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Use of reference substances in chemical analysis - Course organized by the Nordic Food Research Committee 25 May 2011

Course organized by the Nordic Food Research Committee on 26 May 2011.

The course is intended for employees in laboratories, quality managers and all those who purchase chemical analysis services. Reference substances are used in all types of chemical analyzes and the methodology for their use is the same regardless of the subject at each time.

Advisor: Lars Jorhem, National Food Administration, Uppsala, Sweden. He will travel all over the Nordic countries and hold the course. In Iceland, the course will be held in English.

Place and date:    Thursday 26 May 2011 at the Iceland Innovation Center (eastern house)
Timing:                    10:00 - 16:00 (registration from 09.30)

The course will cover the following topics:

  • Reference Materials (RMs) versus Certified Reference Materials (CRMs): What is the difference?
  • ISO Guides and CRMs, EU legislation, CODEX requirements
  • Interlaboratory studies: Differences and similarities between certification, validation and proficiency testing
  • How are CRMs made?
  • Recovery and bias: Relation to CRMs
  • Selection, use and misuse of CRMs
  • Estimation of bias using NMKL Procedure No. 9 (2007)
  • A short introduction to measurement uncertainty
  • Where to find CRMs and PT programs?

Registration is done through the Nordic Food Research Committee and requested to be sent to the e-mail address: nmkl@vetinst.no for Tuesday, May 10th. The course costs 2000 NOK and the amount is paid directly to the Nordic Food Research Commission. Included in course fee: Lunch, coffee and course materials.

Contact person for the course in Iceland is Guðjón Atli Auðunsson, e-mail: gudjonatli@nmi.is

Reports

Increased value of pelagic species - FINAL REPORT / Increased value of pelagic species

Published:

01/05/2011

Authors:

Lárus Þorvaldsson, Björn Margeirsson, Ásbjörn Jónsson, Sindri Sigurðsson (SVN), Ásgeir Gunnarsson (SÞ), Sigurjón Arason

Supported by:

AVS Fisheries Research Fund

Contact

Sigurjón Arason

Chief Engineer

sigurjon.arason@matis.is

Increased value of pelagic species - FINAL REPORT / Increased value of pelagic species

The main objective of the project Increasing the value of pelagic fish - improved refrigeration technology, which began in June 2008, was to lay the foundations for a new method of cooling and storing pelagic fish on board seiners. The result of improved cooling is that a higher proportion of the catch is useful for human consumption. Partners in the project were Matís, Síldarvinnslan (SVN) and Skinney Þinganes (UN). This report describes the main results and products of the project. Examples of products are heat transfer models of pelagic catches in ships and storage tanks on land and the integration of heat transfer models and quality forecast models, which make it possible to predict the quality of raw materials based on environmental temperature history. Heat distribution in pelagic vessel loads with different versions of cooling systems was mapped and storage temperatures were linked to quality measurements made during landing. From temperature and quality measurements it is clear that the frequency of defects in landed catch increases with increasing storage temperature. The main advantage of the MCS (Mixed Cooling System) cooling system, which combines CSW (Chilled Sea Water) and RSW (Refrigerated Sea Water) cooling systems, is that the system can reduce the inevitable temperature rise that occurs in a pre-cooled vessel following the pumping of catch in lestina. During the project, the Icelandic mackerel fishery was the largest and it can be stated that the results of the project have been used very well to improve the results of food processing of mackerel in this country and thus increase the product prices of a valuable species.  

The main aim of the research project Increased value of pelagic species - improved chilling methods, which was initiated in June 2008, was to develop a new method for chilling and storing pelagic species on board purse seiners resulting in more valuable products. This report describes the main results and products of the project. Examples include heat transfer models of pelagic fish stored in a ship hold and a storage tank onshore and coupling of the heat transfer models and quality forecasting models, which makes it possible to predict spoilage of pelagic species as a function of ambient temperature history. Temperature distributions in ship holds with different cooling systems were mapped and storage temperature related to quality measurements conducted during landing. The fault ratio of landed raw material clearly increased, indicating lower quality, with higher storage temperature. The main advantage of a mixed cooling system (MCS), which combines RSW and CSW systems, compared to using only RSW is a lower temperature increase in a precooled ship hold caused by loading the catch in the hold. During the project, the emphasis on mackerel fishing increased significantly around Iceland. It can be stated that the results of this project have been widely exploited in order to improve the yield of the mackerel and thereby increase the profitability of that valuable species.

View report

Reports

Traditional skyr. Comparison of home-made and factory-made skyr - Pre-survey / Traditional skyr. Comparison between homemade and industrial produced skyr - Preliminary study

Published:

01/05/2011

Authors:

Þóra Valsdóttir, Eyjólfur Reynisson, Nadine Knocke, Aðalheiður Ólafsdóttir, Þórarinn E. Sveinsson

Supported by:

Agricultural Productivity Fund

Contact

Þóra Valsdóttir

Project Manager

thora.valsdottir@matis.is

Traditional skyr. Comparison of home-made and factory-made skyr - Pre-survey / Traditional skyr. Comparison between homemade and industrial produced skyr - Preliminary study

Skyr is one of the few Icelandic products that can truly be said to be traditional. The few studies that have been done on traditional, home-made skyr, date from the first half of the 20th century. This report presents a preliminary study of home-made and factory-produced skyrs, focusing on the assessment of sensory properties and the analysis of microbial flora using recent genetic methods. Significant differences were detected in sensory factors. The number of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts was considerably higher in home-made skyr. The same types of lactic acid bacteria were detected in different manufacturers and were the same as have been detected in previous studies. Yeasts of the same genus were found on both farms but not in factory-made skyr. Although these are the same bacterial species, it is possible that different phenotypes can be found between farms. Therefore, it would be interesting to investigate the possible metabolic or genotypic variability between strains from different production sites and their effect on the properties of skyr.

Skyr is one of few Icelandic products which can be stated as traditional. Little research has been executed on traditional skyr, of which most from the first part of the 20th century. In this preliminary study, homemade and industrial skyr is compared based on sensory properties and microbiological composition. Significant difference was found on several sensory attributes. Number of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts was much greater in homemade than industrial skyr. Same species of lactic acid bacteria were identified as in previous studies, however only some of previously identified yeast genera were found. Larger part of DNA needs to be sequenced and culture independent methods employed for a more specific identification. Such analysis could provide possibilities on establishing metabolic or genotype difference between different production locations.

Reports

The uniqueness of traditional skyr / Uniqueness of traditional skyr

Published:

01/05/2011

Authors:

Þóra Valsdóttir, Þórarinn E. Sveinsson

Supported by:

Agricultural Productivity Fund

Contact

Þóra Valsdóttir

Project Manager

thora.valsdottir@matis.is

The uniqueness of traditional skyr / Uniqueness of traditional skyr

Skyr is an important part of the Icelandic heritage, since the settlement, 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. Major changes have taken place in the production of skyr in the last century with the advent of its factory production, and there has been a discussion that traditional skyr should be affected. This summary will cover information gathering on traditional skyr production, a survey of where and how it is produced today, an overview of research, criteria and descriptions of traditional skyr, as well as the preparation of an application for international recognition of traditional skyr. . Such recognition can lead to an increase in the value of the product and contribute to the maintenance and growth of work knowledge that is currently in decline. This can boost local food production, diversify it and thereby increase the number of valuable jobs.

Skyr is an important part of Icelandic heritage, dating back to the settlement of the country. At that time skyr production existed as well in the other Nordic countries but seems to have vanished except for Iceland. With industrial production starting in the 20th century, processing of skyr has changed, and growing concern is of the maintenance of traditional skyr production. In this summation, overview of existing knowledge on traditional skyr production is made as well as opportunities for international recognition are discussed. Such recognition could be a tool for maintaining the traditional production and processing knowledge, as well as provide opportunities for local food production in rural areas.

Reports

Coloring of Arctic charr / Coloring of charr hold

Published:

01/05/2011

Authors:

Jón Árnason, Ólafur Ingi Sigurgeirsson, Gunnar Örn Kristjánsson, Jón Kjartan Jónsson, Turid Synnøve Aas and Trine Ytrestøyl, Manfred Phiscker

Supported by:

Technology Development Fund

Coloring of Arctic charr / Coloring of charr hold

An experiment was carried out with the aim of evaluating the activity of an organic pigment, Ecotone ™, and an inorganic pigment, Lucantin® Pink, on the coloration of char meat. The effect of 25% and 30% fat in feed on the activity of the pigments was also studied. All experimental items were tested in triplicate. The mean weight of the experimental fish was 564 g at the beginning of the experiment and 1381 g at the end of the experiment after 131 days. The temperature during the experimental period averaged 8 C̊ and the salinity of the broth was 20 ‰. The digestibility of astaxanthin in Lucantin® Pink was much higher than in Ecotone ™. The difference in body color measured by different methods turned out to be much smaller, which indicates a better utilization of the color in Lucantin® Pink. Little effect on body coloration was found by different amounts of fat in the feed and this was true for both pigments. The organic dye is more expensive to buy than the inorganic one and it results in approx. 5.5 % is more expensive to dye char with Ecotone ™ compared to Lucantin® Pink. During the analysis of the color of the feed at the beginning and at the end of the experiment 16 weeks later, it was found that there was a significant loss of color from the feed and that loss appeared to be independent of the type of color.

A feeding trial was conducted to compare the pigmenting efficiency of the biological colorant Ecotone ™ containg astaxanthin and prepared from the red yeast Phaffia rhodozyma, and the synthetic colorant Lucantin® Pink in Arctic charr. Both colorants were incorporated into diets containing either 25 or 30% lipid. All treatments were run in triplicate. The initial average weight of the fish was 564 g and the final weight 1381 g after a trial period of 131 days at 8 C̊ and 20 ‰ salinity. The digestibility of astaxanthin seems to be very much dependent upon the astaxanthin source. Differences in flesh color indicate a better utilization of astaxanthin from the synthetic source (Lucantin® Pink) as compared to the biological source (Ecotone ™). There was only a minor effect of lipid content on utilization of the astaxanthin. The biological astaxanthin source is more expensive than the synthetic source, resulting in about 5,5% higher production cost of fish produced with the “organic” colorant Ecotone ™ as compared to fish produced with the synthetic source of astaxanthin (Lucantin® Pink). The astaxanthin content in all diets proved to be very unstable when the feed was stored under conditions that are common in production of Arctic charr (10 - 20 ̊C indoors). The loss of astaxanthin ranged from 21-40% and tended to be higher in diets containing Ecotone ™. Thus, it is very important to avoid high temperatures, light and oxygen during storage of the feed.

View report

Reports

Addition of collagen to heavy salted and lightly salted, chilled and frozen cod fillets

Published:

01/05/2011

Authors:

Kristín Anna Þórarinsdóttir, Hannes Magnússon, Irek Klonowski, Ásbjörn Jónsson, Frank Hansen, Egil Olsen, Sigurjón Arason

Supported by:

NORA

Contact

Sigurjón Arason

Chief Engineer

sigurjon.arason@matis.is

Addition of collagen to heavy salted and lightly salted, chilled and frozen cod fillets

The effect of added gelatin extracted from fish was investigated on the utilization, chemical composition and quality of chilled, frozen and salted cod fillets. The gelatin was mixed into brine which was then injected into the fillets. Salted fillets were pickled after injection, then salted dry for 3 weeks and finally dehydrated. For comparison, fillets were sprayed only with brine. The main results were that the effect of gelatin on utilization and chemical composition was insignificant. Changes were mainly due to increased salt content. Another issue was the damage processes in chilled products. Microbial growth and degradation formation were higher in the fillets injected with gelatin. However, no visual difference in fillet appearance could be detected by brine composition. 

The effects of added fish gelatin on yield, chemical composition and quality of chilled, frozen and salted cod fillets were evaluated. The gelatin was mixed with salt brine and injected to the fillets. Salted fillets were brined after injection, dry salted for 3 weeks and finally rehydrated. Fillets injected only with salt brine were used as control. Effects of added gelatin on yield and chemical composition were not significant. Alterations were primarily due to the increased salt content by injection. Conversely, the growth of microorganisms and degradation within chilled fillets was accelerated by addition of gelatin. However, no significant differences were observed in visual appearance of the fillets. 

View report

News

New Nordic cuisine - rediscovery of algae

Algae are an important part of the diet of many in Asian countries. Their use in cooking, however, has not gained a foothold in the West except to a small extent.

Educational meeting of the association Food-history-culture in collaboration with Nýpuhyrna, Ólafsdalsfélagið and ReykjavíkurAkademíun

New Nordic cuisine - rediscovery of algae
On Thursday 28 April, Ole G. Mouritsen, Professor at the University of Southern Denmark, will give an open lecture on the use of algae in cooking.

Algae are an important part of the diet of many in Asian countries. Their use in cooking, however, has not gained a foothold in the West except to a small extent.

Algae can be excellent foods, tasty, full of important minerals, trace elements, vitamins, proteins, iodine and healthy polyunsaturated fatty acids. In addition, algae contain plenty of fiber and, as a result, are low in calories. Algae will no doubt be a bigger part of our diet in the future. Equally important is that these "sea vegetables" can help us rejuvenate and balance our diet to counteract the increase in lifestyle-related diseases, especially cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity and mental illness.

Ole G. Mouritsen is the author of books on culinary art and the science behind it. His research is related to a broad field of basic sciences and their application in biotechnology and biomedicine. He is a respected member of the Danish scientific community and has received numerous prestigious awards for his work.

The lecture will be in the hall of the Nordic House, basement, Thursday 28 April 2011 at 19:30.

Admission is free and open to everyone.

The lecture will be given in English.

More on www.matarsetur.is and www.nordichouse.is

News

Matís at the Fisheries Exhibition in Brussels

The fisheries exhibition takes place 3-5. next May. A number of Icelandic companies will be at the exhibition, including DIS, Maritech, 3X, HB-Grandi, Marel, Promens and Matís, to name a few.

The exhibition is the largest of its kind in the world and this venue is important for many Icelandic companies to expand and increase co-operation.

Matís will be in a common booth with Íslandsstofa and is booth no. 839 in Hall 6.

Matís employees who will be in Brussels these days are Sveinn Margeirsson, CEO of Matís, Hörður G. Kristinsson, Matís' research director, Sigurjón Arason, Matís's chief engineer and Steinar B. Aðalbjörnsson, marketing director of Matís.

News

Quality requirements for barley for food production

The use of domestic cereals for human consumption has increased significantly in recent years. This development calls for a stable quality of the grain and both buyers and sellers have descriptions of quality requirements to support it.

At Matís and the Agricultural University of Iceland, projects have been carried out to facilitate the utilization of domestic grain for human consumption, and the Agricultural Productivity Fund has supported these projects. Quality requirements have been compiled for food barley and barley for brewing. They describe the minimum requirements for barley development, drying, purification, chemical content and microorganisms. The quality requirements are intended to be a benchmark in trade in barley for food production. Different requirements are set for food barley and barley for brewing.

The quality requirements as a whole can be found here (pdf file).

Icelandic barley - a diverse product range
There is a diverse selection of barley products in Iceland that are made from Icelandic barley.

News

Research and job creation in genetic engineering - Seminar 27 April

The Association of Icelandic Biotechnology Companies and the Confederation of Icelandic Industries hold a seminar on genetic engineering, usability and opportunities for job creation.

Grand Hotel Reykjavík April 27 at 9.00 - 12.00

The meeting is open and admission is free. Registration on www.si.is

Agenda:
The beginnings of genetic engineering - Guðmundur Eggertsson, University of Iceland
Past, present and future plant breeding Áslaug Helgadóttir, Agricultural University of Iceland
Genetic engineering in food production - Helga M. Pálsdóttir, Matvælastofnun
Genetic engineering in pharmaceutical production - Einar Mäntylä, ORF Biotechnology
Genetic engineering as a research tool - Ólafur S. Andrésson, University of Iceland
Genetic engineering and the environment - Arnar Pálsson, University of Iceland

Panel

Moderator: Þorsteinn G. Gunnarsson, KOM public relations

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