Category: News

Aðalbjörg Birna Guttormsdóttir, master's student in environmental science at the University of Iceland will today, at 15:15 in room V-157 in VR2, defend their master's thesis in environmental and resource science. The master's thesis bears the name Life Cycle Assessment on Icelandic cod product based on two different fishing methods.

Aðalbjörg's project is carried out in collaboration with Matís, the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Iceland and the fisheries companies Vísir hf and Fisk Seafood hf. The excerpt from the dissertation states, among other things:

Life cycle analysis (LCA) enables us to get a complete picture of the life cycle of a product or service. In this MS project, 1 kg of lightly salted loose-frozen cod fillets with red and bone caught with bottom trawls on the one hand and on the line on the other are compared. Information was collected from two Icelandic fisheries companies, FISK Seafood, which owned and operated the trawler Hegranes SK and Vísi hf, which owns and operates the liner Kristín ÞH. Data were collected from the processing sites of both companies, FISK Seafood in Sauðárkrókur and Vísir hf in Þingeyri. The product was then transported from processing through transport to Seville in Spain where the product is sold. The main results are that cod caught in bottom trawls have a significantly greater environmental impact within all the environmental factors that were taken into account. The greatest environmental impact is to be found in the fisheries themselves, which is due to the vessels' use of oil. To catch 1 kg of the finished product, the fishing vessel with the bottom trawl burns 1.1 liters of oil while a liner uses 0.36 liters. There is also a significant environmental impact within the cold stores, as the processing takes place mainly due to the refrigerants used there. The transport of the product is also a major factor in the environmental impact, as the product is transported by refrigerated long distances and transported by sea in refrigerated containers to Europe with the associated environmental impact. So-called soot traces were calculated, which indicate greenhouse gas emissions converted into carbon dioxide equivalents. The footprint of 1 kg of cod caught by bottom trawl is 5.14 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent, while the footprint of the same amount of longline cod is 1.58 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent.

Matís and the research company Laxfiskar held a meeting to present the results of a joint study of the amount of mercury in trout from Þingvallavatn. 

The study was based on human nutrition and was carried out to draw a picture of the amount of mercury in Þingvallaurrið, taking into account their size and prehistory. The meeting was held on Wednesday, 27 May 2009, at 14:00 in Sjávarútvegshúsið, Skúlagata 4, on the 1st floor.

The results of the study show that mercury is measurable in Þingvellir trout. Mercury can be very toxic, especially for brain development. The maximum level of mercury in salmonids according to Icelandic and European regulations is 0.5 mg / kg. Foods that exceed the maximum levels set in Icelandic regulations may not be distributed or sold because such foods may be harmful to the health of consumers. The amount of mercury in Þingvallaurrið is in the range of 0.02 - 1.02 mg / kg. The results of the study showed that there is a strong correlation between the length of Þingvellir trout and the amount of mercury. Trout longer than 60 cm are very likely to contain mercury in quantities exceeding the permissible limits. The smaller trout is on average below the permitted limits and is therefore safe to consume. It is recommended that trout that are longer than 60 cm are not used for food but that they are released back into the water as they are important for the growth and development of the trout stock in Þingvallavatn. The results showed that the mercury pollution was found in comparable amounts in trout all over Þingvallavatn. However, evidence was found that mercury pollution may be higher in one area. It is therefore considered desirable to carry out further research to investigate possible regional differences in the concentration of mercury in the vicinity of Þingvallavatn.

Regarding the risk of consumers consuming foods with higher mercury concentrations, it is worth noting that it is especially important that individuals in certain risk groups, such as pregnant women and women who are breastfeeding, avoid such foods.

The study was funded by Orkuveita Reykjavíkur's Environment and Energy Research Fund (UOOR).

Franklín Georgsson, Helga Gunnlaugsdóttir and Hrönn Ólína Jörundsdóttir, Matís and Jóhannes Sturlaugsson, Laxfiskar.

The main problems with the use of marlin in fillets have been related to its stability and other quality factors. With improved marrow properties and stability for injection, it is a more promising option as a raw material in various products leading to its added value.  

This involves both improved utilization of by-products and improved utilization of products. When injecting into fillets, the marlin has become part of a more expensive product and the export value is therefore more compared to the export value of the marlin.

The aim of the project "Membrane blasting" was to develop a new production method for a blending mixture for injection into fish products based on leveling (membrane blasting), but the project is now complete. The process developed is successful in terms of stability, water resistance, appearance and sprayability of the mixture. The effects on micro-organisms varied according to the raw materials and processes used, but they were not noticeable in all cases. If the pressure is sufficient, however, the number of microorganisms can be reduced. The benefits of injecting fish products lie in the increased utilization and quality of injected products that can yield significant benefits at minimal cost. Injected products were more sensitive to freezing than cooling in terms of weight loss after injection. However, the risk with chilled products is always that the shelf life is reduced as microorganisms spread easily around the muscle by injection.  

The benefit of this production method is not only the increased utilization of fish products for injection. The value of the marlin also increases significantly just by becoming part of a more valuable product such as fillets or fillet pieces.

The project was funded by AVS and Tækniþróunarsjóður. Partners were Matís ohf, Síldarvinnslan hf and Iceprotein hf. 

List of project results, as well as reports, articles and manuscripts.
Process for handling marlin for injection into fillets.
Part of Magnea G. Arnþórsdóttir's master's project in Food Science at the University of Iceland.
Zhao Qiancheng's final project at the United Nations Fisheries Academy.

Reports
Zhao Qiancheng. 2009. Effects of salt and protein injection on yield and quality changes during storage of chilled and frozen saithe fillets. A report of final project submitted to the UNU-Fisheries Training Program in partialfulfillment of the requirements for the specialist line: Quality Management of Fish Handling and processing. In preparation

Kristín Anna Þórarinsdóttir, Magnea G. Arnþórsdóttir, Irek Klonowski, Arnljótur Bjarki Bergsson, Sindri Sigurðsson, Sigurjón Arason. 2009 Alignment - increased quality and improved properties of the marrow. Matís report xx-09. In preparation. 

Technical reports
1. Experimental report from pre-experiments: Pre-experiments with leveling of marrow and injection into fillets.
Experimental report in step 1: Development of processes for leveling marrow for injection.
3. Experimental report in activity 2: The effect of fish species and raw material quality on the balancing of marrow.
4. Experimental report in sections 2 (and 3): Experiments with injection of marrow mixtures (I).
5. Experimental report in step 3: Experiments with injection of mortar (II).
6. Experimental report in work step 3: Experiments with injection of marrow mixtures (III).
7. Summary in section 4: Patent patentability process for balancing marrow.

An article was recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Food Chemistry on the antioxidant activity of Icelandic seaweed (Tao Wang, Rósa Jónsdóttir, Guðrún Ólafsdóttir. 2009. Total phenolic compounds, radical scavenging and metal chelation of extracts from Icelandic seaweeds. Food chemistry, 116, 240-248).

These are results from the project Gold in Aegir's fists (Novel antioxidants from Icelandic marine sources) sponsored by the AVS fund.

Algae contain polyphenols that have high bioactivity, including antioxidant activity. Two years ago, many algae species were collected, the total amount of polyphenols was determined, and their antioxidant activity was assessed by several antioxidant assays. The brown algae, seaweed, seaweed, seaweed, seaweed, seaweed and algae were collected, as well as salsa and seaweed, which are red algae, and marijuana, which is green algae. It was found that the highest levels of polyphenols were found in the brown algae, especially in the seaweed, and there was a strong correlation between the levels of polyphenols and the antioxidant activity of the algae. Preliminary evidence also shows that seaweed has an antihypertensive effect (ACE inhibitory activity), but this needs to be examined further.

Based on these results, it was decided to collect more seaweed and saliva and research further. The next article from the project is ready for publication, but it only deals with salts and the isolation of anti-corrosion substances from them.

For further information Rósa Jónsdóttir, rosa.jonsdottir@matis.is

The master's degree defense in food science at the University of Iceland will be held on Tuesday 26 May 2009 at Matís' premises at Skúlagata 4 and starts at 15.00. Guðjón Þorkelsson will present and direct the defense.

Master's student Cyprian Ogombe Odoli from Kenya, a former student at the United Nations Fisheries Academy (UNU), has now completed his project in this field.

Supervisors were: Sigurjón Arason and Emilía Martinsdóttir

The Arctic Tilapia project that has been worked on at Matís is funded by the Technology Development Fund and the goal of the project is to develop products that make tilapia whitefish fish in a closed farm that uses cooling water from a large steam power plant economically in Iceland. Ragnar Jóhannsson division manager at Matís ohf. runs the company Arctic Tilapia together with others and their goal is to grow tilapia fish in Iceland. In order for this to happen, product marketing channels must be in place and secure. It is not possible to compete in frozen fish markets because competition from East Asia is too fierce. A prerequisite for cost-effectiveness is to sell the fish in valuable markets in Europe, such as the market for fresh fillets, but in order to do so, the fillets must be transported by sea and certain associated freshness problems must be solved. The future vision is that low heat from the steam power plants can be used to produce large quantities of fillets for valuable markets. 

Master's graduate student Ofred, JM Mhongole from Tanzania, a former student at the United Nations University of Fisheries (UNU) has now completed his master's project and will defend his dissertation at 14 on Tuesday 26 May at Skúlagata 4.

Guðjón Þorkelsson from Matís will present and manage the defense.

Ofred's Master's student, JM Mhongole from Tanzania, a former student at the United Nations Fisheries University (UNU), has now completed his project in this field.

Supervisor was: Franklin Georgsson

The project “Microbiology and Spoilage Trail in Nile perch ( Lates niloticus) "Lake Victoria, Tanzania" was worked on at the Fisheries Inspectorate's laboratory in Tanzania and at Matís. The project was funded by the United Nations Fisheries University (UNU) and by the National Fish Quality Control Laboratory (NFQCL) -Nyegezi "in Tanzania.

The main objectives of the project were to study the natural microflora of Nile perch and the shelf life of raw fish and processed fish fillets under ideal laboratory conditions and under normal processing conditions in four fish processing companies on Lake Victoria in Tanzania.

Nile perch is a very important commercial fish for the countries that have fishing rights in Lake Victoria and is important for the export income of these countries. The fish is mostly exported in fresh or frozen fillets. Most exports are to EU countries and fresh fillets are exported by air. As limited studies have been performed on the microbial condition and shelf life of Nile perch, the aim of the study was to obtain basic information on the microbiological factors that most affect the shelf life. Specific culture methods were used to investigate which microbial groups had the greatest effect on the spoilage process, in addition to which certain chemical measurements and sensory assessments were used to assess the freshness of the product. The results can then be important in evaluating the success of new processing and transport methods in the production and distribution of Nile perch.

Matís runs courses all over the country for restaurant staff and hotel and tourism operators who handle food.

The purpose of the courses is to prepare restaurant staff for the upcoming tourist season by reviewing the main issues regarding food handling and food safety. The course covers the main pathogens found in food and the food environment and how they can be prevented and multiplied. In addition, the requirements regarding internal control and how internal control can be set up and activated in restaurants and at hotel and tourism providers that handle food.

Further information can be found here (click to see more - pdf file).

Other courses on the agenda at Matís:

General course for employees in fish processing and Internal control in fish processing.

• General course for fish processing workers (click to see more - pdf file).
• Internal control in fish processing (click to see more - pdf file).

Clicked here for further information about these courses and others offered by Matís.

For further information Margeir Gissurarson, margeir.gissurarson@matis.is.

This week, Dr. Terence O´Carroll and Dr. Cyr Couturier visited Iceland and, among other things, traveled with Matís people and got to know shellfish farming in Iceland. In addition, they visit the University of Akureyri today.

These people took part in the conference "Innovation in the Nordic Marine Sector" which was held by the Nordic Council of Ministers on 12 May in Reykjavík. Subsequently, they will have a meeting with representatives from the University and companies in the area today, Wednesday 13 May. 

Dr. Terence O´Carroll offers a lecture on shellfish farming, but Dr. O´Carroll is the Director of Technology at the Irish Sea Fisheries Board and has held that position for the last 20 years. Further information about Dr. O´Carroll follow below.

Dr. Cyr Couturier is the chairman of the Canadian Aquaculture Programs and teaches and conducts research at the Memorial University Fisheries Institute in Newfoundland. Dr. Couturier will stay in Akureyri for a few days and will hold a course for representatives of companies in shellfish farming and a meeting with experts from the University and collaborating institutions on research and research collaboration in this field.

Dr. Terence O ';;; Carroll has been with An Bord Iascaigh Mhara for 20 years. On starting with BIM (Bord Iascaigh Mhara - Irish Sea Fisheries Board) he worked with both the fishing and aquaculture sectors but with the restructuring of BIM in 1989 he transferred to the newly formed Aquaculture Technical Section of which he is in charge. The section deals with all aspects of finfish, shellfish and seaweed culture and is involved in developing and introducing new technology for the industry as well as helping the industry with various problems that arise. Recent and ongoing projects for the section have included carrying capacity and water quality modeling (UISCE), surveying for seed mussels, developing improved methods for shellfish culture (including offshore trials), commercializing new species such as perch, abalone and urchins.

HG has in collaboration with Matís ohf. worked on the development of processing processes for farmed cod. Products are considered to be fully comparable to wild cod products. 

The main difference in the production of these products lies in the fact that the farmed cod must be processed before death. Otherwise, the release will be so great that the products will fall into the lowest price category (block). Conventional salting processes cannot be used in the processing of farmed cod as the death stiffness counteracts the uptake of brine. The project worked on the development of new salting processes that took into account the different characteristics of farmed cod compared to wild cod. 

The project "Processing and quality control of farmed cod" (AVS R26-06) which was carried out in collaboration between HG and Matís has been completed. The main results of the project have been summarized in the Matís report and its summary is as follows:

Ways were sought to develop and adapt traditional methods for the production of fresh, frozen and lightly salted products so that they were used in the processing of farmed fish. The aim of the project was for products from farmed cod to provide valuable and varied products that met the quality requirements of the market for cod products. One of the main conclusions of the project was that the processing of farmed cod must take place before the death solidification begins. Otherwise, there is a risk that release will take place and products made from farmed cod will fall in price, and even if they are released so much that products end up in the lowest price category. It has been possible to produce chilled and loose-frozen products from farmed cod that are of a comparable quality to products made from wild cod. Properties are not the same, however, it is reflected in the taste and texture properties. Wild cod is coarser and often juicier, but farmed cod has a more meaty and stuttering texture and is sweeter in taste. The main reason for this difference is the dry matter content of farmed cod, which is 2-4% percentage points higher than in wild cod, and its water resistance is poorer.

Processing for death solidification means that traditional salting processes for farmed fish cannot be used. In light salting, methods such as spraying and prolonging the pickling time can be used to reduce the negative effects of lethal stiffness on salt uptake in conventional procedures. Salting and temperature conditions need to be very well controlled to minimize the risk of microbial growth as very low salt concentrations are used in the production of lightly salted (2% salt content) products.

On Monday 18 May, Matís' employee, Hrönn Ólína Jörundsdóttir, will give a lecture on pollutants in the Icelandic ecosystem. The lecture will be held at Matís' premises at Borgartún 21, 2nd floor and starts at 11:30. Everyone is welcome as long as accommodation allows.

Hrönn Ólína Jörundsdóttir defended her doctoral dissertation "Temporal and spatial trends of organohalogens in guillemot (Uria algae) in North Western Europe" on February 6, 2009 at the Department of Environmental Chemistry at the University of Stockholm.

The dissertation deals extensively with persistent organic pollutants in the Nordic countries, such as PCBs and the insecticide DDT, as well as their metabolites, which were mainly measured in long-range eggs. The substances were measured in eggs from Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Norway and Sweden to obtain a geographical comparison.

The results show that the North Atlantic ecosystem is less polluted than the Baltic ecosystem, but various pollutants were found to be in similar concentrations in these areas and it is necessary to investigate further why this is the case. Fluorinated alkanes, which come from outdoor clothing, have recently been found in significant amounts in nature, measured in long-tailed eggs from Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Norway and Sweden and were in some cases in higher concentrations in eggs from the North Atlantic than in the Baltic Sea. Brominated fire retardants, which are used in electronics, among other things, were measurable everywhere and it seems that it is possible to identify the different origins of the substances that reach the North Atlantic, on the one hand from North America and on the other from Europe.

A comparison was also made of the amount of pollutants in seven Icelandic bird species, i.e. heron, eider, osprey, elephant, herring gull, black-backed gull and skimmer. The foam was found to have a significant high concentration of pollutants, including PCB compounds and the insecticide DDT, and it is important to study the health condition of the foam.

It is clear that part of the pollution measured in the Icelandic ecosystem travels through ocean and air currents to Iceland, but on the other hand a significant part is due to Icelanders' use of goods that contain various pollutants.

For further information, please contact Hrönn, hronn.o.jorundsdottir@matis.is.