Category: News

The Microbiology team in Reykjavík has been using MALDI-TOF technology (matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry) for years to research and analyse a vast number of microbial strains.

Recently our Swedac accreditation has expanded to allow the accredited use of the MALDI-TOF biotyper to confirm Campylobacter, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Clostridium perfringens. Previously, the laboratory had received a similar accreditation for Listeria monocytogenes species analyses. The MALDI-TOF technology allows the laboratory to greatly speed up the type identification of the previously mentioned microorganisms and is therefore a significant step forward in the speed of type identification of living bacteria. The aim is to expand the laboratory's accreditation to use this rapid technology for the identification of even more pathogenic bacteria.

Further information:

Basic Principles of Matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

In the latest epidemiologist's newsletter states that the frequency of infections caused by Listeria is increasing rapidly in Europe. There are signs of the same trend in Iceland, where five cases were diagnosed in the first three months of the year. Listeria can cause serious infections in vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women, infants and the elderly. An important element in the fight against Listeria in food is the so-called whole genome sequencing of bacteria (WGS - whole genome sequencing). This method has been gaining ground over the past decade, and Matís was a pioneer in its implementation in this country. This method has been applied to Matís for the past 10 years, first for research purposes and later to trace the origin of infections caused by foodborne diseases.

Matís has carried out infection tracing in several serious cases of Listeria infections in collaboration with Landspítalann, MAST and Sóttvarnarlæð. Matís also runs a reference laboratory in pathogenicity E. coli and Salmonella, which can enter people through food and cause serious infections. Matís performed whole genome sequencing in connection with caused by group infection E. coli STEC in 2019.

Matís' laboratory for microbiological measurements is a so-called reference laboratory (NRL) in Listeria. The operation of reference laboratories includes advice and guidance on measurement methods, participation in the development and verification of measurement methods, sharing of knowledge and information from foreign reference laboratories to laboratories in Iceland, scientific and technical assistance to competent authorities and maintenance of accreditation.

Matís runs a powerful laboratory in microbiology where microbes can be analyzed in all types of food and environmental samples. Matís also offers advice to food manufacturers on how best to prevent microbial contamination during food processing.

What do curds, sourdough mothers, bokashi barrels and dry toilets have in common? What effect do environmental issues have on our intestines?

In order to answer these questions, we need to develop a new perspective across research fields and integrate different research methods. The microbial world that surrounds us, inside and out, both houses and nourishes us. Although mostly hidden from human eyes, it holds the key to humanity's future in a dynamic world.

On Thursday, April 11 and Friday, April 12, a conference will be held in the National Museum of Iceland, where microbes and culture will be discussed with a diverse interdisciplinary approach.

Lecturers come from different fields of knowledge, such as microbiology, food science, ethnology, anthropology, nutrition, sociology, health sciences, design and performing arts; but have in common to emphasize the importance of the coexistence of people and microorganisms for the environment, health, social relations and culture.

Among the speakers are Agnes Þóra Árnadóttir and Snorri Páll Ólason, doctoral students at Matís, who will talk about their projects. Agnes will talk about the effect of mothers' diet on the intestinal flora of their young children, and Snorri about the microbial flora in a shark's gut.

The conference is open to everyone and admission is free. You can attend individual seminars.

The program of the conference.

Last February, Margrét Geirsdóttir, project manager at Matís, received an exciting invitation from KIMST (Korea Institute of Marine Science & Technology Promotion) and KIOST (Korea Institute of Ocean Science) to discuss full utilization at a conference in Seoul, Korea.  

At the moment, better utilization of by-products in fish processing is on Koreans' minds, and there has been great interest in getting to know what has been done well elsewhere in the world. Margréti was invited to give a talk about various projects she has worked on at Matís that have turned to full utilization, especially on fish. Alexandra Leeper from Sjávarklasanum was also invited to the same trip and she told about what is happening in Iceland in this regard today and what has been done over the years to get to the place Iceland is at.   

The conference was entitled 2024 International Zero Waste Fisheries Forum and was attended by about 200 people, many from Korean industry, universities and research institutes came to learn and compare their books. 

During the trip, the Icelandic guests also got to visit an elegant fish market, but what caught their attention the most was that there it was possible to buy and enjoy their favorite skate, which was served with chili sauce and was considered the greatest delicacy.

Most of the foods we eat are processed in some way. Food processing is actually necessary to ensure sufficient food supply for people in urban areas. If food could not be transported over long distances and preserved, food waste would be blinding and the lives of people in urban areas would be different. Food processing is therefore a prerequisite for food security, but food security means that all individuals always have access to enough nutritious food. On the other hand, food safety means that food is safe for consumption and does not cause foodborne diseases (food infections and foodborne diseases caused by bacteria, other microorganisms, viruses or toxins).

Food processing has developed rapidly in recent decades, and the supply of all kinds of food is enormous. There is concern that we have lost track of the production of nutritious foods. Food production costs can be reduced and consumer prices can be reduced by using a lot of sugar and water-binding substances in food. You can achieve great taste and make the food almost ready to eat for people who don't have time to cook. This is the reason why in 2009 the so-called NOVA scale was presented, where foods are classified according to how much they are processed. In the fourth category are foods that are the most processed and have been called ultra-processed foods. This classification offers research on the relationship between processed foods and health, but research has typically focused on the relationship between individual substances and health. It is important to take into account the definition of processed food at the international level, as has been pointed out in scientific articles that have examined the relationship between processed food and health.

Recommendations have been made that encourage people to avoid consuming processed foods. These foods are not ordinary nutritious foods. It is not always easy to find out which foods are processed, as the definitions have changed somewhat in recent years. It is therefore natural to wonder how best to identify processed foods.

Fast food

Fermented foods are generally high in energy due to the high amount of sugar and/or fat, but this high amount reduces the percentage of important nutrients in return. It could be said that a lot of processing means that the food is mashed a lot and it allows people to consume the food in a short time, without effort. These are foods that are often called fast food. One additional characteristic is that various substances such as dyes and sweeteners are used to make the food palatable.

Fermented foods have not necessarily gone through many processing steps, but rather these foods can be attributed to monotony or large changes in composition at the expense of nutritional value. There is no easy way to find processed foods. It is best to consider whether the foods are high in energy, contain a lot of sugar, unhealthy fats, a lot of salt, dyes and artificial sweeteners, but little in important nutrients such as fibre, proteins and vitamins. The addition of nutrients to increase the nutritional value would be beneficial. The definition of processed foods cannot be based on the fact that they contain a certain number of ingredients, nor that all the ingredients are available in consumers' kitchens. A long shelf life also does not prove that it is a processed food, as canned sardines and milk heated at high temperatures are not processed foods.

Some examples

Breakfast cereal is often mentioned in connection with processed foods, but here you have to be careful, as only some breakfast cereals are loaded with sugar (fermented), but a significant selection of breakfast cereals is minimally processed. There are examples of cereal with a long ingredient list, but it still contains a significant amount of fiber and no more sugar than fresh milk. When choosing a cereal, you need to look specifically at the sugar content and added substances such as dyes.

Sweets and most snacks can be considered highly processed due to high processing, and sweets also due to their sugar content, and snacks often due to fat and salt. Sugary soft drinks can be considered processed because of the sugar content, even though the processing steps are relatively few.

The consumption of herbal drinks (for example, oat drink) has increased a lot in recent years, among other things, due to interest in plant-based food. The processing of these drinks is rather simple, although the process is very similar to the process for cow's milk. Regular herbal drinks are far from being processed.

Mixed dishes, bread sandwiches and more of that kind are generally not processed, even if the ingredients description is long. Low-processed ingredients can be arranged so that the products are consumed in a short time. Processed food products, on the other hand, are created when the raw materials are extensively processed, their nature is changed and the product is held together by the use of chemicals. A vegan meat substitute was available commercially a while back. The ingredients were many and met the requirement of being from the plant kingdom. It can be said that it was a technical achievement to tie the ingredients together and make them look like meat, but the result is hardly in the spirit of those who prefer a vegetarian diet. Additives came into play there, and the same can be said for many heavily processed foods.

Additives and additives

Food additives are substances added to food in order to affect the shelf life, color, texture or other properties of food. The term additive is defined in regulations and is therefore used for these substances in food. The term additive is often mistakenly used for additives, but it should rather be used for auxiliary substances in industrial products. Only those additives that the European Food Safety Authority has assessed and recognized as not harmful to people's health may be used in food. Additives must be specified in the ingredient descriptions of foods. The additives appear under a chemical name or as the letter E and a number, while the E stands for Europe. People can therefore always find out what the topic is and can point to it The Food Agency's website (www.mast.is) in that regard. Instructions on how the additives are permitted to be used can be found in the regulation, which contains a separate list of the additives that are permitted to be used in each type of food. Authorizations for the use of additives are revised in Europe if there is reasoned suspicion that they are harmful.

Additives are divided into categories and include preservatives, sweeteners, coloring agents and binders. Lactic acid (E270) can be taken as an example of a preservative. It is therefore clear that some additives are also found as natural substances in unprocessed foods. However, there are additives that are created by chemical methods, such as azo dyes such as azorubin (E122). Other pigments are as natural as can be, carotene (E160) are the substances that give the vegetation its beautiful autumn colors.

An example of the usefulness of additives is when lactic acid is added to a food product in order to lower the acidity so that bacteria, which can cause foodborne diseases, cannot grow. The correct use of additives is therefore important for consumers. The example of the use of the additive lactic acid is an action to ensure food safety.

There is no reason to avoid foods with few additives. The situation is different when the production of food is based on numerous additives. Then it is right to ask what purpose all the additives serve. It is likely that it is processed food. It must be kept in mind that some people are allergic or intolerant to certain additives.

Health claims and health products

Claims on food packaging are subject to strict rules defined in regulations. On the Food Agency's website, there is a good discussion about the permitted use of the claims. Claims of loyalty are of two types. Nutrition claims are claims about nutrients in the food product, and in each case certain defined limits are set for the respective nutrients. On the other hand, there are health claims that discuss that there is a connection between health and a certain food product or substances in it. Only health claims that have been confirmed by scientific research may be used. Before a health claim is allowed in Europe, the available results of such studies are reviewed by EFSA, which is a food safety agency within the European Union, and the use of the claims is subject to clear conditions. It is the role of the health inspectors of rural associations under the supervision of the Swedish Food Agency to monitor that the claims on food packaging are correct.

However, the term health product has no defined meaning. It primarily has an advertising value to create a positive image. In the discussion, it has been argued that health products are usually processed foods. Unfortunately, there is a lot of information chaos about the healthiness of food on social media and in various discussions, so there is reason to consider the information carefully. When discussing health products, one should look at the labels on the packaging and read the ingredient descriptions, nutritional values and permitted claims.

Energy drinks

Energy drinks are a separate chapter, the name is misleading because almost all of them contain no energy ingredients. Instead, energy drinks are intended to achieve a stimulating effect and therefore contain various active substances such as caffeine. Despite the few processing steps, energy drinks are often discussed with processed foods and then because the composition is completely different from normal drinks. In fact, energy drinks should not be grouped with food.

To consumers

There is no need to avoid generally processed foods, as it would then be difficult to find enough and varied food. It is best to build on a good knowledge of the composition of food and look at the ingredient descriptions and nutritional values on food packaging. Of course, it is wisest to avoid unhealthy foods, but these are often processed foods. Simple definitions of processed foods do not exist, as complex definitions and long texts may be needed. The concept of processed foods has proven to be useful in research on the relationship between food and health, but it has been pointed out that methods of classifying processed foods still need revision. It is therefore important that consumers rely on their own judgment rather than lists of processed foods. It must be borne in mind that the composition of food can change.

Food production is changing and companies need to respond to consumer preferences. Consumers have a strong influence and the industry stops production of what does not sell. Ahead is a development in the food industry. Many food manufacturers are aware of consumer concerns about the overuse of additives. Product development in the food industry focuses, among other things, on using natural raw material components instead of additives to ensure sufficient shelf life, while also ensuring food safety. It is to be expected that new nutritious and healthy ingredients will see the light of day in the coming years from algae, herbs and other sources of nature, as there is a great need to increase the availability of nutritious food for more of the world's inhabitants.

final words

A definition of processed foods may be more suitable for research purposes than for guiding people on precise food choices. It is important to seek knowledge about foods, choose healthy foods and avoid extremes in their composition.

There has never been as much information available as it is today. This applies to food like anything else. However, obtaining reliable information and verifying it has become more work than before. The compilation of this small article revealed a large number of texts on the substances in processed foods, their effects on health and harm. There was a lot of good information, but also conflicting information and in some cases outright wrong. Therefore, it is important not to be too quick to draw conclusions, but to examine sources carefully and compare sources. And never distribute information until you are sure of its value. Dietary advice and the importance of a varied diet can be pointed out website of the Office of the National Medical Examiner. The effects of processed foods on health are discussed in other articles in this paper.

Sources

On the Food Agency's website you can find information about additives, health claims, energy drinks and foodborne illnesses. On website of the National Medical Examiner's Office you can find recommendations for a healthy diet. Other sources can be found with this article in the article collection at sibs.is under Educational Materials.

Authors: Kolbrún Sveinsdóttir and Ólafur Reykdal

The article originally appeared in the February issue of SÍBS newspaper this year.

Algae are becoming more and more popular in the West for consumption, partly because they are a rich source of minerals and vitamins. However, they also absorb the element arsenic from the sea, which can be carcinogenic.

In algae, arsenic is detected mainly in the form of diverse organic compounds of arsenic, eg arsenosaccharides and arsenolipids, but organic arsenic species have been considered harmless. However, recent studies of arsenolipids have shown that they can exhibit similar toxicity to carcinogenic inorganic arsenic. The question has also been raised whether arsenosaccharides, which make up the majority of the arsenic measured in algae, can have long-term negative effects with regular consumption. The concentration of toxic inorganic arsenic and arsenolipids is generally low in algae, but there are exceptions. For example, consumption of brown algae is not recommended Hijiki, which has been used, for example, in soups, as it contains a large amount of inorganic arsenic.

Much is still unknown about the origin of arsenolipids, but the starting point of their production is believed to take place in algae.

There is an urgent need for more information on these arsenic compounds in order to fully assess whether their consumption is associated with risks and to ensure that appropriate rules are set for their maximum levels in food.

Sampling provided a deeper understanding

To gain a deeper understanding, dozens of samples of red, green and brown algae were collected near Grindavík and Kjalarnes. The samples were thoroughly analyzed for heavy metals and an arsenic analysis was carried out to obtain information on the chemical form of the arsenic.

Species identification can be complex and was performed using selective mass spectrometry. In addition, brown macroalgae were divided into biological fractions to determine whether the distribution of arsenic species was uniform throughout the seaweed. There is limited information available globally on arsenolipids in seaweed, so this comprehensive profiling of arsenic species in different species of algae is challenging to elucidate how these enigmatic organic arsenic compounds are formed and where they are stored within the algae.

Results showed large differences between algal species

The results showed, among other things, that the concentration of hydrophilic arsenic species, such as arsenosaccharides and inorganic arsenic, varied between different algae species. Inorganic arsenic was found in low concentrations in all the algae that were measured, except in horse kelp, where the concentration was high - but different depending on which part of the algae was measured. The composition of arsenosaccharides also depended on algal species and season. Interestingly, all macroalgae seem to have the ability to produce four main arsenosaccharide derivatives, although the composition varies.

Lipophilic forms of arsenic (arsenolipids) also differed between algal species. The predominant type of arsenolipids varied, but the difference was greatest between brown and red algae compared to green algae. This has never been demonstrated before.

These results indicate that the cycle of arsenic is highly dependent on algal species, which may have developed different methods and pathways for arsenic metabolism.

Another goal was a detailed analysis of arsenic species in different parts of algae (eg, bract, stem, leaf, or reproductive tissue) and between seasons to provide insight into how these compounds are formed. Arsenosaccharides and one type of arsenolipids containing arsenosaccharides were found in the highest concentrations in the reproductive tissue of brown algae. This indicates that the sugars are the starting point for the production of these arsenolipids. It is possible that arsenosaccharides or arsenolipids are produced for a specific biological purpose and these compounds can be utilized by the alga, but their production could also be accidental! However, arsenosaccharides do not seem to serve the purpose of energy storage like other sugars, and it has not yet been discovered whether and what the benefits of their presence in the cell wall are.

Are you interested in knowing more?

The project "Distribution of arsenic species by seaweed parts, in particular arsenic lipids" received funding from the Norwegian Research Foundation in 2020 and has been running for the past 4 years to gain a better and deeper understanding of this interesting field. The project was carried out as part of a doctoral program at the University of Iceland, in collaboration with the Norwegian Marine Research Institute, the University of Graz and the University of Aberdeen.

The study has contributed to a better understanding of the presence of different compounds of arsenic in macroalgae. The data can also be used for risk assessment of arsenic species in seaweed for human consumption and can therefore influence future legislation on food safety. The results from the project are extensive and you can follow new scientific articles that are still being published from the project here.

Distribution of arsenic species by seaweed components, in particular arsenic lipids

Saltfish is a quality product, but the image of saltfish among Icelanders has been under attack. Matís, in collaboration with Icelandic, Norwegian and Faroese experts in saltfish processing and quality, cooking, food production, communication and the travel industry, has dedicated the month of March 2024 to saltfish. It is the hope of the project's relatives that the image of saltfish will be turned around because it is important that saltfish is part of our Icelandic food culture, we know it and that we are proud of it.

The Saltfish delicacies project was launched in 2022 and aimed to strengthen the position of saltfish in the domestic market. A workshop organized by the food company clearly revealed that the salted fish has endless possibilities when it comes to the preparation of dishes, and the possibilities are truly there. However, the image that saltfish seems to have here in Iceland needs to be changed, so that saltfish is or should be surf salt. Properly drained salted fish should not really be very salty, it should just have a faint salty taste. It has also been observed that (light/night) salted fish is sold as salted fish, but these are completely different products.

Properly watered salted fish has a characteristic flavor, even reminiscent of butter, and the texture of the fish is firm. The aforementioned workshop was very successful, and it featured a number of ideas on how to support the image that salted fish is truly a gourmet product.

In the sequel, emphasis was placed on the development of prepared dishes and recipes based on traditional dehydrated salt fish. We worked from the point of view of making it easier for consumers to prepare salted fish delicacies without much effort.

Now in the month of March, saltfish month has been launched in collaboration with Krónuna, which will offer for sale ready-made dishes made from dehydrated saltfish and dehydrated saltfish from chef Grími, which is the result of this work. The products are available in Krónun Lindum, Grandi, Flatahrauni, Bíldshöfði, Skeifun, Mosfellsbær, Selfoss, Akureyri and in Vestmannaey.

A wide variety of information and recipes for delicious salted fish dishes can be found on the project page here: Salted fish delicacies

Since 2011, Matís' microbiology department has taken regular Legionella samples for several hotels in Reykjavík. This sampling is to ensure the safety of hotel guests, but in recent decades there have been cluster infections in hotels around the world. 

The Legionella bacteria can cause two types of disease. Pontiac fever and Legionnaires' disease. Pontiac fever is a milder symptom of Legionella infection and is accompanied by flu-like symptoms, such as bone pain, fever, chills, and headache. Hepatitis causes an infection in the lungs and the symptoms are cough, shortness of breath, high fever, muscle pain and headache. Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea may also occur. The death rate for soldier sickness is 5-10% according to World Health Organization. Between 2020 and 2023, two to ten people a year fell ill from Legionella in Iceland.

Since the establishment of Matís ohf in 2007, we have tested more than 1100 samples for Legionella. This is both regular monitoring and also samples where Legionella is suspected to be present. In total, we have found Legionella in 69 samples from nine different sources. It has been found in hotels, nursing homes, senior housing, apartment buildings, cooling towers and cargo ships.

When is Legionella looked for in samples? Many companies such as hotels take samples for Legionella to ensure the safety of guests and as a precaution, as the reputational damage caused by a Legionella group infection in a hotel can be so great that the hotel is forced to stop operations after a Legionella group infection. There are many examples of this abroad, although it has not happened in this country.

In the new drinking water directive from the European Union from 2020, the risk analysis of housing is discussed. There are requirements for building owners to ensure that there is nothing harmful to health in the building such as Legionella in the plumbing system. There must not be more than 1000 Legionella bacteria in one liter of water. 

The National Food Agency, the National Health Service and the Environment Agency have published good ones instructions for the public. There is information and guidance on how to reduce the risk of Legionella infection.

Matís and the Icelandic Marine and freshwater Research Institute are leading a new international ISK 1.2 billion research and innovation project designed to address climate change and the threat to marine biodiversity. The project received funding from the European Union's Research Program, Horizon Europe, mission ocean.

The BioProtect project led by Matís and the Norwegian Marine Research Institute (Hafró) is about developing methodologies and technical solutions to facilitate decision-making about resource utilization or the protection of ocean areas. Emphasis is placed on good cooperation with economic partners, which are, for example, shipping companies and fisheries associations, municipalities and especially fishing communities, national and international governments, nature conservation organizations, research partners, policy makers and experts. The biodiversity of the sea will be monitored so that it will be possible to account for its status and predict possible changes. There will also be extensive mapping of the use and impact of humans on individual sea areas and species in the sea. An action plan for the prioritization of conservation and restoration measures will also be prepared, as well as an assessment of the ecological, social and economic effects of these conservation measures in five ocean areas, ie by Iceland, Norway, Ireland, Portugal and the Azores.

A total of 18 companies and organizations from across Europe are participating in the project, which is managed by Dr. Sophie Jensen, project manager at Matís. She is so faithfully supported by Dr. Julian Burgos of the Norwegian Marine Research Institute, who is the scientific leader of the project. It is a great honor and trust that Matís and the Institute of Marine Research are shown by being elected to lead this group of many of the best scientists in Europe in their field.

It is clear that the project will generate a lot of knowledge that will be useful to Icelandic society in the years to come to deal with climate change and the human threat to marine biodiversity. It is also nice to report that, through the project, 320 million ISK of international funding is being secured into Icelandic society.

The BioProtect project contributes, among other things, to European nations achieving the main goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework agreement, which was signed at the end of 2022. It stipulates that states must protect 30% of ocean and land areas by 2030, and that agreement has been signed by more than 200 countries, including Iceland.

From the Hafranósnastofnun website:

The main goal of the Kumning-Montreal Convention is to protect biological diversity, which is now declining at a much faster rate than in known geohistorical time. Biodiversity is a complex term that can refer to genetic variation, species diversity, diversity in the characteristics of organisms, and more. Biodiversity is the basis of resource utilization as it ensures resilience in ecosystems, among other things against rapid environmental changes, such as climate change and ocean acidification. The stakes are therefore high that this goal will be achieved.