The project is a continuation of the project "Seaweed as feed supplement for dairy cows - increased use and quality?" with the main aim of investigating whether it would be possible to increase the productivity of dairy cows by feeding seaweed and to investigate the chemical content and quality of the milk. Also, whether it would be possible to use seaweed as a source of minerals, for example for organic feed that could lead to a new product such as iodine-rich milk and therefore stimulate innovation in cattle breeding.
In this project, special emphasis was placed on examining individual samples of milk and whether algae administration as part of cow feed had an effect on heavy metals, minerals, eg iodine, in the milk.
The greatest effect was on the iodine concentration of the milk.
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Contact
Ólafur Reykdal
Project Manager
olafur.reykdal@matis.is
This report was prepared for Ásta Þórisdóttir at the County Workshop for her Food Fund project Forest system - Weeds or underutilized food resource. Measurements were made of nutrients and contaminants in the forest system. Disciplines and other information were reviewed with regard to the utilization of the forest system for human consumption and other utilization.
It was found that the leaves and roots of the forest system contain various nutrients and the foreign substances mycotoxins and heavy metals were not measurable or below the regulatory limit. A review of scientific articles revealed that the forest system contains the substance deoxypodopilotoxin (DOP), which has a cancer-cell-inhibiting effect. This substance is at the highest concentration in the roots of the forest system and limits the use of the plant for human consumption. Forest systems should not be consumed in large quantities. The use of the plant in textiles, packaging, paper and building materials could be examined. The report summarizes conclusions and recommendations.
This work was carried out for Ásta Þórisdóttir as a part of her project on utilization of cow parsley. Analysis of selected nutrients and food contaminants were carried out. Information on cow parsley in scientific articles was studied. The nutrient content was reported. Mycotoxins and heavy metals were not detected or below the maximum limits set in regulation. The existence of the active compound deoxypodopylotoxin (DOP) in cow parsley was reported in the literature. This compound has antitumor activity which is not preferable for foods. Therefore, cow parsley should not be consumed in large amounts, particularly the roots which have the highest concentration. The utilization of cow parsley for textile, packaging, paper-like material and construction material should be studied. The report includes conclusions and recommendations.
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Contact
Georges Lamborelle
Station manager of Matís Aquaculture Research Station
georges@matis.is
This report presents the results of an experiment performed by Matis ohf. for ISF, represented by Martin Rimbach.
Skýrslan er lokuð / This report is closed
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Contact
Ólafur Reykdal
Project Manager
olafur.reykdal@matis.is
Unique position of foods from Icelandic agriculture - Nutrients and food contaminants
The project summarized data on the chemical content of food from Icelandic agriculture, highlighting the uniqueness and importance of domestic production. Chemical content refers to nutrients, contaminants and antioxidants. The aim of the project was to make knowledge of the uniqueness of food from Icelandic agriculture accessible in terms of chemical content. The benefit is that it will be possible to strengthen the image of domestic agriculture based on the uniqueness of food production. Marketing and promotional activities will take advantage of the results. Domestic production is strengthening in the consumer market.
Data on chemical composition of Icelandic foods from agriculture were collected to evaluate the special position and importance of the domestic production. Nutrients, antioxidants and contaminants in foods were covered. The purpose was to make knowledge on the special position of domestic agricultural foods available. It was expected that the image of Icelandic agriculture would be improved based on the special position of domestic foods. The information is useful as a marketing tool and will be regarded as positive by consumers.
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Thanks for the year ahead.
Matís staff wishes its customers and all Icelanders a Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year.
Contact
Georges Lamborelle
Station manager of Matís Aquaculture Research Station
georges@matis.is
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Contact
Rósa Jónsdóttir
Research Group Leader
rosa.jonsdottir@matis.is
With the increasing population growth and awareness of the environmental impact of world food production, the need for the development of new ingredients has also increased. At the same time, the food industry continues to strive to meet consumer demands for the quality and nutritional value of food. Based on this, it has been examined whether biotechnology can be used to develop protein-rich ingredients in food and thereby meet the growing demand for increased sustainability and wholesomeness of food.
The FUNGITIME project developed a variety of foods containing the so-called ABUNDA® mushroom protein, which is produced by the company 3F-BIO in the UK. The ABUNDA® protein mass also contains various nutrients, fiber, vitamins and minerals. The aim of the project was to develop foods that have excellent nutritional properties while meeting other major consumer requirements.
Matís' role in FUNGITIME was to develop pasta products with ABUNDA® mushroom protein. Two prototypes were successfully developed and tested by trained sensory judges. On the one hand, it was a traditional pasta recipe where a certain percentage of flour was replaced by ABUNDA®. However, a pasta recipe was developed that is suitable for those who prefer a vegetarian diet. It can be difficult to develop pasta in this way, but some properties of the pasta dough, such as adhesion and elasticity, change considerably when the recipe is changed in this way.
Consumer surveys revealed little knowledge of consumers about fungal proteins but a strong willingness to try new products that are produced in a more sustainable way. In addition, consumers want more products without all the additives that are often used when producing substitute products that are supposed to mimic original products. Therefore, the aim of the project was to use no additives in this development of pasta.
It is expected that the use of ABUNDA® mushroom protein in foods will have several benefits. The protein is of high quality but the production cost is nevertheless low and the production is largely sustainable. The protein mass is also healthy, high in fiber and suitable for vegetarians and greengrocers.
FUNGITIME, funded by the European Union through EIT Food, was a collaboration between several European food producers and research institutes, ie. 3F BIO and Frito-Lay in the UK, AZTI, Angulas Aguinaga and Angulas Aguinaga Research Center in Spain, Fraunhofer IVV in Germany and Matís in Iceland.
Due to growing world population and the increasing awareness of environmental impact of food chain, the development of new food ingredients from alternative sources is emerging as a global challenge. Besides, consumer demand of products that fulfill their nutrition needs is also a key for the food industry. In this sense, fungal biotechnology could become a driver for food ingredient production, especially for protein production that could fulfill both challenges, the environmental impact, and maintaining, or even increasing nutritional value and consumer acceptance. In order to assure that the designed products meet consumer expectations, consumer attitudes and acceptance were considered from the development to the validation of these food products.
The aim of the FUNGITIME project was to develop food products with ABUNDA® mycoprotein, with optimal nutri-physiological properties and having high consumer acceptance. ABUNDA® mycoprotein is produced by 3F-BIO in UK. The role of MATIS in Fungitime was to develop pasta products that would be cooked and taste like traditional pasta while offering more protein, more fiber and lower glycemic index to appease the health-minded pasta consumers. The aim was to develop pasta product solutions for different market channels: as a wholesome choice. Furthermore, the role of Matís was to study consumers' expectations regarding ABUNDA mycoprotein.
Two different prototypes of ABUNDA® pasta were developed and tested by trained sensory panelists and by consumers in comparison to traditional pasta. Consumer insights were integrated into the development process, evaluating the result of the designs. By this, it was also possible to study consumers attitudes and knowledge towards alternative protein sources, like the mycoproteins. The application of the pasta in a real situation, pasta specialized restaurant, showed that it might be worthwhile to introduce Pasta ABUNDA® as a more environmentally friendly or sustainable product on the menu if it was to benefit the sale. Main results of the study on consumer expectations showed that mycoprotein products were not very known by the participants. After introduction to the ABUNDA mycoproteins, the participants expressed interest in trying and felt positive towards the more sustainable products and would be willing to try the products.
FUNGITIME, funded by EIT Food, was a fruitful collaboration between European food producers and research institutes, ie 3F BIO and Frito-Lay in UK, AZTI, Angulas Aguinaga and Angulas Aguinaga Research Center in Spain, Fraunhofer in Germany, and Matís Iceland.
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Matís' opening hours for Christmas and New Year will be as follows:
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Opening hours at Matís in Reykjavík during the holidays:
December 23: 8: 30–16: 00
December 24: Closed
December 25: Closed
December 26: Closed
December 27: Closed
December 28: 8: 30–16: 00
December 29: 8: 30–16: 00
December 30: 8: 30–16: 00
December 31: Closed
January 1: Closed
January 2: Closed
January 3: Closed
After that, the normal opening hours will take effect again.
Contact
Elísabet Eik Guðmundsdóttir
Project Manager
elisabet@matis.is
Seaweed is a sea plant and is in fact an unused resource of biomass that is found in large quantities all over the world, including off the coast of Iceland. Seaweed has become much more common than that was previously in people's daily consumer goods, for example in food supplements, cosmetics, medicines and food. In recent years, a number of diverse projects related to seaweed, its properties and utilization have been carried out at Matís. Among them are the projects Súrþang and SeaFeed, which have been managed by Elísabet Eik Guðmundsdóttir and Ólafur H. Friðjónsson. We talked to Elísabeta Eik about the possibilities of research of this kind.
Seaweed contains a lot of bioactive substances and many of them have been described as beneficial to health, including prebiotic. Research on seaweed is growing rapidly in the world, as it is available in large quantities around the world. In many places, seaweed can be harvested in a sustainable way and its cultivation does not require land or fresh water. At Matís, emphasis has been placed on researching complex carbohydrates and bioactive substances in the seaweed, with the aim of creating value through new products or methods. Seaweed substances have all kinds of bioactivity, for example they can be antioxidant, affect the inflammatory response, fight bacterial infections and more. Bioactivity is when something affects living processes and we are trying to see and find what a good effect they can have.
The projects Seaweed and SeaFeed have mainly focused on the development of a fermentation method for seaweed with the aim of using fermented seaweed, so-called seaweed, to be added to aquaculture feed. These research and development projects have been carried out in collaboration with Laxá fiskafóður, the University of Helsinki, the Quadram Institute in the UK and Þangverksmiðjan Thorverk, with grants from the Rannís Technology Development Fund, EIT Food, AVS and the Food Fund.
What were the main objectives of the research?
The main objectives of the projects were to develop a product with positive health properties from seaweed for use in aquaculture feed and thus bring underused biomass into the food chain. We envisioned such research that it would benefit the rapidly growing seaweed industry and contribute to increased value creation from seaweed. Feed producers could then also develop new feed mixtures and aquaculture companies could use feed from Icelandic materials.
Fermentation, beneficial bacteria and improved intestinal flora
The processing of seaweed begins with dried and ground seaweed which is prepared for fermentation by a method which involves soaking the seaweed in water and heating it to 70 ° C. As a result, carbohydrates are released from the seaweed into the solution and at the same time a large part of the seaweed's microbial flora is killed.
After pre-processing of the seaweed, it is fermented with lactic acid bacteria from the genus Lactobacillus but the strain used can use mannitol, a sugar alcohol found in algae in large quantities, for growth and metabolism.
The fermentation process makes the seaweed easier to digest and makes oligosaccharides more accessible. Analysis of the hydrocarbon content of the seaweed after fermentation revealed that branched oligosaccharides are still present in the product but are not eaten by the fermentation bacteria.
This is important because sugars play a bactericidal role. In other words, they stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria in the intestines of farm animals. Lactobacillus the strain itself is considered a beneficial bacterium and this mixture of beneficial bacteria and a bactericidal stimulant oligosaccharide makes seaweed a product with multifaceted activity.
The situation today gives good hope for the future
The products of the projects have been tested in aquaculture experiments where salmon were fed on traditional fishmeal feed with fermented seaweed of two types and without seaweed for comparison. The growth of the fish and the effect of the feed supplement on their intestinal flora were monitored, as well as chemical analyzes and sensory assessments of the salmon product.
During sensory evaluation, samples of salmon from all feed groups were evaluated in triplicate by 8 trained sensory judges with regard to 17 factors describing the taste, smell, texture and appearance of salmon and no significant difference in taste, smell or texture was found between the three feed groups. Consistent with the sensory assessment, no significant differences in the taste or texture of salmon from different feed groups were found in a public consumer survey.
Measurements were also made on the color, protein content, fat and water in the salmon, but there was no significant difference between the groups when looking at these factors. Heavy metals have also been measured in salmon, but it is known that seaweed often contains a lot of heavy metals, especially iodine. It was clear that the high iodine content of certain types of seaweed is transferred to the salmon. High iodine content can have a positive effect here as iodine deficiency is widespread in the world and is considered a serious health problem. However, iodine is the factor that limits the amount of seaweed that can be contained in feed so that it does not have a bad or unhealthy effect, according to current regulations on the maximum value of heavy metals in feed. Other major heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury were all well below the feed threshold and there was little to no difference in these substances in salmon fed seaweed compared to salmon fed conventional feed.
The intestinal flora of salmon fed seaweed was shown to contain significantly less bacteria from genera containing known pathogens in fish compared to the intestinal flora of a control group fed on conventional non-seaweed feed. These results give good hope that the addition of seaweed to feed has in fact had a positive effect on the intestinal flora of farmed salmon.
As things stand today, the fermentation method has been developed and the product tested in aquaculture. Further research is underway to answer some outstanding questions and further improve the quality and safety of the feed supplement. Further development of the product is underway and it is planned to repeat the aquaculture experiment for confirmation in 2022.
What do you think is most exciting about research on seaweed?
The most exciting thing about the stage as a whole is that we are taking biomass that we have and lying there loose that we are not using and we are creating something from it. We are creating value by creating a product in the end, but we are also just exploiting it. As the situation is today in Iceland, we are not overusing our seaweed at all, we are using a very small part of what we could use. The seaweed is harvested in an environmentally friendly way and it only grows wild in Iceland as there are no domestic parties cultivating seaweed as it is today. There is a lot of material in there that contains all these possibilities and all these products. That's what's most exciting and drives it forward. We are all trying to work towards a greener future. And use what the earth gives us, do not overuse but use it well.
Elísabet went to a fun interview about her research on seaweed in Samfélagið on Channel 1 earlier this year. You can listen to the interview here: The community
Trivia and live footage from project work and research on seaweed, kelp and algae can be found on Matís' Instagram page here: Instagram.com/matis.
Projects such as the seaweed projects in question are carried out in various areas at Matís but fall under the service category Biotechnology and biomaterials. If you are interested in getting to know more about research and innovation when it comes to biotechnology and biomaterials, you can watch a presentation of the material here: Biotechnology and biomaterials in Iceland - future emphases and possibilities for collaboration
Contact
Rósa Jónsdóttir
Research Group Leader
rosa.jonsdottir@matis.is
There is a great demand for powerful new natural ingredients to increase food stability and there is a large market for such products. The aim of this project was to develop and produce new natural antioxidants from Icelandic seafood as products to increase the stability of different seafood. Methods were developed to produce antioxidant products from Icelandic seaweed and bone marrow, and extensive antioxidant measurements were made on the products, such as ORAC, DPPH, metal binding capacity and reducing power. Preliminary tests were also carried out by adding antioxidant products to various seafood products such as salmon fillets and cod fillets. Monitor the shelf life of marine products, including development measurements and color measurements. The production process of seaweed antioxidant products was scaled up and tested in different seafood products in collaboration with production companies. A market analysis was carried out focusing on algae extracts, fish peptides and proteins. The antioxidant products that were developed all had a high and varied activity in a test tube. However, the activity was found to be different when the antioxidant products were tested in different foods and slightly lower than the activity measured in test tubes. Shelf life tests (sensory evaluation and microbiological measurements) were performed on selected foods and showed positive effects of the antioxidants. Some of the tests that were done are promising, but the utilization of these new antioxidant products on a larger scale depends on an assessment of economic viability.
Currently, there is a great demand for natural antioxidants with high activity to increase product stability, and the market is big for those products. The goal of the project was to develop and produce new natural antioxidants from Icelandic marine based raw materials to be used to increase the storage stability of different food products.
Methods were developed to produce antioxidants from seaweed and seafood by-products. In vitro activity of the antioxidants was tested (ORAC, DPPH, metal chelation and reducing power activity) as well as their activity in selected food products to narrow down which antioxidant products to take to commercial trials. Furthermore, the food products were analyzed for eg development of lipid oxidation and changes in color. Shelf-life studies, including sensory evaluation and microbial analysis, were also conducted in select food trials. The production of selected antioxidant products was scaled up to give enough quantity to do commercial trials with selected antioxidants, conducted in collaboration with different food companies. Finally, an analysis of the market, focusing on seaweed extracts and cod / fish peptides / proteins as food ingredients, was done. Both the antioxidants developed from seaweed and fish by-products had very good in vitro antioxidant activity. However, results from food application trials showed varied results, depending on the antioxidant and food products tested. While some of the trials showed promising results, it remains to be seen if production costs of the new antioxidants can be brought to levels justifying their use in different food products.