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It has been decided to extend the deadline for submitting answers in a survey of attitudes towards health claims on food until the end of next month. There was a software failure that made it difficult for some participants to answer the questions. Now the software is up and running, so participants can submit answers.

This is a pan-Nordic survey, the aim of which is to examine consumers' attitudes towards health claims and how they understand different health claims on food. The results of the survey will be presented in all countries, as well as food companies, consumer organizations and authorities.

European regulations on food health claims are in the pipeline and the results of the survey will be used to influence its content. There is a growing trend for food to be labeled with so-called health claims. There may be claims about the nutritional content of foods, such as low-fat, cholesterol-free, low-calorie, and the effects of consuming individual foods on the health of consumers.

Matís is advertising for staff for five positions in Reykjavík and Akureyri due to extensive activity. There is an advertisement for a specialist in sensory evaluation, a librarian, a laboratory assistant, a project manager and a specialist in pesticide measurements.

Applications can be sent to birna.eggertsdottir@matis.is. The application deadline is July 1.

You can view the job advertisement here.

Prokaria, Matís' biotechnology department (Matvælarannsókir Íslands) has succeeded in developing a method that can be used for genetic analysis of cod. Such a method is extremely important for the traceability of offspring to parents in breeding work, due to stock analyzes in stock ecology research, source analyzes or due to possible product defects. Prokaria is working to protect the discovery with a patent.

The aim of the project was to develop a new genetic marker for cod that could be put together in a so-called genetic marker set. It is considered necessary to have about 10 genetic markers in parental analyzes and preferably about 20 genetic markers in stock and source analyzes. In the project, part of the cod's genome was sequenced. Areas with a special enrichment method developed by Prokaria were selected.

Matís' biotechnology department developed two diagnostic kits, one with 9 genetic markers and the other with 10 genetic markers, which have been tested on a number of cod samples. The MRI's geneticists have also conducted experiments and analyzes on the two genetic markers that are ready.

In addition, there are many useful genetic markers in Matís that are not included in the diagnostic kit but can be used as individual genetic markers. Matís has already started utilizing the diagnostic kits and many companies, Icelandic and foreign, have taken advantage of the services that the company offers in cod genetic analysis. In addition to creating practical equipment for research on cod, the project has provided training for students at the upper secondary level and a scientific article has been published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

Demands for sustainability in the fisheries sector are constantly increasing, and it is therefore important that Icelandic companies take an active part in development in this field. At Matís' international workshop, which took place in Sauðárkrókur, it was stated that there are many opportunities for sustainable development in the fisheries sector, but it is necessary for Icelanders to remain vigilant so that they have the opportunity to be at the forefront of discussions on such issues internationally.

Sustainable development is the development that enables people to meet their needs without reducing the possibilities for future generations to do the same. At an international working meeting of Matís (Matvælarannsóknir Íslands) and Faroese and Icelandic representatives related to the fisheries sector, a broad consensus was reached on the importance of maintaining sustainability in terms of fishing, processing and transport in foreign markets.

The workshop is part of a West Nordic project, led by Matís, called "Sustainable Food Information". The project aims to make it easier for companies in the food industry, such as fisheries companies, to demonstrate sustainability. Particular attention is paid to the traceability of marine products, from the target to the consumer, which is the basis for demonstrating sustainable fishing.

"Demands for sustainability in the fisheries sector and traceability are constantly increasing, not least abroad," says Sveinn Margeirsson, department manager at Matís. "Awareness of environmental issues has increased and the market's demands are that it can be demonstrated that marine products are produced without over-exploiting resources and that ways are sought to minimize pollution," says Sveinn.

"Icelanders are in many ways well positioned and have an advantage over many other nations when it comes to traceability. The next step is to use traceability to demonstrate sustainability in the fisheries sector. That is why it is important for Icelanders to remain vigilant and ensure that they remain at the forefront of discussions on such issues in the future. "

Upper picture: Gísli Svan Einarsson, director of Versins-Vísindagarður in Skagafjörður, Sveinn Margeirsson, Matís, and Ólavur Gregersen, project manager of Sustainable Food Information.

As many of Matís' "good friends" know, there is currently a survey of attitudes towards health claims on food in which around 2500 people are participating. Due to a software glitch, the website where participants are supposed to go to answer questions is temporarily down, but it is hoped that the website will be up and running in the next 1-2 days.

About the survey.
A similar survey is conducted simultaneously by consumers in all the Nordic countries and the purpose is to examine consumers' attitudes towards health claims and how they understand different health claims. The results of the survey will be presented to stakeholders in all countries, as well as food companies, consumer organizations and the authorities.

There is currently a European regulation on health claims in food and the results of the survey will be used to influence its content.
There is a growing trend for food to be labeled with so-called health claims. There may be claims about the nutritional content of foods such as low fat, cholesterol free, low in calories and about the effect of consuming individual foods on consumer health for example lowering cholesterol, protecting dental health and so on.

Participants NOTE! Please be patient and do not lose heart over this failure - Try again in 1-2 days!

There are ever-increasing demands that seafood sellers base their fishing on sustainability, says Óli Kristján Ármannsson's article in the latest The market, the business paper of Fréttablaðið. There is an interview with Svein Margeirsson, department manager at Matís, who says that sustainability may be a ticket to more expensive retail chains abroad. This is especially important for the fishing industry when a possible reduction in cod fishing is imminent.

A conference on sustainability in the fishing industry will take place at Sauðárkrók on June 14. It is part of a West Nordic project called "Sustainable Food Information" and its aim is to make it easier for companies in the food industry, such as fishing companies, to demonstrate sustainability in fishing, processing and sales. The Food Research Institute of Iceland (Matís) is in charge of organizing the conference, says the Markadarsin article.

"There, people say that sustainability has become a particularly important concept in the fishing industry in light of the ever-increasing demands of sellers, retail chains and consumers that the ocean's resources are not harmed and that pollution during fishing, processing and transportation of seafood is kept to a minimum. In order to demonstrate sustainability, however, it is necessary to be able to trace the process that takes place in the food industry," says the Markadarin article.

Icelanders are at the forefront

Sveinn Margeirsson, head of the department in the field called new technology and markets at Matís ohf., says that a lot of good work has been done in this regard in this country. "We're really great at traceability here," he says, but by being able to trace the process, you get detailed information about the product. Sellers who have a "quality product" are said to be better able to differentiate themselves from others on the market."

Then Sveinn says: "Firstly, it's about the consumer being able to know where the product comes from, but that's the aspect that most people know, and secondly, about being able to track exactly which way the product went." If we take the example of lamb meat, the path from the farmer to the consumer goes through slaughter, meat processing, distribution and trade." Sveinn says Icelanders are generally ahead in the food industry in terms of traceability "and very ahead in the fishing industry internationally".