Category: News

The market for health and target foods of various kinds has grown a lot in recent years, and in the marketing of such a product, various claims have sometimes been made that do not stand up to closer scrutiny. A recent report from Matís contains a detailed summary of various categories of health food, as well as definitions and regulations, the content and function of popular health products and permitted health claims. The main author of the report is Sigrún Mjöll Halldórsdóttir, but the summary is part of her master's project at the Department of Food Science at the University of Iceland, which she is working on at Matís.

In the report entitled HEALTH DIET: A summary of the main categories of health foods and scientific evidence of their effectiveness, states, among other things, that the concept of functional food first appeared in Japan in the seventies of the 20th century after the authorities there wanted to improve public health. Targeted foods have been defined as "foods that have in common that they have been modified for the purpose of having a more positive health effect on the consumer than food unchanged."

When placing health products on the market, many things need to be considered, such as regulations and health statements. Among the things to look at are the questions: When did food become a medicine? How can the consumer be sure of the functionality and excellence of a product? The origins of the summary can be traced to these and other questions that are useful to get answers to.

Sigrún, together with two business students, took part in the Innovit entrepreneurship competition earlier this year and they reached the eight-team finals with a business plan for a product line that contains bioactive peptides (the source of fish muscle proteins produced in Iceprotein). They named the "company" Heilsufæði ehf. and the first product Græðir, which is a health drink with a blood pressure lowering effect. 

According to Sigrún, there is a lot of interest in "bioactive peptides" in the health product market in the world today and research has shown that they have very broad health effects such as blood pressure and cholesterol lowering effects, they are immunosuppressive and counteract overweight and diabetes. Studies have also shown that bioactive peptides derived from fish are stronger and more active than other sources such as milk and soy.

Matís owns and operates the protein processing company Iceprótein ehf in Sauðárkrókur, which develops, produces and will sell wet protein for the fishing industry in Iceland and dried protein for the health and food supplement market. Sigrún says that her master's project is largely about finding new ways to utilize the fish protein that Iceprotein processes, in the greatest possible value.
Among other things, the aim is to produce bioactive peptides with enzyme technology from a material derived from Iceprotein in such a way that they are suitable as additives in health foods. According to Sigrún, the future dream is to work on a foundation in, for example, a health drink, mix these bioactive peptides and put them on the market. Also create all kinds of other health foods that contain these peptides - a kind of product line.

Read the report

A report has been published from Matís ohf. which is called Undesirable substances in seafood products - results from the monitoring activities in 2006. The report shows the results of measurements of the amount of toxic pollutants in Icelandic seafood in 2006 and is part of a continuous monitoring project funded by the Ministry of Fisheries and has been ongoing since 2003. As in previous years of monitoring, the results of 2006 show that an edible part of fish caught in Icelandic waters contains very small amounts of organic pollutants such as dioxins, dioxin-like PCBs and pesticides (insecticides and plant toxins), compared to the maximums recognized by European countries.

The data collected year after year in this project is used to build an increasingly accurate database on the state of Icelandic marine products with regard to pollutants. The report is in English and is accessible on Matís' website so that it can be used by producers, exporters, the government and others to promote the safety and wholesomeness of Icelandic fish products.

This report contains a more detailed assessment of heavy metals and a number of other inorganic trace elements in edible parts of fish than has previously been done in Iceland, but Matís has developed more advanced equipment for such measurements than before. With this equipment, so-called ICP-MS, it is possible in a relatively simple way to detect a large number of inorganic trace elements with greater accuracy than before. The results of heavy metal measurements show that the edible part of the fish was always far below the EU maximum permitted levels for lead, mercury and cadmium. The results of measurements of the inorganic substances classified as essential trace elements in human food will be used in Matís 'nutrient database, ISGEM, which is accessible on Matís' website, but also to assess the value of fish products as a source of such substances in Icelandic food. As in previous years of monitoring, the results for 2006 show that the edible part of fish caught in Icelandic waters contains very small amounts of organic pollutants such as dioxins, dioxin-like PCBs and pesticides (insecticides and plant toxins), compared to the limits set by European countries.

The results of measurements of fishmeal and fish oil for feed preparation confirm the need to closely monitor the levels of persistent organic pollutants such as dioxins, PCBs and pesticides in these products in the spring. The concentration of the substances depends on the nutritional status of the pelagic fish stocks from which the products are processed and reaches its peak during the spawning season. The levels of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs as well as individual pesticides stop exceeding the EU's permitted levels. This is especially true of blue whiting products from the west and north of Scotland.

The author of the report is Ásta Margrét Ásmundsdóttir, project manager.

Read the report

Matís' Department of Biotechnology is currently working on a project aimed at developing and researching various new protease mixtures from cod fillets for the purpose of using the mixtures for the production of hydrolysates (degraded proteins) and peptides from fish with very high antioxidant activity. Preliminary studies have shown that codfish enzyme mixtures can produce peptides with very high antioxidant activity, much higher than peptides obtained from the degradation of other common enzyme mixtures that have been investigated.

By adjusting the concentration and activity of key enzymes in the slag-derived protease mixture, the goal is to be able to control the production of hydrolysates and peptides to produce natural products with very high specific antioxidant activity. These products would be made from protein isolates isolated from unused raw materials (ridges).

The vision is that by the end of this project, large-scale production will begin and sales of various individual industrial enzyme mixtures made from cod liver that would be specifically marketed for the production of bioactive peptides. It is also expected that companies in protein processing in this country will use these unique enzymes for the production of natural antioxidants both for use in food but also market them as healthy food supplements with scientifically proven activity.

Matís - Prokaria's partners in the study are Norðurbragð hf., MPF Ísland, Iceprotein, University of Florida and the director of the study is dr. Hörður G. Kristinsson, Head of the Biochemistry Department at Matís Biotechnology - Prokaria.

Matís is a participant in the project "Production of farmed animals for cod farming" which has now started and whose aim is to promote the safe, stable and cost-effective production of food animals for cod farming. The goal of the project is also to strengthen cooperation between cod fry producers in the Nordic countries.

The aim of this project is, as stated above, the development of a production system that promotes safe, stable and efficient production of food animals for cod in farming. Instructions for production and feeding will be compiled that will deliver high-quality rodents in terms of the combination of nutrients and microbial flora. Sintef has developed a recycling system for the production of wheeled animals and the project will continue to be based on that system (Aquatic Ecosystem Recycling Plant). It is hoped that the project will strengthen co-operation between cod juvenile producers in the Nordic countries in the short and long term, but in addition to Matís, the project SINTEF (Norway), Fiskaaling
(Faroe Islands), IceCod (Iceland), Stofnfiskur (Iceland) and Nordland Marin Yngel (Norway).

The project group includes Rannveig Björnsdóttir, Jónína Jóhannsdóttir and Eydís Elva Þórarinsdóttir. Project manager is Gunvor Öie at SINTEF.

For further information, contact Rannveig Björnsdóttir, Department Manager at Matís, tel. 422 5108.

Matís ohf received an announcement yesterday from its webmaster, Hugsmiðjan hf., That unscrupulous foreign parties had broken into the company's website. The purpose was to use the webmail server to send questionable messages to unsuspecting recipients. It is not known how many messages were sent in this way in the name of Matís, nor whether the recipients are in Iceland or abroad. Hugsmiðjan, however, quickly managed to block this illegal activity and immediately switched off the Matísvefs mail server.

On this occasion, Matís would like to apologize if any of the company's customers in Iceland have received unwelcome e-mails where the sender is registered at matis@matis.is, even with messy content. Matís regrets this but also hopes that the person in question has realized what was going on, as the content of the shipments is far from everything that Matís stands for.

Measures have been taken in collaboration with Hugsmiðjan to prevent this from happening again, and Matís would like to thank its responsive web hosting company for their quick handling.

Farming equipment, especially sea cages, has suffered extensive damage due to difficult environmental conditions in Iceland. In this light, the NORÐURKVÍ project is launched with the aim of designing and constructing sea docks that meet the strictest requirements for strength and durability for Icelandic conditions.

The project, which is carried out in collaboration with the Westfjords Nature Center, SINTEF Fisheries and Aquaculture, the Marine Research Institute, the Icelandic Meteorological Office and Hraðfrystihúsið Gunnvöra, will be guided by the following issues:

1. Data on special Icelandic environmental conditions will be compiled
   which must be taken into account when designing sea cages for Icelandic conditions.
2. Examine whether dock solutions currently on the market are suitable for environmental conditions in Iceland.
3. Develop, if necessary, existing dock solutions to the current situation.
4. Test the solutions found in the project under real conditions in Iceland with regard to their impact on the fish that are farmed in them and how they are suitable as a workplace.

This is an ongoing study that will yield results that will be useful to all parties involved in seaweed farming in Iceland.

Project manager is Jón Árnason.

On the 24th of June announced Rannís (Icelandic Research Center) about the ten ideas that will receive funding from the marketing plan for centers of excellence and research clusters to submit a complete application next October, and Matís ohf. participating in five of them.

The five ideas in question are as follows:

#5 Research Center for Vitamins

#7 Climate change and its impact on nature and society

#21 Nutrition in innovation

#29 Bioactive substances from the uterus and uterus

#73 Center of Excellence in Aquaculture 2009-2015 - sustainable utilization of land and sea resources

The marketing plan was announced last April and ideas were asked for centers of excellence and research clusters in the areas discussed in a resolution of the Science and Technology Policy Council from December 2007. A total of 82 ideas were received.

A working group under the auspices of the Science and Technology Policy Council selected ten ideas and took into account the council's policy and the criteria mentioned in the description of the marketing plan. The final result was approved at a meeting of the Science Committee and the Technical Committee on 24 June.

As stated in the description of the marketing plan, one of its main goals is to strengthen links between universities, institutions, companies and the government in the relevant field, domestically and abroad.

In total, Matís ohf. participated in 16 of the 82 ideas received by Rannís this spring, or 20%. Now that Matís is participating in five of the ten ideas that are progressing, the ratio has risen to 50%.

The fast food restaurant Kokkur in Höfn in Hornafjörður has started selling lobster soup through a carport. This is a gourmet lobster soup made from local ingredients. The Chef's Lobster Soup is the result of a collaboration with Matís, and the Chef has, among other things, been assisted by food designers and food scientists who work on behalf of Matís to make the idea of selling lobster soup through a car hatch a reality.

Experience
It is undeniably a special and powerful experience to buy such an impressive product as a gourmet lobster soup in a carport at a fast food place. To add to the excitement, the soup is served in a beautiful recyclable packaging and comes with a napkin that refers to the only true red checkered picnic tablecloth. A wooden spear with freshly grilled lobster is included with the soup.

Premium ingredients
The Lobster Soup brand is a coat of arms, which refers to the quality of the product and the fact that it is from the lobster capital of Iceland. The soup contains only premium ingredients, but the base is of course horned lobster.
Slow cooking - The key to making lobster soup is nutrition. No less than a full working day goes into the lobster soup making where the only true lobster flavor is conjured up with a right boil for a long time under the strict supervision of skilled chefs.

 
Food culture
The Chef's Lobster Soup is a unique high-quality fast food that has a strong reference to its origins and environment, but is at the same time an international delicacy. The product seeks to promote the strong lobster tradition of the area. In this way, you can experience a gourmet soup that would be worthy of any restaurant, in a quick, cheap and innovative way.

The collaboration between Matís and the Chef
The Chef's Lobster Soup is the result of a collaboration with Matís, which sells comprehensive consulting and access to product development facilities to transform ideas into quality food. The chef has, among other things, been assisted by food designers and food scientists working for Matís to make the idea of selling lobster soup through a car hatch a reality. 

 
History of the Chef
The brothers Jón Sölvi and Valgeir, opened the fast food restaurant Kokkur in style in November 2007, where all products are processed through a car hatch. It can be said that the term "fast food" has taken on a new and inspired meaning, but Jón Sölvi is an experienced artisan chef who had until then worked at the finest restaurants in the country. Opening a small place like Kokkur perfectly describes Jón's mentality. It is not the size but the quality and originality that matters in his mind.

The picture shows Guðumundur H. Gunnarsson, Matís á Höfn department head, getting lobster soup "straight in the car."

For more information about the project, please contact:
Valgeir Ólafsson (Second owner of the Chef): 899-4430, valgeir@ogsvo.is
Brynhildur Pálsdóttir (food designer): 849-9764, brynhildur.palsdottir@matis.is
Guðmundur Gunnarsson (department manager at Matís): 858-5046, ghg@matis.is

Matís Ohf and Veiðimálastofnun signed a framework agreement yesterday, Thursday 3 July, on strengthening co-operation between the companies. Einar K. Guðfinnsson, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, confirmed the agreement on that occasion. The signing took place in the premises of Matís-Prokaria, Matís' biotechnology department, at Gylfaflöt 5 in Grafarvogur. The collaboration between Matís and Veiðimálastofnun will be mainly in the field of genetic research and aquaculture.

Matís – Prokaria showed on the same occasion a new sequencing machine, but the device can sequence large amounts of genetic material, for example for stem genetic analysis and in the search for interesting genes for new enzymes that can be used in the pharmaceutical, food and energy industries.

The collaboration has already begun and an extensive study is underway on the stock variability of Icelandic salmon and their movements in the sea around Iceland. This is part of an international research project on Atlantic salmon. Preliminary results indicate a large variability in salmon stocks in the rivers around the country. The goal of scientists is to be able to answer various questions by being able to trace the origin of salmon in the Atlantic Ocean to the year of origin or river system. This is a very ambitious goal as each country needs to do a lot of work both in sample collection and genetic analysis. Icelanders seem to have come a long way with work in this field and the aim is now to take the next step in the research related to sea salmon. The aim is to co-operate with the fishing fleet to collect samples from salmon that enter the vessels' fishing catch.

Most stocks of Atlantic salmon have declined sharply and are widely on the endangered species list. Very little is known about salmon seafaring and research has been based on traditional markings and research on ships at sea. In addition, research with electronic signals has recently begun in Iceland. This research that is currently being presented provides a stronger foundation for people's knowledge in this field. The collaboration between the companies will increase knowledge of the genetics and ecology of salmonids. This knowledge is then used in further research on the utilization and protection of the institutions for the benefit of the country and the nation.

Veiðimálastofnun has conducted stock genetic research on freshwater fish and Matís has conducted research and utilization of nature's genetic resources and has built up extensive knowledge and skills in genetic analysis of all kinds of organisms from the environment. Veiðimálastofnun and Matís will work closely together on research. These studies cover basic and practical research in natural and genetic sciences with a special emphasis on the stock genetics of salmon, trout and char. Such research is useful in fisheries management and in the development of fish farming and aquaculture.

Matís ohf is a public limited company owned by the state, which aims to strengthen international competitiveness and the development of Icelandic food production, promote the hygiene and safety of food and support the scientific activities of university institutions, innovation and start-ups, as well as fulfilling social obligations to individual industries.
 
Veiðimálastofnun is a research and service institution. The role of the Directorate of Fisheries is to study ecosystems in rivers and lakes, study fish stocks in freshwater, provide advice on fishing utilization and on the ecosystem and environment of rivers and lakes, for example in connection with construction, and maintain a database on natural habitats in freshwater.

The photo was taken at the signing of the contract.

Matís ohf's Chemistry Research Department offers interested students in chemistry or biochemistry a scholarship for a master's degree (MSc) in the field of trace chemical analysis
The title of the project is Analysis of toxic and non-hazardous chemical forms of arsenic in fishmeal by HPLC-ICP-MS

A brief description of the project
There is a lot of arsenic in the ecosystem in organic compounds as well as in inorganic form and more than 50 natural chemical forms of arsenic have been found. Seafood naturally contains a high concentration of the total arsenic compared to, for example, agricultural products. Most arsenic in seafood, on the other hand, is bound in an organic form called arsenobetanide, which is completely safe for humans and animals. As in agricultural products, other forms of arsenic are found in marine products, such as inorganic arsenic (arsenite and arsenate), methylene-arsenic compounds (mono, di, tri and tetra), which are highly toxic and thus dangerous to human health.

The morphology of arsenic in seafood is important because the bioavailability and toxicity of arsenic are highly dependent on its chemical form. Nevertheless, current regulations on the content limits of arsenic in food and feed only take into account the total arsenic in food / feed components and do not take into account the toxic chemical form of arsenic. Research into the chemical forms of arsenic and the transformations of these substances is important for understanding the danger to us posed by arsenic in seafood.

Objectives
The aim of this research project is to develop chemical analysis methods that can detect both toxic and harmless chemical forms of arsenic in fishmeal and not just the total amount of arsenic as is done today. HPLC-ICP-MS chemical analysis equipment will be used to analyze new and known arsenic forms in fishmeal.

This project recently received a grant from the AVS research fund and will be carried out in collaboration with Síldarvinnslan hf. and Vinnslustöðin hf, in addition to which other fishmeal producers are involved in the project.

Location
Matís & HÍ. There is also a possibility that part of the study will take place at foreign universities and research institutes with which Matís collaborates.

Matís' supervisor is Dr. Sasan Rabieh, who is an expert in this field and leads the development of this new research area at Matís. This structure includes support for students for master's studies in this field. Possibility is
Part of the study should take place at foreign universities and research institutes.

Contact
Interested parties are advised to contact us at 422 5112, sasan@matis.is or helgag@matis.is