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The Icelandic database on the chemical content of food (ÍSGEM) is a database that stores both information on the chemical content of food on the Icelandic market and exported food and raw materials. The database is stored on Matís' website and is currently being refined.

The reason is that the database programs have become old and it is time to build a new program and reorganize the presentation of the data in accordance with international developments. This will be of great benefit to all work with the data and their utilization. Publishing the data on Matís' website will be easier than before and saves time. Users of the data will benefit from improved access to it.

On March 6-7, Anders Møller from Danish Food Information met with Matís employees to discuss improvements to the ÍSGEM database program. Anders has for many years been one of the leading experts in Europe on the development of food databases. Ívar Gunnarsson, a computer scientist at Hugsjá, took part in the meetings, but he has worked on the ÍSGEM program.

In ÍSGEM you can search for approximately 900 foods and find information on each type. It contains, for example, information on the energy value of each type of food or more specifically kilocalories, fat in food, protein, carbohydrates and added sugar. In addition, information on supplements, such as vitamins and minerals. ÍSGEM is therefore suitable for those who want to stick to it or avoid certain substances, such as the amount of salt or sugar in their food.

The database provides the public as well as the business community with information on food composition and is an essential tool for the food industry and food control, for nutrition research, teaching, catering of large kitchens and advice on a healthy diet. The data is used in programs that calculate how much people get from the various nutrients. Matís offers the Matarvefinn calculator on its website.

At Matís, measurements are made of the chemical content of food for the ÍSGEM database and data are also collected from domestic and foreign parties. ÍSGEM was a prerequisite for participation in the European Food Information Resource (EuroFIR) network of excellence on the chemical content of food and ways to disseminate the information through databases and online.

Pictured are from left: Björn Þorgilsson, Matís, Ívar Gunnarsson computer scientist, Anders Møller from Danish Food Information, Ólafur Reykdal and Cecilia Garate, from Matís.

The results of a multinational study on whether DNA microchip technology can be used in species analysis of fish have now been published in the journal Marine Biotechnology. The authors of the article include Dr. Sigríður Hjörleifsdóttir, Dr. Guðmundur Óli Hreggviðsson and Dr. Viggó Marteinsson, who are all Matís employees.

Research groups from eight European countries worked on a study funded by the EU and completed in 2006. Little is known about species variability, changes in the proportions of individual species and the functioning of marine ecosystems. The main reasons are that sampling and analysis are often problematic. It is difficult to identify many marine organisms at the egg and larval stage, animal and plant life and microscopic benthic animals. Microscopic analysis is extremely time consuming and requires a great deal of expertise. Species analyzes based on DNA analyzes are constantly gaining ground and are well suited for such analyzes, as it has been found that they can be very powerful.

As stated earlier, the subject of the study was to examine whether DNA microchip technology could be developed to identify fish species. Species-identified genes (16S rRNA) from mitochondria from fish from European waters were used. Eleven important fish species were selected in the prototype of the microchip. Short probes were designed from 16S rDNA sequences from 230 individuals from 27 fish species. The pairing of 16S rDNA fragments from the eleven species with a mixture of corresponding microarrays on the microchip revealed that this technology is particularly suitable and is sufficiently specific. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the 16S rRNA gene is well suited for designing short probes that can be used to distinguish between fish species.

This gives good hope that in the future it will be possible to develop a fish chip ("Fish Chip") with sensors for approx. 50 important fish species, which could speed up and increase the reliability of species analyzes of fish and fish products. Such a chip could also be used for research in the ecology of the ocean, in fisheries management and for tracking and classifying fish products.

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On Friday, February 29, 23 students graduated from the United Nations University School of Fisheries, and this is the 9th grade to have completed six months of study at the university.

The school is a collaborative project of four institutions / companies: the Marine Research Institute, Matís, the University of Iceland and the University of Akureyri, but in addition Hólaskóli and the University Center of the Westfjords are involved in this collaboration. The day - to - day operation of the school is part of the Marine Research Institute and the director of the school is Tumi Tómasson.

United Nations University School of Fisheries started working in 1998, but in August of that year the first 6 students started studying here, but since then the number of students has multiplied and they now come from all over the world. The study focuses on practical knowledge and experience, and students work closely with Icelandic supervisors in project work and job presentations that take up more than half of the six months of the study. Every year, special studies are offered in 3-4 courses, but the special studies last between 4-5 months.

The university is mostly funded by part of Iceland's contribution to development and by contributions from the United Nations University. In addition, some students have studied with grants from other sources. The school has a special board and is a collaborative project of four institutions under the leadership of the Marine Research Institute.

At Matís, all students at the school have received instruction in the basic course on the quality and processing of fish, and in direct continuation, students at the school's quality line, who this year were seven, have received instruction and practical training. Five of these seven students have worked on their final projects at Matís in Reykjavík. In addition, two students completed projects from Hólaskóli under the guidance of a Matís employee. These include projects that deal with traceability, cooling, drying, quality and shelf life, as well as the preparation of study material with the students working with the needs of their own home country in mind.

These projects, authors and mentors are listed below.

Quality control in fish handling and fish processing:

Juliana A Galvao from Brazil Project title: Quality control in cod fishing using traceability system. Supervisors: Sveinn Margeirsson, Cecilia Garate and Jónas Rúnar Viðarsson, MATÍS.

Hong Yan Gao from China Project title: Methods of pre-cooling and chilling for fresh cod fish and influences on quality during storage at -1.5 ° C Supervisors: Bjorn Margeirsson, Kristín Þórarinsdóttir and Sigurjón Arason, MATIS

Gisella Cruz Nunez from Cuba Project title: Quality and stability of crude oil extracted from Cuban shark livers: Comparison with cod liver oil and capelin oil from Iceland Supervisors: Heiða Pálmadóttir and Rósa Jónsdóttir, MATÍS

Dedan Mwangi Mungai from Kenya Project title: Identification of the contents for an advanced training course for fish inspectors in Kenya Supervisors: Franklín Georgsson and Margeir Gissurarson, MATÍS

Van Minh Nguyen from Vietnam Project title: The effects of storing and drying on quality of cured, salted cod Supervisors: Sigurjón Arason and Ásbjörn Jónsson, MATIS

Sustainable aquaculture:

Pada Anak Bijo from Malaysia Project title: Feasibility Study of a Recirculation Aquaculture System Supervisors: Helgi Thorarensen, Hólaskóli, Ragnar Jóhannsson, Hólaskóli and MATIS and Páll Jensson, University of Iceland.

Mercedes Isla Molleda from Cuba Project title: Water Quality in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) for Arctic Charr (Salvelinus alpinus L.) culture. Supervisors: Helgi Thorarensen, Holar University College and Ragnar Jóhannsson; MATIS.

The photo was taken when the group visited a fish processing company in Akureyri.

Matís' Process and Product Development Division is working on a project that aims to improve process management in food. This will be achieved by researching new rapid measurement methods on food quality indicators and designing food processing processes that make use of these methods.

In the project, funded by the Rannís Technology Development Fund, the possibilities of Near Infra Red (NIR), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and X-ray X-ray metering technology will be evaluated to measure the chemical content of food (NIR) and other properties of water (NMR) and water properties. (X-ray).

Conventional measurements to assess these quality factors are usually time consuming and require the use of organic or hazardous solvents, but no such materials are involved in measurements using these rapid methods on which the project is based. The methods also all have in common that they do not cause any changes in the quality of food during measurements, which makes it possible for them to be used in real time in food processing lines.

With these quick methods, it is possible to better control the production and ensure that each part of the raw material is utilized in the best possible way and that foreign objects are found and removed quickly and safely. In this way, the control of the processing processes can be improved, and subsequently the quality, safety, utilization and value of food can be improved. The project also involves the design of a production line that utilizes these measurement methods in a systematic way.

The project is carried out in collaboration with Marel, which plays an important role in the design of the production line, in addition to collaboration with Vísi hf, Reykjagarður hf. and Herring and fish. The measurement methods will be used for research into the processing processes of fresh fish, meat and chicken.

The project is part of María Guðjónsdóttir's doctoral program, chemical engineer and project manager at Matís' Processing and Product Development Division.

From 28.-30. In May, a conference will be held in Gothenburg on the main topics of sensory evaluation and how research and technology in this field can benefit the food industry. The conference is intended for both those who conduct research and those who work in the industry. Attention is drawn to the fact that those who want to take advantage of discount terms need to register before March 3, but then the registration fee increases.

As we reported recently on Matís 'website, Emilía Martinsdóttir, head of Matís' Department of Processing and Product Development, took over the chairmanship at the beginning of the year. European Sensory Network (ESN), an international association of research institutes and companies in the field of sensory evaluation and consumer research, which is one of the speakers at the aforementioned conference.

Emilia says that sensory evaluation is becoming an increasingly important part of the product development process of food companies, and if it is done well, it can save companies immeasurable work and money. She says that Matís has extensive experience in this field and can offer food companies in this country various services, for example in food innovation.

The Nordic food industry has been in the spotlight recently, such as the Nordic Council of Ministers' co-operation program "New Nordic Food and Cuisine", which aims to explain the potential for value creation in Nordic food production and food culture and launched last year. . It is clear that people's interest in Nordic food production, both within and outside the Nordic countries, is growing and it is therefore necessary for everyone working in this field to keep a close eye on innovations in this field.

Emilia encourages those interested in sensory evaluation and innovation in the food industry to familiarize themselves with the conference agenda and register as soon as possible.

Agenda and registration form

Matís' Chemical Research Department has introduced a new device for preparing samples for the measurement of inorganic trace elements such as lead, mercury, iron and copper. In the device, microwaves and pressure are applied to completely dissolve the samples in acid. In this way, it is possible to prepare the samples in a few minutes instead of 12 hours in Matís' older equipment. The equipment is used both for samples from customers and for Matís' research projects.

The new device facilitates preparation work when the forms of inorganic substances such as arsenic need to be detected. Such analyzes are a new area of research at Matís and are called "elemental speciation" in English. It is very important that the shape of the materials does not change before measurement and then it is good that the temperature in the new device can be controlled very precisely.

Matís has a complete mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) for measuring inorganic trace elements and with the introduction of the new device, the equipment has become as good as it can be. Matís can offer customers measurements of all major trace elements in food and feed, such as lead, mercury, arsenic, selenium, cadmium, iron and copper. In addition, the equipment is important for research projects, monitoring of contaminants in products and other projects on the chemical content of food.

Photo: Dr. Sasan Rabieh, Matís' specialist in the analysis of inorganic trace elements, with the new equipment.

At Matís' Department of Biotechnology, researchers are, among other things, researching whether anti-algae substances from algae can be used as an additive in various health products and target foods, which is a rapidly expanding market.

One of these scientists is Wang Tao, who is studying for a doctorate in the Department of Food and Nutrition at the University of Iceland with research facilities at Matís ohf. For the past year, it has been screening for anti-corrosion substances in algae off the coast of Iceland, but the project is part of Gold in Aegir's fists (Novel antioxidants from Icelandic marine sources) sponsored by the AVS fund.

In the spring of 2007, many species of algae were collected, the total amount of polyphenols was determined and the anti-inflammatory activity or antioxidant activity was assessed by several antioxidant assays. Algae contain, among other things, polyphenols that have high bioactivity, including antidepressant activity. The brown algae, seaweed, seaweed, seaweed, seaweed and algae were collected, as well as silverweed and seaweed, which are red algae, and marijuana, which is green algae.

It was found that the highest levels of polyphenols were found in the brown algae, especially in the seaweed, and there was a strong correlation between the levels of polyphenols and the antioxidant activity of the algae. Preliminary evidence also shows that seaweed has an antihypertensive effect (ACE inhibitory activity), but this needs to be examined further.

 Based on these results, it was decided to collect more seaweed and salsa last autumn and investigate further. Various methods have been tested to isolate the anti-corrosion substances from the algae, including the use of several types of enzymes. The next steps are to further purify the polyphenols from the algae and examine which polyphenols have anti-corrosion properties. It will be discussed later how they can be added to foods to increase stability, taste and nutritional value.

 Wang Tao, an Associate Professor at Dalaian University in China, attended the United Nations School of Fisheries in the fall of 2005 and is currently receiving a grant. She has extensive experience in researching fish protein hydrolysates and algae, which is useful in this project. Her supervisors are Dr. Guðrún Ólafsdóttir Research Service Sýn and Guðjón Þorkelsson Associate Professor at the University of Iceland and Head of Department at Matís, Guðmundur Óli Hreggviðsson University of Iceland / Matís and Charlotte Jacobsen DIFRES-DTU Denmark.

 The first results of the project were presented at The 5th Euro Fed Lipid Congress and 24th Symposium of the Nordic Lipid Forums, in Gothenburg, Sweden in September 2007. Poster

FisHmark is an Icelandic software for fisheries companies that proposes the most efficient arrangements for fishing and processing fish, can increase the value of seafood and at the same time contribute to increased profits for companies. The prototype of the equipment is ready and the aim is for fisheries companies to be able to use it next year. The device was presented at a press conference today, 14 February.

The software is the first of its kind and is a collaborative project between the food research company Matís and the software companies AGR, Maritech and TrackWell.

With FisHmark you can:

• Analyze which factors affect the value of seafood and the results of fishing and fish processing.

• Make proposals for the most efficient arrangements for fishing and catch measures.

• Increase the value of seafood and ensure access to demanding specialty markets.

• Make it easier for fish sellers to share information about a product, such as its origin.

• Connect data from electronic catch diaries, measurements in reception and from information systems about processing and marketing.

• Look for the most cost-effective solutions in the value chain of cod products and increase corporate profits.

To demonstrate the potential of FisHmark, an example has been set up of a company with one tugboat for fishing and fish processing located in Grundarfjörður. For simplicity, it is assumed that the tugboat can land at two landing ports, Grundarfjörður and Höfn in Hornafjörður.

In order to determine the most efficient arrangement for fishing with FisHmark, the following factors are examined: Comparison of ports, rental prices for quotas, capacity of fish processing, catch composition, export surcharge, closure of areas, limits on quota leasing, fishing without fish processing and catch shares.

Based on the best solution, 9.5% was an increased profit from the operation if it was fished outside the West instead of fishing in the southeast.

The project is funded by the AVS Fisheries Research Fund and the Rannís Technology Development Fund.

From 17. – 24. February, a food festival will be held at the Nordic House in Reykjavík. The festival is entitled New Nordic Food Festival and Matís is somewhat involved.

In August last year, a special co-operation program of the Nordic Council of Ministers, entitled "New Nordic food and cuisine", was launched on the Matís website, which aims to explain the potential for value creation in Nordic food production and food culture. It was also reported that a special steering group had been appointed to work on the plan. Iceland is represented by Emilía Martinsdóttir from Matís and Laufey Haraldsdóttir from the Department of Tourism at Hólar University.

In each country, "ambassadors" were also nominated, who were given the task of disseminating knowledge and raising awareness of Nordic cuisine. The ambassadors work on presentations of Nordic cuisine and culture. The Icelandic ambassadors are Sigurður Hall and Baldvin Jónsson. Now it's time to introduce this remarkable initiative to Icelanders.

The festival starts on Sunday 17 February and lasts for a week and it is safe to say that the program is the most magnificent as can be seen in here of the festival!