Author: admin

The next technological revolution will be in the food sector, and Icelandic seafood is already in Matís' three-dimensional food printer.

Most people now predict that the next technological revolution will be in the food sector. Investors who previously invested in the IT revolution in the Silicon Valley in the United States are now investing in start-ups that are likely to revolutionize the food market with new technology and products. This is a technology such as a food printer that prints food at the request of everyone, "says Hörður G. Kristinsson, Matís' director of research and innovation. Hörður holds a PhD in food and chemistry and an MBA in business administration. He worked for many years as a professor of food chemistry at the University of Florida in Gainesville before returning home and joining Matís in 2008.

The defense turned to attack

Hörður says the research environment in Iceland is very flexible and fun and a great entrepreneurial force in people. "I came home from the United States at an interesting time in 2007, in a boom, but shortly afterwards the economy collapsed. It is interesting that despite this downturn, Matís has managed to grow and prosper, but there are many good and enthusiastic staff. Immediately after the collapse, a decision was made to turn defense into offensive, and since then we have applied extensively to foreign research funds with good results. ”He says Matís has a strong position when it comes to marine-related research and the company is one of the world's leading research companies. Among other things, Matís is one of 50 companies and universities in many parts of Europe that take part in a very large project called EIT Food, which stands for European Institute of Innovation and Technology. The seven-year project will be funded by EUR 400 million and is the largest project of its kind in Europe. The aim is to significantly strengthen food research and development on the continent and revolutionize the food industry and the education of future employees in the industry.

Icelandic seafood for food printers

Hörður emphasizes that technological revolutions tend to happen fast. Therefore, it can be expected that the aforementioned food printer, which may be considered an absurd idea today, will in a few years 'time become as common a device in Icelanders' kitchens as a microwave oven. But what is a food printer? "A food printer is a 3D printer that can prepare or print food according to the consumer's specifications. It then determines the appearance and shape of the food and can control the chemical composition according to its own nutritional needs. If he wants more protein, or certain healthy ingredients, he can tailor the food to those needs and make it when it suits him. The ingredients are in capsules in the printer, which then shapes the food according to the user's wishes. ”The food printer is already on the market and Matís has purchased such a device, according to Harður. Subsequently, a pilot project will be launched to print 3D seafood. "We intend to prepare and develop special cartridges for this printing with ready-made mixtures of seafood. With this, we want to both draw attention to Icelandic ingredients for these printers and make Iceland a leader in this field. ”Among Matís' partners in this research is the Icelandic national team, which Hörður says has shown great interest in this innovation, as well as Þorbjörn and Ísfisk, who are progressive fish processing companies. "We want to find a way to make seafood exciting again, especially for the young generation. Young people will then be able to use different ingredients from the sea to print healthy and good food. ”He says the food printer is just one of many changes that will take place in the kitchen of the future. Thus, for example, the refrigerator will also evolve and will be able to monitor the freshness of the food it stores and let you know when it is running out of time or damaged.

Distribution by drone

According to Harður, extensive research and testing is now being carried out on the distribution of food by drone. However, it does take into account that the laws on drones are very different, from one country to another. "Most of these experiments are performed in New Zealand, as drone laws are relatively liberal in that country. The company Dominos has been experimenting with flying pizzas to customers and the 7-11 chain has started sending packages with drones home to people who live a few kilometers away from their warehouse. "Amazon has recently filed a patent application for some kind of "Flying warehouse", which would be large balloons at a height of 12 to 14 thousand meters, from where it should then be possible to distribute drones of any kind to consumers. All of these are examples of the enormous and exciting developments that are currently taking place in the food industry.

World Seafood Congress

This will be discussed at the World Seafood Congress (WSC) conference, which will be held in Harpa from 10-13. september nk. Among the speakers will be Lynette Kucsma, who participated in the design of one of the first 3D food printers. John Bell, from the European Commission, will discuss the impact of the technological revolution on the European fisheries sector. Hörður says that WSC is one of the most important conferences in this field in the world and a challenging task for Matís to host it. All management of such a conference requires a great deal of co-operation, and with Matís in this project is a group of strong parties: Arion Bank, HB Grandi, Brim, Íslandsstofa, the Nordic Council of Ministers and the United Nations University School of Fisheries.

During the autumn months, Matís and Geitfjárræktarfélag Íslands will be responsible for projects regarding increased value creation of goat products in collaboration with and with the support of Matarauður Íslands. Part of this project is to establish goat meat assessment, review procedures for slaughtering goats and clarify procedures for the retrieval of goat sheep products, for the benefit of all concerned. 

Goats and kittens are usually slaughtered for repatriation, but are less likely to be slaughtered in the same way as sheep. Goat breeding is increasing all over the country, so it is important to establish a uniform meat assessment, record results and bring better products to market. Further information is provided by Óli Þór Hilmarsson at Matís. 

Rúnar Ingi Tryggvason discussed in a special project at Matvælafræði at the University of Iceland the production of raw sausages from less expensive pieces of meat, such as mutton or horses. The project was carried out in collaboration with Matís and Beint frá býli and with a grant from the Agricultural Productivity Fund.

Sheep products are a large part of the production value of farmers in Iceland, especially lamb. Mutton is not considered to be as good meat as lamb and therefore a much lower product price is obtained as a result.  

For further information, contact Óli Þór Hilmarsson and Guðjón Þorkelsson at Matís.

In the past month, Matís' senior management had to take action, partly due to the strengthening of the Icelandic króna and results from international competition funds. In this context, it is worth noting that, unlike many government entities, Matís is for the most part run on self-funding and a significant part of that money is due to international research projects, which have been the basis for Matís' recent growth. years.

The measures in July consisted primarily of cutting expenses and streamlining operations so that Matís would not be operating at a loss in 2017, but responsible operations have always characterized Matís.

In the run-up to the operations, all cost items were carefully examined. As in other knowledge companies, the largest cost item in Matís' operations is wage costs. The goal of streamlining was not possible to achieve solely through restraint in other costs, such as travel costs, purchases of inputs and slower renewal of equipment. The result was the dismissal of eight employees, as well as even more restraint than previous plans had anticipated in the aforementioned cost items.

Matís will organize a conference October 31 - November 1, in cooperation with the Icelandic Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Matís and Marine and Freshwater Research Institute

The most drastic effects of climate change will be in the Arctic regions, home of the Arctic charr. It is therefore of great importance for counties in the region to better understand the likely extent and impact of climate change on natural resources and biodiversity in Arctic regions. Research focusing on Arctic charr will advance our understanding of the effect of climate change, and how to adapt and diminish the effect of these changes and turn them into opportunities.

The Arctic charr is well suited as a model species to help understand the effects of climate change on aquatic biota. Arctic charr is a cold-adapted Arctic species with a circumpolar distribution. Already it can be observed that Arctic charr is retreating from its southernmost locations, for example in Iceland. Climate change is predicted to have numerous impacts on Arctic charr, including loss of anadromy, biodiversity and increased competition with other salmonid species.

The conference will bring together scientists and stakeholders from relevant Nordic countries and different fields of expertise to discuss concurrent problems related to climate change. It will provide valuable information on the status and future of Arctic charr and help decision makers and stakeholders to understand possible opportunities and risks associated with climate change.

The abstracts from the conference are available here.

Location:

Marine Research Institute

Skúlagata 4, 1st floor

101 Reykjavík

Arctic charr: Ecology, genetics, climate change, and the implication for conservation and management

Tuesday, 31 of October 2017.

8.30-9.10 Registration

9.10-9.20 Welcoming words by Sigurður Guðjónsson, Director General of the Marine Research Institute Iceland

9.20-9.30 Motivation and practical arrangements, Guðbjörg Ólafsdóttir, Conference coordinator

CHAIRMAN: Sigurður Guðjónsson

9.30-9.50 Guðbjörg Ólafsdóttir
Detection and mapping of mtDNA SNPs in Arctic Charr across the species range

9.50-10.10 Lucio Marcello
A transrange assessment of the selective relevance of mtDNA SNPS

10.10-10.30 Eric Verspoor
A transrange overview of the phylogeny of the Arctic char species complex 

10.30-11.10 Coffee break

11.10-11.30 Sigríður Rut Franzdóttir
Developmental mechanisms of Arctic charr divergence

11.30-11.50 Zophonías O. Jónsson
The Charr in Thingvallavatn - Genome and epigenome sequencing

11.50-12.10 Drywa, A
Genetic differentiation of Arctic Char in Loch Rannoch: nuclear differentiation of the known morphs and substructuring of morphs into multiple breeding populations

12.10-12.30 Ólafur Sigurgeirsson
SWOT- analysis of Icelandic Arctic charr culture

12.30-13.30 Lunch break

CHAIRMAN: Eric Verspoor

13.30-13.50 Jóhannes Guðbrandsson
Extensive genetic divergence between sympatric Arctic charr morphs in Lake Thingvallavatn

13.50-14.10 Jónína Herdís Ólafsdóttir and Kalina Hristova
Pre-zygotic mechanisms of reproductive isolation in Thingvallavatn Arctic charr

14.10-14.30 Samantha V. Beck
Harnessing the power of maternal effects for increasing the adaptive potential of a single population through developmental processes 

14.30-15.00 Coffee break

15.00-15.20 Bjarni K. KristjánssonThe evolution of phenotypic diversity in Arctic charr

15.20-15.40 Arnar PálssonPopulation subdivision and genetic differences among anadromous Arctic charr in Iceland

15.40-16.00 Guðni Guðbergsson and Ingi Rúnar JónssonStatus of Arctic charr in Iceland

16.00-16.30 Open discussion

16.00-18.00 Poster session and welcoming reception at the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, Skulagata 4, 101 Reykjavík.

Wednesday, 1 of November 2017.

CHAIRMAN: Sten Karlsson

9.00-9.20 Erik Jeppesen
Food-web studies in salmonid lakes in Greenland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands

9.20-9.40 Gustav Hellström
Comparing behavior and habitat preferences between Arctic Charr and Lake Charr in a mountain lake

9.40-10.00 Helgi Thorarensen
The effect of climate change on Arctic charr populations in Iceland - A physiologist perspective

10.00-10.20 Stefán Ó. Steingrímsson
Various part activity patterns in wild stream-dwelling Arctic char

10.20-11.00 Coffee break

11.00-11.20 Jón Kjartan Jónsson
Challenging the farming of Arctic Charr

11.20-11.40 Ingeborg Mulder

Within lake winter movement patterns of anadromous Arctic charr in Labrador lakes

11.40-12.00 Michael Power

A retrospective of Arctic charr otoliths: what have we learned about temperature use?

12.00-12.30 Open discussion and closing

Matís organizes the seventeenth Nordic Sensory Workshop (NSW) conference from 3 to 4 May 2018. The topic of the conference is the interplay of different perceptions and the use of perceptual assessment in the food industry. 

The results of scientific research in this field and how companies can make use of them will be discussed. The conference will bring together experts in sensory evaluation and consumer research, as well as industry representatives, to discuss the latest research in this field in the Nordic countries. Participants are given an exciting opportunity to examine the perception and interaction of different senses from new perspectives and how this information can be used in a practical way, for example in service or product development. The conference is open to everyone.

More information and registration are at website of the conference. 

Integrity in business is a prerequisite for trust. Integrity in the food trade is the key to long-term consumer spending. Shocks have hit food producers and consumers, and confidence has been eroded by scandals that distort the food industry. Matís is a participant in the project MatarHeilindi.

Well-known examples of scandals that have shaken the food industry include 1985, where ethylene glycol (often used as a solvent and antifreeze) was found in measurable amounts in Austrian wines. In 2008, melamine was found in powdered milk in China. Many people still remember that in 2013 there was something about horsemeat being sold as beef. Then we can mention OPSON features Europol during the year this year and last year which dealt with cheating in the food trade and most recently analysis fipronils in eggs. It is worth mentioning that legal provisions on the responsibility of food companies for the safety of the food they produce, handle and distribute.

Matís has participated in the project MatarHeilindi (e. FoodIntegrity) from the beginning of 2014. The project aims to develop methods to detect and prevent fraud in the European food industry. The project is led by Fera, the British Food and Drug Administration. The project is funded by the Seventh European Framework Program for Research and Development.

MatarHeilindi deal with food that is whole / intact or in perfect condition, ie that buyers can safely deliver the product they think they are buying. Consumers or other stakeholders in the European food value chain need to be assured of safety, reliability and quality. Integrity in the food industry is a key factor in increasing the value of the continent's bioeconomy. The integrity of European foods is constantly threatened by fraudulent labels or imitations sold to reap the benefits of its added value. The project is intended to be a focal point in international coordination in the use of research and development to ensure the integrity of European food with the participation of the project's core group.

Further information about the project is provided Jónas R. Viðarsson, director of Matís.

Matís and the Laboratory of Geriatrics, Landakoti 5L, are requesting participants in a study that has been approved by the Science Ethics Committee.

Participants must be adults, 40 years and older with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 27 kg / m2 (see table with calculated body mass index below). Pregnant or breastfeeding women are excluded from participation. Individuals who are in contact and interested in participating in the study should reduce their intake of omega-3 foods and avoid fish oil for 2 weeks before and during intervention.

See more in leaflet from UI and LSP.

The SUSTAIN project, a huge international project, is currently underway, the purpose of which is to drill two holes in the island and utilize the data obtained for various and complex studies. This is the largest study ever conducted on Surtsey and is a multinational group of scientists involved. Matís is a participant in the project, led by dr. Viggó Þ. Marteinsson, but the project as such is under the direction of dr. Magnús Tuma Guðmundsson, professor of geophysics at the University of Iceland and dr. Marie Jackson, Associate Professor at the University of Utah in the United States. 

The researchers involved in the study are from Iceland, the United States, Germany, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Italy, New Zealand and Australia. Leading researchers in the project on behalf of Iceland are in addition to Magnús Tuma, Andri Stefánsson professor of geochemistry at the University of Iceland, Viggó Þór Marteinsson microbiologist from Matís, Tobias B. Weisenberger geochemist from Ísor and Kristján Jónasson geologist from the Icelandic Institute of Natural History. More specialists and technicians from these institutions will participate, but also experienced drilling geologists from Verkís and the Geotechnical Institute will be involved in the project, as well as a group of graduate students and new doctors.

A great deal of effort is put into not disturbing the ecosystem of Surtsey with this extensive research. All parties involved in the project and working on the island have received detailed instructions regarding the preparation and the conditions there to ensure a minimum of disruption. In addition, the Coast Guard has provided a helicopter that loads people and equipment back and forth so that intrusion will be kept to an absolute minimum in this sensitive and beautiful place. 

See more on the website of the University of Iceland.

Website of the project.

From the 12th to the 14th of July. A meeting of high-ranking officials from the European Union and members of the governments of Brazil and South Africa took place. The meeting was set up to welcome a new agreement on cooperation between these parties to place greater emphasis on understanding the link between global warming and its impact on the marine ecosystem (the blue bioeconomy).

Matís participated in this meeting but two projects, MareFrame and PrimeFish, discuss the subject of the meeting directly and indirectly, but both of these projects are managed by Matís, under the strong guidance of dr. Anna Kristín Daníelsdóttir (MareFrame) and dr. Guðmundur Stefánsson (PrimeFish).

It is safe to say that this event is an important beginning for the co-operation of these nations and other nations with the Atlantic, and it is therefore important that Iceland was represented at this event.

It is interesting to note that a new project, FarFish, which is chaired by Jónas R. Viðarsson at Matís, also discusses issues that are directly related to the topic of the meeting and concerns the fishing of the European fishing fleet outside the jurisdiction of the European Union.

Further information: 

• Cooperation between Europe, Brazil and South Africa 
• MareFrame
• PrimeFish
• FarFish