Union Data Collection Regulation (2002) followed and intensified by the Data Collection Framework (2008). Thus, one significant contribution of the project was to collate onboard observer data from several European Union member states, given the many differences between national onboard observer programs sampling schemes, protocols, details of data recorded, and data storage formats. This first step paves the way towards a future better integration of national onboard observer programs. The second approach was to conduct stakeholder interviews and expert consultation, which was meant to complement the data analyzes with fisher's perspectives on the discard issue, and to provide an integrated approach toward management. Both approaches lead to the following two broad conclusions: · Discard patterns exhibited high diversity across regions, countries, gear types, vessel sizes, and species, with variability being more pronounced among regions. Thus, discard management approaches might be devised at a regional level - consistent with the proposed regionalization of the currently discussed reform of the European Union Common Fisheries Policy. Discards amounts, patterns, and composition, are determined by a multitude of interacting natural and human (economic and social) factors in a given place and time, and usually no simple explanations can suffice. The project has developed a number of tools, distinguished in three categories ie. · Selectivity related tools · tools to appraise and understand the discarding issue · tools that can be used to assist in devising management strategies A discard management strategy should not include only a combination of discard mitigation measures; if discards are to be reduced, appropriate and consistent incentives need to be mended together.

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Reports

Prepared dishes from salted fish

Published:

31/10/2012

Authors:

Gunnþórunn Einarsdóttir, Jón Trausti Kárason

Supported by:

The AVS Fund

Prepared dishes from salted fish

The aim of the project was to develop ready-made salted fish dishes and salted fish buns. By using, among other things, unused raw materials such as cuttings, increased value can be created from seafood. The aim was to sell these products in the Nordic countries, the Spanish market and in Iceland. Ektafiskur has a traditional production of salted fish and no additives are used in the production. Saltfish is a well-known product in Spain and the Nordic countries, and Ektafisk's current products have been well received in both Spain and Iceland. In order to maintain and / or increase its market share, it is necessary for the company to further develop its product line in line with today's consumer demands. Developments in salted fish products have led to greater convenience for consumers in line with changes in lifestyles in recent decades.

The aim of the project was to develop pre-made salt-cod dishes and fishcakes. By using un-utilized raw materials like cut-offs added value can be created. The goal was to market the products developed in this project in the Nordic countries, Spain and in Iceland. Ektafiskur produces traditional salted cod and do not use any additives. Salted cod is a known product in Spain as well as in the Nordic countries. The products from Ektafiskur have been well received both in Spain and Iceland. To maintain and / or increase its market size it is essential that Ektafiskur continue to develop new products with consumer demand in mind. The development of salted cod products has been increasingly towards consumer comfort and changes in life patterns in the last decades.

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News

Valuable Nordic co-operation in the fisheries sector

Matís participates in various projects in co-operation projects with the other Nordic countries. This applies to individual projects involving other research companies, institutions and production companies, and in many cases Matís leads other Icelandic institutions or companies to such Nordic projects.

These projects are not least relevant to the fisheries sector, as the basic industry in Iceland and the fisheries sector are very similar in the Nordic countries. In addition, some fish stocks in the North Sea are shared or stray stocks, which means that catches from the same stock are within more than one fishing jurisdiction.

Sigurjón Arason, Matís' chief engineer, represents Iceland in two working groups that outline research and co-operation in the Nordic fisheries sector. The working groups are part of the Nordic Council of Ministers. On the one hand, there is the EK-FJLS group of officials, which formulates the Nordic Council of Ministers' policy on fisheries and aquaculture, and on the other, the so-called AG-Fisk working platform, which oversees these projects and provides funding in the form of grants to the group's various projects. Sigurjón says that participation in this Nordic co-operation is very important. This is a value for Icelanders as a fishing nation, in addition to which other nations enjoy the experience and knowledge that Icelanders have to offer from their fishing industry. "The tasks in this Nordic work are diverse, such as the utilization of marine resources, fish processing development and fish processing technology. The aim of all such projects is, of course, first and foremost to improve the final product, create increased value for seafood and thus create a better market position. But we also have issues on the table that deal with political issues, such as the exploitation of common fish stocks. The basis for solutions in such cases often lies in the dialogue and collaboration of scientists, "says Sigurjón.

Despite the fact that the Icelandic fisheries sector has much in common with the Norwegian and Faroese fisheries sectors, Sigurjón says that it is of great value to also gain the experience of other Nordic nations in the fisheries sector, such as Denmark, Finland and Sweden. "All of this gives us results, both the research company Matís, other Icelandic companies and institutions and in fact Iceland as a progressive fishing nation," says Sigurjón.

For further information Sigurjón Arason, chief engineer at Matís.

News

Háskólafélag Suðurlands and Matís join forces!

Matís and Háskólafélag Suðurlands advertise the position of an employee in Suðurland. The employee will work equally on projects related to Matís Food Workshop in Flúðir in Hrunamannahreppur and the development of education in the South.

More information can be found here: www.matis.is/atvinna

News

The variability of cod can have a significant effect on the quality of salted fish and overall utilization

Tuesday, October 23 at 15:30, Master's student Paulina Elzbieta Romotowska will give a lecture at Matís, Vínlandsleið 12, on her master's project at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition, University of Iceland:

Tuesday, October 23 at At 15:30, Master's student Paulina Elzbieta Romotowska will give a lecture on her master's project at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition, University of Iceland: cod muscle - Effect of copper (II) chloride on lipid oxidation ).

Further information
Master's lecture at Matís, Vínlandsleið 12, 113 Reykjavík.
Supervisor: Sigurjón Arason Associate Professor, Kristberg Kristbergsson Professor, PhD and Kristín A. Þórarinsdóttir, Project Manager PhD.
Examiner: Ágústa Guðmundsdóttir, Professor PhD
Location: Esja Meeting Room (311), 23 October at 15: 30-16: 30
The lecture (in English) will be at Matís, Meeting Room Esja (311) and is open to everyone

Abstract
Cod (Gadus morhua) is one of the most common fish species in salted fish processing in Iceland. The production of salted fish has changed a lot over time. Among other things, the processing processes have been made more targeted.

Emphasis is placed on preserving the characteristic taste and texture of the salted fish during transport and storage. Recent studies have shown that the condition of the raw material affects the stability of cod during the salting process. The variability of raw material by fishing area and season can have a significant effect on the quality of salted fish and overall utilization. Fluctuations in the condition and chemical composition of the muscle are seasonal due to variations in the food supply and behavior of the fish, especially in relation to spawning. The formation of eggs and stingrays and also the food has a great influence on the physical properties of cod muscles. These variables can affect fat stability, oxidative activity, fatty acid composition (FAC), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), jaundice (b *) and evolution.

The aim of the project was to monitor and obtain information on fat oxidation, which takes place during the production and storage of salted cod, caught at different times of the year. Fat evolution (oxidation) processes, fat composition and color change of products during the salting process and during storage were measured. The formation of free fatty acids (ffa) and changes in phospholipids and total fat content were studied. The intensity of fluorescence was measured to monitor oxidative degradation. Research has shown that seasonal changes affect fat stability. The oxidation of fat in salted fish was higher in cod caught in November than in spring or summer (March and May), but the fat was stable during the salting process in August.

The results show that oxidation of fat during the salting process and during storage, increases the amount of peroxide (PV), thiobarbituric value (TBARS), stimulates yellowing (b * value), increases the content of free fatty acids (ffa) and contributes to the reduction of PUFA, polyene substance (PI), phospholipids and total fat content.

In the project, copper ions were added to the brine and their effect on fat oxidation was investigated. The results showed that copper significantly accelerated the oxidation of fat in salted cod and faster simultaneous yellowing during production and storage.

Keywords: salted fish, seasonal fluctuations, oxidation, copper (II), shelf life.

For further information Sigurjón Arason at Matís.

News

Matís was nominated for Fjöregginn 2012

Matís was nominated for the Meat Book in electronic form. The Icelandic meat book was first published in 1994 and has been in use to this day.

The reissue of the book was published in the form of an online book in October 2011. Much progress has been made in meat and food science, so this is a timely project on the go, which appeals to a wide group. Today, the meat book, www.kjotbokin.is, contains chapters on lamb, beef and horsemeat.

The aim is to publish a chapter on pork and poultry. Access to the meat book is open to everyone and is free.

Gróðrarstöðin Lambhagi ehf. received Fjöreggið this time and Matís congratulates the company on the award.

For further information Óli Þór Hilmarsson at Matís.

News

Dived after dinner

At the bottom of the sea are various treasures and rich biodiversity. There is a lot to eat there, but it is rare for people to pick up what they see at the bottom and put it in their mouths.

This experience is the core of the preparatory project "From diving to the stomach" ("Gourmet Diving") sponsored by AVS and which Matís has been working on this summer in collaboration with Náttúrustofa Vestfjarði, Núp ehf., Dive.is, Alan Deverell and last but not least Sveinbjörn Hjálmarsson, diver.

"The idea is to take tourists on diving trips in the Westfjords and allow them to pick up shells and more that can be eaten. They would then have their food cooked by a chef from Hotel Núpi, either on the beach when they come out of the sea or at the hotel. The food would be cooked in front of them so they could watch the whole process, "says Sveinbjörn and adds that in some places there is some flatfish that is good to catch by hand. Therefore, tourists can easily find great and good meals.

The landscape is very variable
Sveinbjörn dived and snorkeled in several places in the Westfjords together with Bjarki Sigurjónsson who was a summer student under the auspices of Matís. The goals were to find edible species, look at the locations of the upper and lower seas and make a rough assessment of how much could be picked in each place. "These places are never the same, although there may be only a hundred meters between them, the landscape is so varied. In almost every place there was something interesting to see better, both for the eye and of course the taste buds. We found a lot of scallops, scallops and sea urchins. There was also a lot of scallops, mussels, ointments that are shellfish, crayfish, solitary crabs and bait kings, to name a few. The tourists would receive instructions before going into the sea about what can be picked up and what not, in addition to which I would lead them on and point out to them what and where can be picked up, "says Sveinbjörn.

An idea that came about in the west
Ólafur Ögmundarson at Matís says that the idea is very good and that is why the company has decided to take part in the preparatory project, which could later lead to the establishment of a company that would take tourists on diving trips. "In this case, the application came to my table and I decided to apply for a grant to embark on the project. Our role has mostly revolved around project management and research implementation. Bjarki worked on this on our behalf and was under my guidance and Kristján Einarsdóttir from Náttúrustofa Vestfjarði, "says Ólafur.

"The idea is based on Alan Deverell's master's thesis. He was a student in ocean and coastal area management at the University Center of the Westfjords. It can be said that the idea originated in the area and we went further with it. The final goal is for Sveinbjörn to be able to use the final report to start a company that sells such diving trips in the Westfjords, "Ólafur concludes.

For further information Ólafur Ögmundarson at Matís.

This article first appears in the 7th issue. Ægis (www.athygli.is)

EN