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Vordís Baldursdóttir recently defended her final project for a B.Sc. degree at the University of Akureyri "Development of a method for measuring PCBs in fish with ASE extracts". She worked on the project under the guidance of Ásta M. Ásmundsdóttir, a specialist at Matís.

Recently, a new device was introduced in the Matís laboratory in Akureyri to prepare samples for the measurement of persistent organic pollutants in ASE 300 (Accelerated Solvent Extraction) foods. The device is based on reducing the substances from the sample under heat and pressure. With the new device, it is possible to prepare samples for analysis in a much shorter time than with older equipment.

Once the PCBs have been extracted from the sample in this way, their amount is analyzed by GC-ECD technology. Vordís 'project was entirely carried out in Matís' research facility in Akureyri and was primarily concerned with the development of new measurement methods using the ASE instrument, in addition to which it improved older methods for GC-ECD in order to shorten the analysis time.

The project led to the fact that it is now possible to perform measurements of PCBs in 12 samples so that the results are available approx. 2 days after the extraction begins, but the same number of samples with the older method took approx. 5 days and this method development has therefore led to significant time savings.

The equipment will be used both for samples from customers and for Matís research projects. Vordís will be a summer employee Matís Chemical Research Department in Akureyri and will, among other things, work on PCB measurements.

Recently, Matís in Neskaupstaður started using a complete tool for measuring and analyzing fish proteins. The device, from the company Elementar in Germany, is of the type Fast N / Protein Analyzer rapid N cube.

The device is based on the so-called Dumas method, but measurements according to this method is based on dry combustion and measurement of nitrogen in the form of gas (N2). The method is many times faster and more environmentally friendly than the Kjeldahl method, which is widely used for measuring protein in food and feed samples.

According to Þorsteinn Ingvarsson, Matís' station manager in Neskaupstaður, the device is very fast and accurate and therefore makes it very easy to measure nitrogen and proteins in fishmeal.

Matís' office in Neskaupstaður mainly handles microbial and chemical measurements for the fishmeal industry in the East Fjords, but the focus of the fishmeal industry in Iceland is in that area.

The picture shows Karl Rúnar Róbertsson, a specialist at Matís in Neskaupstaður with the protein analyzer.

One of the main opportunities for the Icelandic fishing industry is to increase the value of the raw materials that come from the sea. By processing food supplements from fish, it is possible to significantly increase the value of the raw material, not least from underutilized species which are now generally not used for human consumption or by-products and incidental raw materials in traditional food processing. This is stated in Matís' new report.

In the report Fish protein as a dietary supplement, discusses the potential potential of processing a large proportion of seafood into valuable products, in particular the processing of fish proteins for use in the fast-growing food and health products market.

The market for food supplements and health products has grown enormously in recent years. years and such products are now a larger part of people's nutrition than before. Dietary supplements are foods that are intended as a supplement to a regular diet. Proteins in supplements and health products are mainly made from milk and vegetable proteins.

Matís' report concludes that the nutritional composition of fish proteins is optimal as a dietary supplement, but development and research to produce them with the properties that are considered to be the most optimal for dietary supplements have been deficient so far. By processing food supplements from fish, it would be possible to increase the value of the raw material. The aim of the project was to develop fish proteins that were used as dietary supplements.

As can be seen in the figure, specialized and developed products are more profitable than general and less processed products. Chances are that profits increase as the products are processed more. The more developed the products are, the more valuable they become and with each step the products approach the pharmaceutical market, their value increases.

On Monday 26 May, Matís will hold an open introductory meeting at Verkmenntaskóli Austurlands in Neskaupstaður under the title Opportunities in the fisheries and food industry in East Iceland.

Among the speakers at the meeting are Sjöfn Sigurgísladóttir, CEO of Matís, Helga Jónsdóttir, Mayor of Fjarðarbyggð, along with some experts from Matís. Björk Sigurgeirsdóttir, who is the project manager of Þróunarfélag Austurlands and also the managing director of the East Iceland Growth Agreement, will also speak at the meeting.

The meeting will, as previously stated, be held at Verkmenntaskóli Austurlands at Mýrargata 10, Neskaupstaður, in room 1. The meeting is open to everyone and interested parties are encouraged to attend.

Anna K. Daníelsdóttir and Kristinn Ólafsson: Slides - Genotyping

Two Matís employees are on their way to Kenya to hold a course for fish inspectors. The course is held by the United Nations University's School of Fisheries and is intended as a graduate program for practicing fish inspectors in that country.

This is a new approach to education in developing countries where the purpose is not only to hold courses but also to establish a sustainable course, which the locals take over as a result of the stay of Matís employees.

The course was originally planned to be held in Kisumu, by Lake Victoria, but according to Margeir Gissurarson, another Matís expert who will hold the course, the situation in Kisumu is still precarious after the riots that followed the elections in the country at the end of last year.

The course will instead be held in the port city of Mombasa, Kenya's second largest city. Margeir will be out on May 24th and Franklín Georgsson will be added to the group on May 31st. Both are experienced Africans and well known in the jungles of Africa, but they have held courses in Mozambique under the auspices of the Icelandic International Development Agency (ICEIDA) and went to Kenya in 2007 to prepare for the planned course.

The picture shows Franklín Georgsson (2nd fv; Margeir Gissurarson (b. Middle) and Sigríður Ingvarsdóttir, an employee of the University of the Fisheries School of the United Nations, chatting with locals in Kisuma last year.

On the 13th and 14th of May. A workshop was held in Reykjavík on the European project CHILL ON. This was the first meeting of work component 5 ("Integration and validation - field trials"). Six employees from Matís attended the meeting, as Matís will play an important role in the project, which is briefly about testing and adapting technological innovations and solutions developed in the project.

The EU market area is the second largest market in the world for fresh and frozen foods and trade in chilled and frozen foods has increased by more than 10% per year in recent years. Fish is the third most consumed food in Europe and due to the freshness of fish, it was decided to study everything related to quality and traceability in the supply chain and transport with chilled and frozen fish in the project.

The CHILL ON project will also work on the development of the same components for chicken products and the supply routes of such products to Europe. In this connection, it may be mentioned that from Brazil, for example, about 250 thousand tons of chicken breasts are exported annually to European markets. Participants in the project come from all over Europe but also from outside the continent, such as from China and South America.

This four-year project is now half over and will end in 2010. More information about the project can be found at project website.

Matís' project manager in CHILL ON is María Guðjónsdóttir.

SFR - a trade union in the public service was recently chosen for the third time in the establishment of the year. The survey took place among SFR members on their working conditions and well-being in the workplace. Furthermore, all government agencies were given the opportunity for all employees, regardless of their trade union, to participate.

In the SFR survey, Matís is classified among the larger public institutions and ranks 12th. In fact, Matís lands in a gray area because, strictly speaking, Matís is not a public institution, even though it is wholly owned by the state, but a public limited company (ohf) as can be read here.

This is said on SFR website and in Morgunblaðið. Detailed information on what is behind the survey can be found on the SFR website.

The meeting will discuss, among other things, whether organic agriculture is an option in Iceland. The meeting starts at 12:45 and lasts until kl. 17:00.

The meeting will try to shed light on various aspects of organic agriculture. Are Organic Products Healthier Than Others? Do the production methods cause less damage to the environment than in the case of traditional agriculture? Is organic farming better able to meet consumer wishes in terms of animal welfare? The seminar will try to find answers to these questions and countless others.

Dr. Áslaug Helgadóttir, Assistant Rector of Research, Agricultural University of Iceland, will chair the meeting, and Einar K. Guðfinnsson, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, will address the meeting. The chairman of the meeting will be Dr. Sjöfn Sigurgísladóttir, CEO of Matís.

Kristján Oddsson, farmer at Neðra-Háls in Kjós, gives a talk which he calls Organic production: For whom and why? Kristján discusses first and foremost organic milk production as a business idea - the advantages and disadvantages of engaging in organic milk production. Then dr. Guðni Þorvaldsson, associate professor at the Agricultural University of Iceland, explains the beginnings and origins of organic agriculture as well as the ideology behind it. He intends to examine whether organic farming, as it is currently practiced, is based on a different foundation than the ideology of the entrepreneurs. 

Runólfur Sigursveinsson, a consultant at Búnaðarsambandi Suðurlands discusses the regulation on organic production of agricultural products and labeling and dr. Ólafur Dýrmundsson, a consultant at the Icelandic Farmers' Association, gives a talk which he calls Conditions for organic farming in Iceland, where the biological conditions for such farming in Iceland will be discussed, with regard to soil fertility, climate, livestock welfare and livestock industries to name a few. Ólafur will also briefly refer to the support that farmers have for adapting to organic farming. 

Dr. Holger Kirchmann, professor at the University of Agriculture, Uppsala, gives a talk comparing crops, carbon sequestration, nutrient leaching and energy consumption in organic and traditional agriculture. 

Grétar Hrafn Harðarson, lecturer at the Agricultural University of Iceland, gives a talk entitled A comparison of the health and welfare of livestock and the safety of products in organic and traditional agriculture. In the presentation, Grétar Hrafn intends to discuss possible changes in the incidence of production diseases when switching to organic agriculture and how preventive measures can be taken. Grétar Hrafn also talks about a possible difference in the health of livestock products under organic conditions. 

Finally, dr. Daði Már Kristófersson, economist at Hagfræðistofnun H.Í. deliver a talk he calls The Economics of Organic Agriculture.

 At the end of the presentation, there will be queries and panel discussions.

MmmmmSeafood is the name of a project sponsored by the Nordic Innovation Center (Nordisk InnovationsCenter). The name of the project can probably be translated as "Nammifiskur" in Icelandic, but its purpose is precisely to increase young people's interest in fish and seafood.

Despite the fact that more and more studies show a good effect of fish consumption on health, fish consumption is declining among young people. In recent years, Matís has been working on research into young people's fish consumption.

In fact, it is not just Icelanders who are worried about this unfortunate development, and in 2007 a co-operation project between Iceland, Norway and Denmark was established to strengthen the Nordic fisheries sector by developing new consumer-friendly product ideas for young people and young families to increase consumption of high-quality seafood. both at home and away from home (eg in school canteens).

To achieve this goal, a network (Nordic Seafood Network -NSN) will be established, with 31 participants from Norway, Denmark and Iceland. The network consists of nine fish producers, five retailers and restaurants, four marketing companies, five from governments and cities, two people from canteen chains, one food designer and five food research institutes.

Matís is currently holding a two-day meeting on the project, and in addition to the company, Icelandic participants include the Public Health Institute, Fylgifiskar and the City of Reykjavík's Department of Education.

The picture shows the participants in the meeting, which takes place on Skúlagata 4.