Category: News

At an open meeting on the importance of long-term research in the food industry, held by Matís in collaboration with PepsiCo, it was stated that large foreign companies, such as PepsiCo., Are starting to look to Iceland in search of food science students to work with them on research.

According to Dr. Gregory Yep of PepsiCo's food industry in general is facing the fact that too few food scientists have graduated in recent years to meet the demand for expertise in the industry. Recordings from the meeting can be found below.

In Iceland, the trend was in the same direction, but with the concerted efforts of Matís and the University of Iceland, the development has been resisted to some extent, but the collaboration has resulted in an ambitious master's program at the University of Iceland. In addition, Matís has invited students at all levels of university to work on research within the company, thus giving students the opportunity to work on real projects in both academic and work-related ways.

The collaboration has resulted in top scientists in the field of food science, and many of them have started working for Matís during and after their studies. There are also many examples of employees and former students at Matís being offered jobs at other companies, due to their knowledge and skills that they acquired in the internship. The results of this collaboration in the form of innovations and value additions for food and food-related products have led to Icelandic food scientists being really in demand, as well as Icelandic ingenuity in the field of food science.

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

More Matís videos can be found at Youtube area Matís.

Matís ohf. in collaboration with Íslenska matorka ehf. and the University of Iceland have started experimental breeding of invertebrates to produce cheap protein for animal feed production. This is the larva of the Black Soldier Fly.

The project is part of increasing the competitiveness of aquaculture in Iceland by using underutilized raw materials and energy to produce cheap quality proteins.

In many places, organic waste and decay are generated, which are sometimes buried with the associated costs, but could be used as food for certain larvae in a natural cycle. The larvae's eggs were imported from experimental breeding partners from Germany.

The flies live at high temperatures and will not be able to thrive outdoors in Iceland due to low temperatures. The biology of the fly is such that the fly itself does not have a mouth and does not feed and is not equipped with any sting that other organisms can sting. The only purpose of an adult fly is to reproduce. The larva is very nutritious and contains about 42% protein and 35% fat which makes it suitable as a feed raw material.

Studies have shown a high appetite in these larvae, but their food intake is in the range of 50-95%. The experiment, which is supervised by Matís' experts, has been underway for more than two weeks, and in short, the larvae have reached the pupal stage, which is the final stage before they are used as feed raw material. But to maintain the cycle, some pupae will be allowed to turn into flies to lay eggs. All this takes place in isolation under controlled conditions. Finally, experiments are underway with the feeding of larval meal on char.

For further information, contact Jón Árnason and Stefán Freyr Björnsson at Matís.

Few scientists conceal the importance of long-term research for society as a whole, whether for value creation or public health benefits, for example.

Matís looks to the long term in its research and there are already examples of shoots from Matís that have been established where the foundation was and are long-term research on marine algae. This requires a great deal of time and resourcefulness to be successful, and it is absolutely necessary to secure sufficient funds to cover the costs incurred.

Next Tuesday, June 4, Matís invites to a breakfast meeting at 08:30 at Hilton Reykjavik Nordica Hotel where dr. Gregory L. Yep, Director of Research and Development at PepsiCo. hold a lecture together with dr. Herði G. Kristinsson, Matís' research director.

Agenda

• 08:30 Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture
• 08:40 Dr. Hörður G. Kristinsson, Matís' research director
  Investment in knowledge based value creation / Investment for future growth
• 09:00 Dr. Gregory L. Yep, Director of Research and Development, PepsiCo.
  Food and Beverage Innovation / Innovation in the food industry
• 09:40 Discussion
  
  Board of Directors: Svana Helen Björnsdóttir, Chairman of the Board of the Confederation of Icelandic Industries
  (advertisement can be found here)

PepsiCo. does not need to be introduced to anyone, as the company is best known for the Pepsi products themselves, which are sold in Iceland under the Ölgerðin brand. Few people know PepsiCo. manufactures, markets and sells many more products worldwide. Within the PepsiCo band. are product lines such as Tropicana, Quaker Oats, Frito-Lay and Gatorade. The company is the largest of its kind in the United States and the second largest in the world, after Nestlé, which is also in collaboration with Matís.

Every year, PepsiCo products are sold worldwide. to the value of 108 billion dollars, over 13 thousand billion Icelandic kronas, so it was clear that the company is huge and powerful.

Three parties are coming to Iceland from PepsiCo. but the most important should be mentioned dr. Gregory L. Yep, Assistant Director of Research and Development at the company. There is a lot to learn from a company like PepsiCo. and it will be interesting to hear the vision of Dr. Yep is researching and developing global food production, especially now that the debate on food security is raging.

The breakfast meeting will take place as previously stated at Hilton Reykjavik Nordica Hotel, Suðurlandsbraut 2, on Tuesday 4 June at 08: 30-10: 00.

The meeting is open to everyone and admission is free. It is recommended that people arrive on time and have a light breakfast before the meeting.

It is desirable that people register their participation pepsico@matis.is

More information here: www.matis.is/pepsico

Matís' director of research was recently invited to sit on the European Bioeconomy Council, but it is a great honor, not only for Matís but also for the Icelandic scientific community. Matís sincerely congratulates Herði.

When we talk about the European bioeconomy, we mean the food industry, feed production, forestry, fisheries, agriculture, aquaculture and the biochemical industry. European countries make great efforts to increase the co-operation of those who produce, manage and utilize organic resources or engage in other activities based on them. This refers to sectors such as food production, fisheries, agriculture, forestry, aquaculture and other related sectors.

It can be very difficult to shed light, in words, on what a bioeconomy is. It can therefore be a good idea to take pictures, as it is well known that a picture is 1000 words long.

Further information on the European bioeconomy and European countries' priorities in this regard can be found at the following websites:

• http://rthj.hi.is/matvaeli_landbunadur_sjavarutvegur_og_liftaekni
• http://rannis.is/althjodastarf/7-rannsoknaraaetlun-esb/samvinna/matvaeli,-landbunadur,-sjavarutvegur-og-liftaekni/
• http://ec.europa.eu/research/bioeconomy/policy/

The Nordic Innovation Center, Nordic Innovation, is hosting a conference in Harpa 5-6. June nk. to discuss the Nordic fisheries sector, its status and future.

The conference will discuss, among other things, how the Nordic fisheries sector can maintain its competitive advantage, but will also discuss the 14 projects that have been worked on on these issues under the umbrella of the Nordic Innovation Center.

More information can be found at Nordic Innovation website.

Next Tuesday 4 June. a high-ranking member of PepsiCo comes to Iceland to get acquainted with food production in Iceland, give a lecture and visit his partner, Matís.

PepsiCo does not need to be introduced to anyone, as the company is best known for the Pepsi products themselves, which are sold in Iceland under Ölgerðin's brand. Few people know, however, that PepsiCo manufactures, markets and sells many more products worldwide. PepsiCo's product lines include Tropicana, Quaker Oats, Frito-Lay and Gatorade. The company is the largest of its kind in the United States and the second largest in the world, after Nestlé, which is also in collaboration with Matís.

Every year, PepsiCo products are sold for 108 billion dollars, over 13 thousand billion Icelandic kronas, so it is clear that the company is huge and powerful.

Three parties are coming to Iceland from PepsiCo, the most important of which is dr. Gregory L. Yep, Assistant Director of Research and Development at the company. There is a lot to learn from a company like PepsiCo and it will be interesting to hear the vision of Dr. Yep is researching and developing global food production, especially now that the debate on food security is raging.

The breakfast meeting will take place at Hotel Hilton Nordica, Tuesday 4 June at 08: 30-10: 00.

The meeting is open to everyone and admission is free.

It is desirable that people register their participation pepsico@matis.is

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

Dr. Sveinn Margeirsson, CEO of Matís, will give a talk on Research and Realistic Solutions in the Food Industry and Biotechnology at the Master's Day of the University of Iceland.

In the engineering disciplines within the University of Iceland, the goal is to integrate innovation with postgraduate studies. On the Master's Day of the Institute of Engineering, the projects of master's students who are often participants in innovation projects in collaboration with powerful companies will be presented. The university's students thus contribute a lot to product and community development in Iceland.

Everyone is welcome to attend and learn about the source of innovation and high-tech solutions in engineering and computer science at the University of Iceland.

The Master's Day of the Engineering Institute will take place on Thursday 23 May 12:00 - 17:00 in the building VR-II. The program of the Master's Day can be found here.

A conference on environmental pollution in Iceland, water and water quality, was held on 22 March 2013 on the occasion of Water Day, and this conference is held with the support of the United Nations on 22 March each year.

Five institutions, the Ministry of the Environment and the University of Iceland were involved in the preparation of the conference.

The conference was well attended by scholars as well as a very good reputation for all presentations and presentations that reflected both the ambition and professionalism of those who were responsible for them. In view of the limited number of seats at the conference and fewer people attending than wanted to, the organizing committee considered it appropriate to invite those scholars who spoke at the conference and saw themselves able to publish their papers on Matís' website. The lecture can now be accessed below:

• Protection of water quality in Reykjavík
  Árný Sigurðardóttir, Reykjavík Health Inspectorate
• Do Icelandic coniferous forests lead to acidification of stream water?
  Bjarni D. Sigurðsson, Agricultural University of Iceland (LBHÍ)
• Chemical content in wastewater from arable land
  Björn Þorsteinsson, Arngrímur Thorlacius, Þorsteinn Guðmundsson, LBHÍ
• Pollution off the coast of Iceland
  Erla Sturludóttir et al., University of Iceland and Matís
• Concentration of dissolved substances in the inflow and outflow of Þingvallavatn
  Eydís Salóme Eiríksdóttir, Sigurður Reynir Gíslason, Institute of Earth Sciences, University
• Water protection and water quality
  Hólmfríður Sigurðardóttir, Orkuveita Reykjavíkur
• The microflora of Elliðavatn and Elliðaá
  Kristín Elísa Guðmundsdóttir, University of Iceland and Matís

Nine presentations were made at the conference and in addition, research was presented on 11 posters. In the presentations, it was stated, among other things, that there is considerable pressure on groundwater in many places and that little attention is often paid to it when projects are planned. The natural content of substances in water in Iceland was discussed. It was found that the chemical concentration in drinking water is generally low. Measurements of chemical concentrations in natural water systems were introduced, and the natural content of substances in water in Iceland is usually low and in most places we live very well in terms of quality and control. A study of the microflora of Elliðavatn and rivers was also reported, as well as indications of increased nitrogen in Þingvallavatn. Research on the drainage of arable land and from coniferous forests was presented, and measurements of mercury in trout in lakes led to very interesting results. Finally, the results of monitoring pollution in the sea and off the coast of Iceland over the last 20 years were presented. There were many other interesting presentations at the conference and we encourage everyone to familiarize themselves with the talk.

On behalf of the conference's organizing committee and scientific committee, we would like to thank all those who took part in the conference. Both the scholars who contributed to the conference with presentations and presentations as well as all the individuals who attended and studied the issues, took part in the discussion and gave it color and life.

For further information Sophie Jensen at Matís.

Matís in collaboration with the University of Iceland, the University of Iceland Research Center in Sandgerði and ArcticMass received a grant from the Rannís Equipment Fund in 2012 to purchase a gas chromatograph / mass spectrometer (GC / MS).

The device that arrived at the house in early February is of the Shimadzu GCMS-QP2010 ULTRA model and is connected to an AOC-500 SMPE headspace sample feeder. GC / MS is most useful for measuring smaller and more volatile substances that are often hydrophobic.

This device is the only one in the country that has an SPME sample feeder that creates a certain uniqueness for Matís and its partners, and it will be particularly useful for analyzes of, among other things, taste and odorants in food. Other research projects that the GC / MS device will be useful for are measurements of pollutants in the environment such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and brominated fire retardants (PBDEs). The structure of polysaccharides can also be identified in terms of connection type in food research.

A new GC / MS device replaces old and obsolete equipment as well as increasing diagnostic capabilities with modern technology and greater device sensitivity. A new tool will therefore create new research opportunities in the future.

For further information Hrönn Ólína Jörundsdóttir at Matís.

3X Technology in Ísafjörður and the Westfjords Growth Agreement have signed an agreement to support testing of new equipment that the company is developing, FILTREX water purification equipment. The project is carried out in collaboration with Matís and Kampa's shrimp processing.

There are high expectations for this new equipment, which will be sold as a supplement to the main product of 3X Technology, ROTEX, which is used for cooling and thawing in food processing. ROTEX equipment requires a lot of water during use, but with FILTREX equipment it will be possible to use the same water for at least two days in non-stop processing as well as capturing valuable substances from the water, such as protein. 

FILTREX equipment will also be sold as an independent equipment for purifying waste water from food processing, before it is returned to the environment. Great and increased environmental demands are made all over the world to return treated wastewater to nature, and therefore the company has high hopes for the demand for this new technology. Matís has the knowledge to work on such projects and Kampi proposes its shrimp processing to test and develop new equipment. 3X Technology has applied for a grant from the Technology Development Fund for the development of the equipment and hopes for a positive response in the spring.

3X Technology has extensive experience in the design and construction of equipment and has contributed around 5% of turnover in R & Þ in recent years. The company's success is based on innovation and sales of unique solutions for the demanding market in equipment for food production. The FILTREX equipment will improve the competitive position of 3X Technology in the market for thawing bleeding and refrigeration equipment for food production. The company has achieved great success in the production of such equipment for the production of farmed fish and FILTREX will further improve that position in the future. Today, sales of ROTEX equipment are around 10 to 15 systems per year on the world market, but increased sales can be expected with FILTREX equipment, to areas where water is limited and / or high demands are made on environmental protection. There are increasing demands from the market for green solutions that products be manufactured with environmental protection in mind.

The news first appeared on the website of Bæjarinn besta in Ísafjörður, www.bb.is, 16 May sl.