Thursday November 7th 2024. Held in Ríma conference room in Harpa, Austurbakka 2, 101 Reykjavík. Supported by the Nordic Council of Ministers – Working Group for Fisheries (AG-Fisk).
Workshop description:
The workshop is held to discuss and investigate factors that affect catch quality and pricing, how they interconnect and differ between the Nordic countries. This includes discussions on quality characteristics, how quality parameters currently are and should be measured, regulation frameworks and what affects pricing and market situations. The outcome of the workshop will outline the strengths of different strategies that relate to catch quality within the Nordic region and explore if there are opportunities to implement different methods between regions to achieve higher overall catch quality and value.
Revised suggestions for topics in the workshop agenda are:
Price and catch value: What affects the prices? Are they reflected correctly by quality parameters?
Quality characteristics: What are the most important quality parameters (handling factors, fish size, condition factor,...)? How do we measure the catch quality parameters? Suggestions for standardization of quality assessment?
Fishing methods: How do different fishing strategies and methods affect catch quality?
Regulations and legal matters: How do regulations vary between the Nordic countries? How does the regulation work across the countries and are there lessons to be transferred?
Market aspects: How do prices differ between direct sales vs auction markets and Vertically integrated company's vs fish market.
Skyr is a traditional Icelandic product that has probably been made in Iceland since the colonization, but a dairy product under this same name was then known in all the Nordic countries. Skyrgerð, however, seems to have been preserved only in Iceland. Curing was a way to preserve milk and maximize its nutritional value, but curd was an important staple food that helped Icelanders survive. In the past, butter was considered a premium food, while curd was considered a poor man's food. Now we know that due to the high protein content of curd, it was indeed the salvation of poorer households and provided the energy needed for daily work. Skyr is made from skimmed milk that remains when the cream is separated from the milk to make butter. Skyr is still a popular food and for centuries it was by far the most common dairy product in Iceland, along with butter and whey.
It is likely that the curd in the colonial era was different from what we know today, both more acidic and thinner. There has been a big change in the production of skyrs in the last century with the introduction of its factory production. Skyr is an important part of the cultural heritage of Icelanders, and it is therefore necessary to gain more knowledge about this product.
Recently, Matís and the University of Iceland started research on Icelandic curds as biological cultural heritage. The research brings together farmers, ethnologists, dairy scientists, food scientists and biologists and focuses on the cooperation of the species involved in making the curd: humans, farm animals and microbes. Live curd bacteria are a good example of how the symbiosis of microbes and humans over the centuries has contributed to a diverse microflora in curds and in the intestines of Icelanders. In the project, this diversity will be investigated and the aim will be to reproduce varieties of curd that correspond to the taste and texture of the past based on the memories of the people of curd and the experience of farmers and dairy experts in curd making. The aim is to deepen the understanding of the diversity and resilience of biological cultural heritage by looking at the complexity and transformation of curd over time. We are looking for interviewees who have experience making curd both in the past and now, and interviewees who have eaten curd for many decades and can tell stories from the past and the changes they have experienced. Those who are interested in participating in the research are kindly asked to contact Jón Þór Pétursson ethnographer or Þóra Valsdóttir food researcher at the email address skyrlifi@gmail.com or by phone at 853-5118. See more about the project at www.matis.is.
Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus), often referred to as langoustine or Nephrops, is found in the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean and North Sea as far north as Iceland and northern Norway, and south to Portugal. It is found in the Mediterranean Sea and is common in the Adriatic Sea. Due to its ecological demands for sediments, Nephrops has a very patchy distribution, and is divided into over 30 populations. These populations are separated by inhospitable terrain, and adults rarely travel distances greater than a few hundred metres. The global annual catches of the species are around 60 thousand tonnes, with the Nordic countries representing 10-15%.
Nephrops fisheries in the Nordic countries are presently experiencing uncertainty with changing climate, acidification, changes in stock size, distribution, development in gear and vessels, regulatory changes such as the implementation of the EU landing obligation, and many more. At the same time there are immense opportunities to nurture the Nordic Nephrops fishery by promoting sustainable management and maximising economic gain through Nordic cooperation and networking.
The Nordic Council’s working group for fisheries cooperation (AG fisk) is aware of these challenges and opportunities and did therefore fund a research and innovation project to facilitate networking and further cooperation between Nordic researchers, fishermen and other stakeholders. The highlight of the project was a workshop held in Copenhagen 13-14 May 2024 where many key stakeholders shared knowledge and discussed various challenges and opportunities. The general outcome from the project was a common opinion of the workshop participants that further Nordic networking and cooperation is needed. The importance of active dialogue and knowledge exchange between stakeholders such as, government, scientists, fishermen, and research cannot be underestimated, as the sharing of information and open dialogue will facilitate cooperation, reduce mistrust, and provide opportunities for improvement.
A report has now been published about the workshop and its results, which can be accessed here.
Matís office in Hvanneyri is at Hvanneyrargatu 3 and there are two employees with facilities. The building is large and Matís shares it with various companies and institutions in the area. last Monday the Minister of Food visited the establishment.
Bjarkey Olsen Gunnarsdóttir together with her assistant, Pálína Axelsdóttur Njarðvík had a meeting with Eva Margréti Jónudóttur and Margeir Gissurarsyn, Matís staff as well as staff from Landi og sjö and Matvælastofnun. The minister has already visited the headquarters of his institutions and companies that come under the ministry, but is now traveling around the country to visit other establishments. They discussed activities in the area, the projects that are being undertaken at the moment and various future opportunities.
We thank Bjarkeyja and Pálína for a pleasant meeting.
Matís and RISE from Sweden will bring together experts in the field of bioeconomy in a workshop called "BIO2REG expert workshop on research infrastructure and living labs" on September 5th and 6th next in Matís' house in Reykjavík.
In the workshop, projects related to bioeconomies, the development of the last decades and the importance of green energy will be reviewed. National and foreign experts will speak, as well as field visits to selected companies in the capital area and the surrounding area.
The workshop is open to everyone and free of charge.
A registration link along with further information and program drafts can be found here:
At Matís, we work on diverse research and development projects on meat in collaboration with producers and various stakeholders. The goal is to strengthen domestic meat production and promote value creation. Recently, a project funded by the Food Fund and entitled Discection yields and nutrient value of Icelandic lamb meat and organs and was won by Matís and the Icelandic lamb marketing agency.
The project was carried out in close cooperation with the production centers Kjarnafæð-Norðlenska /SAH Afurðir in Blönduós, Sláturfélag Suðurlands and the meat production center of Kaupfélag Skagfirðinga. The project was launched so that it would be possible to provide new and reliable data to replace the 20-30-year-old data that was always relied on and had become obsolete. The lack of new and up-to-date data on utilization and nutritional value led to high marketing efforts for lamb meat and side products both on the domestic and export markets.
In the project, an assessment was made of utilization rates within the meat assessment categories of lamb, but lamb meat is generally classified into 40 categories at the slaughterhouse, and farmers are paid accordingly. In recent years, farmers have carried out extensive breeding work based on data they have collected in a central database, thereby increasing the productivity of meat per sheep by approx. 30%. This means that the types of meat that are most common today in terms of the ratio of muscle and fat to bone are completely different from those that were most common 20-30 years ago. The data that was used on the Icelandic market did not reflect the actual situation of Icelandic lamb meat well enough before this study was started. In addition, there was a lack of new data on nutrient values, as that data was also about 20-30 years old. Such measurements are useful for those who want to justify that the product is wholesome, tasty, has some uniqueness, etc. The third starting point of the study was an examination of whether the meat assessment carried out in Iceland was fair and adequate.
It was considered important that the quantity and quality of the research material would reflect the population well so that the results obtained would be significant and durable. Therefore, 63 carcasses from seven meat grade categories were selected, covering the 92% production based on the division into meat grade categories in 2021. Carcases were selected on three different slaughter days, in two slaughterhouses, in the north and in the south, and the head of the meat grading department at the Food Agency confirmed that each carcass was a traditional carcass in own rating category and not on the category's boundaries.
Measurements were then made of nutrients and heavy metals and updated figures were entered The ÍSGEM nutrient database. The measurements were made on lamb pieces and lamb meat products, lamb offal and other by-products such as liver, kidneys, hearts, lungs, testicles, esophagus, pancreas, spleen, and blood.
It turned out that the lamb meat was so rich in vitamin B12, vitamin folate, potassium and zinc that it is permissible to label these substances as part of the meat's nutrition labeling on packaging. The heavy metals mercury, cadmium, lead and arsenic were not measurable in the meat, i.e. were below the limits that could be safely measured. This limit is very low and therefore the possible concentration of heavy metals is extremely low.
The lamb offal and by-products are rich in iron and selenium, but these substances are important nutrients. In the case of significant quantities, labeling of food packaging is permitted according to the labeling regulations. The heavy metal cadmium was detectable in liver and kidney but not in other samples. Mercury, lead and arsenic were not measurable in the samples, although with the exception that mercury in the kidneys was measurable.
These results from the chemical measurements are truly interesting and give ample reason for improving the labeling of these products and providing information to stakeholders and the public..
Hafliði Halldórsson, manager of the Icelandic lamb marketing agency, and Óli Þór Hilmarsson, project manager at Matís, discussed the implementation and results of the project in new episode of Matvælin, Matís' podcast about research and innovation in food production. It is both fun and informative to listen to these professionals talk about the issue that is clearly dear to them. The podcast is available on all major podcasts and also in the player below.
Important results made available
A large number of people will be able to benefit from the results of this project. For example, all production centers in sheep slaughter as well as processing companies, innovative companies, retailers, farmers who practice home processing and other small producers will receive accurate data that increases efficiency in planning, cost and margin calculations during processing and product price estimation.
Small producers in innovation have a great need for up-to-date and accurate data on the chemical content of raw materials, to confirm the nutritional content and healthiness of their products. The weight of side products in the industry's income base is one of the biggest opportunities of the future, and all data that confirms claims about the purity of products and the high value of essential nutrients are therefore extremely important.
Retail stores, specialty stores, restaurants, institutions and canteens will also be able to use the data to benefit their operations and re-evaluate nutritional content labels. The results are also useful for teaching and research in agriculture, meat industry and cooking.
Sigurgeir Höskuldsson product development manager at Kjarnafæð Norðlenska and Benedikt Benediktsson production manager at SS agree that research on the chemical content of lamb meat is useful when it comes to calculating the nutritional value of meat products produced. For obvious reasons, it is not possible to measure every single product, but it is important to have access to a nutrient database that is up-to-date and with the best possible information. The results will be useful both for packaging labeling and also for marketing purposes.
Ægir Friðriksson, Head of Culinary Arts at the College of Education in Kópavogur mentions that in the chef's world not much attention is paid to meat evaluation because production centers and distributors classify the meat, but it is all the more important that chefs are aware of the difference in terms of utilization rate and meat quality. This report provides a good insight into how meat consumption and utilization go together.
María Guðjónsdóttir, professor at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition, University of Iceland mentions that a life cycle analysis of the lamb value chain is currently under review at the university. Higher utilization from lamb meat production means a relatively lower environmental impact per edible piece, especially when considering the environmental impact of the proteins, which are the main consumption component. The analysis shows that the production of Icelandic lamb is on a similar path environmentally as production in other countries. The lamb also has a particularly strong effect on the country's food security, as the sheep need less imported feed and fertilizer than many other animals. Detailed analyzes like those presented in Matís' lamb report are necessary for continued research into both the quality, utilization, and environmental impact of our value chains. In addition, it can be mentioned that HÍ and Matís are part of a pan-Nordic research network that focuses on meat research in the Nordic countries. The results of the report are used in comparative research on the quality and utilization of lamb meat between countries.
On the 20th-21st June, a workshop was held in Düren, Germany, organized by the project BIO2REG, in which Matís is involved. Sustainability consultants at BioökonomieREVIER which works on behalf of the research institute Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, held the workshop "Circular Bioeconomy in practices - Discovering value chains in bioeconomy model regions" on behalf of BIO2REG, in the premises of the paper factory Reflex GmbH & Co. KG.
The workshop was attended by a diverse group of people, including stakeholders in the region, experts in the field of bioeconomy and business owners working in the field of paper production in Europe. The program included both presentations and guided discussions, as well as a visit to the over 150-year-old paper factory and its activities were presented to the guests. The factory specializes in certain types of paper, including document paper, and it is nice to report that certified Icelandic document paper is produced there.
Photos: Katrín Hulda and Reflex GmbH & Co. KG, Christian Klar, Andreas Nikolaus Kleinschmit von Lengefeld
The next day we went on a tour of North Rhine-Westphalia. The hosts were visited and their activities in the field of agriculture and soil cultivation were presented. Another stop on the tour was the village of Morschenich-Alt, which has been largely abandoned for over a decade. The reason for this is that coal was to be dug where the village now stands. Most of the residents therefore sold their homes to the energy company and moved to Morschenich-Neu. Since then, plans for continued mining in the area have been abandoned, including due to protests by climate activists, and now the village is being rebuilt.
Morschenich-Alt is not the only village in the area that had to give way to mining. The Hambach mine was also visited, but it is a huge open pit coal mine that is still in use. There are plans to close all coal mines in the region by 2030. BioökonomieREVIER has the mission of accelerating the green transformation of the region. The project advises companies, farmers and regional authorities on how to transition from an economy based on fossil fuels (coal) to a bioeconomy.
Photos: Katrín Hulda and Reflex GmbH & Co. KG, Christian Klar, Andreas Nikolaus Kleinschmit von Lengefeld
The workshop was a huge success and the participants went home happy. An important debate arose about the effects of transforming regions, not only for the economy but also for society. At the beginning of September, a workshop will be held in Iceland, organized by Matís and the Swedish Research Institute RISE which deals with research infrastructure. Registration for it will soon open, but it will take place on the BIO2REG website and will be advertised on Matís' media. The program will be published soon.
On July 3, Oddur Már Gunnarsson, director of Matís, and Ragnheiður I. Þórarinsdóttir, rector of the Icelandic University of Agriculture, signed a cooperation agreement between Matís and the Icelandic University of Agriculture on cooperation to increase knowledge and improve services in the field of agriculture and food production.
The agreement is about research cooperation in both domestic and foreign projects and cooperation on proposals and special projects for the government in the field of agriculture and food.
There will be cooperation on the development of research infrastructure and expertise where appropriate. Experts from both will be better connected through joint projects. The focus areas where the cooperation will benefit are, for example, sheep breeding, breeding (genetics), new proteins, linking processing and primary production, utilization of by-products, feed, fertilizers, product development and cooperation with consumers. The aim is to utilize each other's specific research infrastructures in order to create synergy in the activities and at the same time to strengthen the operating conditions of the infrastructures.
The work of newly-doctored, doctoral and/or master's students is expected in selected collaborative projects, and they must normally be under the guidance of experts from one or both parties. The parties are working to increase the number of doctoral students in the field of agriculture and food.
The parties emphasize the use of foreign networks in Europe and the Nordic countries, cf. UNIgreen and other partners as appropriate.
In recent years, various projects have been carried out at Matís that involve plastic in one way or another. Sophie Jensen, project manager in a professional group that deals with biological materials, has worked on most of the projects, such as the projects NordMar Plastic and projects on chemicals in eroded microplastics in the seas that were funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers, LuLam Wrap and projects on challenges when packing vegetables that were sponsored by the Food Fund.
There is an urgent need to develop new, environmentally friendly solutions when it comes to packaging materials for food in order to replace plastic, and Matís has worked with entrepreneurs and researchers at home and abroad to find suitable substitutes. More general projects on plastics have also been carried out, for example to define, study and monitor plastics in the environment with the aim of increasing people's environmental awareness and reducing plastic use.
The question is on the website of the Land Conservancy and on the website of the initiative Plastic-free September What is plastic? answered and it states that many people think that plastic is a wonder because it is easy to mold, it is durable and durable. Plastic does not disappear or destroy, but breaks down over time into smaller and smaller units or particles. The production of plastic requires fossil fuel, i.e. oil and gas but those resources are not renewable which simply means that eventually they will run out.
The problem with plastic is not really the plastic itself, but how it is used. Each Icelander uses an average of 40 kg of packaging plastic annually, mostly single-use plastic products. Much of this plastic ends up in the sea, where it causes damage to the natural environment.
Projects that Matís has worked on that are related to plastics are diverse. The NordMar Plastic project was an extremely ambitious project that was undertaken in 2019 and the strategy was to set up a Nordic network of experts in plastics with a special focus on microplastics. There had been a lack of a standard or standardized methods for measuring and analyzing microplastics in the environment. Emphasis was placed on the northern countries, because there has been a lack of information, for example, about where the microplastics can be found, to what extent, etc. The goal was to coordinate actions in these matters in the region and examine what needs to be done and how.
Another major goal was to simply raise awareness of the plastic problem in society. Today, people are beginning to realize that large plastic items in the sea such as disposable tableware, plastic packaging, fishing gear and more are a problem, but we don't see microplastics and therefore don't realize how big the problem around it is. . On the one hand, microplastics are created when larger plastic units break down over time, and on the other hand, they are produced separately and used in various products such as cleaning agents, paint, clothing and more.
Microplastics can be found in everything possible. In water, on glaciers and in the atmosphere. We humans have been shown to ingest the equivalent of one credit card per week due to plastic pollution.
All kinds of events and workshops were held all over the country in collaboration with Landvernd, Oceans missions and other organizations where the goal was to raise awareness about plastic. It was also prepared educational materials about plastic in the ocean for elementary schools, which is used in many Icelandic schools today. The conference Arctic Plastics symposium which has been held in Harpa in recent years is also the result of the NordMar Plastic project.
One product of the project was Instagram page and there were short but very informative and useful videos about how you can reduce the use of plastic in different rooms of your home. There are various solutions already available.
Í the project on chemicals in eroded microplastics in the sea it was investigated whether and in what quantity the substances in plastic that are harmful end up in the marine environment. Two types of plastic were chopped into tiny particles and placed in net bags into the sea for four months. Chemical measurements were made both before the plastic was put into the sea and after it was taken up again, and then it was possible to see the difference in how much of the plastic had come off.
A risk assessment was also carried out, as little is known about exactly which materials are used in different types of plastic. Due to the lack of regulations on plastics, plastic manufacturers are not required to provide this information separately.
Many of the substances found and released from the plastic are carcinogenic or have a hormonal effect, for example on estrogen and thus on people's fertility. It was not possible to draw any conclusions from this study, but it was considered important to draw attention to the fact that these substances are being released into the sea and there is reason for further research.
In the project about challenges in packing vegetables Sophie summed up the current state of food packaging, but plastic certainly has a number of desirable properties when it comes to preserving food. On the other hand, it is important to weigh the advantages and evaluate against the negative effects of plastic use. In the summary, the differences between conventional plastics, organic plastics and biodegradable plastics were examined and various advantages and disadvantages were evaluated. Packaging made of bioplastics is considered environmentally friendly and has become a strong substitute for plastic packaging.
Í final report of the project states that various future solutions for environmentally friendly packaging are on the horizon and a lot of development in this field has been done both in Iceland and abroad. There is a lack of packaging made from Icelandic raw materials and knowledge of material processing for them, but several innovative projects are in the works. There is also a lot of innovation abroad related to packaging made from pure raw materials, and we can mention the development of packaging made from the supporting tissue of plants and algae. Therefore, it is right to pay close attention to the innovations that are emerging.
Sophie Jensen was interviewed in a new episode of Matvælinu, Matís' broadcast on research and innovation in food production. In the interview, she thoroughly reviewed all the major plastic projects that Matís has worked on in recent years, told about what is happening in research on plastics in the world and gave listeners all kinds of good advice on reducing plastic use in homes.
At the end of May was held Young people's dinner meeting, Ungdommens madmøde, in Denmark. At the dinner, the students of the Matvælaskóli Menntaskólin in Kópavogur presented Icelandic food to other Nordic students in food subjects and about 150 Danish elementary school students.
It is an understatement to say that the Icelandic students, Markús Eðvarð Karlsson, Svanfríður Elín Bjarnadóttir and Sölvi Hermannsson, did a great job and the Icelandic dishes were very well received. The recipes and presentation were made under the guidance of Dóra Svavarsdóttir, chef and teacher.
Hvera rye bread with smoked char topped with cottage cheese and parsley, Flat cake taco with diced lamb in malt and Dark brown with blueberry juice and rye bread crumbs was among the dishes served by the students.
The presentation of the Icelandic youth was part of a workshop called Nordic kitchen where young people from the Nordic countries presented food from their countries. In addition to the Nordic kitchen workshop, there were workshops that included taste training and inspiration for healthy meals and snacks.
The aim of the food meeting was to encourage a sustainable food culture among the foodies of the future and to create connections between young people and professionals. The idea was to create opportunities and interest in the next generation of consumers to eat and cook foods that are both healthy and good for themselves and the world they live in.
The conference was held in parallel with the workshops Food at school in a Nordic light. How can food contribute to health, learning and well-being in schools? and analyzed there Dr. Ellen Alma Tryggvadóttir from the University of Iceland, from the experience of school meals in Iceland.
The event Youth madmøde was part of a larger food event Madens folkemøde which has been held annually for the past decade and aims to create a forum for conversation about Danish food culture and the food system. There is a particularly interesting event on the way that is worth visiting and even recording in this country.
Matís took part in planning Youth madmøde but the event was sponsored by the Nordic Council of Ministers through New Nordic food the project.
