Category: News

The Icelandic Food and Nutrition Association (MNÍ) is holding an annual Food Day on 15 October. A conference will be held on Icelandic food production and currency creation. Hörður G. Kristinsson from Matís gives an interesting talk: Biomaterials from Icelandic nature - A new source of income

Food production has been of great importance to Icelanders over the centuries and will now play a key role in rebuilding the economy. MNÍ wants to contribute by analyzing food production in Iceland and placing it in an economic context.

The conference will be held at the Grand Hotel by Sigtún in Reykjavík and starts at 1 pm on Thursday 15 October. Seven presentations will be given that provide insight into the ability of food production to support domestic economic activity and generate income for the national economy, while at the same time highlighting the opportunities on the horizon. Participation in the conference must be announced on the MNÍ website, www.mni.is. The participation fee is ISK 3,500 and ISK 2,000 for students.

At the conference will be Fjöregg MNÍ delivered but it is awarded for a commendable enterprise in the field of food production and human consumption. The grip is designed and built by Gleri in Bergvík and has been donated by the Confederation of Icelandic Industries since 1993. MNÍ publishes the magazine Food is on the human side with in-depth coverage of food, nutrition and content Food Day each year. The magazine is distributed all over the country.

The program can be found here.

The project "Healthier ready-made meat products" is now mostly completed. Matís, under the supervision of Emilía Martinsdóttir, was in charge of the project, which began in 2006.

The aim of this project was to use technical solutions to reduce the salt in processed meat products without changing their consumption quality. 
Project manager was Emilía Martinsdóttir, Matís ohf.

Project title: Healthier ready-made meat productsProject manager: Emilía Martinsdóttir, Matís ohf., emilia.martinsdottir () matis.is
Type of grant: Project grant
Working period: 2 years, started in 2006
Grant: ISK 8,001 million kr.
Supervisor of Rannís: Lýður Skúli Erlendsson
Reference number of the Technology Development Fund: 061356

THE PROJECT WAS SHORT OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT FUND.

Consumption of salt (NaCl) is much higher than the recommended daily dose for Icelanders like many European nations. Food consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the hygiene and labeling of food, and supermarket chains abroad are beginning to take this into account in their supply. In addition to giving food a sought-after taste, salt is part of the action of food and affects shelf life. The aim of this project was to use technical solutions to reduce the salt in processed meat products without changing their consumption quality. 

The public health goals are for women to consume less than 6 g / d of salt and men for 7 g / d, which corresponds to 2.4 and 2.8 g / d of sodium (Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2004 - Integrating nutrition and physical activity. 4th edition. Nord 2004: 13, Nordic Council of Ministers, Copenhagen 2004). In 2002, the average daily dose for Icelandic men was 10 g NaCl / d than for women. 7 g NaCl / d. In order to reduce the use of salt, it is important to reduce the salt in processed foods, bread, meat and fish. Salt (sodium chloride) plays an important role in many processed foods and therefore its use is not easy to reduce without changing the properties of the food. Salt affects the taste, inhibits microbial growth and has a significant effect on the texture and binding of other substances.

The aim of the project "Healthier meat products" was to develop healthier ready-made meat products with less salt and hard fat with the aim of slowing down the development of cardiovascular disease and promoting less obesity among the general public. The project was part of the ERA-SME program "Food for better human health" in collaboration with Spanish parties. The Icelandic part of the project was carried out by Norðlenska ehf., Matvælarannsóknir Íslands ohf. and the Laboratory of Nutrition. The Spanish partners were the consulting company Eurocatering Food Service, SL, the meat processing company Cádido Míró and the technology development agency AINIA in Valencia. In this project, various ways were sought to produce processed salt and fat-reduced meat products, and prototypes of fat- and salt-reduced products were produced by the company Norðlenska. The products were chemically analyzed and sensory evaluation was performed to investigate the effects on the taste, smell and texture of the new products. Extensive consumer surveys were also conducted to find out how consumers liked the new products. Finally, a survey was conducted among consumers of foods with less salt and less fat. The effect of labeling on meat products where less salt and less fat were labeled on the product was also examined.  

The project succeeded in producing fat- and salt-reduced products from three product categories: new meat products, pre-fried meat products and cold cuts. Fat- and salt-reduced meatballs are ready for the market. The new product received very good reviews from consumers and liked even better than the product that was on the market. The other two products have come a long way in product development and the company now has the knowledge and experience to complete that product development and continue with the development of such products. The company should be able to launch a new product line with healthier processed meat products when market conditions are right. The results of an opinion poll among consumers indicate that consumers are interested in low-fat meat products and most would buy the product if it were available. In order to appeal to consumers, however, low-fat meat products need to be compared to the standard ones in quality. The purpose of the intervention study was to investigate whether low-fat and / or salt-reduced processed meat products can be part of a health-enhancing diet among men aged 40 to 60 years. For three weeks, participants were asked to follow a low-energy diet, which responded to a 30% energy reduction based on basic energy needs. To do this, they received custom menus. Significant, positive health effects were observed in participants during the study. The results of the study show that the consumption of processed fat and salt-reduced meat products does not prevent positive health changes from occurring while following a diet, energy-reduced by 30% based on basic energy requirements.

List of project results, as well as reports, articles and manuscripts.

Production process for fat and salt-reduced products from three product categories: new meat products, pre-fried meat products and cold cuts.

Matís consumer test in product development and marketing process for services that will be offered to Icelandic food producers (TasteNet).

1. How can meat products be made healthier? Ólafur Reykdal, Matís
2. Report on the health effects of salt and fat reduction in meat products from Norðlenska, Atli Arnarson, Alfons Ramel. RÍN 
3. Experimental report on the development of prototypes at Norðlenski. Aðalheiður Ólafsdóttir, Emilía Martinsdóttir. June 2008 MATÍS
4. Report on product development of healthier meat products. MATÍS report no. 25-09. Aðalheiður Ólafsdóttir, Ólafur Reykdal, Óli Þór Hilmarsson, Gunnþórunn EInarsdóttir, Kolbrún Sveinsdóttir, Þóra Valsdóttir, Emilia Martinsdóttir and Guðjón þorkelsson, August 2009
5. Healthier meat products. Intervention study report. Intervention by Atli Arnarsson and Alfons Ramel, RÍN, August 2009

Expected impressions: 

The attitudes of Icelandic consumers towards healthier Icelandic meat products are published in Icelandic magazines such as Bændablaðið.

The results of RÍN's intervention research will be part of a scientific article.

Research in the field of biotechnology and biochemistry can lead to the possibility of extracting great value from by-products in the fishing industry and other seafood.

Recently, a very interesting interview was published with Hörður G. Kristinsson, division manager at Matís.

The interview is published in Fiskifréttir and can be seen in its entirety here.

The Annual General Meeting of the Association of Fish Processing Plants was held at the Grand Hotel v / Sigtún Reykjavík, on Friday 25 September. 2009.

Hörður G. Kristinsson, division manager at Matís, gave a talk on "New and profitable opportunities for the Icelandic fishing industry".

The lecture can be accessed here (ppt file).

The exhibition FOOD-INN 2009 will be held in the Sports Hall in Akureyri on the 3rd and 4th of October. The exhibition is the largest event in the activities of the association Matur úr Eyjafjörður - Local food, but the last exhibition was held in the autumn of 2007 at the Vocational School in Akureyri and was well attended.

The exhibition was attended by about 10 thousand people and it was clear immediately after it that the exhibition would be moved to another building. Therefore, the Sports Hall was now chosen and it will truly be turned into a dining hall and harvest house this first weekend of October. Matís will have a booth at the show and welcomes everyone to visit.

An event that will attract thousands of visitors
As before, it is planned that the exhibition will be both diverse and a highlight in Nordic food culture. There will be exhibition areas for companies and NGOs, there will also be a market area where it is ideal to sell the autumn harvest or anything else related to food and food culture. The exhibition area will also have fun competitions for visitors to attend, seminars (workshops) on various aspects of food and food culture, and finally a seminar on Icelandic food will be held in connection with the exhibition. At the same time, it will be information and entertainment that will undoubtedly attract thousands of visitors.

Emphasis is placed on the participation of as many companies related to food culture as possible, and the aim of the exhibition's relatives is to continue where the well-closed exhibition 2007 left off, to show and prove how important food plays in the North, from production and processing to food. - and service.

Opening hours for both days are from 11.00 to 17.00.

Admission to the exhibition is free.

Matís, Skotveiðifélag Íslands, Matvælastofnun and Úlfar Finnbjörnsson at Gestgjafan offered an open educational meeting on these issues on Tuesday 22 September. The meeting was very well attended and was well attended by another hundred people.

Below you can see the agenda of the meeting and if the lecturer had slides, you can download a pdf file that contains a slide show by clicking on the title of the lecture.

08: 30-08: 35 - Jón Bjarnason, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture - Meeting convened
08: 35-08: 45 - Ívar Erlendsson, guide / reindeer guide - After the shot, let alone?
08: 45-08: 55 - Sigmar B. Hauksson, Skotvís - Better use of wild game - more pleasure, more memories?
08: 55-09: 05 - Kjartan Hreinsson, MAST - Legislation on the treatment and treatment of wild game
09: 05-09: 15 - Guðjón Þorkelsson, Matís - On the treatment and treatment of wild game; opportunities in product development?
09: 15-09: 25 - Úlfar Finnbjörnsson, The Host - Full utilization of the products along with seasoning, cooking and side dishes!
09: 25-09: 45 - Questions, answers, discussions

For further information, please contact Steinar B. Aðalbjörnsson, steinar.b.adalbjornsson@matis.is.

From 2.-3. November the seminar New Nordic Food - from vision to realizations will be held in Borupgaard, Snekkersten, 30 km north of Copenhagen. The seminar will discuss the possibilities and future of Nordic food.

Main text

The Nordic Council of Ministers, the Nordic Innovation Center and the Faculty of Life Sciences at the University of Copenhagen are hosting the seminar, which will be held at the end of the project. New Nordic Food.  The aim of the project was to promote Nordic values in Nordic cuisine and tourism and to work in the fields of health, hygiene, job creation, design and value creation in food production. View the conference brochure here.

The registration fee is DKK 1000 and registration is on the page:  http://cms.ku.dk

Registration ends October 2.

From 15.-18. September. was held at the Copenhagen conference TAFT 2009. Material from Matís was very visible at the conference and the poster 'Arctic 'tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) - Optimal storage and transport conditions for fillets was chosen the best poster of the conference.

Main text

TAFT (Trans Atlantic Fisheries Technology Conference) is a forum where many of Europe's, US and Canada's leading scientists in the field of marine research and exploitation come together and compare their books. This conference was the third TAFT conference. The conferences are hosted by WEFTA (West European Fish Technologists Association), an association of scientists in the field of fish industry research in Western Europe, and the AFTC (Atlantic Fisheries Technologists Conference), which are similar associations of scientists on the east coast of North America and Canada.

Three scientists from Matís spoke at the conference:

Eyjólfur Reynisson, Matís. Rapid quantification of specific spoilage organisms (SSOs) in fish using real-time PCR. Leaflets: Quality stock. Quality meter. Photo of lecturer.

Tao Wang, University of Iceland and Matís. Algal polyphenols as novel natural antioxidants.

Björn Margeirsson, Matis. Experimental and numerical investigation of thermal performance of wholesale fresh fish packaging.

Matís' employee was a co-author in one presentation:

Themistoklis Altintzoglou, Nofima Marine, Norway. Torstein Skåra, Þóra Valsdóttir, Rian Schelvis, Joop Luten. New seafood concepts for young adults, a voice-of consumers approach.

Two students gave a short presentation:

Nguyen Van Minh, University of Iceland and Matis, Iceland - The effects of different storage temperatures on the quality of salted cod.

Gholam Reza Shaviklo, University of Iceland and Matis and Iran Fisheries Organization (Shilat), Iran -  Effects of different drying methods on lipid oxidation, sensory attributes and functional properties of saithe surimi.

Matís had 3 posters and a participant in the fourth:

'Arctic' tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) - Optimal storage and transport conditions for fillets. Emilia Martinsdóttir, Cyprian Ogombe Odoli, Hélène L. Lauzon, Kolbrún Sveinsdóttir, Hannes Magnússon, Sigurjón Arason, Ragnar Jóhannsson.

Implementation of novel technologies in field trials in the fish and poultry supply chains. Guðrún Ólafsdóttir, Victor Popov, Ian Bruce, Emilía Martinsdóttir, Idan Hammer, Sigurður Bogason, Christian Colmer, Maria Bunke, Matthias Kück.

Bioactivity of phlorotannins in brown seaweed, Fucus vesiculosus. Rósa Jónsdóttir, Tao Wang, María Jesús Gonzalez, Isabel Medina, Hörður G. Kristinsson, Guðrún Ólafsdóttir.

TasteNet, a European consumer panel in development with satellites in the Netherlands, Norway, France and Iceland Joop B. Luten, Rian Schelvis, Adriaan Kole, Mats Carlehøg, Mireille Cardinal, Jean Luc Vallet and Emilia Martinsdottir.

Master's lecture in food science at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland. Matís, meeting room on the first floor, Skúlagata 4, tomorrow, Tuesday 29 September at 16-17.

Magnea G. Karsdóttir gives a talk on his MS project.

„Application of additives in chilled and frozen white fish fillets- Effects on chemical and physicochemical properties“

Supervisor:               Sigurjón Arason, Associate Professor of Food Processing

Co-supervisor:           Guðjón Þorkelsson, Associate Professor of Food Processing

Master's Degree Committee:      Sigurjón Arason, Guðjón Þorkelsson and
                                      María Guðjónsdóttir who is an employee of Matís  

Examiner:                  Hörður G. Kristinsson, Division Manager at Matís

The project is funded by the AVS Fisheries Research Fund, the Technology Development Fund and the Nordisk InnovationsCenter.

S amantekt - MS project.
The main objective of the project was to study the admixture of excipients, in particular fish proteins, and their effect on the chemical and physical properties of chilled and frozen fish fillets. Fresh fillets of saithe and cod and lightly salted fillets of cod were sprayed with some protein mixtures and compared with untreated fillets and fillets that were spray salted (1.5% and 4%). The fillets were then stored at + 2 ° C and -24 ° C for varying lengths of time. 

The factors examined were utilization, water resistance, chemical composition and T₂ transversal relaxation hours. The addition of the proteins increased the weight gain during injection compared to salt-injected fillets, but to varying degrees depending on the type of protein. The added proteins also had a significant increase in post-storage utilization and a decrease in the amount of drip compared to untreated and spray-salted fillets.

The most influential proteins were hydrolyzed fish protein (FPH) and membranous fish protein (HFP), but they also gave relatively better overall utilization of cod fillets. Mixing with proteins and / or salt, on the other hand, had little effect on the water resistance of the fillets, but it was expected that the water resistance would be better compared to untreated fillets.

The mixture that had the most positive effect on water resistance was FPH. The addition of protein to saithe and cod fillets has, on the whole, a positive effect on improving the stability and quality of the fillets, but there is a need to develop and the best blending methods with regard to the raw material.

The cod fillets showed better results compared to the saithe fillets. The saithe fillets seem to be much more sensitive to injection and freezing than the cod fillets, but loosening is a known problem with saithe fillets. The addition of fish proteins is an option that is worth exploring further with the aim of increasing the utilization and value of seafood.

Science Week 2009 will be held on Friday 25 September at the Reykjavík Art Museum from 17 to kl. 22. Matís is a participant in the science vigil and a large number of people can be expected to visit.

The day is dedicated to European scientists and is celebrated in major European cities. The aim of Science Week and related events is to bring science closer to the public, to introduce the people behind the research and to make the public think about the importance of research and scientific work in modern society. Rannís stands for Science Week in Iceland.

The bombing gang and more show up!
Vísindavaka is full of information for people of all ages and this year there will be events in the field, such as the Bomb Gang that comes to the area, people can try to run the Science Web on a hole, the star boys invent something fun and new science shows Ara Reliable will be introduced. At Science Week, scientists from universities, institutions and companies present research projects to the public in a lively and fun way. Guests get to see and test various devices and tools used in research, view the products of projects and chat with the scientists themselves about how to work on science, research and innovation. The family is at the forefront of Science Week and there is an ideal opportunity to introduce the world of science and technology to children and adolescents, but young people are especially welcome at Science Week.

Hopefully, as many people as possible will be able to visit the Reykjavík Art Museum and chat with scientists and see what is on display at Vísindavaka. There is no entrance fee and everyone is welcome. Here an overview of the program and participants can be found.