Author: admin

Contact

Birgir Örn Smárason

Research Group Leader

birgir@matis.is

SUSTAINFEED is a two-year project with five partners, two of them from Iceland. The project received a grant from the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT Food) earlier this year and formally began last week with a meeting of partners at Matís in Reykjavík.

The project aims to develop ingredients in fish feed in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way. Reducing the proportion of fishmeal and oil in fish feed has been a goal in Europe for over 20 years. This ratio is replaced by plant-based ingredients such as soy, wheat and corn. Increased demand for these raw materials in feed and food means that the development of environmentally friendly and sustainable ingredients continues. Part of the solution can be found in by-products of grain and vegetable production as well as new raw materials produced in efficient production systems that are independent of seasonal fluctuations and deliver equal quality.

SUSTAINFEED will focus on the development of micro-algae from VAXA's high-tech production system that utilizes carbon dioxide emissions from the Hellisheidi power plant for growth, as well as renewable energy and hot and cold water flowing to and from the power plant, as well as the development of by-products from grain and vegetable cargo. The raw materials will be mixed into high-quality feed for aquaculture and replace raw materials that could otherwise be used in food.

The goal is for the new feed to be as environmentally friendly as possible, with much less carbon footprint than is known, but at the same time contain all the main nutrients for fish growth.

Over the next two years, a number of experiments will be carried out with the development of the ingredients, their mixing in feed and an assessment of the growth and welfare of fish.

The project's website is still under construction, but in the coming months it will be possible to follow the progress of the project here: SUSTAINFEED WEBSITE.

Matís has for many years worked with grain farmers and the Agricultural University to utilize domestic grain for food production.

Barley is grown in many parts of this country, mostly for feed, but it has also been used in various foods. In recent years, good results have been achieved in the cultivation of oats and oats from Sandhóll are sold in supermarkets. Consumers have taken the oats very well and there is reason to believe that product development based on Icelandic oats will lead to a diverse selection of food products. We must not forget the Icelandic rapeseed oil, which has been extensively researched. Rapeseed oil can be expected to be a raw material for many products in the future. 

It's a pleasure to see a discussion from Erni Karlsson at Sandhóll about the benefits of the Icelandic oats on visir.is.

Further information on Matís' research on the utilization of domestic grain for food production.

Þorsteinn Sigurðsson, director of the Marine Research Institute, and Oddur M. Gunnarsson, director of Matís, signed a co-operation agreement on 27 October. to strengthen and strengthen the institutions' co-operation on research and sharing of infrastructure.

The key to successful science and innovation is good access to research infrastructure and undoubtedly increased collaboration creates significant opportunities for both parties in times of great challenges, for example in aquaculture, genetics and environmental change in the Arctic.

The good co-operation between the institutions has taken place for a long time, from the years when they shared housing at Skúlagöa 4 in Reykjavík. There has also been a great and good collaboration between Matís and the GRÓ Fisheries School, which the Marine Research Institute has hosted for many years. The agreement formalizes this good co-operation as well as creating further opportunities in marine and water research.

Contact

Ásta Heiðrún E. Pétursdóttir

Project Manager

asta.h.petursdottir@matis.is

At the request of the Food Administration, the Risk Assessment Committee in the field of food, feed, fertilizers and seeds has investigated whether the consumption of energy drinks containing caffeine has a negative effect on the health of young people in upper secondary schools.

The report shows that the importance of energy drinks in the total caffeine consumption of Icelandic young people is greater than has been seen in comparable foreign studies. More than half of high school students consume energy drinks once a week or more and 10-20% high school students drink energy drinks daily. Students who consume energy drinks are about six times more likely to exceed the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) thresholds for the amount of caffeine that affects sleep and the caffeine safety limits for the cardiovascular system compared to those students who do not consume energy drinks.

The committee's conclusions indicate that there is reason to restrict upper secondary school students' access to energy drinks, as the supply, accessibility and marketing of energy drinks seem to result in the consumption of Icelandic upper secondary school students being higher than desirable.

The Risk Assessment Committee issued a similar report a year ago which covers the consumption of young people in 8.-10. grade on energy drinks. The results show that the proportion of students who consume energy drinks twice a week or more often increases with age, with about one in ten eighth-graders consuming energy drinks more than twice a week than every other high school student aged 18-20. It is interesting to note that younger young people are more likely to receive energy drinks as a gift in connection with sports and group work (40-70%) than older young people (10%). Recently, the media have covered the report of the Risk Assessment Committee from 2020 on the one hand here: It is common for children to receive energy drinks free of charge and on the other hand here: Swallow twelve times the amount of caffeine and experience discomfort.

The report has been covered in the news recently, but Rúv's coverage can be found here: Icelandic young people crave energy drinks like never before and Vísir's coverage here: Children have to go to the emergency room after consuming energy drinks

Ásta Heiðrún E. Pétursdóttir, division manager at Matís, is the chairman of the risk assessment committee.

Further information and the main results can be found in the news agency Matvælastofnun here: High school students' high consumption of energy drinks gives reason to limit access.

The full report can be accessed here: Report on health risks due to Icelandic young people's consumption of caffeine in beverages in beverages in upper secondary schools.

The scientist Viggó Þór Marteinsson received the floor National Order of Merit.

Viggó studied biology at the University of Iceland and graduated with a BS degree. He went to France for postgraduate studies and defended his doctoral dissertation at the Université de Bretagne Occidentale in early 1997. Viggó is a specialist in microbiology and professor at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition at the University of Iceland as well as being a professional leader in research and innovation at Matís ohf.

After completing his doctorate from the Université de Bretagne Occidentale, he has collaborated well with the French scientific community. This connection has led to many French students coming to Iceland and working for longer and shorter periods on projects that have been part of their projects for a master's or doctoral degree.

"Although some have completed or are completing doctoral studies under my supervision at the University of Iceland and have worked on their research projects at research institutes such as Matís," says Viggó. "Some of these students have been here for a long time after their studies and have research positions at Matís. This successful co-operation between the nations in the field of science continues and I firmly believe that it will be strengthened in the future. "

The word was published on November 20, 2020, but due to Covid-19, the word was given on June 9, 2021.

Matís sincerely congratulates Viggó on the word.

The Arctic Circle conference was held in Harpa last weekend. The conference was the first international event held in Europe since the beginning of the Covid-19 epidemic.

Matís took part in the conference and the participation included panel discussions on the blue economy and mainly discussions on the opportunities inherent in the blue bioeconomy in the Arctic. The panel was organized by the Arctic Economic Council. It was about a conversation about how the business community has come to find solutions to various societal challenges through innovation and value creation.

Participants in the panel were:

• Bryndís Björnsdóttir from Matís
• Leslie Canavera from PolArctic
• Patrick Arnold of the New England Ocean Cluster
• Mads Qvist Frederiksen from the Economic Council

The discussions that took place were summarized in a drawing that can be seen here: