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The eTrace project (eRek) is now in its second year and its results are already attracting considerable attention. The purpose of the project is to define, develop and implement a traceability system based on the EPCIS standard and to examine whether it is suitable for food traceability.

Integrating food safety information with other real-time traceability information opens up opportunities to simultaneously increase product safety. 

This spring, an experimental run was carried out in Sweden on the software that has been developed in the project, where fish tanks were marked with RFID tags as soon as they were landed. RFID tags emit radio waves, which can be easily read and the tags were glued to the outside of pots, boxes and packaging. In this way, the movement of cod from fishing, through processing and all the way to consumers could be monitored automatically. The gloves were used to obtain information on the location and timing of RFID tags, through landing and processing in Simrishavn and to consumers in Gothenburg.

Information made visible to consumers.

The implementations that have been developed in the project are promising and our Swedish cousins appreciated the further information about the fish in graphic form. Sales increased significantly for those products where traceability information was available and store owners were very pleased to be able to show consumers the product's path from fishing to the fish table. The RFID tags used in the test run proved their worth, but so far there have often been problems with the use of RFID tags in the wet and cold conditions of fish processing.

Fish boxes marked with RFID tags are scanned upon landing.

As mentioned above, the aim of the project is to develop and implement a traceability system based on the EPCIS standard. The system replaces the fact that information is collected manually, thus increasing automation and reducing the possibility of mistakes. The Swedish Fisheries Inspectorate (Fiskeriverket), which is a participant in the project, sees great potential for the EPCIS standard and RFID tags to meet the recent EU regulation no. 1224/2009, which states that member states must demonstrate the complete traceability of fish products. Their interest is also due to the fact that they believe that the system could be useful for fisheries management.

Screenshot of the software showing the processing process of fish, where fish comes from both the ship and the market. After processing these 6 boxes of fish, 6 packs of fish will be stacked on one pallet. Behind this picture is further information that is useful for product traceability.

A similar experimental run is planned for Iceland this autumn, where this technology will be used to accompany fish from fishing, through processing and all the way to consumers in Europe.

Many companies and institutions are responsible for the project and Matís oversees certain aspects of its work, but Valur Gunnlaugsson and Sveinn Margeirsson have had their way and problems with Matís' work in the project. In addition to Matís, the Norwegian companies SINTEF and TraceTracker, Lund University, the technology company Roi4u and the Swedish Fisheries Inspectorate are among the participants in the project, which is funded by the SafeFoodEra program.

A booklet that describes in a simple way in words and pictures the handling of fish freshly pulled from the sea

Following these guidelines can ensure the maximum value of fresh fish products.

The brochure will be distributed throughout the country in collaboration with, among others, the National Association of Small Boat Owners, you can also request a copy by sending an e-mail to matis@matis.is or call 422 5000.

The booklet can be download here.

Matís plays a leading role in two new and extensive multinational projects that the European Union has decided to support for three years, EcoFishMan and AMYLOMICS.

EU grants amount to a total of 5.5 million euros, equivalent to about 860 million ISK. Of this, Matís' share is a total of 950,000 euros for both projects, equivalent to about 150 million ISK. Matís manages both projects

This means that the EU transfers all funding to Matís, which then pays its domestic and foreign partners. A considerable part of the projects will be carried out at Matís 'offices in the countryside, as they are based, among other things, on Matís' good collaboration with companies all over the country. Master's and doctoral students will work on the projects.  

The European Union expects the EcoFishMan project to develop a new methodology that will be useful for changes and improvements to the Union's fisheries management system. Emphasis is placed on co-operation with fishermen, fishing and processing and on the utilization of information from electronic catch diaries. The aim of the project is to promote environmentally friendly, sustainable and economic management with a special emphasis on traceability and to minimize discards.

That EcoFishMan The project involves a total of 13 institutions, companies and universities in eight European countries, including the University of Iceland and the University of Tromsø in Norway. The project is expected to cost 3.7 million euros over three years and the EU's grant is 3.0 million euros.

• Dr. Anna Kristín Daníelsdóttir, division manager at Matís, will be project manager and dr. Sveinn Margeirsson, Matís's division manager, will be with her on the project's science committee.

The AMYLOMICS project will utilize the diverse ecosystems of geothermal areas in Iceland to develop heat-resistant enzymes for use in the starch and sugar industries. Heat and acid resistance are essential properties in such industrial processes, but can be found in the enzymes of organisms in thermal areas.

Among the participants in AMYLOMICS is a French company Rocket Frères, which is one of the largest in Europe in the production of starch and derivatives, with an annual turnover of about 7 billion euros. Roquette Frères will be testing enzymes that will be developed in the project for testing and innovation in its production.

• Dr. Guðmundur Óli Hreggviðsson, subject manager at Matís, will be project manager. Two other Icelandic companies, directly involved in the project, Roche Nimblegen and Prokazyme.

14 points out of 15 possible in a professional evaluation!

Sjöfn Sigurgísladóttir, CEO of Matís, says that the two projects and the EU's support for them are good news for the Icelandic scientific community and recognition for Matís:

"EU research grants are in great demand and there is a lot of competition for them. EcoFishMan received 14 points out of 15 possible in the opinion of the EU professional committee, which is a great result and returned the project to Matís and partners. With this, we become even more established in international scientific co-operation, and of course it is a special gift for Icelanders to now receive substantial funds into society from abroad during these times of recession and austerity. "

More about EcoFishMan
The European Union's Common Fisheries Policy does not deliver the desired results. Suffice it to say that close to 90% fish stocks in the jurisdiction of EU countries are overfished and a third of the stocks are in danger of extinction because they fail to regenerate. Discards are a major problem, for example it is estimated that 30-55% cod catches from the North Sea are discarded.

One of the goals of the EcoFishMan project is to analyze what has been successful in Icelandic fisheries management and "export". At the same time, there are plans for more co-operation with those who work in fishing and processing in the fishing industry.

Among the Icelandic parties that will be approached for professional knowledge are  Directorate of Fisheries, Association of Fish Processing Plants, National Association of Icelandic Fishermen, Marine Research Institute, Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture, National Association of Small Boat Owners and several Icelandic companies that produce technical equipment for the fishing industry, such as Trackwell, Vaki and Marel.

More about AMYLOMICS
The biotechnology project AMYLOMICS is the idea of Matís' experts and Iceland will largely be its forum. The diversity of geothermal areas in Iceland is unique and Matís has extensive expertise in their ecosystem. The project is based on developing technology to utilize this special Icelandic genetic source, producing enzymes with certain, important properties and exploring possibilities for utilization in various areas of the chemical and food industry.

Among the participants in AMYLOMICS is the French company Rocket Frères, which is one of the largest in Europe in the production of starch and derivatives, with an annual turnover of about 7 billion euros. Roquette Frères will be testing enzymes that will be developed in the project for testing and innovation in its production.

The company Roche Nimblegen also participates in the project and will, in collaboration with Matís, develop and improve methods for obtaining genes from hot springs.      

Further information: Sjöfn Sigurgísladóttir CEO, phone 858 5119.

Wednesday 30 June at At 15.00, a doctoral defense from the Faculty of Food and Nutrition at the University of Iceland will take place. Mai Thi Tuyet Nga, a food scientist, is defending her doctoral dissertation. Due to changes in the celebration hall, the defense will take place in hall 105 at Háskólatorg. 

Overview

"Enhancing quality management of fresh fish with improved product management and traceability from fishing and to consumers." (Enhancing quality management of fresh fish supply chains through improved logistics and ensured traceability) is the title of the doctoral dissertation.

Dr. Ingibjörg Gunnarsdóttir, professor and vice-dean of the Faculty of Food and Nutrition, will chair the ceremony, which will take place in hall 105 at Háskólatorg and will begin at 15:00.

Opponents are Dr. Morten Sivertsvik, "Forskningsleder" at Nofima in Stavanger and Dr. Hjörleifur Einarsson, professor at the University of Akureyri.

The supervisors and the doctoral committee were the following Sigurjón Arason, associate professor at the University of Iceland and chief engineer at Matís ohf, Dr. Gunnar Stefánsson Associate Professor at the Faculty of Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Iceland, Dr. Sigurður G. Bogason specialist at the University of Iceland and Dr. Sveinn Margeirsson, division manager at Matís ohf.

The United Nations University School of Fisheries provided Mai Thi Tuyet Nga with a scholarship and Matís ohf. provided her research facilities. The study belonged to the projects CHILL-ON (project no. FP6-016333-2) funded by the 6th Framework Program of the European Union and Hermun kæliferla which is funded by the AVS Fisheries Research Fund, the Technology Development Fund and the University of Iceland Research Fund.  

Abstract from the study: "Strengthened quality management of fresh fish with better planning and traceability from fishing and to consumers."

The aim of the project was to: Strengthen quality management of fresh fish with better planning and improved traceability from fishing and to consumers. Part of the research was to obtain an overview of the knowledge of the directors of companies related to the fishing industry on traceability and their cost awareness in the choice of transport routes and packaging when making decisions on the choice of transport processes for marine products. Analysis of transport processes was a necessary part of the project in order to obtain a comprehensive overview of the status of the industry and the transport processes. The results of the analysis revealed which links in the supply chain could be improved in terms of shelf life, procedures, equipment, environmental impact, etc. The project investigated how temperatures evolve through the transport chain for both aviation and sea; fillet processing, pre-cooling, the effect of different packaging, - the function of storage and containers and also during the transfer of goods in the chain. The results of these components of the project were used to assess the heat load experienced by the products in the processes and used to predict shelf life. The results of the project will be used to make decisions about which processes should be improved in the supply chain so that it is most useful in optimizing the overall process. 

The advantages and disadvantages of air and sea transport for fresh fish were analyzed. The results of the temperature mapping showed a much more stable temperature in container transport by ship than by air transport. In particular, there is a risk of heat stress in air transport chains when a product is moved between different links in the refrigeration chain. Other factors in the supply chain that can affect the quality and shelf life of fresh fish are pre-cooling before packing, the location of boxes on pallets in the case of poorly temperature-controlled cooling chains and the length of the chains. 

TTI (Time Temperature Indicators) was also analyzed in the project where equipment was tested for fresh fish products and its use to assess product quality limits. TTI tests were performed in storage trials to verify that the rate of product quality change was consistent with the performance of the TTI equipment.

The doctoral dissertation is based on six scientific articles, of which one article is already published in an international scientific journal and another is approved.

Mai Thi Tuyet Nga was born on December 23, 1971 in Vietnam. She completed her B.Sc. degree from the Department of Aquatic Products Processing Technology at Kaliningrad State Technical University (KGTU), Kaliningrad, Russian Federation in 1995 and M.Sc. degree from the Faculty of Aquatic Products Processing, Nha Trang University (NTU), Nha Trang, Vietnam in 2000. Mai Thi Tuyet Nga has been a teacher of food science since 1996 at Nha Trang University (NTU). Mai Thi Tuyet Nga is married to Tran Quang Hung and they have two daughters Tran Mai Linh and Tran Mai Khanh Huyen.

Mai Thi Tuyet Nga, phone: 00-354-8987821; 00-84-914074318 Email: maiceland@yahoo.com

Sigurjón Arason, main supervisor,  mailto:go@hi.is sigurjar@hi.is  (phone: 8585117)

The main goal of the project is to utilize in a profitable way the catch that comes ashore in Þorlákshöfn with catch that is not gutted at sea.

The project manager for the project is Þorbjörn Jónsson at Atvinnuþróunarfélag Suðurlands and the partners are: Matís ehf., Auðbjörg ehf, Atlantshumar ehf., Hafnarnes Ver hf., Frostfiskur ehf., Lýsi hf., Landgræðsla ríkisins, Búnaðarsamband Suðurlands and
MS Selfoss.

The project is funded by the AVS Fisheries Research Fund.

The aim is to establish a start-up company at the end of the project and the company will focus on the utilization of the slag for fertilizer production. The expected by-product of the production process is crude oil

The use of sludge for fertilizer has a long history around the world. In Iceland, it was common in the first half of the last century to plow fields. Slug is suitable as an organic fertilizer for both vegetables and other plants and grasses. Studies have shown that the nitrogen content of fish slag is better utilized than nitrogen from synthetic fertilizers, as a large part is lost by evaporation. The slag has a much longer activity in fertilizer value as the elements are in organic form and are released more slowly into the soil.

More information about the project is here.

The CAREX project has invited 20 scientists to visit Iceland to exchange views and learn more about hot springs and life in difficult conditions, hot as well as cold. What place is better for that than Iceland?

The group will visit Hveragerði and Sólheimajökull, among other places, and the intention is to test various devices that are to be used for sampling and measuring life in peripheral areas, such as in very hot or very cold areas.

Matís' contact person is Viggo Marteinsson, viggo.marteinsson@matis.is, and provides further information about this trip / visit.

There is a great shortage of high quality surimi in the world and also a very growing demand for products with bioactivity and health benefits.

The aim of the project is to develop and set up a new processing process to produce high quality bioactive surimi products from underutilized and cheap raw materials.

There is a great shortage of high quality surimi in the world and also a very growing demand for products with bioactivity and health benefits. Therefore, there is a great opportunity now for Iceland to gain a foothold in this market. In the project, the process will be maximized and the properties of the product will be measured and confirmed by customers. New methods and blends will be developed to produce a new product, bioactive surimi, focusing on products that can contribute to improved consumer health. Surimi products will then be produced on a large scale and put to extensive market and consumer tests abroad.

Towards the end of the project, the intention is to start profitable surimi production in Iceland, which will lead to more jobs, increased diversity in the production of seafood in Iceland and increased foreign exchange earnings.

Further information can be found here.