Category: News

Crowds were at the conference Food, safety and health, a joint conference of Matís and Matvælastofnun (MAST), which took place at the Hilton Nordica Hotel today, 16 April. It is estimated that around 200 people attended the conference at its peak.

So many people attended the conference that many had to wait for a coffee break, but then seats could be added. Many good speakers gave presentations at the conference, and hopefully it will be possible to view slides from them here in the near future. In the meantime, it will suffice to publish some photos of conference guests. 

Milk and soy proteins have long been used successfully in the food industry. There is a growing market for protein, with a worldwide turnover of billions of dollars. The most common proteins used in the food industry are processed from both animal and plant kingdoms. It has long been known that quality proteins are found in fish, but for various reasons it has proved more difficult to use them as additives in food than the aforementioned proteins. Matís' new research may change that.

Soy protein is the most common plant protein today and whey protein the most common animal protein. Casein, gelatin and dried egg whites follow. Despite indications of various excellent processing properties of fish proteins, methods of isolation and purification are less advanced than for vegetable and milk proteins. The fish proteins can therefore not yet compete with the aforementioned proteins as excipients in prepared foods.

Matís research
New technology, developed by Matís, has made it possible to isolate and clean fish proteins from cuts made during traditional fillet processing. The protein can then be used to improve utilization in fillet processing and also in ready-made products such as fish balls and deep-fried fish. There is also a growing market for products processed with enzymes, microfiltration and other technologies. This market is based on various healthy properties of fish proteins and products made from them.

In 2005, the Fisheries Research Institute (IFL) founded the company Iceprótein ehf to produce and sell fish protein products for use in both traditional fish processing and health products. The project 'Fish Protein Markets'  which began that year was a joint project of IFL (now Matís) and Iceprótein ehf. The aim was to map the market and examine products with fish proteins and materials processed from them to lay the foundation for the company's strategy, structure and market connections. 

Matís' final report on the project was recently published (Matís report 07-08), which begins with a general assessment of proteins in the food market, ie. different types of proteins and their market share. Then the main products with fish proteins are explained, i.e. fishmeal, fish protein concentrate, surimi, isolati, fish digestion, fish sauce, flavors, gelatin, dietary supplements and their health-related properties.

The authors of the report say that despite indications of various excellent processing properties of fish proteins, methods of isolation and purification are less advanced than for vegetable and milk proteins. The fish proteins can therefore not yet compete with them as excipients in prepared foods.

Fish protein against obesity?
However, there is a good chance that more dietary supplements from hydrolyzed fish proteins (VFPs) can be developed, for example to reduce blood pressure or to increase the body's protection against stress. It is believed that certain protein products can even be used to control appetite in the fight against obesity. In addition, there are products on the market to lower the glycemic index.

The market for such fish protein products is not large but is expected to grow in the coming years, in addition to which there are opportunities to use traditional production methods, such as fermentation, to enhance the bioactivity properties of VFP and use them in products already known to consumers. Thus, it is very likely that low-salt fish sauces and fish flavors with specially designed bioactive properties will be available in the future. However, this is partly due to the fact that the health claims are accepted. This requires extensive and costly research that both public bodies and companies need to fund.

Food, safety and health, is the title of a joint conference organized by Matís and Matvælastofnun (MAST), which will take place at the Hilton Nordica Hotel on 16 April. why food traceability is becoming increasingly important, what local food production entails, what are the main risks associated with foodborne illness and what the new EU food legislation means for Iceland.

AGENDA:

13:00 Einar K. Guðfinnsson, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, opens the conference

13:15 Sjöfn Sigurgísladóttir, CEO of Matís. - Speech

13:25 Jón Gíslason, CEO of MAST. - Speech

First part:

13:35 Alisdair Wotherspoon, Food Standards Agency (FSA), UK. Food Safety - Global trade and new challanges in Food Safety.

14:05 Franklin Georgsson, Matís. Food diseases in Iceland - development in Iceland, main dangers and comparisons with other nations.

14:20 Jón Gíslason, MAST. Implementation of comprehensive EU food legislation - translation for Iceland and food security.

14:35 Break - presentation of stalls.

Second Part:

15:05 Rúnar Gíslason, Kokkarnir ehf. - Large kitchen - security for cooking and service at large parties.

15:20 Friðrik Valur Karlsson, Friðrik V. - Origin of raw materials in restaurants.

15:35 Guðmundur Heiðar Gunnarsson, Matís. - Local food production - opportunities and threats.

15:50 Reynir Eiríksson, Norðlenska. - Importance of traceability for food safety.

16:05 Davíð Gíslason, allergist. - Food allergies and food intolerances.

16:20 Helga Gunnlaugsdóttir, Matís. - Icelandic environment and foreign matter.

16:35 Summary and conclusion of the conference.

16:45 Reception and presentation in booths:

• Booth 1 Matfugl ehf. Presentation - quality control in chicken production, especially with regard to the safety of the production. Introduction to chicken dishes.
• Base 2 MS. Presentation - internal control system in the dairy industry and the safety of dairy products. Introduction to products.
• Booth 3 Gardeners' Sales Association. Presentation - quality and safety requirements for vegetables.
• Booth 4 Matís. Rapid measurements at Matís
• Booth 5 Matís. Matís service and safety measurements
• Booth 6 Matvælastofnun. General presentation of MAST's activities

1.4.2008

Matís' report has been published, which contains the results of the project Blue whiting as a target food which the Fisheries Research Institute (now Matís) worked on in collaboration with the University of Iceland and the University of Florida. The project, which was funded by Rannís, investigated whether quality proteins can be extracted from fish, which can be used in the same way in the food industry as milk and soy proteins.

Milk and soy proteins have wide uses in the food industry and have long been used successfully. It is known that fish contains quality proteins and it is therefore interesting to investigate whether fish proteins have comparable properties to the aforementioned proteins. The project focused on the processing of protein from blue whiting, which until now has mainly been melted in fishmeal. The purpose is to multiply the value of the underutilized products.

The aim of the project was to answer the research question: What bioactivity can be obtained from peptides extracted from blue whiting with enzymes? Bioactivity is a prerequisite for the use of blue whiting as a target food. Isolated blue whiting proteins were used as raw materials. The study showed that degraded blue whiting proteins have bioactivity. However, the sensory properties of products did not prove to be good enough and yields were low. This was especially so due to the difficulty of obtaining fresh blue whiting as a raw material.

Margrétar Geirsdóttir, an expert at Matís Biotechnology, and another author of the report says that the project has acquired a great deal of knowledge in the field of enzyme degradation and bioactivity properties of protein products and that this knowledge will be useful to Icelandic industry and scientists in future research in proteins, enzymes and bioactivity. the value of Icelandic products. She points out, among other things, that this is an international novelty, i.e. that in the project, the interaction of hydrolysis with enzymes and processing properties and bioactivity was investigated and the interaction of hydrolysis of fish proteins isolated with a new method and their bioactivity was investigated. This, has not been done before, and therefore this is an innovation, according to Margrét.

Matís report Blue whiting as a target food

On March 27 last. A co-operation agreement on the implementation of tests and safety services was signed by Matís for the Food Administration.

The main purpose of the agreement is, on the one hand, to ensure the Food Administration's access to the laboratory's security services, which will be given priority in the event of foodborne illness. On the other hand, the agreement should ensure, as far as possible, that Matvælastofnun can fulfill its legal role of supervising food or supervising other parties, in order to ensure the safety and quality of food.

Sjöfn Sigurgísladóttir, CEO of Matís, and Jón Gíslason, CEO of Matvælastofnun, signed the agreement.

Matís is currently running a preliminary project on enzyme treatment of the liver before canning in collaboration with the canning factory Ice-W ehf in Grindavík. The aim of the project is to increase the profitability of canning of liver by lowering production costs and increasing the quality of products.

This will be achieved by developing and testing technology that removes membranes and ringworms on the surface of the liver with enzymes. Preliminary results are promising.

Most people who have worked in fish processing know that fish carry parasites and the best known of these are ringworms, which is a collective name for nematodes (Nematoda) in fish. They are fishing in Icelandic waters and are a problem for the fish processing industry, because they need to be cleaned of fillets. Such fish fall in price due to defects caused by cleaning and fillet utilization decreases. Ringworms also cause damage to markets, which are less sensitive to ringworms. A few years ago, it was estimated that the cost of deworming 200,000 tonnes of cod was ISK 650 million. kr.

As previously stated, the first results of the project, which is funded by the Rannís Technology Development Fund, are promising, as the number of ringworms in the liver has been reduced by 80%, and the membrane has been significantly softened. The purpose of removing or softening the membrane surrounding the liver is to provide a better and more even dose in cans and increase utilization, as well as the resulting optimization of the processing process.

It is hoped that this method will significantly increase the efficiency of this process. An application has been made for continued funding to work further on this issue.

At a meeting in Þjóðmenningarhúsið this morning, March 14, Björgvin Sigurðsson, Minister of Commerce, opened the portal Leiðakerfi neytenda, which is a common portal for all types of consumer affairs, regardless of which party handles the matter. The portal was opened on the occasion of Saturday 15 March being International Consumer Day.

On the new web (www.neytandi.is) consumers can access information and examine their rights, receive assistance in submitting complaints and refer cases, where appropriate, to the Complaints Committees or other decision-makers - regardless of the time of day! It is worth mentioning that there is a special category on the portal dedicated to food, and Matís is somewhat relevant.

At the meeting, Einar K. Guðfinnsson, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, also spoke about the Nordic food health label, and consumer spokesman Gísli Tryggvason presented the possibility and benefits of using legal authority for magistrates to seek redress in consumer disputes with sellers of goods and services.

One of Matís' main areas of focus is dealing with issues related to public health and food security. One of Matís' four areas is dedicated food safety. The division is divided into three divisions:
Chemical research, microbiological research and finally consulting and databases.

Matís offers a variety microbial and chemical measurements for clients and own research projects.

Matís provides information on food safety on its website. The results of research projects on food safety are presented in reports and articles on the website. Recent reports on marine safety (08-07, 44-07, 52-07), Risk Assessment (17-7) and Acrylamide (01-08).

You can also search for information on nutrients and heavy metals in The ÍSGEM database on Matís' website. In risk assessment, it is necessary to have information on both nutrients and contaminants such as heavy metals and to weigh the effects of these substances.

Matís runs the website Seafoodnet in English on the safety of marine products. The website contains information on contaminants in seafood, reports, promotional material and links to information in other countries, especially the Nordic countries.

An article was recently published in the journal Food Chemistry on the results of the EU project "Fishnose". The authors of the article are Rósa Jónsdóttir, an employee of Matís, Guðrún Ólafsdóttir, Erik Chanie and John-Erik Haugen.

The Fishnose project focused on the use of an electric nose to assess the quality of smoked salmon and involved developing / adapting an electric nose from the company AlphaMOS in France to evaluate smoked salmon, ie. whether he had begun to be damaged. Sensors in the electric nose detect substances in the air, which are formed in fish during storage and cause a malodorous odor. Matís' (formerly IFL) participation in the project consisted, among other things, of defining the quality of the product in terms of chemical content and stability, where microorganisms and chemical degradation were measured. Sensory evaluation studies were performed in parallel.

It is necessary to know well the composition of volatile substances when storing salmon, but Matís (formerly IFL) has specialized in gas analysis of volatile odorants. Volatile substances are formed, among other things, by decomposition and damage to food. They cause a characteristic odor of freshness (aroma) while the raw material is being used, but later the smell of spoilage or odor during the storage period. The electronic nose can quickly detect these substances and thus evaluate the quality of the product.

The results of the project revealed that the most characteristic odor of smoked salmon is caused by the substance guaiacol from smoke as well as volatile substances that are formed during the breakdown of fat. The characteristic substances were also 3-methyl-butanal and 3-hydroxybutanone, but they cause a sweet odor and are formed due to microbial degradation during storage. Other characteristic substances such as furan substances from smoke, destructive substances (eg ethanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 2-butanone and acetic acid) and fat degradants (eg 1-penten-3-ol, hexanal, nonanal and decanal) were present in although in some quantities but did not have as great an effect on the smell. These major odorants proved to be better at explaining the quality characteristics of smoked salmon than conventional chemical and microbiological measurements, and the article in Food Chemistry discusses this.

The project was a CRAFT project run by the European Union, but it is a project that aims to encourage small companies to participate in research and development work. The Icelandic company Reykofninn participated in the Fishnose project and was responsible for providing raw materials for research and helping to define the quality of the product. Guðrún Ólafsdóttir, a former IFL employee, was the project manager in the project, but in addition to her, Rósa Jónsdóttir worked on the project.

It is worth mentioning that the presentation of the results of the project received the Göpel award at the international conference ISOEN2005 in Barcelona.

The following articles have been published from the project:

Rósa Jónsdóttir, Guðrún Ólafsdóttir, Erik Chanie, John-Erik Haugen. Volatile Compounds Suitable for Rapid Detection as Quality Indicators of Cold Smoked Salmon (Salmo salar). Food Chemistry 109 (2008) 184–195. Read the article

Haugen J., Chanie E, Westad F, Jonsdottir R, Bazzo S, Labreche S, Marcq P, Lundby F., Olafsdottir G. 2006. Rapid control of smoked Atlantic salmon quality by electronic nose: correlation with classical evaluation methods. Sensors and Actuators B, 116, 72–77.

Guðrún Ólafsdóttir, Eric Chanie, Frank Westad, Rósa Jónsdóttir, Claudia R. Thalmann, Sandrine Bazzo, Saïd Labreche, Pauline Marcq, Frank Lundby, John-Erik Haugen, 2005. Prediction of Microbial and Sensory Quality of Cold Smoked Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar ) by Electronic Nose. J Food Sci 70 (9): S563-574.

Olafsdottir G, Chanie E, Westad F, Jonsdottir R, Bazzo S, Labreche S, Marcq P, Lundby F, Haugen JE. 2005. Rapid Control of Smoked Atlantic Salmon Quality by Electronic Nose: Correlation with Classical Evaluation Methods. In: Marco S, Montoliu I, editors. Proceedings of the 11th International Symposium on Olfaction and Electronic Nose, ISOEN2005, Electronic Department, Physics Faculty, Barcelona University, Barcelona, Spain. p 110-114.

The project has also been introduced poster at conferences.

From the 17th to the 24th of August 2008, a course called Interplay of sensory evaluation, consumer and marketing factors in product development (Integrating sensory, consumer and marketing factors in product design). The course will be held in Reykjavík.

The aim is to utilize information on sensory evaluation, consumers and market factors in product development.

According to Emilía Martinsdóttir, head of the Matís Processing Department, and one of the organizers of the course, the purpose of training doctoral students is to use sensory evaluation methods and consumer surveys in product development, innovation and marketing. The task of the course will be to produce a healthier version of a product that is already on the market. A healthier product can be, for example, a product with a lower content of saturated fat or salt.

Lecturers will be international experts and every day there will be lectures with practical exercises to shed light on the subject. Emilia says that the course is
an excellent opportunity for Nordic doctoral students and other students in this field.

See the advertisement for the course in Icelandic

Course description in English

Information can also be found on the website NordForsk

The Icelandic database on the chemical content of food (ÍSGEM) is a database that stores both information on the chemical content of food on the Icelandic market and exported food and raw materials. The database is stored on Matís' website and is currently being refined.

The reason is that the database programs have become old and it is time to build a new program and reorganize the presentation of the data in accordance with international developments. This will be of great benefit to all work with the data and their utilization. Publishing the data on Matís' website will be easier than before and saves time. Users of the data will benefit from improved access to it.

On March 6-7, Anders Møller from Danish Food Information met with Matís employees to discuss improvements to the ÍSGEM database program. Anders has for many years been one of the leading experts in Europe on the development of food databases. Ívar Gunnarsson, a computer scientist at Hugsjá, took part in the meetings, but he has worked on the ÍSGEM program.

In ÍSGEM you can search for approximately 900 foods and find information on each type. It contains, for example, information on the energy value of each type of food or more specifically kilocalories, fat in food, protein, carbohydrates and added sugar. In addition, information on supplements, such as vitamins and minerals. ÍSGEM is therefore suitable for those who want to stick to it or avoid certain substances, such as the amount of salt or sugar in their food.

The database provides the public as well as the business community with information on food composition and is an essential tool for the food industry and food control, for nutrition research, teaching, catering of large kitchens and advice on a healthy diet. The data is used in programs that calculate how much people get from the various nutrients. Matís offers the Matarvefinn calculator on its website.

At Matís, measurements are made of the chemical content of food for the ÍSGEM database and data are also collected from domestic and foreign parties. ÍSGEM was a prerequisite for participation in the European Food Information Resource (EuroFIR) network of excellence on the chemical content of food and ways to disseminate the information through databases and online.

Pictured are from left: Björn Þorgilsson, Matís, Ívar Gunnarsson computer scientist, Anders Møller from Danish Food Information, Ólafur Reykdal and Cecilia Garate, from Matís.