Category: News

On Tuesday 22 October. An interesting topic was covered in Morgunblaðið's leader. There was a discussion about the Icelandic fishing industry, the progress that has taken place there, the opportunities of the near future and Sigurjón Arason, chief engineer at Matís and professor at the University of Iceland.

Matís received the kind permission of Morgunblaðið to publish the guide in its entirety.

Incredible progress in the fishing industry

The fisheries management system plays a major role in the huge increase in catch value

The great advances that have taken place in the fishing industry and the processing and marketing of seafood in recent years and decades have not been very high in this country, at least they have not attracted the attention they deserve. This is unfortunate because these advances are important in the debate on the organization of the fisheries sector in this country and the conditions it is offered.

In Morgunblaðið's interview with Sigurjón Arason, who was recently appointed professor of food science at the University of Iceland but has been working for decades to improve the utilization of seafood, many interesting facts were revealed about what has happened in this field in Iceland and what significance it has had. the nation's economy. Sigurjón points out that we have now stopped talking about waste and that now the raw material that was previously thrown away returns forty billion ISK per year. These are products such as fish oil, liver, eggs and heads that were previously given little attention but are now returning these huge amounts to the national economy.

The sizes at stake, however, are many times this.

Sigurjón says that the value of what comes out of the sea is about 280 billion ISK, but without the knowledge and skills that Icelanders have acquired, they only got about 150 billion ISK for the catch. And he mentions as an example that previously the salt fish utilization was 44% but is now 58%, in fillet processing it was considered good to have 42% utilization but it is now 50%, and in light salting the utilization was 42% but is now up to 70%.

Sometimes there is talk of the fishing industry as if it is only about shoveling the fish out of the sea and that knowledge and skills are nowhere near there. As these figures show, this is far from the reality.

Knowledge and skills in the handling of the catch are no less important than the fishing itself. But this knowledge and improved utilization of the catch did not come about by itself and it would not have come into being if there were not powerful companies in the fishing industry that have seen the benefit of working on reform and have the capacity to do so.

The Icelandic quota system has contributed to the great interest of fishing companies in getting the most out of the catch they have been authorized to fish and to catch it in the most efficient way and at the right time, which is also important. In this connection, it can be pointed out that Sigurjón Arason mentions that it is not a coincidence that many larger fishing companies stop cod fishing in June and July, then the cod is loose in the flesh and poorer market response than at other times. And he says that people need to be careful not to lose the cod fishery out of control, as he believes has happened the last two summers.

Sigurjón Arason Matís' chief engineer and professor at the University of Iceland

This is something that is inevitable to take into account in the current view of the fisheries management system. But in that view, one must not least look at what the fisheries management system in this country has achieved in recent decades. The huge increase in catch value that has been achieved is no coincidence and would never have been achieved if it had not been for a sensible system that promoted efficiency and effectiveness.

And since the opportunities to increase the value of seafood are still there, it is important that those who make decisions about the future structure of the fishing industry draw logical conclusions from history instead of ignoring this important experience.

Nobody imagined three decades ago that it would be possible to achieve as much success as is actually witnessed in these matters, and today there is no way to predict how much of the opportunities that await in the sea around the country can return to the economy if things are right. .

The only thing that experience has taught us and can be asserted is that by maintaining a sensible fisheries management system and reversing the path of evil that the last government market, it is possible to achieve enormous economic success for the national economy. These are variables that can have a significant impact on the quality of life of all Icelanders within a few years and decades.

For further information Sigurjón Arason, Matís' chief engineer.

A detailed interview was with Sigurjón Arason, chief engineer at Matís, in Morgunblaðið recently. weekend. There, Sigurjón crosses a wide field in the fishing industry. The interview can be found in part here.

"The sea is full of untapped opportunities," said Sigurjón Arason, Matís' chief engineer. He was recently promoted to professor of food engineering at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition at the University of Iceland (UI) and gave an introductory lecture on that occasion last Thursday.

"All my projects have been around the fish and fish industry," said Sigurjón in a conversation with Morgunblaðið. He said that he had done his job in broad collaboration with many companies and is a bridge between the university community and the fishing industry. With advances in professorships, those connections are being made more visible.

Fish have been caught here for centuries. But what has scholarship brought to the fishing industry?

"We are getting about 280 billion for what comes out of the sea. If we did not have all this knowledge and skills, we would be getting about 150 billion for the same catch. We get a 40% value increase due to knowledge. When we were starting our doctoral projects related to fish processing, we had a salt fish utilization of 44%. Now it's about 58%. In wreck processing it was considered good to have 42% utilization, now it is around 50%. In light salting, we are talking about 65-70% utilization instead of 42% utilization here before, "said Sigurjón.

Opportunity instead of waste

There has been a huge revolution in raw materials that were previously called "waste". Sigurjón says that he dropped the concept 15 years ago. Instead of talking about "waste", he saw an opportunity. He said that these opportunities are beginning to bring the economy 30-40 billion in revenue a year. These include products such as fish oil, liver, eggs and heads.

Great technological development

"There has been a very big and fun development around the fishing industry and it has intensified lately," said Sigurjón. He mentioned knowledge companies such as 3X, Skagann, Marel, Trackwell and more. "In the last ten years, there has been a huge increase that has been driven by the need of the industry. Among other things, an AVS research fund was established in the fisheries sector. Research funding from it has been managed very systematically according to the market needs of products and equipment. "

Behind the good price obtained for fresh fish today lies an enormous amount of work to improve transport processes, refrigeration and shelf life.

"Ten years ago, the shelf life of fresh cod was seven days, but now it is 12-14 days. The big companies such as Brim, HB Grandi, HG and Samherji have a great honor there. They have followed us very closely in developing new processes. Then there is a new box of fresh fish that increases the shelf life. "

Increased shelf life makes it possible to export fresh fillets by cargo ship, which costs around one euro less per kilo than by air. There was a significant increase in exports of fresh fillets by ship from 2010 to 2012. In 2012, exports of fresh fillets by ship amounted to 44% of all such exports. Ship exports then returned about ISK 13 billion or 39% of the export value of fresh fillets.

Most of the fresh fish exported is cod. Although fillets are often mentioned, it is primarily cod fillets, the foremost and thickest piece of the fillet, that are exported fresh.

"When we were starting out, the neck piece was about 33% of the wreck, but now it has become 50%. Measurements showed that we could go back to the wreck and get the same texture, "said Sigurjón. He said that in previous years we had tried to shorten the gap between the fish consumer and the producer. With fresh fillets and cod fillets, we would have hit the nail on the head.

A prerequisite for being able to export fresh fish is to cool the catch a lot as soon as it comes on board and maintain the cooling. Also that the fish is properly bled and gutted. Sigurjón said that the large shipping companies had placed great emphasis on good cooling and bleeding.

Cod is king

Sometimes people talk with longing about the big fish dishes factories that Icelanders had abroad. They sawed down fish blocks and sold fish sticks in a grater. Sigurjón said that it had been a low-priced fish that might have returned around ISK 500 per kilo at current value, while fresh cod fillets would have returned ISK 1,800 per kilo. From the rest of the fillet, new products have been developed, such as "baby" fillets, center pieces or strings that yield ISK 800-1,100 per kilo.

"These products next to the saddle have started to yield much more value than the block ever did," said Sigurjón. He said that fishmeal factories could, however, create certain opportunities if, for example, we could produce human food from blue whiting.

"We want cod as king. Then we can take the king's little brother, the blue whiting, which is a white muscle and would be very suitable for a block and a sawn-off pole, "said Sigurjón.

Miracle in the mackerel

"When we started fishing for mackerel in 2007, everything first went into smelting while we were gaining fishing experience with foreigners. They said we could never take this mackerel and process it for human consumption because we caught it at the wrong time of year. Foreigners were not allowed to say that to Icelanders. Then we all went to one category about the utilization of mackerel. The herring processing in Neskaupsstaður, Ísfélag Vestmannaeyja, HB Grandi, Samherji and everyone else joined forces. We turned this around in one winter. In 2008, 90% of the mackerel went into smelting, but in 2009, 90% went for human consumption, "said Sigurjón. The magic was to quickly cool freshly caught mackerel on board the vessels down to -1.5 ° C to -1.8 ° C. Ice crystals begin to form in the flesh of mackerel at -2.2 ° C. The fishing was based on the vessels' cooling capacity and not on their fishing capacity. With this rapid and heavy cooling, the red cat was prevented from eating its way out of the mackerel's stomach and damaging its flesh. The mackerel was also very fat and there was a risk that the muscles would explode and become loose. The cooling prevented the fish from getting into puree.

A similar method has been used for freshly exported cod. It is cooled to -1 ° C on board because the first ice crystals form in the flesh of the cod at -0.9 ° C. Sigurjón said that Icelanders had acquired a great deal of knowledge in these disciplines worldwide.

But where are the next opportunities?

Sigurjón said, for example, that blue whiting can be examined more closely with a view to using it for human consumption. The blue whiting is now being dried and sold to Nigeria. It is very good as a dried fish. According to Sigurjón, there are many other opportunities associated with further processing of pelagic fish. There are also opportunities related to all kinds of technology in collaboration with companies that build machines for the fishing industry and thus export Icelandic technology and knowledge.

There are also great possibilities associated with the utilization of algae and seaweed in the ocean around the country. Certain shellfish species could be examined much better than has been done. Sigurjón mentioned more processing of sea urchins and shellfish. There are also many opportunities to bring a finished product closer to the market.

According to Sigurjón, much remains to be done regarding better handling and utilization of catfish. These include, for example, bleeding the catch correctly to ensure that the blood leaves the fish but does not remain in the muscles. This results in a more expensive and better product than if the fish is badly bleeding.

"The market is not asking for pink cod but for white. We are in competition with cheaper species of white muscle fish such as the Asian fish pangasius. It travels all over Europe and is very cheap. If we want to turn the cod into a pangasius species, we will reduce the price by 50-70% and we do not want that, "said Sigurjón. "Cod should be the king of the white muscle and it should be treated that way, whether on large boats or small ones."

Catching cod at the right time

Sigurjón said that people need to be careful not to lose the cod fishery out of control, as he believes has happened this summer and last summer.

"The fish should be caught at the right time of year. The cod is the worst when it is being taken on the small boats and they bring it ashore uncooled, which I am not at all happy with. We have shown with our science that the cod is poor in June, "said Sigurjón. He pointed out that many larger fishing companies actually stopped cod fishing in June and July and it is no coincidence. Then the cod is loose in the flesh. Fishing it then is like slaughtering the rivers of newborns.

Many opportunities in agriculture

Sigurjón has paid a lot of attention to the fishing industry, but are there equally good opportunities in agriculture?

"There are a lot of untapped opportunities in agriculture. That requires much more research, development and understanding, "said Sigurjón. He mentioned, for example, that although we have come a long way in many areas in the production of agricultural products, Icelanders are sold on foreign cheeses. This is an indication that there are opportunities for further development in this country.

Regarding meat processing, Sigurjón mentioned that there is more to it than frozen lamb. There is not much drying of meat here, but abroad people buy a lot of dried meat, for example lightly smoked and lightly salted and dried pork thighs.

Sigurjón said he was sorry to see both bad meat and bad fish in restaurants here. Either the meat was not allowed to hang long enough or the fish did not go straight through death stiffening. Both meat and fish need to be properly fattened.

"Fish is 800 times more sensitive than lamb thighs and fish must be treated with 800 times more care than thighs, fish must not be thrown away as much as people do. You can throw away the meat as much as you want. It will only get worse with that, "said Sigurjón. He said it was too common to see fish dumped between pots. It does not go well with the fish.

The interview, which was taken by Guðni Einarsson, first appeared in Morgunblaðið, 19 October.

The meeting of designers and farmers is an innovative project of the Iceland Academy of the Arts, in collaboration with Matís, where product designers and farmers are brought together with the aim of developing food products of the highest quality.

The research project was a three-month process that was repeated three times during the period 2008–2011. Ideas from the course were selected for the research project with the aim of delivering to the farmers a mature product that is ready for production at the end of the project.

The research project was based on interdisciplinary collaboration where the design team and the farm work with Matís experts, chefs and Innovit. In the process, a lot of effort is put into creating a strong uniqueness and overall experience for the product.

The products that have been developed in the research part are Rhubarb Caramel Rhubarb (Langamýri á Skeiðum), Sláturtertan for Möðrudalur á Fjöllum, Skyrkonfekt Rjómabúsinn in Erpsstaðir and Rúgbrauðsrúlluterta and rolls for Þórbergssetrið in Hali in Suðursveit. The design directors of the research project were Brynhildur Pálsdóttir and Guðfinna Mjöll Magnúsdóttir. Project manager and responsible person was Sigríður Sigurjónsdóttir, professor of product design.

Sæbýli ehf. at Eyrarbakki received recognition for an outstanding and innovative initiative in the field of science and business. Sæbýli is starting production of sea otters and sea otters for export, utilizing Icelandic ingenuity, hot water and clean sea. The production at Sæbýli is in collaboration with Matís.

Yesterday, two companies from southern Iceland and one school institution received recognition and financial support from the Rotary Movement's prize and support fund in Iceland. The awards were presented at the closing ceremony of the Rotary District Assembly in Iceland, which took place in Selfoss this weekend.

A total of 1.1 million ISK was allocated to these awards and the highest grant was received by Fjölbrautarskóli Suðurlands, 500 thousand ISK, "for an outstanding and innovative initiative in the field of educational and community projects - for the education of residents at Litla Hraun and Sogn - which returns them better citizens to society. "

Furthermore, Sæbýli ehf. at Eyrarbakki recognition "for an outstanding and innovative initiative in the field of science and business. Sæbýli is starting production of sea otters and sea otters for export, using Icelandic ingenuity, hot water and clean sea. ”A financial grant of ISK 300,000 followed.

Then Fengur ehf. in Hveragerði recognition and at the same time 300 thousand ISK in grants "for excellent and innovative enterprise in the field of employment but in addition to other projects Fengur recycles veneer for Icelandic agriculture and uses Icelandic ingenuity, wood waste and ecological energy."

The picture to the right shows when the award was given, but the picture shows Matís' employee, Ragnar Jóhannsson, who received recognition on behalf of Sæbýli ehf.

This article first appeared on http://www.mbl.is/vidskipti/frettir/2013/10/13/verdlaunad_fyrir_framurskarandi_framtak/

The Icelandic innovation company Marinox ehf. recently received significant research and development funding under the Eurostars program, of which 33 European countries are members. The Marinox and Partners project was rated the fourth best project out of 594 projects.

The fourth best Eurostars project

The project was rated the fourth best project out of 594 projects for which a grant was applied for and the competition for funding was fierce, but this was the tenth time that applications were announced. The Eurostars program aims to empower SMEs to market products, processes or services to the public. The project is managed by Marinox but there are partners Matís and Due Miljö in Norway. The Technology Development Fund supports Iceland's share in the project.

The grant is a great recognition for Marinox and the pioneering research and development work carried out there. The project involves the processing of valuable bioactive substances from Icelandic algae, which can be used as a dietary supplement or as an additive in various consumer products. Marinox is an innovative company that has slipped away Matís and in recent years has developed methods for isolating active substances from marine algae and products containing them. Marinox manufactures, among other things, UNA Skincare skin products that contain active ingredients from seaweed.

More information about the project is provided dr. Hörður G. Kristinsson at Marinox ehf. and about Eurostars Snæbjörn Kristjánsson (skr@nmi.is) Eurostars national contact at the Iceland Innovation Center.

Next October 17th moves Sigurjón Arason, Matís' chief engineer and newly appointed professor of food engineering at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition at the University of Iceland, gave a talk on the occasion of his appointment.

At the School of Health Sciences, the innovation of promoting or hiring new professors with their special introductory lecture has been introduced. The activities begin with a brief overview of the main work of the professor in question, after which he gives a talk on his work and future vision in teaching and research. At the end of the ceremony, there is an opportunity to chat and rejoice with the new professor.

The purpose of the introductory lectures is to draw attention to the new professor, his work and emphases, not least to increase connections and collaboration within the school, but also to start the professorship for glory.

The company Þoran, which now develops production of Icelandic quality whiskey from barley, won the first prize in the innovation competition between Matís and Landsbankinn for business ideas in the food and biotechnology industry based on Icelandic raw materials and ingenuity.

The first prize is ISK 1 million from Landsbankinn and important technical advice and facilities to continue working on the idea from Matís. The picture shows representatives of Landsbankinn and Matís together with Birgur Már Sigurðsson and Bergþóra Aradóttir on behalf of the winning idea Þoran - Icelandic quality whiskey.

Other ideas that stood out this time were:

• GeoSilica - Silica suspension as a dietary supplement
• Iceland - beverage and ice cream production from whey
• Barley and kelp pasta - development and production of healthy pasta

Relatives of these four business ideas now have the opportunity to present their idea to investors and continue to work on their implementation with the help of Matís experts.

The innovation competition was entitled "This is something else" and the name refers to a discussion about innovations in business life that often ends with people saying "something else should be done", or to undefined solutions that many people talk about but do not have a name for. This competition creates an opportunity to do "something else".

The members of the competition intend to be a powerful stimulus for the development of small and medium-sized companies in the field of food and biotechnology, with lasting value creation as a guiding principle.

Sveinn Margeirsson, CEO of Matís, says: “This time, the winners of the competition presented a uniquely fun idea for non-traditional food that has excellent marketing potential. It is gratifying that if it had not been for this competition, we certainly would not have entered into a partnership with Þoran so soon. That fact alone strengthens my belief that the decision of Landsbankinn and Matís to hold such a competition was the right one. It creates a good opportunity for us to create a platform that can become a rich part of increased value creation in the field of food production and biotechnology. "

Brynhildur Ingvarsdóttir has been hired as the new managing director of Marinox ehf., The manufacturer of the UNA skincare skin care line.

Brynhildur graduated with an MA in Media Studies from Emerson College in Boston in 2002 and a BA in History from the University of Iceland in 1995. She most recently worked as EGF's Marketing Manager at Sif Cosmetics, where she participated in the development of the company and the brands EGF and BIOEFFECT ™. Brynhildur was previously the director of the National Museum of Iceland's media department on the eve of the museum's construction and reopening on September 1, 2004. She is one of the authors of the museum's basic exhibition and directed the media department in the first years after its opening.

When Brynhildur was asked about her new job, she said that Marinox was a very interesting company with great potential in various fields. "Marinox is one of these exciting innovative companies based on solid research and the enthusiasm of the founders. Their research has shown that one type of seaweed that grows off the coast of Iceland can be used to produce highly bioactive substances with high antioxidant activity, which are not only sought after as raw materials in cosmetics, but also as valuable food additives and food additives to name a few. , "Says Brynhildur.

Marinox ehf. is a young innovative company specializing in the research, development and production of bioactive substances from marine algae and products containing such substances. The company's first product line, the UNA skincare skin care products, was launched just over a year ago. The research and development work of the product line took place in close collaboration with Matís, both in Reykjavík and in Sauðárkrókur. UNA skincare skin products contain unique bioactive substances made from Icelandic seaweed, but Marinox researchers have developed a unique method for isolating and producing active substances from this underutilized Icelandic resource - a method that ensures maximum effectiveness of the substances. The UNA skincare ™ brand is only the first of many that are in the pipeline at Marinox, as there are many opportunities to enter the market.

For further information, please contact Hörður G. Kristinsson, Board Member and Founder of Marinox (858-5063) or Brynhildur Ingvarsdóttir (860-9650).

Berglind Ósk Alfreðsdóttir, Helga Franklínsdóttir students at the University of Iceland and Sigríður Hulda Sigurðardóttir students at the Iceland Academy of the Arts received a special award from the jury in Ecotrophelia, which is a competition in environmentally friendly food innovation.

25 judges from 18 participating countries and 7 from large companies and the European Union liked the seaweed soup and gave the Icelandic participants a special prize for having the most interesting new idea. One judge was from Iceland and it was Ragnheiður Héðinsdóttir from the Confederation of Icelandic Industries.

It is safe to say that the Icelanders' results are great considering that about 120 teams took part in national competitions and 18 teams advanced to the main competition itself, which was held in Cologne, Germany.

It should be noted that in Chinese cuisine, sea urchins are mostly used in soups, but it can take several days to cook them as the preparation is complicated and time consuming. Therefore, the idea was to make a product that would be suitable for the Chinese market but would be accessible to the consumer, quick to cook and would be suitable for long haulage. The result was a cup soup with freeze-dried sea oysters that only needed to be poured over boiled water and then it would be ready for consumption, but the soup is named Hai Shen.

The collaboration between the Ecotrofood project of the Icelandic Innovation Center, Matís and the University of Iceland means that Icelandic students are participating in Ecotrophelia for the second year in a row. It is worth mentioning that the Confederation of Icelandic Industries, the Faculty of Food and Nutrition at the University of Iceland and the Innovation Center awarded prizes in the Icelandic national competition and that Product Development Center for Seafood at Matís has supported the project for the competition in Cologne.

Guðjón Þorkelsson, head of department at Matís and associate professor at the University of Iceland, has guided the students and supported them along with many of Matís' employees. In addition, the relatives of the students have faithfully supported them.

For further information Guðjón Þorkelsson with Matís, Helga Franklínsdóttir (690-5255) and Berglind Ósk Alfreðsdóttir (865-1125).

Now there is a new Nordic competition in small-scale food production which was held in Östersund in Sweden. About 600 products in various categories were entered into the competition.

Of the 40 awards given, Icelandic producers won three awards. The bronze went to Klaus Kretzer from Skaftafell for Jöklabit, a beer sausage made from mutton. Klaus also received a silver award for Hnjúkur, which is dry-smoked and smoked sheep's back muscle.

The best product in the category of smoked fish, which won the gold award, was smoked mackerel from Sólsker in Hornafjörður. All of these products have been developed in Matís food factories which once again demonstrates the importance of enabling entrepreneurs and small producers in food crafts to take their first steps in the most efficient and secure way that can, if successful, lead to more job opportunities and a wider range of products.

The competition is discussed in more detail Ny Nordisk Mat website and Eldrimner's website.

Klaus Kretzer's website.

For further information, please contact Gunnþórunn Einarsdóttir,  gunna@matis.is (858-5049) and Óli Þór Hilmarsson olithor@matis.is (858-5099).