Category: News

On the 1st and 2nd of October next. In collaboration with a number of domestic and foreign experts, Matís will hold a workshop entitled "New technology for the Nordic fishing fleet: fishing gear and catch management". The meeting takes place at Matís' headquarters in Reykjavík at Vínlandsleið 12. Participation is open to everyone and free of charge, but people are asked to register by sending an e-mail to jonas () matis.is.

Workshop on research and development on fishing gear and catch management

The aim of the meeting is to present the main innovations in the field of research and development related to fishing gear and catch management on board fishing vessels. The meeting is sponsored by the Nordic Council of Ministers through AG-fisk (Working group for fisheries co-operation), whose main goal is to promote co-operation in the fisheries sector among the Nordic countries.

At the meeting, nineteen experts from nine countries will present research and the main innovations in fishing gear development and technology related to catch management. The meeting is divided into four parts and at the end of each part there is project work and a panel discussion. The hope of the participants is that it will promote increased co-operation among professionals in the Nordic fisheries sector.

All information about the meeting can be found at www.fishinggearnetwork.net and the site will be used to share information about the main innovations regarding fishing gear and catch management following the meeting.

All further information provides Jónas R. Viðarsson at Matís, tel. 422 5107

Matís is launching a national campaign called Fishing day and is intended to make consumers more aware of the importance of fish consumption and fish-related products such as fish oil and other seafood. The aim of the campaign is to increase Icelanders' fish consumption, but the campaign is funded by the AVS fund.

Many are involved in this positive effort. There will be several 5-minute interludes on RÚV, where myths about seafood will be addressed and we will also prepare study material for primary and secondary schools on seafood handling, nutrition and cooking. The biggest factor, however, is in the form of an advertising campaign where the unique characteristics of each type of seafood are hammered out and consumers are encouraged to have fish in their food at least twice a week and of course to take fish oil.

The Fish Today campaign will formally begin this weekend and the opening ceremony will be held in Smáralind on Saturday 28 September between 12: 00-16: 00.

… And when the kids ask: "what's for dinner?", The answer is of course: "we are going to have Fish Day"!

Rannís Science Week will take place in Háskólabíó on Friday 27 September. A selection of exciting research projects will be presented at the Science Week this year, as in recent years.

You will be offered a taste of the whey drink Íslandus, but the whey ice cream Íslandus, on which the drink is based, was chosen as the most environmentally friendly and promising innovation idea in Iceland in the food field in a student competition that was held recently. Mysuklakinn has a direct reference to Sölvi Helgason's life and Iceland 100% is natural and organic.

Elín Agla Briem and Sigríður Anna Ásgeirsdóttir, students in environmental and resource science at the University of Iceland, are the authors of Íslandus. The authors emphasized the improved utilization of products, the imaginative use of local raw materials and environmentally friendly production methods in the creation of the ice. Kjartan Þór Trauner, a student at the Iceland Academy of the Arts, was in charge of the product design.

Iceland was Iceland's contribution to the European EcoTrophelia 2012 competition, where ecological ideas from various European countries competed with each other.

Further information about Vísindavökan and Vísindakaffi, which will take place throughout the week, can be found on Rannís' website, http://www.rannis.is/visindavaka/visindavaka/

For further information Steinar B. Aðalbjörnsson, marketing director of Matís.

In Akureyri, Matís conducts research, development and innovation in collaboration with the University of Akureyri and other institutions and companies in the North, as well as elsewhere in the country.

Matís' operations are housed in the Research House at Borgir, where research facilities in the field of molecular science have been built up, but research is also carried out there in the fields of microbiology, chemical research, enzyme research, immunophysiology and food imaging.

During the development of Matís in Akureyri, emphasis has been placed on the involvement of students in research-related master's programs in extensive collaboration with domestic as well as foreign universities, research institutes and companies. In addition to most of the projects carried out at Matís in Akureyri, students in research-related postgraduate studies take a BSc degree in biotechnology or fisheries sciences.

At Matís' office in Akureyri, 2 specialists work in addition to a researcher and students in research-related postgraduate studies in projects carried out by Matís.

Matís' station manager in Akureyri is Rannveig Björnsdóttir, subject manager at Matís and associate professor at the University of Akureyri.

More information can be found here.

In mid-August, Matís held a six-day course in Kenya on the production and quality of fish and fish products. The course was held at a government school in Kwale County, just south of the Indian Ocean city of Mombasa.

Thirty future coaches attended the course, which was funded by the United Nations Fisheries Academy and the World Bank. Participants were generally satisfied with the course and especially with a practical exercise where "Sigurjóns kofinn" was used to smoke fish. Participants had never tasted such a quality product before and it can be said that the food was served healthily.

In recent years, Matís has held courses in countries bordering Lake Victoria, with an emphasis on freshwater fish. The course in Kenya's Kwale County is therefore the first course in East Africa that deals specifically with sea fish. This is expected to continue in the near future.

For further information Margeir Gissurarson at Matís.

Preliminary results of research on mackerel stock genetics in Icelandic waters show that it can not be ruled out that a small proportion of it is of non-European origin. In the coming months, the results of a strong genetic analysis will determine whether and in what proportion the mackerel in this country will come from the west.

Recently, Kjartan Stefánsson at Fiskifréttir gave an interesting interview to Anna Kristín Daníelsdóttir, director of Safety, Environment and Genetics at Matís. The interview is here in its entirety, but it had previously appeared in Fiskifréttir.

Scientists from the Marine Research Institute, Matís and the University of Iceland, as well as Norwegian, Faroese, Greenlandic and Canadian scientists, began researching mackerel in the North Atlantic two years ago in collaboration with several companies. Among them are Huginn ehf, Síldarvinnslan hf, Vinnslustöðin hf. and Framherji aps. Funding from the Fisheries Project Fund launched the project in 2011, followed by funding from the Faroese Research Council and the Nordic NORA Fund. Rannís has also provided funding for the project. The project is called: "North Atlantic mackerel stock genetics - is the stock exclusively European?"

Dr. Anna Kristín Daníelsdóttir, division manager at Matís ohf., Is the project manager in the part of the research funded by the Fisheries Project Fund, while Christophe Pampoulie, genetics specialist at the Marine Research Institute, is the project manager in the NORA project.

Final results from the project are not available, but results from preliminary research have been presented to participants. Despite the fact that the mackerel that enters Icelandic jurisdiction is for the most part European, there are indications that it is to some extent of Canadian origin, according to Anna Kristín Daníelsdóttir in a conversation with Fiskifréttir. However, she noted that the ability of the method on which these results are based to distinguish between stocks in the western and eastern Atlantic was too weak to make unequivocal claims that Canadian mackerel is found in Icelandic waters and in what proportion.

Number of samples

A total of 1414 samples were genetically analyzed within this project. The reference database consisted of samples of spawning grounds from France, Ireland and Canada and the structure of these samples was examined. A total of 471 samples were collected in Icelandic waters in 2010 and 2011 and they were genetically analyzed with 15 selected genetic markers designed in the project. The Icelandic visions reflect the distribution of mackerel around the country. Using Roche sequencing technology (454 flx), 30 new so-called "microsatellite" genetic markers were designed. A peer-reviewed scientific article has been published describing the methodology and characteristics of these 30 genetic markers.

Three results

This study yielded three main results: 1) No significant genetic differences were found between the two European samples when examined with neutral microsatellite genetic markers. 2) Significant genetic differences were found between samples from Europe and Canada. Although transatlantic gene flow is restricted, the genetic difference is smaller (1.6%) than expected if the results are compared with other pelagic species such as herring. 3) The majority of mackerel caught in the Icelandic fishing zone is of European origin, as mentioned before, but it is possible that a small part is of Canadian origin. Mackerel of Canadian origin appear to be found throughout the waters around Iceland, which raises a number of questions that will also be addressed.
It should be emphasized that the statistical basis of this study is weak and further research is underway. The next steps in the research are to find more sensitive genetic markers that differentiate better between strains and thus apply the latest genetic analysis technology in developing selective differentiating genetic markers (eg SNP genetic markers).

Clear differences between mackerel in Canada and in Europe

Anna noted that there was a significant genetic difference between European mackerel in the west of Ireland and the Bay of Biscay on the one hand and mackerel with Canada on the other. However, this genetic difference would be smaller than for herring stocks that remain in the corresponding sea areas. This is probably explained by the mackerel's behavior and behavior, but the mackerel's distribution area is very extensive.

The status of the project

Anna was finally asked what the status of the project was. "We are currently working on further sample collection, statistical analysis and samples are being examined better with new genetic markers (SNPs). This will make it possible to obtain clearer and more reliable information on the genetics of mackerel in Icelandic jurisdiction. The first indications of this are expected this autumn.

The NORA co-operation project is now in its second year out of three. After a year, we believe that it will be possible to answer with more certainty whether and to what extent the proportion of mackerel in this country will come from the west. It takes two to three years to develop a methodology, collect samples and establish a partnership. We are also looking at this project as a basis for further research and that the results can be used in stock assessment, fisheries management and fishing in the future, "said Anna Kristín Daníelsdóttir.

For further information Anna Kristín Daníelsdóttir.

Sveinn Margeirsson, along with other Matís employees, was recently interviewed by the Confederation of Icelandic Industries, More jobs - better jobs. In the paper, Sveinn states, among other things, that the opportunities in Iceland lie in utilizing clean nature to create healthy food with positive properties.

In the interview, Sveinn got to the heart of the matter when SA asked what is needed to create more and better
jobs? "Value creation is the key to that. Matís' goal is to increase the value of what the country and the tickets produce and apply knowledge to that end. "

Offensive in the fishing industry

Matís collaborates extensively with Icelandic fisheries companies. "We are on the floor with them and on board the ships. The companies perceive that we have knowledge that they can use and want to use ", says Sigurjón
Arason, chief engineer. "For example, it is possible to use slugs that have been thrown into the sea for a short time. If it comes ashore fresh enough, the organic matter that can be used in pharmaceuticals, fatty acids and fertilizers can be reduced. "

The interviews can be found here.

It is well known that great progress has been made in cereal cultivation in Iceland due to the initiative of farmers and progress in cultivation. Cultivation experiments and grain breeding of the Agricultural University of Iceland and its predecessors are very important here. Icelandic grain has become important in feeding and it has also been increasingly used for human consumption.

Farmers get higher prices for food grains than feed grains and it is therefore one way to increase farmers' income to have access to the most diverse markets for the grain. Increased processing of grain in scattered settlements can increase employment and special mention should be made of the tourism industry. The market for food for tourists is growing and farmers can take advantage of it.

Iceland is on the northern border of the cereal belt, so it is natural to ask whether Icelandic barley is sufficiently mature for utilization in the food industry. Various tests have been performed on the production of food from Icelandic barley and they have given positive results. Chemical measurements of Icelandic barley have also shown that its composition is normal and the starch content is high.

Interest in domestic products clearly grew in the wake of the banking crisis. There was considerable interest in food from Icelandic barley. The National Association of Master Bakers advocated the use of barley for bread making and a considerable number of bakeries offered barley bread. Kornax competed for barley bread and that was part of the interest. The largest bakery in the country, Myllan, marketed new barley bread from Eyrarbúið and it goes by the name Eyrarbrauð. The use of domestic cereals in the baking industry has now declined somewhat, so there is reason to encourage the development of food products from domestic cereals.

New project

Work is now underway on two Nordic cereals projects aimed at increasing the value of cereal production and boosting employment in rural areas in the Arctic. Particular attention is paid to increased regional production of grain for food production. Matís will manage these projects, but there will be extensive collaboration with the Agricultural University of Iceland. The Agricultural University's grain breeding was of great importance for the acquisition of partners in other countries. In addition to the University of Agriculture, participants from northern Norway and the Faroe Islands will take part in the project. The co-operation has been expanded beyond the Nordic countries and will involve parties in Orkney and Newfoundland.

The first project is funded by the Nordic-Atlantic Co-operation (NORA). The project will delve into the seams of grain production conditions in each country, varieties will be tested, guidelines will be compiled and quality issues will be examined. The second project is a preliminary project that aims to prepare a large project on the production of food from grain.

In the projects, barley will be given priority, but work will also be done with wheat, oats and rye, as appropriate in each country. The projects are expected to open up new possibilities related to grain and increase its processing for grain farmers and companies. Domestic grain should replace imported grain in as many areas as possible, and thus local production options are utilized for the benefit of rural areas. Domestic grain should gain a foothold in underutilized markets and new markets. The baking industry is an underutilized market as a lot of grain is imported for that industry.

It is believed that grain cultivation can increase significantly in Iceland. In the Orkney Islands, grain farming is also practiced with great success, albeit on a small scale. In the Faroe Islands, grain farming has been dormant for 50 years, although the Faroe Islands are located about 300 km south of the grain farming area in the south of Iceland. In northern Norway, grain is grown in areas far north of Iceland. It is therefore clear that the conditions for grain cultivation are very different among the partners in the project. One of the main purposes of the projects is to increase co-operation between the countries and to share knowledge and experience between the parties.  

What kind of utilization?

Barley is a versatile grain and is suitable as a raw material in a variety of foods. In particular, there are a variety of baking products such as bread, flat cakes, biscuits, crispbread and cakes. Barley like any other grain can be suitable for breakfast cereals. Finally, malted barley is one of the most important ingredients in alcoholic beverages. In recent years, however, barley has been used unmalted in beer, but then it is based on enzyme technology. Small breweries in Iceland have not yet utilized domestic barley properly.

There are great opportunities within the baking industry to utilize barley. Barley, however, forms a weaker gluten network than wheat in traditional bakery products, and therefore barley and flour must be mixed in such products. However, barley has certain health benefits beyond wheat and it is important to make the barley a bigger niche. These healthy properties of barley are mainly high levels of fiber and beta-glucans, which lower blood cholesterol and reduce blood sugar fluctuations. This has now been officially recognized by the fact that barley health claims are allowed on food packaging under a new regulation. This is of great importance to the food industry and can be the driving force behind the greatly increased use of barley in food production.

Opportunities in rural areas

The flow of tourists to Iceland has been growing rapidly in recent years. It is believed that the number of tourists will continue to increase and it will be necessary to direct them to as many parts of the country as possible. Hundreds of thousands of tourists need a lot of food and many of them are interested in trying local food. This is therefore an ideal opportunity for parties in scattered settlements to increase food production. Rental small-scale production can be mentioned, and small food companies can expand their operations.

Contact us

The projects mentioned above are based on close collaboration with grain farmers and companies and parties who want to produce food from domestic grain. In the initial stages, this mainly involves the collection of information and, subsequently, the dissemination of practical information on the utilization of grain. As a result, it is hoped that a variety of productions will become a reality. It can be assumed that the main development areas will be the South (under the Eyjafjöll mountains and uplands), Fljótsdalshérað, Vesturland, Skagafjörður and Eyjafjörður. Grain farmers and companies interested in food production from domestic grain and co-operation in projects are requested to contact Ólaf Reykdal at Matís. Parties do not have to be within the areas mentioned above.   

For further information Ólafur Reykdal.

The food factory in Flúðir has great facilities for all those who are interested in producing all kinds of food. It is well equipped and offers all the main processing methods. In connection with Matís, there is good access to specialists who can guide individuals in their production. Ingunn Jónsdóttir, station manager at Flúðir, answered some questions about the food factory.

Who is Matarsmiðjan for?

"The food workshop is intended for all those who want to come and take a good idea to the next level. It is an ideal opportunity for entrepreneurs who are always getting ideas but need help and conditions to get them started, but it can be a good idea if the entrepreneur needs to start by setting up a predatory production kitchen. "

Who has been the most used to the food factory?

"Individuals, small businesses and small producers. Bringing the product to the food factory is the beginning. Individuals who have tourism and want to sell, for example, home-made jams have also come here. Then they come and rent the facility for maybe four days but add the thirteenth month in income. "

"We support small producers and entrepreneurs and help them make a salable product. We can offer a variety of assistance, but Matís has a full house of specialists and the perfect equipment for research. We can also offer sensory evaluation, where the product is tasted and its properties are evaluated by a special sensory evaluation group. This can give the entrepreneur an idea of whether he has a salable product in hand or whether it needs to make some improvements. "

Have products produced in Flúðir returned to stores?

"Yes, since the turn of the year, for example, two products have returned to the market. On the one hand, the drink B.OKAY and meat broth sold to restaurants and production kitchens. Other products that have been developed and marketed include jam, sandwiches, pesto, lupine extract, candy, processed vegetables and dried vegetables to name a few. "

But why does Matís run Matarsmiðja?

"The food factory in Flúðir is run in collaboration with the municipalities in the uplands of Árnessýsla and promotes job creation at home in the district at the same time as it promotes food security in Iceland. One of Matís' goals is to promote public health, and we do this through the Food Workshops, where the emphasis is on producing quality products. Matís' other goal is to improve food safety, and we do this by inviting people to process our products here. This all leads to increased value creation, which is also one of Matís' goals. The food factory itself is run without profit and the small rent that has to be paid for access to it really only goes to keep the operating costs down. "

"We want to encourage everyone who has an idea to come and try it out. The same person does not have to be a commodity producer. It is enough to have an idea that is willing to work on. "

For further information, please contact:

Ingunn Jónsdóttir and information can also be found on Matarsmiðjan's website in Flúðir:

• www.matis.is/um-matis-ohf/starfsstodvar-matis/fludir/
• www.facebook.com/MatarsmidjanLocalFoodInovatorsCenters

A food factory can be defined as a building, which is intended for food processing of some kind and has the required permits from municipal inspectors to allow food to be produced in the building. In order to obtain this permit, it must be ensured that pollution does not bother neighbors, sewers are in order, drinking water is safe and waste is disposed of in accordance with conditions, to name but a few. 

The production in food factories can be divided into two parts, wet processing and dry processing. Fish, meat and vegetable processing falls under wet processing, but for example grain milling, baking and packaging under dry processing. In meat and fish processing, there is a requirement that the temperature of the raw material during processing does not exceed certain limits. In order for it to be feasible in a manageable way, the processing space must be kept cool. Receipt of raw materials for processing must be acceptable, refrigerated products are refrigerated, frozen in a freezer and dried in a dry matter warehouse. If heating, boiling or baking is part of the product's manufacturing process, it must also be possible to cool the product appropriately. The storage of a finished product can be in different ways, depending on the nature of each product. The most sensitive are those products which, after production, are ready for consumption, without prior heating. Care must be taken to ensure that one product is transmitted to another and that the storage temperature is in accordance with the requirements.

Hygiene in the food factories is very important and therefore a cleaning plan must be made for the premises and all equipment, in addition to which it is necessary to record which cleaning agents are used and how. Whether it is wet or dry processing, it must be possible to clean floors, walls, equipment and the furniture in the processing space.

The use and purpose of each space must be clear and therefore drawings of the premises must be available, showing the use of the space, such as "processing room", "packaging storage", "reception", etc. It must also be clear where and how the hygiene facilities are arranged and whether the sink is intended for hand washing or, for example, cleaning food.

Pest control must also be in place to ensure food safety. For example, there should be flycatchers at openable window frames and exterior doors as well as traps for rodents both indoors and outdoors. Pest control is carried out by approved bodies and it is registered. Inspection of equipment, devices and housing shall be in place where general maintenance is recorded and then repairs or improvements.

What has been listed above are examples of the general conditions set for any kind of food production, if the intention is then to distribute the product to consumers. In addition, the manufacturer must obtain a production license. For food factories, it is the Municipal Health Inspectorate, HES, that grants such a permit, regardless of the raw material.

Conditions set for production depend on the nature of each product, what the raw material is, the production method and at what stage of production the product is distributed to consumers. Requirements are in line with the potential risks of consuming the product, if the approved product descriptions are not fully complied with.

When applying for a permit from HES, a quality manual must be prepared for the production, which clearly states who is responsible for the production, what its nature is, the raw materials used, production processes, flow charts, risk analysis and responses to deviations. Inspection reports on raw materials, packaging, production and sales, stating the name, telephone and address of the consignee, in the case of sales to other sellers, so that the product can be recalled quickly if necessary. There must be a cleaning report, with the signature of the employee in question to confirm the cleaning of the premises and equipment. There must be proof of the wholesomeness of water, hygiene tests on food contact surfaces and microbiological tests on products carried out by a recognized body confirming the decision on the shelf life of the food. The nutritional content of food must be present, either calculated or measured results. Packaging labels with all necessary information such as product name, content, weight, intolerance, nutritional content, salt content, manufacturer, storage temperature, production date and shelf life information.

HES issues operating licenses for each producer in food factories, provided that the conditions for the production are met. The cost of an operating license can vary between HES, but for example the cost of an operating license from the Reykjavík Health Inspectorate is ISK. 23,750 (license fee) and ISK 47,500 (inspection fee), a total of ISK 71,250 excl. VAT the first year. Then there is an inspection fee after each visit. Today's legislation does not allow for an operating license to be divided between those who run the food factory and those producers who are almost always entrepreneurs and small producers if not, micro-producers.

As the profits of entrepreneurs and small producers from production are barely or not covered by licensing fees, it is urgent to change the rules in a way that is acceptable. It is conceivable that the owners of the food factory will be certified in the aspects that are common to all producers, regardless of the products. These include permits from construction representatives for the building and health inspections of drinking water, sewage pollution, waste and the environment. It is also conceivable that the food factory receives confirmation from the health inspectorate that certain processing processes are possible in the premises, such as processing in a cooled space, the possibility of smoking food, etc. Producers are then allowed to produce in such certified premises when, in the opinion of the food factory's food-educated employee, they are qualified in food production and know how to work and by presenting a quality manual and the results of quality measurements of their food hygiene can confirm that their food is safe. In this way, it would be possible to significantly reduce the costs that producers have to bear.

Matís' food factories already employ entrepreneurs and small producers who have received an operating license issued by the health inspectorate for their production. There, they work under the guidance of Matís employees who have gone through all aspects of the production with the person in question and granted a permit for processing in the food factory. Matís provides advice on all aspects of food processing, provides information on nutrition calculations, assists in determining shelf life, packaging design, marketing and even obtaining subsidies.

For further information Óli Þór Hilmarsson.