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Improved thermal insulation packaging for fresh fish products. Experience has taught exporters of fresh fish products that there is every reason to seek all means to protect the product from the heat stress it experiences in air transport on its way to market. 

Research has shown that good pre-cooling for packaging and well-insulated packaging can be crucial for temperature control and thus maximizing product quality. Matís, the University of Iceland and Promens Tempra, have joined forces to conduct research in this field within the Chill on and Hermun cooling processes projects, which are funded by the AVS Research Fund, the Technology Development Fund and the University of Iceland Research Fund. 

It is inevitable that the product will be exposed to some heat load in air transport. Experiments and computerized heat transfer (CFD) models have been used to estimate the rise in product temperature. Figure 1 shows how much product temperature increase is expected in a single 5 kg foam plastic box (without ice mat), which is exposed to a temperature of 5 - 20 ° C. From the picture you can see, for example, that the box stands for 10 hours. at a temperature of 15 ° C the product temperature rises from 1 ° C to 6.6 ° C. The importance of pre-cooling before packing can be clearly seen in the fact that if the same 5 kg had been pre-cooled down to -1 ° C before packing in this same foam plastic box, it can be estimated that it takes the temperature of the fillets exactly approx. 10 hrs. to rise to 0 ° C.

Both experiments and heat transfer models have confirmed that the heat distribution in such boxes can be very heterogeneous, as shown in Figure 2. A more homogeneous heat distribution is preferable, as this way the buyer can be even more confident about the more even quality of the product. Improvements are being made to the Promens Tempra foam plastic boxes, based on the results of the research project.

For further information, please contact Björn Margeirsson, bjorn.margeirsson@matis.is.

Pollution of heavy metals and other toxins in the sea around the country is generally well below international standards, according to a new report by Matís on changes in the marine environment around the country (AMSUM 2008).

The concentration of cadmium in Icelandic mussels is higher than in mussels from the waters of Europe and America.

Since 1989, an annual monitoring project of pollutants in the marine environment of Iceland has been underway. The project is funded by the Ministry for the Environment and partly by Matís. The Environment Agency is the administrator of the project.

Various pollutants in the ocean can enter marine organisms or organisms that feed on seafood. In many cases, this pollution is man-made and there is growing concern about this development. Pollutants are transported by air and sea currents from mainland Europe and America as well as pollution from Iceland. It is therefore important to monitor the amount of pollutants in Iceland, both in the environment and in the organisms that live in the country. It is also important to be able to compare the state of the marine life around Iceland with the situation in other countries, not least because of the importance of marine products to the nation.

Matís' report (Monitoring of the marine biosphere around Iceland in 2007 - 2008) presents the results of the monitoring project for the years 2007 and 2008. The study measures the heavy metals lead, cadmium, mercury, copper and zinc, arsenic and selenium, the persistent organic pollutants HCH, HCB, PCB, Chloride, trans-nonachlor, toxaphen, DDT and PBDE. The aim of the monitoring project is to identify changes that may occur in the concentration of trace elements in the marine environment around the country during a certain period and between different ocean and coastal areas. Among other things, the research is important for the sale of Icelandic seafood in foreign markets, where it can be demonstrated with scientific data that Icelandic fish is caught in an unpolluted environment.

The report states that the concentration of heavy metals such as mercury is very low. However, the concentration of cadmium has sometimes been higher in the marine environment in Iceland than in more southerly areas. However, the amount of cadmium is low in the organisms studied, for example in the range of 0.1-1 mg / kg in mussels. The high concentration of cadmium in Iceland is believed to have natural causes as there is no evidence of human-caused cadmium pollution. Thus, for example, cadmium levels in mussels have been higher in recent years in various places that are far from residential areas and commercial activities, such as in Mjóafjörður, than in Hvalfjörður and Straumsvík. Persistent organic pollutants are low in mussels and cod in Iceland. CB-153 is the highest concentration substance in mussels while DDE is the highest concentration in cod.

For further information, please contact Hrönn Ólína Jörundsdóttir, hronn.o.jorundsdottir@matis.is.

The annual meeting of NMKL (Nordic Food Research Committee) is currently taking place in Selfoss from 21 to 25 September.

Matís is largely in charge of organizing the annual meeting, but in addition, Franklín Georgsson, division manager at Matís, is on the committee's board. He is also Iceland's liaison with NMKL.

Further information can be found on the NMKL website, www.nmkl.org/

Matís and the Iceland Academy of the Arts recently signed a collaboration agreement. The good co-operation that has taken place so far will therefore be continued.

Matís is the largest research company in the country in the field of food research and food safety. Matís' policy is to strengthen the competitiveness of Icelandic products and the economy, improve public health, ensure food security and sustainable use of the environment through research, innovation and services in the field of food and biotechnology.

LHÍ is the only university in Iceland with recognition by the authorities in the field of art and the university is therefore a leader in the implementation of academic research in the development of art studies in this country. LHÍ has made it its stated goal to strengthen research in the field of art and is currently working on the preparation of research-related studies at the master's level. This refers to artistic research, which is based on the methods of the various art media in the innovation of knowledge and its dissemination.

This agreement is made by the parties to further strengthen co-operation between them.

The purpose of the contract

• Strengthen the theoretical and practical education of university students in the fields covered by the agreement.
• Increase research in the fields of study covered by the agreement and also be at the forefront and have a professional position in innovation in these fields of study.
• Attract students and scholars internationally.
• Ensure that the quality of the research of the Parties is comparable to that which takes place at the international level.
• Contribute to the development and increase competitiveness of Icelandic food production by establishing collaborative projects between producers, employees and / or students of LHÍ and Matís.
• Apply for grants for innovation and development projects in domestic and foreign competitive funds.
• Utilize opportunities for joint venture of equipment for the benefit of joint projects.
• Increase the number of undergraduate and graduate students in the fields of study of the agreement.

Experts from Matís give good advice on meat and vegetables on the television station ÍNN. This is a cooking show where Icelandic agricultural products are paramount.

Farmers have joined forces with the country's best-known chefs in the making of cooking shows that have been named "Eldum íslenskt". In the episodes, the main emphasis will be on Icelandic ingredients from the countryside and Ramm Icelandic cooking methods. It is the master chef Bjarni G. Kristinsson, head chef at Hótel Saga, who manages the shows, but they are done in close collaboration with ÍNN, the Farmers' Association, Matís and most agricultural associations. The episodes will be a mix of education and cooking and will refer to both traditions and modern methods. Among the chefs involved are Gunnar Karl at Dilli and Hrefna Sætran at the Fish Market as well as experienced people from the Hotel and Restaurant School. In addition, experts from Matís come to the show and inform TV viewers about meat and vegetables, for example how to debone meat. vegetables. The aim is to discuss traditional Icelandic home cooking and demonstrate the unequivocal quality of Icelandic agricultural production.

The episodes will be shown weekly this summer and autumn on the television station ÍNN as well as mbl.is, in addition to appearing on the websites of the agricultural associations as time goes on. The sponsors of the shows are the Chicken Farmers' Association, the Horticultural Farmers' Association, the Horse Farmers' Association, the National Association of Sheep Farmers, the National Association of Cow Farmers, the Icelandic Pig Breeding Association, the Tourism Farmers' Association, Beint frá býli, Hótel Saga and the Farmers' Association.

Óli Þór Hilmarsson and Valur Norðri Gunnlaugsson are Matís' experts in the shows.