Category: News

The scientist Viggó Þór Marteinsson received the floor National Order of Merit.

Viggó studied biology at the University of Iceland and graduated with a BS degree. He went to France for postgraduate studies and defended his doctoral dissertation at the Université de Bretagne Occidentale in early 1997. Viggó is a specialist in microbiology and professor at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition at the University of Iceland as well as being a professional leader in research and innovation at Matís ohf.

After completing his doctorate from the Université de Bretagne Occidentale, he has collaborated well with the French scientific community. This connection has led to many French students coming to Iceland and working for longer and shorter periods on projects that have been part of their projects for a master's or doctoral degree.

"Although some have completed or are completing doctoral studies under my supervision at the University of Iceland and have worked on their research projects at research institutes such as Matís," says Viggó. "Some of these students have been here for a long time after their studies and have research positions at Matís. This successful co-operation between the nations in the field of science continues and I firmly believe that it will be strengthened in the future. "

The word was published on November 20, 2020, but due to Covid-19, the word was given on June 9, 2021.

Matís sincerely congratulates Viggó on the word.

The Arctic Circle conference was held in Harpa last weekend. The conference was the first international event held in Europe since the beginning of the Covid-19 epidemic.

Matís took part in the conference and the participation included panel discussions on the blue economy and mainly discussions on the opportunities inherent in the blue bioeconomy in the Arctic. The panel was organized by the Arctic Economic Council. It was about a conversation about how the business community has come to find solutions to various societal challenges through innovation and value creation.

Participants in the panel were:

• Bryndís Björnsdóttir from Matís
• Leslie Canavera from PolArctic
• Patrick Arnold of the New England Ocean Cluster
• Mads Qvist Frederiksen from the Economic Council

The discussions that took place were summarized in a drawing that can be seen here:

The projects undertaken by apprentices and specialists at Matís are varied. Last week, Þóra Valsdóttir, project manager, went on a beach trip with interns Romain Canuel and Sabrina Rechtsteiner.

The reason for going on a beach trip was that in the project MINERVA came to sample collection. The aim of the MINERVA project is to make untapped life resources, in this case biomass of algae growing throughout Europe, higher under the head. This will be done by improving processing methods and thus contributing to less waste and the development of new, valuable high-quality products from the raw material.

The sampling went well, as a rich garden was grazed, as can be seen in the attached pictures.

More information about the project can be found on its project page here: MINERVA

Contact

Sæmundur Sveinsson

Research Group Leader

saemundurs@matis.is

In its latest issue, Bændablaðið published an article about a newly published report by Sæmundur Sveinsson, director of genetic research at Matís, which dealt with parental analyzes in Icelandic sheep.

The report, entitled "Development of a Molecular Genetic Method for Parental Analysis in Icelandic Sheep", was published as a final product of a project of the same name, which was carried out in collaboration with Eyþór Einarsson, a sheep breeding consultant at the Agricultural Advisory Center and funded by the Agricultural Productivity Fund. The aim of the project was to test internationally recognized genetic markers in order to develop tools for parental analysis in Icelandic sheep. It is important for sheep breeding to have the opportunity to be able to confirm the pedigree of animals, both in terms of trusting pedigree data for the breeding work but also for research on genetic defects.

In an interview with Bændablaðið, Sæmundur says that there are hopes that with this diagnostic tool it will be possible to systematically reduce serious genetic defects in sheep, such as those that cause book crises - which is a disease that causes malformations in the development of limbs in lambs.

Bændablaðið's coverage of the project can be read in its entirety here: Parental diagnoses in sheep are most useful in the fight against hereditary sheep diseases.

The report referred to is available on Matís' website here: Development of a molecular genetic method for parental analysis in Icelandic sheep.

A total of eighteen new projects were initiated by entrepreneurs, companies, universities and institutions in collaboration with Matís from the Food Fund. The projects focus on increased value creation, sustainability and competitiveness and include the production of meat, vegetables, fruit, salted fish, roe deer, redfish, protein processing, astaxanthin rich fish oil, cereals, seaweed in feed, rapid brewing, rapid digestion, on Icelandic fish, food labeling and environmentally friendly food packaging.

One of the main roles of Matvælarannsókna Íslands (Matís) is to support innovation in the Icelandic food and biotechnology industry, and Matís is currently working on 120 research and development projects in collaboration with companies and institutions across the country. The government's direct funding to Matís to carry out its role, research and innovation in the field of food for the benefit of the economy, however, is the same in ISK terms as when Matís was founded in 2007. This certainly limits Matís' ability and potential to collaborate with small , as a large domestic enterprise and sprout and formulate practical projects.

The success of Matís and our partners in the recent allocation by the Food Fund of development and innovation grants for the production and processing of food and by-products from Icelandic agricultural and marine products is therefore to be welcomed. It is thanks to this great result of tireless work and the great ambition of Matís employees to support innovation in Icelandic food production. Matís employees involved in these research and innovation projects are proud to have the opportunity to work with forward-looking companies, institutions and entrepreneurs in shaping the future, ensuring food security and promoting increased value creation and improved public health. The following is a brief overview and information about the 18 projects that Matís is connected to and received a foothold in the Food Fund this month, as well as our partners in the projects. 

1. Meat production cycle economy (Kelda). Co-operation between Norðlenski in Akureyri and Matís. The main goal of the project is to improve the production and handling of raw materials for the Icelandic meat industry. The project is about researching the possibilities for increased utilization and value creation of by-products from slaughterhouses and meat processing that are currently underused in Iceland. The by-products of slaughterhouses and meat processing plants are numerous, such as various offal, blood, cuts and bones and are an excellent source of nutrients to name a few.
2. Fiber-rich and healthy skin? Pesticides, heavy metals and nutrients in the external and internal burden of Icelandic and imported vegetables and fruits. (Kelda).Collaboration between the Faculty of Food and Nutrition, University of Iceland and Matís. The Reykjavík Horticultural Farmers' Sales Association believes that the project will be useful to horticultural farmers in Iceland, and that the Reykjavík Agricultural Advisory Center will also be involved in the project. The aim of the project is twofold: a) To demonstrate the uniqueness of Icelandic vegetables in terms of pesticide residues compared to imported vegetables. b) To increase the consumption of underutilized by-products - peel and bark. The external burden of vegetables and fruits is often high in fiber and healthy, and therefore increased consumption can not only have a positive environmental impact through the utilization of underutilized by-products but also have a positive effect on Icelanders' public health.
3. Seaweed and good bacteria in aquaculture (Kelda). Collaboration between Fóðurverksmiðjan Laxá in Akureyri, Þörungaverksmiðjan Thorverk, Þörungaklaustur in Reykhólasveit and Matís. The aim of the project is to develop feed supplements with bioactive properties from lactic acid fermented seaweed for aquaculture.
4. Salted fish for the future (Kelda). Collaboration between Þorbjörn and Vísir in Grindavík, Faculty of Food and Nutrition, University of Iceland and Matís. The aim of the project is to develop and the best production process for the dehydration of salted fish with a view to exporting finished consumer goods and thus achieve increased added value.
5. Challenges when packing vegetables (Kelda).  Partners are the Association of Horticultural Farmers, the Horticultural Farmers' Sales Association in Reykjavík and Matís. The Association of Southern Municipalities will also be involved in the project. The objectives of the project are to: a) Give an overview of options for packing vegetables. b) Investigate the shelf life and quality of vegetables for different packaging in Icelandic conditions. c) Give an overview of the impact of packaging on the environment and human health. d) Carry out calculations for horticultural farmers on the carbon footprint of vegetables with regard to packaging.
6. Nutrients from the brewing streams of brewing (Kelda). Collaboration between Ölgerðin in Reykjavík and Matís. The aim of the project is to utilize by-products that are created during brewing and create value from them. The rate resulting from malting (heating to get rid of fermentable sugars from the grain) is rich in protein and hemicellulose. In the project, bioactive polysaccharides will be processed from the fast with the help of enzymes. In addition, protein will be processed from the raw material and tested in fish feed.
7. CRISP-FISH: Rapid redfish species analysis (Kelda). Collaboration between Útgerðarfélag Reykvíkingar, Brims in Reykjavík and Matís. Three types of redfish are important in our exports to foreign markets, redfish, deep redfish and small redfish. Of these species, redfish are the most valuable and it can be said that we have a dominant market position because 85% of the world catch comes from Iceland. Cheap redfish products from Asia threaten our markets, and although genetic methods are available and necessary to distinguish between species, they are time-consuming and only carried out in specialized equipment laboratories and by trained people. The aim of the project is to develop rapid genetic methods for species analysis of different redfish species.
8. Improved processing processes for sea-freezing redfish (Kelda). Collaboration between Útgerðarfélag Reykvíkingar, Faculty of Food and Nutrition, University of Iceland and Matís. The aim of the project is to find ways to use vertical plate freezers to freeze redfish in sea processing. The possibility of utilizing this equipment would lead to increased processing efficiency and flexibility, but freezing is often a bottleneck in seawater processing of redfish as it is not possible to fully utilize the freezing capacity of vessels.
9. New solutions for food labeling (Kelda). Collaboration between the Association of Small Food Producers, Hugsjár in Reykjavík and Matís. The aim of the project is to develop new solutions for food labeling in accordance with regulatory provisions, and thus promote that they are as accurate and safe as possible. The project's products will be new solutions for food producers; detailed instructions (webbook) on food labeling (nutritional value, content descriptions, additives and shelf life) as well as a software solution that works with the ÍSGEM database when calculating nutritional value based on a recipe. The solutions are labor-saving for food producers, especially small producers.
10. Utilization of eggs (Kelda). Collaboration between Arctic fish in Ísafjörður, Marine Collagen in Grindavík Marine Research Institute, University of Iceland and Matís. The main goal of the project is to investigate the utilization possibilities of egg yolks for gelatin and collagen production. Today, the grayling eggs are used for caviar production and the grayling after roe collection is often frozen for human consumption. Food markets for frozen grayling have been very volatile, so it is of great value to find more utilization possibilities for both grayling and erysipelas. 
11. Mannakorn - Better barley with improved methods (Kelda). Collaboration between the Agricultural University of Iceland in Hvanneyri and Matís. In addition, there is co-operation with barley farmers around the country in the search for the best varieties of barley. The aim of the project is to find the varieties of varieties that are suitable for Icelandic conditions that achieve satisfactory maturity and quality so that they can be cultivated in an efficient manner.
12. Mannakorn - Oats and quality maximization (Kelda). Collaboration between the Agricultural University of Iceland in Hvanneyri, the Agricultural Advisory Center, Líflands in Reykjavík, Sandhólsbændir in Skaftárhreppur and Matís. The main goal of the project is to lay the foundation for a new sector in grain farming in Iceland, oat farming. Oats are a novelty in Icelandic grain farming, a farming industry that is breaking children's shoes in Iceland. Oats have been little studied in this country and breeding for Icelandic conditions has not been practiced. Oats are farmed in Iceland, however, but there is a significant improvement in the scope and quality of that crop.
13. More environmentally friendly food packaging (Kelda). Cooperation between Tempra in Hafnarfjörður, Sæplast and ITUB Iceland in Dalvík, Samherji in Akureyri, Arnarlax in Bíldudalur, the University of Iceland and Matís. The aim of the project is to develop lighter and more environmentally friendly packaging for the export of fresh fish products.
14. Value in the processing water of catfish processing (Kelda). Collaboration between Brims in Reykjavík, Vísir and Þorbjörn in Grindavík, Samherji in Akureyri and Matís. The aim of the project is to develop valuable products from protein in processing water from catfish processing. The amount and properties of proteins in water from different processing equipment will be mapped, taking into account raw materials, equipment settings, etc. It will be assessed whether it is possible to reduce protein loss and methods developed to collect and process this side raw material for human consumption.
15. The effect of the renewal of the Icelandic fishing fleet on the carbon footprint of products (Kelda). Collaboration between Vinnslustöðin and Leo Seafood in the Westman Islands, Skinney Þinganes in Höfn in Hornafjörður, Síldarvinnslan in Neskaupstaður, Fisk Seafood and Versinn Vísindagarður in Sauðarkrókur, Hraðfrystihús Gunnvarar in Hnífsdalur, Brims, SFS, Canada and ISI Foods in Reykjavík, ICE, Salti Matís. The aim of the project is to carry out a life cycle analysis of Icelandic fish products derived from the catches of several trawlers that have come to Iceland in recent years, in order to assess the impact of fleet renewal on the carbon footprint of the products.
16. Protein quality changes in the processing of cod and redfish products (Kelda).  Collaboration between Vísir in Grindavík, Brims in Reykjavík, the Faculty of Food and Nutrition, University of Iceland and Matís. The aim of the project is to investigate the effect of light salting and salted fish processing on the quality of protein in cod products as well as the effect of freezing and cold storage on the quality of protein in redfish products. The aim is to gain a better understanding of the effects of these processing processes on protein in seafood and how to maintain the consistent quality of the proteins in terms of properties and bioactivity throughout the value chain, from fishing to consumers.
17. Red Gold (Product). Collaboration between Síldarvinnslan in Neskaupstaður, the Faculty of Food and Nutrition, University of Iceland and Matís. The main goal of the project is to complete astaxanthin-rich fish oil from redfish that arrives on land as extra raw material or by-catch from pelagic fisheries. Red-edged tributaries will be collected during the processing of mackerel in SVN's fish processing plant with new collection equipment. After collection, three different processing methods will be used in the production of astaxanthin-rich fish oil. Erythema contains a large amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids as well as the antioxidant astaxanthin, which makes it sought after in further processing.  
18. Sea Gold (Product). The collaboration between Slippinn and Samherji in Akureyri and Matís. The aim of the project is to develop solutions to obtain a stable and correct quality of catfish products during mechanical bleeding and washing on board processing vessels. 

Matís congratulates all those involved in the above-mentioned innovation projects on the grant and that the collaboration returns the results, products and knowledge needed to further strengthen Icelandic food production throughout the country. Matís came up with other applications to the Food Fund this year that did not get off to a good start this time, but will hopefully, after improvements, become projects later. However, it is clear that there is a lot of good ideas and great growth and innovation power among start-ups, small and large companies across the country who are looking for knowledge from Matís in the development and innovation of food and by-products. Matís will continue to do its important work in supporting innovation within the Icelandic food sector with expertise, equipment and facilities.

Contact

Ólafur Reykdal

Project Manager

olafur.reykdal@matis.is

At Matís, various researches are underway on vegetables for a grant from the Food Fund. The research aims to increase the quality and shelf life of vegetables but also to reduce waste in the value chain from harvest to consumer and find new ways to increase the value of by-products in the vegetable sector.

Recently completed a project that started in 2020 and dealt with the antioxidant activity and quality of vegetables. Antioxidant activity refers to the activity of antioxidants which are among the important substances in vegetables. Antioxidants are substances that provide the body with protection against the harmful effects of substances that promote oxidation. The health benefits have been attributed to the consumption of antioxidant vegetables.

Antioxidant activity was found in all vegetable samples but varied by species. Significant antioxidant activity in potatoes came as a surprise as antioxidants are often associated with colorful vegetables.

Cauliflower and broccoli, along with potatoes, were among the vegetables that scored the highest for antioxidant activity.

The healthiness of potatoes may be underestimated, but they are often not included in the healthiest vegetables. Potatoes contain important nutrients such as vitamins and a considerable amount of starch, which makes potatoes more energetic than most other vegetables. The results of the project have been published and can be accessed here:  https://matis.is/skyrsla/gaedi-og-andoxunarvirkni-graenmetis-a-markadi-2020-21/ . New results can be expected for vegetables in the coming months, including potatoes.

Are you interested in research and innovation in the vegetable sector? Watch Matís' focus meeting on the value chain of vegetables here: Value chain of vegetables.

Contact

Eva Margrét Jónudóttir

Project Manager

evamargret@matis.is

Horse and foal meat has many good qualities, but is a little known consumer product in the world. The nutritional value of the meat is good, it is lean and at a relatively low price compared to other meats. Research on horse and foal meat has been deficient over the years, but Eva Margrét Jónudóttir and other experts at Matís have worked diligently to improve it in recent years.

This summer, Eva Margrét's last project, a specialist at Matís, completed horsemeat, but she has in recent years conducted various research in that field. In connection with her BS degree in agricultural sciences at the Agricultural University of Hvanneyri, her interest in this work was sparked and her final project dealt with the attitudes and buying behavior of Icelandic consumers of horsemeat. Subsequently, she pursued a master's degree in food science at the University of Iceland in parallel with her work at Matís, where her main research topics were the quality and properties of horsemeat. We talked to Eva Margrét about the projects she has done in this field, their origin and her ongoing work in the field of food research.

What was the original purpose of your research?

"I had long wondered that the people I met were rather indifferent to horsemeat, but I myself was raised with home-slaughtered horsemeat and thought it was tasty and wonderful. I wanted to study horsemeat and draw attention to it, but had difficulty finding guidelines for such research. I was then pointed out to Guðjón Þorkelsson, who applied for and received funding for the projects in the Productivity Fund and Kolbrúna Sveinsdóttir, experts at Matís, and they were there for the fight, "says Eva Margét.

"In the previous study I did, the goal was to submit proposals to improve the position of horsemeat in the domestic market. This was done by analyzing the attitudes and buying behavior of Icelandic consumers of horsemeat, discussing with stakeholders the status of horsemeat in the country and examining the actual state of knowledge in this field at that time. The purpose of subsequent research was to obtain and disseminate information that supports and paves the way for marketing and sales of horsemeat, "explains Eva Margrét.

The purpose was also to show that horsemeat is of high quality, has a full mission in the market as a luxury product and that its shelf life can be extended considerably with shorter processing processes, better packaging and more cooling. It all worked out.

Surprising results

Initially, it was planned to get 400 answers to a questionnaire that was posted online in the previous study. A total of 850 responses were received, which immediately gave the idea that consumers were interested in the material.

The main results were that most of the participants in the study were really positive and welcomed the discussion about horsemeat, but the public's knowledge of its quality and treatment could be increased. They showed that 96% participants had tasted horse and / or foal meat, but those who had not tasted were not interested, either because they did not eat meat over their heads or because they felt like eating the dog. time and considered it wrong for emotional reasons. Most people considered horsemeat and foal meat to be a clean and environmentally friendly food, free of antibiotics and contaminants. It also became clear that people from all over the country did not think horse and foal meat was prominent enough and visible in shops.

The results of the latter studies showed in black and white that horsemeat is a quality product that can be maintained in good condition for a long time if it is handled correctly. Chemical measurements were performed confirming that foal meat is nutritious and the total number of micro-organisms after 15 days of storage at 2-4 ° C was below the limit values which confirmed good production methods and safety for consumption. The foal meat was tender and the taste and desire smell was generally not or not very measurable.

The results of experiments on shelf life exceeded expectations for wholesale packaged vertebral muscles as no changes were measured after 28 days at -1.5 ° C compared to the stated 2-3 weeks shelf life at 4 ° C. This was possible by lowering the temperature by 3-4 ° C, blocking light and limiting access to oxygen. Experiments with retail packages such as foam plastic trays with plastic film over as is common in meat tables did not work as well, but the number of days in wholesale did not affect the shelf life of retail in this case as there were no damage during the wholesale storage period and the meat quality was very constant.

The results of the study as a whole showed that horsemeat should have good potential on the market and it is hoped that it will be useful in preparing guidelines in this regard. They could lead to improved work processes that increase the shelf life of products and thus prevent unnecessary waste of horsemeat.

Eva Margrét hopes that over time, people will start to see horsemeat as a limited resource and not as a surplus of something else.

What have been the effects of this research and what are the future prospects for horsemeat in the Icelandic market?

"There was a lot of interest in this topic first when we were starting the research and we got coverage in the various media. I went to a variety of interviews and people along the way were endlessly asking about this research, what was in the news and how it was going. But after we finished the projects, the discussion has calmed down, "says Eva Margrét. 

"I have no follow-up projects on my cards yet, but I still hope that in the future I will be involved in more horsemeat research or some kind of product development project in connection with horsemeat. There is still so much to take in and many untapped opportunities there.

As for the future, we have one more idea for a project that did not receive funding in the last experiment, and it was called "Horse meat - cooking and value added". In short, it was about promoting horsemeat as a quality food product for restaurants, canteens and general consumers in collaboration with stakeholders through open horsemeat events, experiments on the various versions of cooking and the preparation of promotional material for publication. Here one would have to keep going and not give up. There is a lack of a website about horse products where you can find research on horsemeat, nutritional value, cooking instructions, recipes, meat cuts, bits of information or fragments from the history of horsemeat, storage instructions, etc. all in one place. This could even be an improved version of The Icelandic meat book which is a fairly good foundation to build on, "says Eva Margrét.

"It is also my distant dream to one day, together in a book or web magazine, take everything between heaven and earth that concerns the consumption of horsemeat and the utilization of the Icelandic horse. Both on a theoretical basis from the point of view of a food scientist but also in a historical or more creative way. "

Trivia and live footage from Eva Margrét's project work and research on horsemeat can be found on Matís' Instagram page here: Instagram.com/matis.

Projects such as the horsemeat projects in question are carried out in various areas at Matís but fall under the service category meat. If you are interested in getting to know more about research and innovation when it comes to meat processing and production, you can watch a presentation of the material here: Emphasis: Meat production and meat processing - research and innovation.

In the next few days there will also be a new episode of Matvælinu, Matís' broadcast on research and innovation in food production. Eva Margrét will talk about her horsemeat research as well as other projects she has worked on and put these issues in context with fun experiences and bits of information.