Category: News

Kristján Þór Júlíusson, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, and Matís have signed two new agreements, a service agreement to ensure security services in the field of food research for the benefit of Icelanders and an agreement to strengthen Matís' operations in rural areas.

"Through the agreements, we entrust Matís with the development of its operations in the countryside in line with the policy we have set ourselves to increase jobs and increase value creation in the countryside," says Kristján Þór Júlíusson, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture. "The new service agreement sets a clear framework for the important task of ensuring security services in the field of food research for the benefit of the people. The agreement is now being signed for the first time for three years to increase stability. Matís plays a key role in the country's food security and it is important to ensure a safe and predictable operating basis for that activity. "

Development in the countryside in accordance with the Minister's policy

Through an agreement to strengthen Matís' services in rural areas, Matís will receive ISK 80 million over a two-year period to strengthen its operations and increase collaboration with industries in development and research.

"With this, Matís will be able to create opportunities for increased collaboration with companies, institutions and educational institutions. We aim for at least 10% Matís job values to be in the countryside, "says Oddur M. Gunnarsson, Matís' CEO, but this is in line with the government's policy on jobs without placement.

The aim of the agreement is, among other things, to bring Matís' operations closer to customers and improve value creation for the future through increased innovation, research and development work.

Service contract for three years

The Minister also signed a three-year service agreement on research, the operation of a reference laboratory and security and priority services in the field of food. The aim of the agreement is to ensure security services in the field of food research for the benefit of the people. The agreement also stipulates Matís' role in the field of research that increases the value of Icelandic food production and promotes its safety and wholesomeness.

Through the agreement, Matís ensures access to laboratory security services and a minimum response time in the event of unexpected events that could threaten food safety and consumer health. Matís also ensures that the necessary research infrastructure is in place so that strong food control can be carried out.

"The agreement is in line with the goals of Iceland becoming a leader in the production of healthy products from sea and land, in addition to promoting increased innovation in the value chain of Icelandic food production," says the Minister. 

Inga Kristín Guðlaugsdóttir and Elín Sigríður Harðardóttir are product designers who run the company Efnasmiðjan together. In recent months, they have been working on and leading a project entitled "Lupine in a new light - the fiber of the future" and based on research and experiments on Alaska lupine.

Icelanders know the lupine well, but it was imported into the country in 1945 and has since been widely used in soil revegetation throughout the country. At the beginning of the project, the properties and strengths of lupine as a raw material were investigated. The aim was to study the properties of fibrous material extracted from various parts of the lupine from different harvest times using different methods. 

The purpose of the project is to develop environmentally friendly fiber materials, for example in packaging and building materials, from Alaska lupine in a sustainable way. The material is free of any external binders or additives and can also decompose rapidly in nature. Emphasis is placed on utilizing this material, which already exists to a large extent in Icelandic nature, without, however, eliminating it.

The project is still in the research stage and is currently being examined how different fiber materials can be made using different methods. Various experiments and measurements, such as texture measurements and more that require facilities, equipment and further scientific knowledge are in the hands of Matís, who is a partner in the project and is Sophie Jensen contact.

The results of research and experiments that have already been carried out indicate that lupine has special properties that make its fibers bind well together and form a strong fibrous material that is useful in many ways.

Lupine is in many ways an interesting research topic and the main emphasis has been on examining its physical properties. However, she also aroused Inga and Elín's interest in how controversial she is in Icelandic society. Lupine is in fact an endless source of lively debate and most people have strong opinions on its issues; people either love lupine or hate it.

Inga and Elín received the President of Iceland's Innovation Award in 2018 for the project, in addition to which it has received widespread coverage, such as in design publications and at conferences. You can follow the progress of the project and get more information on its website; Lupineproject.com.

SVAVA the Icelandic Mustard lady

Matís operates a so-called food workshop. The food factory is in fact a kitchen and processing facility with a variety of equipment, appliances and utensils available so that it is possible to carry out a variety of food processing in the facility. Processing may take place provided that it has obtained the required operating license or certification.

One of the entrepreneurs who has worked on his projects in Matarsmiðjan is Svava at Sælkeraspinnepi Svava or SVAVA The Icelandic mustard lady 

Svava H. Guðmundsdóttir is behind the project, the beginning of which can be traced to the fact that she lived with her family in southern Sweden in the years 1975-1982. There is a special Scanian mustard around it, it is a strong mustard with a sweet taste, a very popular side dish with various foods and Svava learned to make it herself. When the family moved home, it proved difficult to find this type of mustard in the country's stores, which led Svava to develop its own mustard under the influence of Scanian. Around the time of the economic collapse, Svava began to think of new opportunities to seize life and saw the possibility of expanding the niches in mustard production, which until then had only been intended for family and friends.

Production The company Sólakur ehf started in 2014 under the name Sælkerasinnep Svava but in 2020 the packaging and name were changed and the products are now available under the brand
SVAVA (The Icelandic Mustard Lady).

Mustard seeds from Sweden are used in the production, but we try to get as much of the other raw materials as possible from Iceland and preferably from local people in the district. This shows itself well in the product range, but today 6 taste-related products are produced; Strong sweetness, which is the basic mustard, Main blueberry and thyme, Cumin and liqueur, Flóki whiskey, Icelandic rhubarb and Licorice. All types of mustard also contain Icelandic beer from the north, Kaldi lager.

Iceland does not have the same tradition of using mustard with and in food as in the other Nordic countries, but with the introduction of mustard from Svava, access to good mustard has increased and therefore there is nothing to stop you from trying your hand at cooking. The mustard can be used with sausages, on top of bread, with grilled fish or meat, in marinating for barbecue, in salad dressings and even with stews to name a few.

More information about SVAVA The Icelandic mustard lady can be found at the company's facebook page. 

Earlier this year, a joint Nordic project was launched to study plastic additives in the sea. These are collaborative projects between Aarhus University in Denmark, Nofima in Norway and Matís in Iceland. The project is funded by a joint Nordic working group on the sea, coastal areas and chemistry under the auspices of the Nordic Council of Ministers, and is expected to be completed in October 2021.

Background: It is estimated that up to 8 million tonnes of plastic waste will be released into the sea worldwide each year, and emissions are expected to increase in the coming years. Plastic is found in countless products, but a variety of chemical additives are added to the plastic so that it meets certain conditions or has certain properties. Plastic products that end up in the ocean gradually decompose into smaller particles and their structure and chemical composition change due to the decomposition. Chemical additives can be released from the plastic and lead to undesirable effects on the marine environment if they have harmful health effects. It is not yet known what the impact may be on human consumption of seafood and knowledge of what substances are added to the plastic, how much is released into the sea and the risk of these factors to the marine environment is deficient.

About the project: In this Nordic project, the residues of chemical additives in two products made from two common types of plastic, on the one hand polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and on the other hand polyurethane (PUR), will be examined and measured. The plastic will be crushed into micrometer small particles or so-called microplastic and placed, in water-permeable bags, in Samnangerfjörður near Bergen in Norway. It will be stored there from June to October 2020. After decomposition in the water, the types and amount of chemical additives in the plastic particles will be determined by chemical analysis methods and compared with the types and amounts in the original plastic. This will provide knowledge of what chemical additives are in the plastic and their possible tendency to be released into the marine environment. Based on the possible effects of the chemical additives on the marine environment and people, a list will be made of the additives that are measured and then ranked according to the risks they entail.

Dissemination: The results will be disseminated in a project report and in the Nordic co - operation network NordMar plastic. The aim is to use the results in teaching materials and as data to build on in various types of decision-making, in the plastics industry, in the plastics industry associations and distributors. In addition, the results will be presented and discussed with the Danish Environment Agency, in scientific articles and on partner websites and their social media.

The project manager of the project is Patrik Fauser at Department of Environmental Science at Aarhus University and Sophie Jensen is a contact at Matís. More information can be obtained from them.

The news can also be read in the original language here.

NordMar Plastic, a pan-Nordic project led by Matís, aims to raise awareness and educate the public about plastic pollution in the environment, as well as to develop and publish study materials or hold events that promote increased innovation in connection with the subject. A guide has now been published on how to hold a so-called hackathon or idea competition that deals with a specific topic.

The guide is useful for hacking an idea competition on environmental issues, either in the place where people meet as usual in a traditional season or in online worlds. The guide includes a to-do list, ideas for setting up a program, reviews and tips on what to do and what challenges organizers may face when planning an event of this kind. The guide is based on the planning and implementation of two hackathon events that were held in Iceland in the autumn of 2019 and 2020.
The guide is available in Pdf. formi here.

In September 2019, Plastaþon was held, an idea competition that aimed to find solutions to problems that people face in connection with the use of plastic. Participants received training and education on the issue and met a diverse group of people who came together to seek creative solutions under the guidance of experts. 50 people signed up, but a total of 34 completed the hack. Participants formed teams and worked together to solve the problem of overuse of plastic. The winning idea was to set up self-service stations for dairy products and other liquid products in supermarkets. Customers could then bring their own recyclable packaging and refill as needed.

A similar event was held in August this year, under the name Spjaraþon. Due to COVID-19, the event was moved to online worlds, which brought with it various challenges, but an attempt was made to keep all technical aspects as simple as possible. In this hackathon, participants came together to learn about the environmental problems associated with the textile industry and look for ways to combat textile waste. Experts talked to participants about the state of the problem and the state of the design process in the industry, and from the discussions, good ideas emerged about the development of solutions that were at the same time effective, realistic and useful. 14 individuals put forward good ideas but the winning solution was entitled Spjarasafn. Spjarasafn is a kind of Airbnb for clothes that allows users to rent out and borrow expensive luxuries that would otherwise normally hang unused inside the wardrobe.

Kids cook, the Icelandic part of the European project WeValueFood, teaches children about sustainability, food resources, environmental impact, nutrition and local cuisine.

The European project WeValueFood, funded by EIT Food, has launched a partnership with so-called Food Champions who encourage and influence their peers by sharing their knowledge about social media food. This year, food advocates from three European countries will take part: Iceland, the United Kingdom and Spain.

Food advocates help build a more informed society that is more aware of where food comes from and how it affects our health and the planet.

In 2020, three European partners, in Reykjavík, Belfast and Madrid, will support students to become food advocates and empower the next generation of consumers to increase their interest in and knowledge of food-related issues.

Entertainers about local consumption and sustainability in Iceland

In Iceland, teachers work with material for entertainers at the primary school level in collaboration with Matís and the University of Iceland through WeValueFood. The educational material "Kids Cook"Is put together by Matís as a step towards the United Nations Global Goals and the increased awareness of food and the environment of children, and the Minister of Education and Culture is the patron of the project.

The ideology behind this entertainers is very simple: On the one hand, 11-12 year old children learn about sustainability, food resources and environmental impact, nutrition and home economics, and on the other hand, they enjoy local cuisine and visits to and discussions with local food producers.

With a newer one Kids cook Instagram page For example, children and their parents, as well as food producers in Iceland, can follow the progress of the project and learn about Iceland's natural and local food resources and how the raw material can be used for delicious, nutritious and sustainable meals.

The main part of the project is for students to make a short video about procuring raw materials from their area's food resources and then cook from the raw materials, so that their peers can also learn about Iceland's resources and the utilization of the products and become real food advocates. The videos will be available on Matís' YouTube page, school websites and social media such as Instagram or TikTok.

Improving food knowledge in the UK

At Queen's University in Belfast, a newly developed system will improve food knowledge within two groups of students: students who already have a great knowledge of food and students who have little food knowledge.

The future food advocates are a group of students who already have a great deal of knowledge. They will be trained to think critically about communication methods, for example with regard to the reliability of information related to social media evaluation. Students receive training and support from communication professionals and local influencers on how they can increase online visibility, share reliable information, and reach out to followers in an inspiring way.

The UK's Food Advocates are sharing the importance of food and food values with their peers through social media and other interactions with peers that will contribute to better food decision-making. A team of experts at Queen's University will ensure that the information disseminated is reliable and supported by scientific research. Another system for non-food students aims to encourage the development of general food skills, for example by understanding how to select and store food to reduce food waste, read food labels and process food safely. .

Bilateral online discussions in Spain

After social media became a popular forum for public debate, the Department of Food Science at the University of Madrid (UAM) and the research institute IMDEA Food, together with a team of researchers at UAM, decided to lead a 30-hour university course to empower students in cooking and health sciences with new methods. have enjoyed popularity on social media.

The new Spanish food advocates, who have been trained by WeValueFood this year, realized that bilateral communication with their target groups and followers is essential for developing a good relationship. University students and recent graduates are encouraged to participate in online events that address issues related to nutrition, health and food production.

At the same time, students communicate through their social media (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook). The new media has been successful, for example improved @nutreconciencia on Twitter with 206 followers in 3 months, @beFEEDus on Facebook has gained 267 more followers in the same time as @madres_cientificas which first appeared on Instagram in July 2020 and has already reached 1025 followers.

The food advocates will then present their social networking sites to communication experts and get advice on how they could have an even greater impact in the future. The Spanish food advocates are truly influential, basing their records on reliable and scientifically substantiated information, and combining communication and communication skills with a strong background in food and health sciences.

Next steps

Food advocates will continue to attend events and seminars to strengthen their skills and expand their network, for example in collaboration with the EIT Food projects FoodUnfolded and Food Ambassadors. Food consuls meet in #EatingTheGap sequence of events which brings together stakeholders and influencers from all parts of the European food chain. The food advocates will take part in a joint event to have the opportunity to learn more about how to share reliable and scientifically supported information on sustainable food in an interesting way.

FoodUnfolded is an international, digital platform sponsored by EIT Food, creating and sharing its content on food and agriculture innovations.

Bone & Marrow

Matís operates a so-called food workshop. The food factory is in fact a kitchen and processing facility with a variety of equipment, appliances and utensils available so that it is possible to carry out a variety of food processing in the facility. Processing may take place provided that it has obtained the required operating license or certification.

Two of the entrepreneurs who have worked on their projects at Matarsmiðjan are Jón Örvar G. Jónsson and Björk Harðardóttir at the company Bone & Marrow ehf.

Jón Örvar G. Jónsson and Björk Harðardóttir are behind the project. They had both been working on issues related to agriculture, food and the environment for years but decided to combine their interests under one hat with the establishment of Bone & Marrow ehf. The project had been in development for several years and Björk had extensive experience in food production, cooking and experience catering, but Jón Örvar was interested in food, agriculture and land use. They wanted to start a food company with the aim of nourishing and strengthening the man, both mentally and physically, in the best possible way and at the same time reducing food waste.

The company's products are, on the one hand, bone extract and, on the other hand, baptized butter. Bone & Marrow's motto is ancient nutrition for the modern man and this refers to the idea that many things in the environment of our ancestors and mothers, including nutrition, have a full meaning for the modern man. They therefore strive to deliver food that is at once simple, clean and free of all additives and fillers, to the people of Iceland. The bone extract is produced from Icelandic high-quality animal bones, vegetables, herbs and water. It is especially the health of the bone extract that makes it desirable and its consumption is believed to strengthen the skin, digestion and joints. The content of the baptized butter is only Icelandic, unsalted butter. During production, water, milk sugar and milk protein are mostly removed from the butter, leaving almost pure milk fat.

Today, there are two types of bone extract for sale in the various stores, namely lamb and beef bone extract. It is ideal to drink the broth hot instead of coffee or tea, but it can also be used as a protein drink after exercise or in various dishes such as soups, sauces and stews. The baptized butter can be obtained either pure or with turmeric. It has a sweet caramel flavor and is suitable as a side dish and in all cuisine. It has a high melting point (250 ° C) so it is very nice to fry or bake from it.

More information about Bone & Marrowmá can be found on their website: https://www.boneandmarrow.com/

A new Polish biotechnology company now produces rapeseed protein, thus promoting zero-waste production. This is a revolutionary innovation when it comes to sustainability.

New technology from the Polish biotechnology company NapiFeryn BioTech enables companies that process rapeseed oil to recycle the speed of production and make it a premium protein powder.

The protein powder is neutral in taste and manageable, so it is realistic that it can be a good and competitive option as a protein source in the future. The FutureKitchen project. led by Matís and funded by EIT food, is based on the concept of infotainment and seeks to mobilize young people in conversations about food, technology and innovation through play and education. The accompanying video shows how this new technology in rapeseed protein production works in virtual reality.

Magdalena Kozlowska, CEO of NapiFeryn BioTech says she expects rapeseed protein to be available in stores in 2022. She says the company needs time to adapt the technology and processes within the company to industry requirements, as well as customers having time to expand the range of protein products. . At present, however, they have a trial dose for such a development project.

By nature, rapeseed is rather tasty and bitter, which has so far severely limited its use. However, NapiFeryn has developed its own technological solution for isolating and purifying proteins from other nutrients and eliminating the taste, smell and color of rapeseed that other seed oil producers could also adopt.

Increased demand for sustainable protein sources

The world's population is growing on average from year to year and it is estimated that by 2050 the world's population will be around 9.7 billion. It is therefore very important to innovate in food production and NapiFeryn does this by making better use of the rapeseed, which is already growing in many parts of the world. The rapeseed protein is not allergenic and therefore leaves no more common, but less sustainable, protein sources.

If the rapeseed, which today is mainly used in animal feed, were used for human consumption, it is estimated that it would be used as nutrition for about 3.5 billion people.

Entertainers about the interplay of food and technology encourage learning

The video is part of the FutureKitchen project, which aims to get young people involved in the discussion about food and technology. With virtual reality videos, people become part of the platform where the work takes place and witness how food-related science, technology and innovation can contribute to increased sustainability. Virtual reality is suitable for a variety of learning techniques and usually fits well into students' memory. The aim of the videos is to arouse attention and curiosity and get people to think about our food system or even consider a career in food technology.

FutureKitchen project manager Justine Vanhalst says: "Even if people do not have virtual reality glasses that can be a bit expensive, you can experience virtual reality in smartphones by turning the screen on and off, on the computer by moving the mouse to or with cheap cardboard virtual reality glasses. This is easier than people might think“

Next steps

The project will continue until 2020 and in the coming weeks the aim is to release a few more videos. Among other things, they will discuss chefs at a Michelin-starred restaurant that serve food from a 3D printer and more. Keep an eye on FoodUnfolded.com, here Matis.is or on youtube-channel Matís

Sauerkraut for gourmets

Matís operates a food workshop, which is in fact a kitchen and processing facility with a variety of equipment, appliances and utensils available, so it is possible to carry out a variety of food processing in the facility. Processing may take place provided that it has obtained the required operating license or certification.
Two of the entrepreneurs who have worked on their projects in Matarsmiðjan are Dagný and Ólafur at Súrkál for gourmets.

The couple Dagný Hermannsdóttir and Ólafur Loftsson are behind the project, but Dagný has been making sauerkraut since 1984. Her interest in this type of food increased year by year, until 2017 when they founded the family company Huxandi to manage the production, which had become considerably larger. . Today they pickle all kinds of vegetables and Dagný has also held a number of courses in making sauerkraut and published a book about this delicacy.

In making sauerkraut, which is an ancient natural way of storing vegetables, fresh vegetables are fermented by fermentation. Special anaerobic conditions are created so that lactic acid bacteria that are in the vegetables from nature start a fermentation process and in a few weeks it acidifies. The only ingredients in the products are vegetables, salt and spices, but they are full of vitamins, nutrients and beneficial bacteria. Sauerkraut for gourmets is unpasteurized and therefore alive, which means that in the production process the vegetables are never heated so that the beneficial bacteria remain alive. With this processing method, the vegetables become easier to digest and strengthen the intestinal flora, but are also foods that are raw, vegan and keto.

This family-owned company has successfully produced all kinds of sauerkraut and its side products, such as Karríkál, Kimchi and various sour drinks. The sauerkraut can be eaten in many ways and can be placed on top of burgers or sausages, in salads, in vegetable or bean dishes, on top of bread or in soups. Sauerkraut for gourmets is considered exceptionally good and three products from the brand have received an award in Askin, the Icelandic Championship in food crafts.

More information about Sauerkraut for gourmets can be found on their website surkal.is

Hacking crochet in collaboration with SASS and Nordic Food in Tourism invites creative locals in the South and other Icelanders to spend the weekend working with ideas and projects that "update" the area. The winning team of Hacking Hekla 2020 wins ISK 150,000.

Hakkaþon, or solution tournament, is an innovation competition where people come together and create solutions over a short period of time - usually around 24-48 hours. Solutions are a great platform for anyone to share experience and knowledge and work explicitly on a business idea or project. Hacking Hekla is the first solution tournament for the countryside that travels around the country and builds on ideas that are created along the way.

The goal of Hacking Hekla is to bring to the fore the powerful entrepreneurial work that takes place all over the country and at the same time activate creative thinking and innovation. Hacking Hekla's guiding principle is to create a strong network between entrepreneurs and supporters in rural areas, as well as to connect the entrepreneurial scenes in rural and urban areas in Iceland.

Towards a sustainable future with food-related innovation

The first Hacking Hekla will take place in the South from the 16th to the 18th. October in good cooperation with the Association of Southern Municipalities and Nordic Food in Tourism. Nordic Food in Tourism is a Nordic co-operation project, led by Matarauð Íslands and carried out in collaboration with Íslenska ferðaklasann and Matís, which aims to draw attention to the values inherent in local food production and cuisine for both locals and foreign visitors. At the same time, the focus is on increasing the emphasis on sustainability in food production and tourism, so that a balance between growth and protection is maintained. The theme of Hacking Hekla 2020 is "Towards a sustainable future with food-related innovation" and participants will be encouraged to think about the theme from different angles; transport, tourism, nature conservation, regional raw materials, food production and consumption. The outcome of the solution may be a digital solution, product, service, project, software, hardware or marketing campaign.

As the state of society due to Covid does not offer meetings, the event will take place online. In order not to lose the mood in the South, about ten pioneers in the area were visited by a cameraman and the videos will be shown through the solution tournament. Other lectures and lectures will also be accessible to everyone and streamed on Hacking Hekla's Facebook page, so it is ideal to follow there even if you do not participate in the solution tournament itself.

Hacking The Hekla solution arose from Magdalena Falter's doctoral project, which is researching entrepreneurship and innovation in rural areas. She was joined by an experienced project manager, Svava Björk Ólafsdóttir, who has over six years of experience in the support environment for entrepreneurs and has, among other things, managed a number of solutions. They have also worked closely with Arnar Sigurðsson, who is also an experienced player in innovation, but he is developing Hugmyndaþorp, which is a digital platform that is a kind of co-creation solution. Hacking Hekla 2020 will take place to a large extent in that forum. It can be said that the Hacking Hekla team and Arnar are themselves in innovation, as the development of the platform takes place in parallel with this first Hacking Hekla solution.

The solution tournament is for everyone who wants to think in solutions and solve problems and challenges found in the South. Participants do not have to have experience or have previously participated in a solution competition or other entrepreneurial work. Everyone is welcome and this is a great way to promote creative thinking and train in the process of implementing good ideas. All information and the program can be found on the SASS website, where registration is also required. The project is funded by Íslandsbanki and Atvinnuvegur and the Ministry of Innovation.