News

Lecture on a new Nordic cuisine

Food in the Nordic countries is considered to have special properties that improve people's health. The main characteristics of Nordic ingredients are considered to be purity, taste and hygiene. Mads Holm, the head chef of the Nordic House, will give a talk on 25 August on how he intends to work with the ideas and principles of the new Nordic cuisine.

The Nordic Council of Ministers' co-operation program, "New Nordic Food and Cuisine", aims to explain the potential for value creation in Nordic food production and food culture. The aim is also to strengthen the countries' co-operation in the field of food production and link it to projects in the fields of tourism, health services, regional development and trade.

Mads Holm will give a talk at the Nordic House on 25 August at 3 pm.

News

Health claims: Reduce answers submitted

The answers submitted have now been reduced due to a survey on health claims on food. You can view the winning numbers here.

Winning number

  • 1531 - 30,000 kr. from Mjólkursamsälan
  • 516 - 15,000 kr. from Mjólkursamsälan
  • 551 - Cheese basket from Mjólkursamsälan
  • 1183 - Cheese basket from Mjólkursamsälan
  • 2193 - Cheese basket from Mjólkursamsälan
  • 419 - Crystal from Ölgerðin Egil Skallagrímsson
  • 2205 - Crystal from Ölgerðin Egil Skallagrímsson
  • 2475 - Health basket from Lýsir
  • 90 - Gift certificate from Myllan

Gunnþórunn Einarsdóttir and Emilía Martinsdóttir provide further information about the prizes by calling 422 5000.

More about health claims.


Matís would like to thank the participants for their participation.

News

New Nordic food: what is it?

There is an increasing demand for foods that have special purity and properties that are believed to improve people's health. The Nordic countries have a strong position in this regard in an international context, and this unique position can be used to create business opportunities. In particular, it is believed that local governments that are suffering from economic hardship can take advantage of this strength to their advantage.

The Nordic Council of Ministers' co-operation program, "New Nordic Food and Cuisine", aims to explain the potential for value creation in Nordic food production and food culture. The aim is also to strengthen the countries' co-operation in the field of food production and link it to projects in the fields of tourism, health services, regional development and trade.

The main characteristics of Nordic ingredients: Purity, taste and hygiene

The co-operation program for "new Nordic food and cuisine" is due to the fact that within Europe there is an increasing emphasis on local food specialties and an increasing number of people who are interested in getting to know and experience food related to specific areas. Although the Nordic countries have different criteria for food production in various ways, Nordic chefs have increasingly highlighted the characteristics of the countries as a whole. The main characteristics of Nordic ingredients are considered to be purity, taste and hygiene.

Create a more positive attitude towards your own food culture

A special steering group was set up to work on the plan. Iceland is represented by Emilía Martinsdóttir from Matís and Laufey Haraldsdóttir from the Department of Tourism at Hólar University. In each country, "ambassadors" have also been nominated with the task of disseminating knowledge and raising awareness of Nordic cuisine. The ambassadors work on presentations of Nordic cuisine and culture. The Icelandic ambassadors are Sigurður Hall and Baldvin Jónsson.

Among the tasks of the steering group is to define the meaning of the term "New Nordic food and cuisine". We need to take into account the different food traditions within the Nordic countries and create a more positive attitude among Nordic people towards their own food culture. Innovation in Nordic food production will be encouraged and local raw material use and food production will be supported.

NEW NORWEGIAN FOOD IN BRIEF

  • There is an increasing demand for foods that have special purity and properties that are believed to improve people's health. The Nordic countries are unique in this respect.
  • "New Nordic food and cuisine" is intended to explain the potential for value creation in Nordic food production and food culture.
  • There is a growing emphasis on local food specialties in Europe.
  • An increasing number of people who are interested in getting to know and experience food related to specific areas.
  • Nordic chefs have increasingly highlighted aspects of Nordic cuisine as a whole.
  • The main characteristics of Nordic ingredients are considered to be purity, taste and hygiene.
  • A special steering group encourages innovation in Nordic food production and supports local raw material use and food production.

News

Advertised for a biologist with advanced education

Matís (Matvælarannsóknir Íslands) advertises for a biologist with a further education. The field of work consists of priority and safety services in microbial research and participation in scientific research related to food and the environment.

Eligibility requirements: A university degree in biology or related subjects is a prerequisite. It is desirable that the person in question has a master's or doctoral degree and has experience in microbial and molecular biology research.

ADVERTISEMENTBiologist with advanced training in microbiological research in August 2007.

News

Matís is looking for a project manager

Matís (Matvælarannsóknir Íslands) is looking for a manpower in the project manager position in Reykjavík. The field of work includes the supervision and operation of a project management system; operations, contracts, performance and human resources.

We are looking for an individual who has a degree in science (food science, biology or engineering). Further education or experience in project management is a prerequisite.

See the job advertisement in its entirety here.

News

How much fat is there in lamb muscle? Information on 900 foods

Did you know that there is only 0.6% fat in haddock, 6% fat in lamb muscle and 30% fat in sausage. There are over 400 calories (kcal) of carbohydrates and alcohol per liter of beer. This information and much more can be found in the ÍSGEM database on the chemical content of food. It contains information on 900 foods.

Among other things, you can get information on proteins, fats, carbohydrates, water, energy, vitamins, minerals and undesirable substances such as mercury, lead, cadmium and arsenic that can be found in foods. For example, you can look for how much protein is in the skyr, which is about 11%. In comparison, there is 3% protein in fresh milk, but there is about 70% protein in dried fish.

You can view the ÍSGEM database here.

News

Utilization of fillets varies by fishing area

The utilization of fillets from cod caught in the Southeast is better than from cod caught from the North. Fillet utilization is also better in the period June to August compared to other quarters, according to a study by Matís (Matvælarannsóknir Íslands) entitled Effect prediction-link between raw material quality in the processing and utilization of cod products.

RF-40848

The study, a joint project of Matís and Fisk Seafood, finds results in how cod caught in different fishing areas and at different times of the year is used as a raw material in the processing and processing of lightly salted cod products, but this product has enjoyed growing popularity. in markets in southern Europe in recent years. The study examined factors such as the age of the raw material from fishing, release, bruising, carcasses and more, which may be related to seasonal fluctuations in the condition of the raw material and fishing areas, as well as fishing methods and handling of catch from fishing to processing.

"There were indications of different characteristics of cod in different fishing areas and seasons. The main results were that fishing areas out of the Southeast gave significantly better fillet utilization in cod than fishing areas out of the North, in addition to which fillet utilization was better in the period June-August, compared to other quarters, "says Sigurjón Arason, an expert at Matís.

He says that when the cod was divided into three weight categories, it was found that the lightest category (1.4-2.1 kg) had a greater weight gain due to the action of lightly salted products than the heavier categories. "This indicates that the heavier cod needs more time to pickle than the lighter cod. Water resistance was noticeably lower in fishing areas out of the North and Northeast than in other fishing grounds. "

The project was funded by AVS Fisheries Research Fund.

News

The Hilton hotel chain chooses Icelandic lobster

This summer, the Hilton hotel chain bought live lobster, which has been stored at a lobster hotel in Höfn, of which Matís (Matvælarannsóknir Íslands) is a member. Lobsters from Hornafjörður have been well received in foreign markets since experiments with exports began this spring.

Shrimps_at_market_in_Valencia

In fact, this is a special research and marketing project in Höfn, where in fact there are fishing methods, processing and transport of live lobsters abroad. In addition to Matís, the Entrepreneurship Center of East Iceland, Skinney Þinganes, the Marine Research Institute and Promens in Dalvík are involved in the project; work together to run the lobster hotel in Hornafjörður. Up to one ton of live lobster can be stored at the lobster hotel.

News

Microwave oven with controls and crystal sensors

Matís uses various equipment and tools to work on research and development projects, such as a single microwave oven that the company has had significantly modified for product development. The equipment is used to check the heating or boiling of food.

This is very valuable equipment because major changes have been made to the microwave oven. Matís researchers use thermometers, so-called crystal sensors, which are connected to the food and are inside the oven.

Microwave

This way you can measure the condition of the food. Control equipment has also been added to make the best use of the microwave in research.

News

Two articles from Matís are published in scientific journals

Recently, two articles by Matís staff appeared in prestigious foreign scientific journals. On the one hand, there is an article on the subcooling of char and on the other hand, there is an article on the shelf life and stability of fish powder.

An article published in the 3rd issue of the International Journal of Food Engineering 2007 discusses the shelf life of char stored in different conditions and emphasizes overcooling. The article is entitled Effects of Dry Ice and Superchilling on Quality and Shelf Life of Arctic Charr (Salvelinus alpinus) Fillets. The main author of the article is Huynh Nguyen Duy Bao from Vietnam, and the co-authors are Sigurjón Arason and Kristín Anna Þórarinsdóttir from Matís.

Delicious pieces of char

Bao was a student at the University of Iceland's Fisheries School in the winter of 2004-5 and worked on a project on this subject under the guidance of Sigurjón and Kristín Anna. According to Sigurjón, research on the effects of subcooling in Iceland has mainly focused on marine fish such as cod, but char was chosen in the aforementioned Bao project, as this fish is more similar to the fish species caught in Vietnam.  Read the article

Another recently published article in the Journal of Aquatic Food Product Technology discusses studies on the shelf life and stability of a protein-rich fish powder made from saithe and intended for human consumption. The article is entitled “Stability of Fish Powder Made from Saithe (Pollachius virens) as Measured by Lipid Oxidation and Functional Properties, ”and its main author is Margrét Bragadóttir, who worked for IFL for a long time, but other authors are Eyjólfur Reynisson, Sigurjón Arason and Kristín Anna Þórarinsdóttir, who all work for Matís.  Read the article 

As many people know, Icelanders produce a lot of fishmeal, especially from pelagic fish species such as capelin, blue whiting and herring, but there is also a considerable amount of extra raw material that comes from fish processing, such as cuts and ridges. Fishmeal has so far been mainly used in animal feed, but there has long been interest in investigating whether and how a larger proportion of this raw material could be used for human consumption, as a raw material called extra raw material is rich in protein and fat. 

In this connection, it may be mentioned that Matís' subsidiary, Iceprótein ehf, which operates in Sauðárkrókur, is now researching how extra raw materials from cod can be used to produce high-quality proteins.

EN