News

Lagmetishandbókin

In recent years, the laminate industry has undergone a renewed life and now there are more canning factories operating than for many years, so it is important to have good and accessible educational material available for those who work or intend to work there.

Knowledge and communication are an integral part of innovation and added value. The amount of value per kilogram of each piece of information yields is invaluable because it can easily be stated that without knowledge and know-how, no value will be created.

In addition to these statements, the words of the President of Iceland at the opening of the Fisheries Conference 2016, where he said that education, in the classic sense of increasing one's knowledge and skills, is a prerequisite for progress.

Layered products are in many ways technically complex products and therefore need a really good understanding of the importance of the processing components so that there is no danger to consumers. To achieve this long shelf life of laminate products, nothing can go wrong, for example the importance of factors such as the closing of cans, the welding itself, temperature and time, sterilization, preservation and cooling when appropriate, and so on. No discount should be given in the production of these products because small mistakes can have very dramatic consequences.

Domestic small-scale production of various kinds in many parts of the country has increased a lot and more often than not there are products that fall into this category of food that has been called lagmeti, so it is very important to have accessible material in Icelandic about the main aspects of this processing.

The preparation of this handbook on melody is partly funded by AVS, but Matís is financing what is missing. In this context, it is worth noting that Ora hf, Akraborgin ehf and Hraðfrystihúsið Gunnvör contribute to making this manual as useful as possible.

The project manager is Páll Gunnar Pálsson, who has written six manuals and is working on this songbook and others on the effect of herring. Páll Gunnar worked in canning for seven years, so there is some knowledge and experience.

It is invaluable to have Einar Þór Lárusson, an expert at ORA, be involved in this project to share his vast experience and knowledge. But Einar Lár has worked in lagmetis and fish processing companies for decades in production, but last but not least in various product development and innovation projects.

The goal is for the book to be published around or from the beginning of next year.

Páll Gunnar Pálsson and Einar Þór Lárusson

News

MNÍ Food Day | Food policy - what is it, for whom and why?

Grand Hotel, Thursday 25 October at 12-16: 30. | The governing charter of the current government emphasizes that Iceland is a leader in the production of wholesome agricultural products and will ensure the continued competitiveness of the fisheries sector. It says that there are opportunities based on an interest in food culture with sustainability and quality in mind. All of the country's organic resources, the bioeconomy, need to be further developed and innovation and product development promoted to increase the value of products and regional stability.

In order for this to be possible, it is important that a future policy on Icelandic food is formulated.

What is a food policy and for whom is it?

Food policy does not only cover the wholesomeness or safety of food, but food policy can cover all the things that the parties concerned consider important when it comes to food production and consumption. For example, it may be important for the health and well-being of Icelanders that views on sugar tax are reflected in food policy, it is important for competition or for Icelandic food security that limited imports of certain foods to the country and important for parties importing goods to Iceland from countries acceding to the EEA Agreement that it will be demonstrated by risk assessment that such imports shall not be permitted, otherwise the import is considered permissible.

Why should we set a policy on these issues? And what perspectives should be included in the policy? Do we need to pursue such a policy? Why? Should we take into account all points of view, try to make all the compromises, in the construction? Or should we see a bigger picture and use, for example, the United Nations Global Goals when laying down the lines for food policy?

Find out more!

Come to MNÍ Food Day on October 25. and get acquainted with different views on food policy for Iceland.

Registration: www.mni.is

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Agenda

12:00 - 13:00
Registration and delivery of data

13:00 - 13:30
Moderator | Hrönn Ólína Jörundsdóttir, Matís.
Sentence / Address | The Prime Minister, Katrín Jakobsdóttir.
Delivery of Fjöreggsinn | Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir, Confederation of Icelandic Industries.

13:30 - 13:45
Olivier de Schutter, Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems before UN. In accordance with sustainable behavior, Dr. Shutter addresses the day with the help of teleconferencing equipment.

13:45 - 13:55
Can we pursue food policy without sustainability thinking? | Kristín Vala Ragnarsdóttir, University of Iceland.

13:55 - 14:05
Who is food policy for? | Jóna Björg Hlöðversdóttir, Association of Young Farmers.

14:05 - 14:15
Do importers' views fit into Iceland's food policy? | Magnús Óli Ólafsson, Innnes.

14:15 - 14:25
Food policy: common elements | Kristján Þórarinsson, Association of companies in the fisheries sector. 

14:25 - 14:35
Incentives for increased raw material utilization | Ari Edwald, Mjólkursamsalan

14:35 - 14:50
Coffee

14:50 - 15:00
Sustainable agriculture? The World Goals? What can the Agricultural University of Iceland do? | Sæmundur Sveinsson, LHBÍ.

15:00 - 15:10
Food policy in the context of the bioeconomy; West Nordic Bioeconomy Panel | Arnljótur Bjarki Bergsson, Matís.

15:10 - 15:20
Consumer choices and their responsibility towards the environment Axel Helgason, National Association of Small Boat Owners.

15:20 - 15:30
Food policy - Policy towards food enjoyment and improved public health | Bryndís Eva Birgisdóttir, Laboratory of Nutrition.

15:30 - 15:40
United Nations Global Goals and Sustainable Development Harpa Júlíusdóttir, United Nations in Iceland.

15:40 - 16:10
Panel discussion.

16:10 - 16:20
Summary | Hrönn Ólína Jörundsdóttir, Matís.

News

Is risk assessment important for value creation in agriculture?

Matís is currently working on various projects aimed at increasing value creation in the production of agricultural products. Among other things, Matís has collaborated with farmers on micro-slaughter, but on 25 September. 10 lambs were slaughtered on the farm Birkihlíð, in collaboration with Matís. The results are being processed and will be published when they are available. Time measurements carried out during the slaughter indicate that the possibilities for farmers to create added value through micro-slaughter are significant.

Safe foods are essential

A fundamental element of European food law (178/2002) is the responsibility of the food producer not to market an unsafe product (Article 17). Risk assessment is then used to assess food safety and control requirements, and there are various exemptions within European food law from the principles of control, if there are valid reasons for this in terms of risk assessment.

Scientific assessment of microbiological risk is the basis of a good risk assessment for fresh meat products. Results from measurements of the microbiological condition of the meat that was slaughtered show that Birkihlíð shows that farmers can certainly do a good slaughter, but all carcasses were measured well under the criteria that apply to slaughterhouses.

Matís' proposal for a micro-slaughter arrangement.

See more here.

You can also visit the website The food landscape here, where you can, for example, view information about the 10 lamb carcasses that were slaughtered in Birkhlíð by entering the farmers' market on the site.

News

Smokehouse construction in Sierra Leone and Liberia

Matís continues with a project aimed at setting up smokehouses throughout Africa. The purpose of this project is to ensure a healthier environment for smoking seafood as well as to promote better utilization of the raw material. This time it is built in Sierra Leone and in Liberia.

Various challenges have arisen and, for example, a solid foundation had to be built under one hut in Sierra Leone where the subsoil was such that it would eventually give way if it had not been reinforced.

Margeir Gissurarson has problems with the project and has just returned home after going to Liberia on the same mission immediately after his work in Sierra Leone.

The project is a collaborative project of the United Nations University School of Fisheries (UNU-FTP), The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and addresses the World Bank's mission in this area. 

News

Learn from Sweden and strengthen the position of Icelandic meat in competition with imports and other foods on the market

Elin Stenberg, PhD student at the Institute for Animal Environment and Health at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Skara, will be at Matís for the next six weeks, where she will work with Matís staff and the University of Iceland on research into the effects of slaughtering methods and freezing on lamb quality in Iceland. 

Elin will be involved in all activities; slaughter, measurements and sampling in slaughterhouses, sensory assessment, texture measurements, NMR measurements, statistical results, reporting and articles. In this way, the collaboration with Matís / HÍ and the work in Iceland will be useful and become part of her doctoral project.

Elín's doctoral project is part of Interreg Öresund, Kattegat, Skagerak (European Regional Development Fund), a project funded by 120 million and aimed at better describing the quality of beef and lamb to strengthen its position in competition with imports and other foods on the market. . Elín's travels and stays are funded by the Nordic Network of Meat Science, in which Guðjón Þorkelsson and María Guðjónsdóttir participate (and are funded by NKJ, Nordic Joint Committee for Agricultural and Food Research).

There is a great benefit from this collaboration for meat research in Iceland: 

  • The collaboration supports research on meat in Iceland for the benefit of producers, processing and consumers.
  • Access to expertise and measuring equipment that is lacking in Iceland.
  • Training of new professionals in the field.
  • Easier access to international collaborations to promote and fund research.

Detailed information about Elina and her research project:

Reports

Comparison of transportation bins for whole fresh fish / Comparison of transportation bins for whole fresh fish

Published:

01/10/2018

Authors:

Jónas R. Viðarsson, Marvin I. Einarsson

Supported by:

AVS S10015-10 (small project / preliminary project)

Contact

Jónas Rúnar Viðarsson

Director of Business and Development

jonas@matis.is

Comparison of transportation bins for whole fresh fish / Comparison of transportation bins for whole fresh fish

The aim of this report was to consider the main advantages and disadvantages of different transport packaging for whole fresh fish (container fish), and whether the choice of packaging affects the quality and value of the catch. The report discusses the export of containerized fish, the value chain of containerized fish, the containers that have been used for the storage and transport of containerized fish, and the factors that must be taken into account when processing, storing and transporting whole fresh fish. In addition, the relationship between price and quality of catch sold on auction markets is briefly discussed. An experiment was carried out with the export of containerized fish in four different types of containers, where it was to be investigated whether there was a difference between the quality, weight loss and the value of the catch. However, this experiment did not provide sufficient reliable information to establish whether the type of transport container affected the aforementioned factors. However, the development that has taken place in the production and sale of tanks shows that more and more companies are choosing smaller tanks, and this should therefore be a good indication that the size of the tanks is important. However, the experiment clearly showed that it would be very difficult to re-box the Icelandic fleet. Icelandic sailors have become accustomed to pots and have little interest in returning; in addition, the installation in trains is today designed for pots. In addition, it is common for Icelandic vessels to catch fish that simply do not fit in the boxes, due to their size. However, it is not ruled out that in some cases, boxes could be a good option for exporting whole fresh fish, such as sun charcoal or "anglerfish tails".

The aim of this report is to identify the main pros and cons of different storage containers for whole fresh fish, and to speculate if the choice of storage containers has an effect on the quality and sales price of the catch. The report includes a discussion on the exports of unprocessed fish to the UK, the value chain of those exports, the storage boxes used and the things that need to be considered during handling, storage and transport of those catches. The report does as well discuss briefly the linkage between quality and price at auction markets. The report also covers an experiment that was made where four types of tubs and boxes were used to transport fish to the UK, in order to study applicability and effects on quality, drip loss and prices. The experiment did not, however, give clear enough results to allow for any conclusions to be made on the issues. The study did however suggest that the applicability of using boxes onboard Icelandic fishing vessels is lacking. Fishermen prefer to use tubs and the onboard setup is made for tubs. The sales agents in the UK did also agree on this, as they are not able to guarantee that using boxes will have any effect on prices. They did however suggest that some high-price species or products would likely attain price premium if transported in small boxes eg lemon sole and monkfish tails.

View report

News

Can we improve the quality of frozen fish products by improving processing and storage?

Contact

Sigurjón Arason

Chief Engineer

sigurjon.arason@matis.is

On Wednesday 3 October, Huong Thi Thu Dang will defend his doctoral dissertation in food science at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition, University of Iceland. The thesis is entitled: Increasing the quality of frozen fish products by improving processing and storage (e. Enhancing the quality of frozen fish products through improved processing and storage).

Opponents are dr. Ragnar Ludvig Olsen Norwegian College of Fishery Science, University of Tromsø, Norway and dr. Santiago Aubourg Professor at CSIC in Spain.

Supervising teachers and supervisors were dr. Sigurjón Arason Professor at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition, University of Iceland and Chief Engineer at Matís and dr. María Guðjónsdóttir Professor at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition, University of Iceland. In addition to them, the doctoral committee included dr. Tumi Tómasson, director of the Marine Research Institute, dr. Magnea G. Karlsdóttir, Matís and dr. Minh Van Nguyen Associate Professor at Nha Trang University, Vietnam.

Dr. Bryndís Eva Birgisdóttir, professor at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition at the University of Iceland, will chair the ceremony, which will take place in the Celebration Hall of the University of Iceland and will begin at 14:00.

Summary of study

Freezing and cold storage is an effective method of maintaining quality and extending the shelf life of seafood. The production of frozen products equalizes the supply of seafood when fishing and slaughtering farmed fish is seasonal. The condition of raw materials, processing methods and conditions of storage and transport can affect the quality and stability of frozen products. The aim of the study was therefore to gain a deeper understanding of the physical changes in the fillets of three fish species during long-term storage in the freezer, and to investigate which factors affect their quality.

Redfish (Sebastes marinus) was caught southwest of Iceland in June and November 2015, filleted and frozen on days 4 and 9 after fishing, and stored at -25 ° C for up to 20 months. The effects of seasonal changes and the effects of freshness on processing on the stability of frozen redfish fillets were studied. Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) was caught in the west of Iceland in November 2014 and processed on the one hand before mortality and on the other after mortality. The effect of these variables on the stability of herring products in cold storage at -25 ° C for 5 months was investigated. Pangasus (Pangasius hypophthalmus) from aquaculture was filleted in Vietnam and the effects of additives (a mixture of sodium phosphate, sodium chloride and citric acid) and product stability packaging were studied at -18.6 ± 0.2 ° C for up to 12 months.

The study showed that it is important for the fishing industry to ensure uniform and correct temperature control when products are stored in the freezer. Redfish caught in November, outside the spawning season, must be handled with care to ensure the correct quality of frozen products. Finishing and processing of fish should take place as soon as possible after fishing. However, if the fish is handled correctly, the fishing trip and time before processing can be extended. The use of additives in the processing of frozen pangasius fillets and packaging in vacuum-packed packaging ensures their quality. By using a skin peeling machine that removes the dark muscle (skin cutting), the shelf life of frozen fish fillets can also be significantly extended. However, dark muscle oil can be extracted to ensure efficient utilization of the raw material.

Password: Redfish, herring, pangasius, seasonal fluctuations, fresh ingredients, death starch, additives, packaging, cold storage, temperature fluctuations, physical and chemical properties.

Abstract

Freezing and subsequent frozen storage is an effective preservation method to maintain quality and extend shelf life of fish and fish products. Quality and storage stability of frozen fish products can be affected by the state of the raw material, processing methods, and conditions during storage and transport. The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the physicochemical changes in fish fillets during long-term frozen storage as affected by the initial raw material quality, processing and storage conditions, and how these changes affect product quality.

Golden redfish (Sebastes marinus) were caught in June and November 2015, processed and frozen on day 4 and day 9 post-catch and stored at -25 ° C for up to 20 months. The effect of seasonal variation and material freshness on the quality and stability of the fish fillets during frozen storage was investigated. Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) caught in November 2014 were used to compare the effect of pre-and post-rigor freezing and storage conditions (stress and stability at -25 ° C for 5 months) on the quality and stability of frozen fish fillets. Effects of commercial processing additives (mixture of sodium phosphates, sodium chloride, and citric acid), packaging (vacuum and air packaging), and storage conditions (industrial frozen storage and controlled storage at -18.6 ± 0.2 ° C) for up to 12 months on the quality and stability of fish fillets during frozen storage were studied in Tra catfish (Pangasius hypophthalmus).

The study demonstrated that it is crucial to the fishing industry to ensure uniform and correct temperature control in their frozen storage facilities. Redfish caught in November outside the spawning season need to be handled with special care to maintain quality stability during frozen storage. Treatment with additives combined with vacuum packaging are effective in protecting the quality of frozen pangasius.

Keywords: Golden redfish, Atlantic herring, Tra catfish / pangasius, season of capture, raw material freshness, pre-rigor, post rigor, additives, packaging, frozen storage, temperature stress, physicochemical properties.

About the doctoral dissertation

Huong Thi Thu Dang was born in 1977. She completed her BSc degrees and MSc in Aquatic Processing Technology in 2000 and 2004, respectively from Nha Trang University (formerly the University of Fisheries), Vietnam. In 2013, she attended the six months training course in Quality Management of Fish Handling and Processing that was hosted by the United Nations University - Fisheries Training Program (UNU-FTP), Iceland. In 2014, she received a PhD scholarship granted by the UNU-FTP and began her PhD studies in Food Science at the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Iceland, Iceland from January 2015. Since 2000, she has been working as a lecturer and researcher at the Faculty of Food Technology, Nha Trang University, Viet Nam. Huong is now living in Nha Trang, Vietnam with her husband Luong Duc Nam and their daughter Luong Dang Ngoc Minh and their son Luong Duc Binh.

News

Blockhain and Matarlandslagið - secure information from farmers to consumers

Contact

Rakel Halldórsdóttir

Specialist

rakel@matis.is

Yesterday was in many ways interesting in the history of Matís, but then the last farmers' market was in Hofsós this summer, but the market was a joint project of farmers in Skagafjörður and Matís and the project was financially supported by the Agricultural Productivity Fund. In addition, for the first time, as far as is known, minced meat was sold directly to consumers, as production and trade are completely transparent.

The product of this project was, as stated above, very popular farmers markets as well as the website, www.matarlandslagid.is where blockchain technology is used to ensure the traceability of information from farmers to consumers. The bit chain technology in Matarlandslagið is a collaborative project Advania and Matís. 

To see and better understand this bit chain technology, you can click on it The food landscape –> top right, click on “FARMERS MARKET” –> click on “Open overview map” –> click on “6. Birkihlíð” on the left side of the page and on the page that appears you can see a green tab with this information. 

When it comes to traceability and transparency, it can clearly be said that this is a revolution in terms of providing information from farmers to consumers. 

Heimir, Gulli and Þráinn got Svein Margeirsson, CEO of Matís, in an interview about this in Bít á Bylgjan and it was stated in Sveinn's case that certain changes need to be made to the law so that farmers can create added value, for themselves and the nation as a whole. 

The interview with Svein.

Reports

Process control of pelagic fish crude oil / Process control of pelagic fish crude oil

Published:

01/10/2018

Authors:

Magnea G. Karlsdóttir, Sigurjón Arason

Supported by:

AVS Research Fund (S 010-15)

Contact

Sigurjón Arason

Chief Engineer

sigurjon.arason@matis.is

Process control of pelagic fish crude oil / Process control of pelagic fish crude oil

The aim of this preliminary project was to analyze different currents in fishmeal and fish oil processing of pelagic species. Emphasis was placed on analyzing the fatty acid composition of liquids at different points in the liquid separator. It is believed that the product of the project can lead to improved production of pelagic fish body oil, as it will be possible to produce fish oil with different proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids (such as EPA and DHA). By extracting the fish oil from different liquid streams, fish oil can be obtained with different properties and thus increase the value of fish oil products produced in fishmeal and fish oil factories. Significant variability in the fatty acid composition was measured in the samples, both by fish species and at the sampling site. The samples all had in common that monounsaturated fatty acids were in the majority independent of fish species and sampling site. Polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids followed. There was evidence that the longer polyunsaturated fatty acids degrade as the process progresses. With improved processing processes, it would be possible to start producing high-quality fish oil products for human consumption. It is therefore necessary to go into a much more detailed analysis of the whole process, but the results of this project indicate that there is still a long way to go.

The objective of the project was to identify different streams during production of fishmeal and oil from pelagic fish. Emphasis was placed on analyzing the fatty acid composition of streams collected at different processing steps. It is believed that the results can lead to improved production of pelagic fish oil, since it will be possible to produce fish oil with various proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids (such as EPA and DHA). Considerable variability was observed between the collected samples, both by species as well as where in the process the samples were collected. Monounsaturated fatty acids were majority in all the samples, regardless of fish species and sampling location. Moreover, the results indicated that the longer polyunsaturated fatty acids can break down as the process goes further. With improved processing control, it is possible to produce high quality oil products intended for human consumption. A comprehensive analysis on the entire process is however necessary.

Report closed until 01.11.2020

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Reports

Icelandic goat products - Possibilities and specialties

Published:

01/10/2018

Authors:

Ólafur Reykdal

Supported by:

Agricultural Productivity Fund

Contact

Ólafur Reykdal

Project Manager

olafur.reykdal@matis.is

Icelandic goat products - Possibilities and specialties

The project "Increased value and uniqueness of goat products" is funded by the Agricultural Productivity Fund and is carried out at Matís in collaboration with the Icelandic Goat Breeding Association. Strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities in goat breeding were analyzed. The Icelandic goat population is small and is in danger of extinction. Therefore, the population needs to increase in order for it to stay afloat. The best advice in this fight is to find as many uses as possible for the goats' products. There are many interesting products, dairy products, meat products, stalks (skins), skins, yarns, etc. The goats themselves offer many opportunities in tourism and the fashion sector can process goat products. Numerous sources on the quality and health of goat's milk and goat meat were examined and the results are summarized in the report. Goat's milk is in many ways different from cow's milk, although the main ingredients are in both types of milk. Goat's milk contains health-promoting substances such as bioactive peptides and conjugated linoleic acid. Goat meat is very lean and has the most protein-rich meat. It contains conjugated linoleic acid like milk. Finally, an overview is given of possible products from goat's milk and goat meat.

The project “Added value and special status of goat products” is supported by the Agricultural Productivity Fund and carried out at Matis in cooperation with the Association of Goat Farmers in Iceland. SWOT analysis of goat farming in Iceland was carried out. The Icelandic goat stock is small, and extinction is a possibility. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the number of goats in the country. The best solution is to use to stock and increase the production of goat products. Many different products can be produced. The goats and their products are of interest to tourists. The fashion industry can use some of the goat products. A literature review was carried out on quality and wholesomeness of goat milk and goat meat. Results are listed in the report. Goat milk is different from cow milk although the same nutrients are found in both milk types. Goat milk contains health promoting compounds, eg bioactive peptides and conjugated linoleic acid. Goat meat contains little fat and is rich in protein. It contains conjugated linoleic acid as the milk. Finally, the possible goat products from milk and meat are revied.

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EN