Category: News

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the Icelandic government have signed an agreement to start cooperating in the fight against antibiotic resistance, which is one of the biggest threats to public health in the world today.

The signing took place in the celebration hall of the University of Iceland yesterday, but Matís has worked on the preparation of the collaborative project with Matvælastofnun, Keldur, the Department of Pathology at Landspítali, EFSA and DTU Fødevareinstituttet in Denmark.

The project involves research into bacterial antibiotic resistance (E. coli) in Iceland with a holistic analysis of their genetic material. It is hoped that the results will shed light on the origin of bacteria with the ability to develop antibiotic resistance (ESBL / AmpC). E. coli) and analyze the role of food, animals, humans and the environment in the spread of antibiotic resistance.

The results will be used to develop response plans to maintain a low level of antibiotic resistance or to slow down the development / increase of immunity as much as possible. for humans, animals and the environment.

See more news on the Mast website

On the 4th of July it was reported, that four children were diagnosed with a serious infection caused by the E. coli bacterium. An additional six children aged 20 months to 12 have now been diagnosed, bringing the total to ten cases. These six children are not seriously ill but will be monitored at the Hringur Children's Hospital in the next few days. The children who were diagnosed last week are on the road to recovery.

It now seems clear that nine of the children became infected at the tourist town of Efstadalur 2 in Bláskógabyggð 10 days to three weeks ago, but one child was probably infected by his siblings. Studies have shown that the E. coli bacterium that infected children is also found in faecal samples from local calves. It is not known for sure how the infection spread to the children, but further research into possible local transmission routes is still ongoing. Heilbrigðiseftirlit Suðurlands and Matvælastofnun took appropriate measures on 4 July in good cooperation with local authorities to prevent further spread of the bacterium.

It should be emphasized that it is not believed that the infection took place with water in Bláskógabyggð and there is no indication that the infection originated elsewhere in the countryside.

Individuals who have visited the tourism industry in the past two weeks and experienced diarrhea within 10 days of the visit are encouraged to consult their physician for further diagnosis. Asymptomatic individuals who have visited Efstadalur 2 do not need to see a doctor, nor do individuals who have experienced diarrhea that has now passed.

All parties involved in the case want to reiterate that this epidemic of E. coli is being taken very seriously and everyone has made an effort to inform this issue and take appropriate measures to prevent further infection. This event also provides an opportunity to emphasize the importance of general hygiene and hand washing in food handling and after dealing with animals, especially when children are involved.

Epidemiologist
Matvælastofnun
Heilbrigðiseftirlit Suðurlands
Matís
Department of Pathology and Virology at Landspítali

Kristján Þór Júlíusson, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, has appointed Hrönn Ólína Jörundsdóttir, Division Manager at Matís, as Chairman of the Risk Assessment Committee.

The role of the committee is to provide and supervise the implementation of scientific risk assessments for food, feed, fertilizers and seeds.

The composition of the committee is part of the government's action plan, which aims to strengthen food security, ensure the protection of livestock and improve the competitive position of domestic food production. The order is in accordance with the Food Act and the Act on the Control of Feed, Fertilizers and Seeds.

The Risk Assessment Committee consists of:

• Hrönn Ólína Jörundsdóttir chairman, nominated by Matís
• Jóhannes Sveinbjörnsson, nominated by the Agricultural University of Iceland
• Charlotta Oddsdóttir, nominated by the University of Iceland Experimental Station at Keldur
• Þórhallur Ingi Halldórsson, nominated by the University of Iceland, Faculty of Nutrition
• Kamilla S. Jósefsdóttir, nominated by the Directorate of Health, Chief Epidemiologist
• Rafn Benediktsson, nominated by the University of Iceland, School of Health Sciences.

See news at mbl.is 

Last week, an interview with Hörður G. Kristinsson, director of research and innovation at Matís, was published in 200 miles on mbl.is. There he talks about research in the fisheries sector and their importance. He says that Icelanders are still in the forefront in many respects when it comes to such research, but there is a risk that Iceland will shrink if funding for research and development is not increased.

"We are concerned that if we do not get more injection into research and development, we will lose the advantage we have over other nations, many of which have invested more in such research while there is a certain stagnation going on here right now. , "Says Hörður.

The article can be read in its entirety here.

New methods in conservation biology use environmental eDNA to assess biodiversity in ecosystems. This technology helps to address many of the shortcomings of other methods and offers a quick and inexpensive way to assess marine biodiversity. 

The origin of eDNA in the ocean is various, but usually the DNA from the organisms comes from skin cells, mucus, eggs, eggs or faeces. Seawater is collected at different depths in the areas under study and the sea is then filtered. The filter contains DNA from organisms that can be analyzed by sequencing technology. Monitoring biodiversity with environmental DNA has many advantages over other methods and the method has proven successful in assessing biodiversity in many ecosystems.

At the conference, Icelandic and foreign experts will present research samples and discuss methods for using the DNA environment to measure and monitor biodiversity.

Has been opened website about the conference with information about planned lectures and speakers.

The conference will be held in the meeting room of the Marine Research Institute from 2 to 3 October 2019 and is open. Registration is a prerequisite for participation.

The conference is sponsored by Ag-Fisk and organized by Davíð Gíslason at Matís and Christopher Pampoulie at the Marine Research Institute.

Students in Youth University visited Matís on 13 June on theme days. The title of the day was "Food in space" and the teaching was done by Sævar Helgi Bragason, actor and award-winning science mediator, Anna Sigríður Ólafsdóttir, professor of nutrition at the School of Education at the University of Iceland, and Kolbrún Sveinsdóttir, specialist in research and innovation at Matís. A total of 24 students aged 12-15 participated. 

The course consisted of instruction on the history of space travel, food and the food cycle in space, our senses and how perception changes in space, human nutrition in space and food culture. Into the teaching were practical exercises with perception and food: smell, taste, appearance, sound and texture, as well as the interaction of the senses and how perception in space is different from what we experience on earth. In addition, students got to know research on microplastics, microbiological and genetic research carried out on Matís, all intertwined with life in space.

Matís' involvement in the project was through the WeValueFood project, which Matís will participate in together with 13 other universities and institutions in Europe in the coming months. WeValueFood aims to support the European food economy by educating and empowering the next generation of consumers in knowledge, interest and participation in food-related issues. Part of that is to introduce and educate young people about food and raise their awareness of the issue with new approaches and from other perspectives. Food in space is a very interesting approach to food-related issues and students were very interested in the connection between food, nutrition and space.

Students got to taste freeze-dried fish, apples and bananas.

WeValueFood is shared and sponsored by EIT Food, a large European food knowledge and innovation community that aims to transform the environment of food production, processing and consumption by connecting consumers with companies, entrepreneurs, scientists and students across Europe. EIT Food supports new, sustainable and cost-effective solutions to improve consumer health and to ensure access to safe, high-quality food that has the least impact on the environment. 

What do the Islanders want?

Tomorrow, Friday 21 June, Matís will hold a lunch meeting with representatives of companies in the fishing and processing of seafood in the Westman Islands. The aim of the meeting is to examine the locals 'thoughts on Matís' future activities in the Islands.

It is important that representatives of fisheries companies and other food producers attend the meeting, learn about Matís' operations and take part in shaping the operations of an establishment in the Islands and what emphasis should be placed on the operations.

Matís 'office has been unmanned since the beginning of last month, when Matís' specialist changed careers. Matís wants to improve as soon as possible.

Matís intends to strengthen ties with the business community and gain a better understanding of the needs of the fishing industry and other food production in the Westman Islands. To that end, the meeting is held.

The meeting will be held in the Knowledge Center of the Westman Islands and it starts punctually at 12:00 The house opens at 11:45 and refreshments will be served. The meeting will end before 13:00.

You do not have to register for the meeting, enough to attend.

It is necessary to ensure that foodstuffs, regardless of origin, do not pose a threat to the health of consumers, as clearly stated in food law, whether in the case of chemical or microbial risks. Organized sampling and accredited measurements have conclusive results. 

Matvælastofnun published on website sinni report which deals with the screening of pathogenic bacteria in meat on the market in 2018. Matís participated in the study and performed measurements of Shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC) as stated in the report, as well as assistance with data interpretation and presentation.

Since 2015, the Matís laboratory has been a reference laboratory for STEC and has worked to build up expertise and measurement capacity in Iceland. Through the network of the European Reference Laboratory, Matís participates in international collaboration in developing methods, assessing the spread and strengthening knowledge of STEC in food.

Matvælastofnun's research in which Matís participated is the first of its kind in Iceland and is part of examining STEC's prevalence in food and animals and assessing STEC's position in the Icelandic market. The project is also an important part of preparing the laboratory for dealing with STEC epidemics. The results of the study show that this toxin  E. coli species is present in the meat of Icelandic sheep and cattle.

Today, Matís has examined 369 STEC samples. These are mainly samples from research projects, but some of the samples come from suspected foodborne illness and some from private parties due to regular quality control. As stated in the press release of the Food Administration, STEC can cause serious illness in people, but common symptoms are diarrhea. Kidney damage or so-called HUS (Hemolytic Urea Syndrome) is the most serious symptom of STEC infection. Transmission routes are through contaminated food or water, through direct contact with infected animals, or the environment through contaminated faeces of infected animals.

A collaborative project between Micro ryðfrí smíði ehf., Skinney-Þinganes and Matís on the development of a vertical Dragon for fishing vessels was discussed in Sjórmannadagsútgáfu Sóknarfæri.

The dredging and cooling equipment Drekann can be found in many vessels in this country, but its improved vertical design will be a real innovation in fishing vessels.

At the end of last year, the Technology Development Fund supported a two-year project to redesign the Dragon, which is a bleeding and cooling device in ships, and the project is run by the company Micro stainless construction, which produces the equipment, the fishing company Skinney-Þinganes and Matís. The dragon is a well-known equipment and has been used on board a number of vessels in the fleet for bleeding fish, which is the first stage in the processing process of catch on board. Micro has been producing the equipment since 2012, but now it's time for a redesign and at the same time a completely new way of thinking, because the next generation of the Dragon will be vertical. Such an embodiment has never been seen before in ships, but the intention is for the vertical Dreki to be in four new tugs that are currently under construction in Norway, but Skinney-Þinganes and Gjögur will get two ships each.

Homogeneity in raw material handling
Matís is involved in the research part of the project and that part of the project is handled by Sæmundur Elíasson at Matís in Akureyri. "For example, we are comparing different ways and implementations, comparing the quality of fish and thus evaluating the benefits of the equipment. The dragon equipment is both a bleeding and cooling device for fish immediately after bleeding and the goal is to redesign the equipment from scratch. The new design will be vertical in the ships instead of being horizontal on the processing deck, as has been the case until now, "says Sæmundur, but at the same time changing the design itself, the goal is to be more automated than before and to increase the quality of the raw material. Sæmundur says that the Dragon equipment that is now in ships has proven to be very good and has the advantage that the volume utilization of the production deck will be good, but it is very important to make full use of the space. In short, it is a compartmentalized conveyor belt in a closed vessel, filled with seawater or refrigerant. The name Dragon is simply derived from the metaphor of tank belts.
"The idea behind the equipment is that all fish receive exactly the same length of treatment, which ensures uniformity in the handling of raw materials. Fish that enter the Dragon go into a chamber that is formed between two kicks on the belt and then go a full circle in the tank belt and are constantly submerged in sea or coolant. With the speed of the belt, it is possible to control how long the fish are in the bleed, but one of the goals of this new project is to increase the automation in time management and feeding of fish into the Dragon, "says Sæmundur, but the length of the Dragon varies depending on the size of vessels and processing deck space.

Innovative thinking
The vertical design of the new Dragon in the ships of Skinney-Þinganes and Gjögur is interesting as a lot of floor space is saved on the processing deck. The dragon will reach from the processing deck and down to the ship's train and the space will be closed.
"This means that the fish comes out of the bleeding, goes into the Dragon and then travels in it down to the train and then comes up again from where it then continues in cooling and in a basket. Ideologically, this is very simple, but the project is solving various technical aspects such as cleaning, maintenance of the equipment and more. The basic idea that the fish receive equal treatment in a sea bath while it is bleeding is the same as before, but the idea of vertical equipment that goes down into the train is new and very interesting, "says Sæmundur, but the construction of the four trawlers has come a long way in Norway and this equipment will be put on board later in the year.

Bleeding is especially important in salted fish processing
There has been and has been a great deal of spotlight in recent years on catch management from the first stage at sea, and in particular there have been changes in the cooling of the raw material. Emphasis is placed on cooling the fish as soon as possible after it comes on board. Sæmundur says that within Matís there is a great deal of knowledge about these processes, as the company has been an active participant in this development with fisheries companies and manufacturers of technical equipment for fishing vessels and fish processing plants. He says the bleeding factor is no less important than the cooling, especially in the case of fish that goes into salting.
"At the beginning of this project, we review the results of the use of Dragon Equipment in the ships of Skinney-Þinganes and the results were very good, ie. that a 10 to 15% higher proportion of fish by this method resulted in higher quality categories of products in salted fish processing. Bleeding is especially important for salted fish processing. Bad-blooded fish that goes into salt becomes a poorer product after the processing process and therefore ends up in less expensive product categories. That's why bleeding is no less important than the cooling itself, "says Sæmundur.

Next Thursday, Auður Filippusdóttir will give her MS lecture in food science. Her project is about starting a small production of ice cream from raw milk from the farm Skútustaðir in Mývatnssveit.

The aim of the project was to increase knowledge about ice cream production by reading accessible information, visiting ice cream shops around Iceland as well as participating in a theoretical and practical course in ice making at the University of Reading, England.

• To prepare a quality manual and business plan for "straight from the farm" ice cream.
• To plan and apply for a permit for ice making in Skútustaðir
• To start the development of unique ice cream with skyr.

A screening experiment was performed on skyr, but the results showed that the most interesting was the best amount of skyr in the ice, as well as using possible skyr powder instead of stirred skyr. The author also found that other binders and emulsifiers were probably more suitable. Equipment, however, plays a major role when it comes to making ice cream, and the author will therefore continue to develop the recipe when it has a proper ice machine and facilities. The project supervisors are Guðjón Þorkelsson and Þórarinn Egill Sveinsson. Examiner is Dr. Kolbrún Sveinsdóttir. The lecture takes place in hall 311 in Esja in Matís, Vínlandsleið 14, Reykjavík and starts at 15:00.