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Reports

Fish oils as a part of wood varnish and protection

Published:

25/05/2020

Authors:

Ásbjörn Jónsson, Tryggvi Pétursson

Supported by:

AVS Fisheries Research Fund (R17 002-1)

Fish oils as part of wood varnish and protection.

Fish oils were used as a wood preservative in earlier centuries and proved successful. Knowledge of fish oils as part of wood preservation, however, has largely been lost. But with the growing public interest in returning to antiquity and raw materials, as well as in connection with better knowledge of old methods, a layer is created to be used for significantly increased value, fish oils that now fall into the "waste category" are sold at scrap value. In order for this to happen, however, various production and product development problems need to be solved. With this in mind, the project "Fish oils as part of wood preservation" was established, which was funded by the AVS Fund. The aim of the project was to develop a product from fish oils for use as part of wood preservation, as well as to determine production processes for converting dirty crude oil into valuable wood oil.

The results of the project showed that fish oils and oils from pelagic fish are well suited as wood preservatives, but sterine can not be used as it precipitates at room temperature and does not mix with other raw materials. The world market for wood protection was estimated at ISK 200 billion. in 2016 (USD 1,530 million) and it is therefore clear that there may be significant opportunities to utilize fish oils as part of wood preservation.

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Reports

Development of goat products - Food

Published:

06/05/2020

Authors:

Ólafur Reykdal, Óli Þór Hilmarsson

Supported by:

Agricultural Productivity Fund

Contact

Ólafur Reykdal

Project Manager

olafur.reykdal@matis.is

Development of goat products - Food

In the project, goat farmers were assisted in the development of new foods from goat raw materials. The product development campaign was introduced among goat farmers in collaboration with the Icelandic Goat Breeding Association. Goat farmers could apply for participation but Matís employees chose 5 farmers to continue. Matís employees provided assistance with licensing issues, the preparation of quality manuals and the entire product development process. The safety of the products was checked by microbiological analysis and nutrients were measured so that information on nutritional value could be presented. 17 foods were developed in the project, most from goat meat, but also products from liver and hearts as well as goat milk skyr. The project is expected to lead to an increase in food from goat raw materials on the market and this will gradually lead to an increase in the goat population. 

In addition to product development, measurements were made of types of caseins (cheeses) in goat's milk. The casein alpha-s1 was detected to a significant extent and it can be concluded that Icelandic goat's milk is well suited for cheese making. Measurements were also made of minerals in goat's milk and trace minerals in goat meat. The results for these nutrients are useful in promoting the health of the products.

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Reports

Utilization and nutritional value of Icelandic poultry meat

Published:

23/03/2020

Authors:

Ólafur Reykdal, Óli Þór Hilmarsson

Supported by:

Agricultural Productivity Fund, Matfugl ehf, Reykjagarður hf, Ísfugl ehf

Contact

Ólafur Reykdal

Project Manager

olafur.reykdal@matis.is

Utilization and nutritional value of Icelandic poultry meat

The aim of the project was to improve information on the utilization and nutritional value of chickens and turkeys produced in Iceland and thus strengthen the position of the livestock industry in competition with imports. Precision analysis revealed the proportions of individual chicken and turkey parts. Chemical measurements were performed on the factors required for nutrition labeling. In addition, measurements were made of minerals and vitamins in selected chicken parts. It turned out that Icelandic chickens are now lower in fat, with less saturated fatty acids and less energy than before, according to a comparison with old values in the ÍSGEM database. The concentrations of some minerals and vitamins in chicken meat were so high that they could be added to the nutritional value label. Nutrition results will be used to update the ÍSGEM database and information on utilization will be part of the Meat Book and will be useful to the meat industry and meat buyers.  

The purpose was to obtain new data for dissection yields and nutrient value of Icelandic chicken and turkey and by this strengthen the position of the poultry production in Iceland. Detailed dissection yields were determined for several chicken and turkey parts. Nutrients were analyzed for nutrient declarations. Additionally, minerals and vitamins were analyzed in selected products. Fat, saturated fat and energy in chicken meat were lower than reported earlier. The concentrations of some of the minerals and vitamins were high enough to allow nutrient declaration. The nutrient data are made available in the ISGEM database. The dissection yield data will be available in the Icelandic Meat Book and will be important for the meat industry and meat buyers. 

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Reports

Quality optimization of frozen redfish products

Published:

21/02/2020

Authors:

Ásbjörn Jónsson, Cecile Dargentolle, Huong Thi Thu Dang, Magnea Karlsdóttir, María Guðjónsdóttir, Sigurjón Arason

Supported by:

AVS R&D Fund (R 029-15)

Contact

Sigurjón Arason

Chief Engineer

sigurjon.arason@matis.is

Maximizing the quality of frozen redfish products / Quality optimization of frozen redfish products

The aim of the study was twofold. Firstly, to explore the influence of time and temperature during frozen storage on lipid deterioration of red fish. That was done by comparing the effect of temperature fluctuation and abuse during frozen storage, as can be expected during transportation, on the physicochemical characteristics and lipid stability of redfish fillets. Secondly, to investigate the effect of 4 days postcatch and 9 days postcatch, and seasonal variation on the quality and storage stability of frozen red fish.

Storage temperature and storage time affected the physical- and chemical properties in redfish, eg free fatty acids, TBARS and TVB-N. Season of capture affected both the nutritional value and stability of golden redfish. The light muscle of fish caught in November was richer in EPA and DHA than in the fish caught in June. The fish caught in November was also more unstable through frozen storage, due to a more unsaturated nature of the fatty acids present, indicating that special care needs to be applied during handling and treatment of golden redfish caught at this time. The light muscle had a higher nutritional value than the dark muscle and is a good nutritional source for human consumption. However, the dark muscle was prone to lipid oxidation which may have a negative influence on the more valuable light muscle. So there seems to be a need to separate them.

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Reports

Undesirable substances in seafood - results from the Icelandic marine monitoring activities in the year 2019

Published:

31/01/2020

Authors:

Sophie Jensen, Natasa Desnica, Branka Borojevic, Svanhildur Hauksdóttir, Helga Gunnlaugsdóttir

Supported by:

Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture, Iceland

Contact

Sophie Jensen

Project Manager

sophie.jensen@matis.is

Results of continuous monitoring of undesirable substances in seafood from the resource 2019 / Undesirable substances in seafood - results from the Icelandic marine monitoring activities in the year 2019

This report summarizes the results obtained in 2019 for the screening of various undesirable substances in the edible part of Icelandic marine catches.

The main aim of this project is to gather data and evaluate the status of Icelandic seafood products in terms of undesirable substances and to utilize the data to estimate the exposure of consumers to these substances from Icelandic seafood and risks related to public health. The surveillance program began in 2003 and was carried out for ten consecutive years before it was interrupted. The project was revived in March 2017 to fill in gaps of knowledge regarding the level of undesirable substances in economically important marine catches for Icelandic export. Due to financial limitations the surveillance now only covers screening for undesirable substances in the edible portion of marine catches for human consumption and not feed or feed components. The limited financial resources have also required the analysis of PAHs, PBDEs and PFCs to be excluded from the surveillance, providing somewhat more limited information than in 2013. However, it is considered a long-term project where extension and revision is constantly necessary. 

In general, the results obtained in 2019 were in agreement with previous results on undesirable substances in the edible part of marine catches obtained in the monitoring years 2003 to 2012 and 2017 & 2018.

In this report from the surveillance program, the maximum levels for dioxins, dioxin-like PCBs and non-dioxin-like PCBs in foodstuffs (Regulation No 1259/2011) were used to evaluate how Icelandic seafood products measure up to limits currently in effect.

The results show that with regard to the maximum levels set in the regulation, the edible parts of Icelandic seafood products contain negligible amounts of dioxins, dioxin like and non-dioxin-like PCBs. In fact, all samples of seafood analyzed in 2019 were below EC maximum levels.

Furthermore, the concentration of ICES6-PCBs was found to be low in the edible part of the marine catches, compared to the maximum limits set by the EU (Commission Regulation 1259/2011).

The results also revealed that the concentrations of heavy metals, eg cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) in the edible part of marine catches were in all samples, except one, well below the maximum limits set by the EU .

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Reports

NordMar Plastic RISK: Socioeconomic risks of plastic to the bioeconomy - Icelandic case study

Published:

30/01/2020

Authors:

Hrönn Ólína Jörundsdóttir, Gunnar Þórðarson, Bryndís Björnsdóttir

Supported by:

Nordic Council of Ministers

NordMar Plastic RISK: Socioeconomic risks of plastic to the bioeconomy - Icelandic case study

The risks related to plastic on the bioeconomy are not only biological, toxicological and chemical, but also societal and economical. Influence of tainted opinion on the Nordic environment or Nordic production could influence tourism, marketing and general wellbeing. The aim of the NordMar PlasticRISK project is to evaluate the diverse impact and main socioeconomic risks related to marine plastic pollution on the bioeconomy of the Nordic countries using Iceland as a case study. Two of the main industries in Iceland, the fishing industry and tourism, are heavily dependent on the bioeconomy as well as clean and pristine environment. Economic risks, followed by tainting the environment with visual plastic debris and macroplastic as well as unclear status of microplastic, is estimated to be high due to increased environmental awareness of consumers and tourists, where the main focus of tourist arriving to Iceland is to experience pristine environment. Several actions are suggested such as to evaluate and improve the Icelandic system for recycling of used fishing gear, evaluate further marketing options and value of advertising low and responsible plastic use in these two main industries and increase education on environmental issues in the School of navigation. 

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Reports

NordMar Plastic RISK: Socioeconomic risks of plastic to the bioeconomy - Icelandic case study. Executive summary.

Published:

30/01/2020

Authors:

Hrönn Ólína Jörundsdóttir, Gunnar Þórðarson, Bryndís Björnsdóttir

Supported by:

Nordic Council of Ministers

NordMar Plastic RISK: Socioeconomic risks of plastic to the bioeconomy - Icelandic case study. Executive summary.

The risks related to plastic on the bioeconomy are not only biological, toxicological and chemical, but also societal and economical. Influence of tainted opinion on the Nordic environment or Nordic production could influence tourism, marketing and general wellbeing. The aim of the NordMar PlasticRISK project is to evaluate the diverse impact and main socioeconomic risks related to marine plastic pollution on the bioeconomy of the Nordic countries using Iceland as a case study. Two of the main industries in Iceland, the fishing industry and tourism, are heavily dependent on the bioeconomy as well as clean and pristine environment. Economic risks, followed by tainting the environment with visual plastic debris and macroplastic as well as unclear status of microplastic, is estimated to be high due to increased environmental awareness of consumers and tourists, where the main focus of tourist arriving to Iceland is to experience pristine environment. Several actions are suggested such as to evaluate and improve the Icelandic system for recycling of used fishing gear, evaluate further marketing options and value of advertising low and responsible plastic use in these two main industries and increase education on environmental issues in the School of navigation. 

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Reports

Holding of Sea Urchins and Scallops in a RAS Transport System

Published:

23/12/2019

Authors:

Guðmundur Stefánsson, Aðalheiður Ólafsdóttir

Supported by:

EIT Food

Contact

Guðmundur Stefánsson

Director of Research Groups

gudmundur.stefansson@matis.is

Holding of Sea Urchins and Scallops in a RAS Transport System

Trials were carried out at Matís on holding live sea urchins and scallops in a RAS system developed by Technion, Israel, which not only recirculates the water, but additionally controls the pH and removes toxic ammonia. The aim of the trials was to test the feasibility of holding sea urchins and scallops alive in the RAS system for 10 days at 4 ° C, with at least 90% survival. The project was funded by EIT food, and the participants were Technion and Matís. 

The survival of sea urchins held in the RAS system at 4 ° C was high during the first five days. Eight days from catch the survival was only 80%, after 12 days about 50% and after 15 days, 10%. Sea urchins, packed in the standard way of transporting live urchins (in polystyrene boxes at 4 ° C) were at similar quality as the RAS stored sea urchins, five days from catch and the roe was still edible at eight days from catch. All the urchins in the polystyrene boxes were dead after 12 days storage and the roe inedible.

Scallops had a high survival when held in the RAS system or about 89% after 24-days at 4 ° C.  

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Reports

Trendy fish with Nordic Flavors, Workshop in Ålesund, Norway 29-30 October 2019

Published:

20/12/2019

Authors:

Kolbrún Sveinsdóttir, Aðalheiður Ólafsdóttir, Ingebrigt Bjørkevoll, Wenche Emblem Larssen

Supported by:

AG Fisk 185-2019

Contact

Kolbrún Sveinsdóttir

Project Manager

kolbrun.sveinsdottir@matis.is

Trendy fish with Nordic Flavors, Workshop in Ålesund, Norway 29-30 October 2019

Salt-curing of cod is an ancient storage method. Today, salt-curing is not merely a storage method, but a method of producing high quality products of specific characteristics. To promote a product as salt-cured fish, with long tradition, history and strong connection to Nordic livelihoods, it is important to motivate the whole chain, from producers, to retailers, to chefs, to schools and the consumers.

AG-Fisk (Arbejdsgruppen for Fiskerisamarbedet) under the auspices of the Nordic Council of Ministers has provided funding for a project with the aim of increasing the knowledge of seafood, such as salt-cured cod, thus contributing to increased respect and thus increased value. The project is led by Matís and one of the project tasks was to organize a workshop in Norway in collaboration with Møreforsking and Klippfiskakademiet in Ålesund. The workshop was co-financed by The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries in Norway. The workshop was held on 29th and 30th of October 2019 and the focus was salted and dried cod. Culinary students together with chefs from Norway, Faroe Islands and Iceland, aimed to develop new trendy dishes with emphasis on Nordic raw materials combined with salted and dried cod. During the workshop, Nordic traditions and history were presented, the different salt fish products and their different sensory properties. The participants tasted different cod products (thawed, lightly salted, desalted salt-cured cod and desalted clip fish) with the aim of analyzing the different sensory properties of these products. The results clearly demonstrated the unique sensory properties of salt-cured and clip fish products.

Nordic chefs gave talks of their experiences, thoughts, visions and ideas for Nordic raw materials, to set the scene for the work ahead. Group work was focused on analyzing opportunities and barriers, todays status and ideas to increase consumption of traditional products, product ideas to make salt-cured and clip fish more known and attractive in home markets. One of the main targets was to increase the consumption among young people by inspiring them to create new, trendy recipes and dishes that they would like. Based on this, innovative dishes were made and evaluated during the workshop. The variety in the dishes, clearly demonstrated the enormous potentials of this traditional raw material, to be used in delicious trendy innovative dishes, from simple and easily prepared to challenging and ambitious.

The group discussions showed that traditions were considered a strength but a lack of ready to cook and ready to eat meals as well as changes in consumption habits were considered a threat. This kind of information is important when setting the scene for the future of salt-cured fish, both in home markets and export markets. The Norwegian participants were familiar with salt-cured fish and clip fish and it was not uncommon to prepare such dishes at home, and some variety was available in the supermarkets. However, to increase product variety and increased consumption of traditional Nordic foods such as salted fish, it is important to work with kids, both at home and at schools. It is of great importance to educate them about Nordic food and involve them in food preparation, both at home and in school. The emphasis on sustainability, health and positive climate impact, as well as adapting food trends from all over the world, can be used to inspire new innovative dishes made from traditional raw materials such as salted fish.

Emphasis must be placed on increasing knowledge among chefs, as well as consumers, of the different products made of salted fish, such as lightly salted cod, fully salt-cured and clip fish, as the characteristics of these products are very different. How consumers, and not least young consumers, are to be educated and motivated to consume such dishes needs thorough consideration. Newer means of communication deserve attention, with focus on how the young people seek, find and receive information.

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Reports

Holding of Arctic char in a RAS transport system

Published:

16/12/2019

Authors:

Guðmundur Stefánsson, Aðalheiður Ólafsdóttir

Supported by:

EIT Food

Contact

Guðmundur Stefánsson

Director of Research Groups

gudmundur.stefansson@matis.is

Holding of Arctic char in a RAS transport system

In September 2019 two live holding trials with Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) were carried out at Matís where the fish was kept for up to eight days in a RAS holding and transport system developed by Technion, Israel Institute of Technology. The RAS system, which recirculated the water, controlled the pH and removed accumulated ammonia, was set up in a 40 feet reefer tank to control the temperature at 4 ° C. The project was funded by EIT food and the participants were Technion and Matís.

The results show that Arctic char could be held at a density of 80 kg / m3 at 4 ° C for 8 days in the RAS system, without adverse effects on mortality. Moreover, no differences were found in the sensory quality (flavor, odor, appearance and texture) of the stored fish compared to fish before it was placed in the RAS system. The stored fish had however more gaping, higher cooking yield and marginally lighter color than fish before placing in the system. 

However, a bio-load of 135-145 kg / m3 Arctic char in the RAS storage and holding system led to a high mortality. Moreover, on slaughter the surviving fish had adverse sensory quality as indicated by loss of characteristic flavor and odor as well as firmer, drier and tougher texture. The fish had a high incidence of gaping, a high cooking yield and showed evidence of deformation on cooking.

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