Two of Matís' stage managers, they Guðmundur Stefánsson and Jónas R. Viðarsson, put their best foot forward last week and visited some well-chosen food production companies in the Westfjords.
So that the delegation was now not only made up of "experts from the south", they joined them Gunnar Þórðarson regional manager Matís á Vestfjörður and Guðrún Anna Finnbogadóttir from Vestfjörður room.
Súgandafjörður and Arnarfjörður welcomed the group with pleasant weather.
Vestfjörður welcomed the group extremely well, with sunshine and smiles in their hearts. The companies that were visited were Arnarlax in Bíldudal, Oddi in Patreksfjörður, Arctic Fish and Drimla in Bolungavík, Klofningur and Fisherman in Suðureyri, as well as representatives of Vesturbyggð had a meeting with the group to introduce the activities planned for Vatneyrarbúd in Patreksfjörður.
Aðalsteinn at Fisherman shows the company's processing facilities in Suðureyri, but the company offers an ambitious product range of seafood in consumer packaging.
This visit to Vestfjörður was extremely enjoyable and instructive, as there is a lot of work going on in the area. Matís expects that it will be possible, in the coming months, to nurture even better the good cooperation that the company has had with parties in the region. The future is bright for employment in the Westfjords
(left): Aðalsteinn is also involved in the operation of a colonial goods trade in Suðureyri, which is located in an elegant newly built "old trade building". Right: Visit to Drimla, Arctic Fish slaughterhouse in Bolungarvík.
On the days 7-10 last november took place in Limoges, France, the opening meeting of the Natalie project, to which Matís is a member. The main focus of the project is to develop NSB's nature-based solutions to monitor and/or respond to the effects of climate change.
Natalie is a five-year project, which will be carried out by 42 participants from all over Europe. Iceland's role in the project is to verify new implementations of nature-based methods for assessing the effects of climate change on coastal areas and their ecosystems. The project is extensive and complex in its entire implementation, and the meeting was aimed at getting everyone to the table, introducing themselves and the parts of the project that each has at their disposal.
During the meeting, the management part of the project was thoroughly reviewed, i.e. what is expected of each of its members. There was also a presentation of all seven work parts of the project (e. work package, WP) together with the presentation of all the 42 parties involved in the project, i.e. their participation in the project and their background.
The meeting days were long but successful as planned. In addition, people managed to talk to each other and get to know each other, which is an extremely important part of such busy projects that cover as long a time as Natalie's proposed five years.
After the meeting, it is clear that there are exciting times ahead as Matís will participate in the development of the evaluation of new solutions to prevent the loss of important ecosystems. The challenges of climate change are numerous, including the threat to ecosystems that support food production, thereby threatening our food security as a nation due to local changes, but also on a global scale.
You can follow the progress of the project on its project page here: Natalie.
Also on the foreign project page of the partners here: Natalie.
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe program under grant agreement N° 101112859
The Food Congress will be held in Harpa on Wednesday, November 15, but the circular economy, in the context of the newly approved food policy until 2040, is the main subject of the congress, which is now being held for the second time.
Two representatives from Matís are on the list of speakers Eva Margrét Jónudóttir, project manager and Birgir Örn Smárason, professional director of the professional group sustainability and fire.
Eva Margrét will be one of four participants in a panel discussion entitled Are there solutions hidden in the remains? Utilization of raw materials - nothing thrown away. For example, she will discuss what opportunities there are for increased utilization, which resource flows could be used better, what the situation is today and what the future prospects are. Congress guests will be able to submit questions to be discussed by the panelists.
Birgir Örn will deliver the talk What's for dinner in 2050? – the future of food production. Among other things, he will discuss the food that will be eaten in 2050, the changes that food systems will most likely undergo in the coming decades, and the reasons why food systems need to change.
More information about the event and registration here: Food Congress 2023
This summer, a study was conducted on the effects of substances from seaweed on the signs of aging in healthy skin. The investigation is now over and two winners have been drawn and have been contacted.
The study went well and we thank all participants for their time and contribution.
The research was part of the project MINERVA, which aims to increase and improve the utilization of sustainably produced macroalgae and develop new valuable products from them. The project is funded by ERA-NET Cofund Blue Bioeconomy and is a joint project of companies, universities and research companies in Ireland, Iceland and Sweden.
More information about the Minerva project can be found on its project page here: MINERVA
Matís is looking for a manager of the finance and operations department. The job involves a lot of communication, negotiation and analytical work. The division manager reports to the CEO.
Main tasks and responsibilities
Day-to-day management and responsibility for the division's finances, operations and staffing
Financial planning in collaboration with department managers
Financial settlement of Matís and settlement of individual projects
Financial analysis work
Responsibility for project accounting
Development of management information and operational metrics
Supervising the operation of real estate, canteen, equipment, computer system and software
Overseeing the implementation and development of ICT projects
Negotiating and communicating with numerous parties
Qualification requirements
University education in the field of finance, operations
Experience in accounting and settlements
Experience in management and operations
Good analytical skills
Strong communication and organizational skills
Good knowledge of financial software
Experience with digital development and operation of IT systems is desirable
Applications must be accompanied by a detailed CV and cover letter. The application deadline is 23 November. All genders are encouraged to apply.
Information provided by Geirlaug Jóhannsdóttir, geirlaug@hagvangur.is
Matís is a leader in the field of food research and biotechnology. At Matís, there is a powerful group of around 100 employees who are passionate about finding new ways to maximize the use of raw materials, increase sustainability and promote public health. Matís' role is to strengthen the competitiveness of Icelandic products and business life and ensure food safety, public health and sustainable use of the environment through research, innovation and services. Matís focuses on practical research that increases the value of Icelandic food production, promotes the safety and wholesomeness of products and the sustainable use of natural resources.
Aðalheiður Ólafsdóttir, Matís' sensory evaluation manager, is an interviewee in a new episode of Matvælin, Matís' podcast about research and innovation in food production.
She discussed everything that is involved in sensory evaluation, why it is important and for whom. She also told stories about the diverse projects she has dealt with as a sensory evaluation manager, from evaluating the softness and smell of face cream to evaluating the boar smell of meat, the properties of protein powder from mangers and the taste and texture of kelp.
The talk is light and fun and extremely informative for those who ponder questions such as:
What is sensory evaluation and how is it done?
Why is it important to value consumer products?
What qualities do sensory evaluation judges at Matís need to have?
Matís is currently working on a large-scale study where experiments are carried out with the freezing of salmon using magnetic and sound wave freezing in collaboration with Kælismiðjuna Frost and the seafood company Odda in Patreksfjörður.
This freezing method is a novelty in this country and it is mostly unknown in Europe but slightly known in Asia. It is estimated that the experiments will take six months, so the first results could be available in the middle of next year. The intention is to get a picture of how ultrasonically frozen salmon fillets react compared to conventional blast freezing, and not least of all the effects of such freezing on the product in the long term.
During traditional blast freezing, Sigurður J. Bergsson, Frost's technical director, says that the cell walls in the fish flesh burst and the cell liquid should thus clear its way out. When the fish fillet is thickened, the liquid leaks out and the quality of the fish decreases considerably. With the magnetic and sound wave freezing, the cell walls are prevented from bursting and the liquid from leaving the fish flesh. This keeps the freshness of the product. "The market has increased demands for fresh frozen products, and with this freezing method we believe that the seafood industry can meet them with the supply of fresh seafood with a much longer shelf life than is possible today," says Sigurður.
Magnetic and acoustic wave freezing can be described as a green technology with high energy efficiency, where sound waves are used to control and reduce the structure of crystals in fish and meat. Sigurður says this method improves the freezing process and speeds it up, it produces more uniform and smaller ice crystals, it slows down oxidation changes, which leads to significantly less damage to the food.
Sigurður says that the magnetic and sonic wave freezing has been tested on various types of products and preliminary results show that products frozen using this method taste almost as fresh.
It will be interesting to see what this research by Matís, Odda and Frost on salmon reveals. If it gives positive results and researchers become even more convinced of the feasibility of further developing this technology, Sigurður believes that the fishing companies will quickly take over. Kælismiðjan Frost and Matís have worked with the fishing industry on various solutions over the years, both for whiting and pelagic fish, so there is a lot of experience and trust. The goal is always to do even better for the fishing industry companies in the country.
The Fisheries Conference was held in Harpa last week and there was a seminar dedicated to development in freezing technology. Sæmundur Elíasson, project manager at Matís, and Sigurjón Arason, chief engineer at Matís, gave a talk there. Sæmundur talked about recent technological developments in freezing and thawing, and Sigurjón about freezing before and after freezing. In the language institute, Sigurður Bergsson from Kælismiðinn Frost presented research on magnetic and sound wave freezing.
The seafood conference will take place for the twelfth time next November 2 and 3 in Harpa. The Maritime Industry Conference is one of the largest annual forums for all those working in the maritime industry.
Social responsibility in the fishing industry is the title of the 2023 Fisheries Conference, and Matís has a lot to contribute. Matís' staff will have both a wide variety of presentations at the conference and supervision of seminars.
Sæmundur Elíasson, project manager at Matís, will present the talk "Future possibilities in seafood freezing and thawing technology".There, he will review recent developments in freezing and thawing technology for seafood and the effect on quality aspects of raw materials, such as water resistance, texture, TVB-N, lipids and proteins. The recent development of industrial solutions in freezing and thawing will be discussed, including the use of high pressure, sound waves, electromagnetic waves (eg radio and microwaves), etc. These different methods can be used alongside more traditional freezing and thawing methods (such as air blowing or immersion in liquid) to stimulate the process and achieve increased speed and maintain better quality.
Sigurjón Arason, chief engineer at Matís, delivers the talk "Freezing before and after freezing" and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of freezing seafood after different waiting times. He will also evaluate how to ensure the preservation of quality through the value chain from slaughter to consumers. When freezing seafood, it is necessary to consider the condition of the raw material, such as the time of year, handling and dead starling, freezing technology and the method used, cold storage and transport, but it is important to consider stability in the process.
Hildur Inga Sveinsdóttir, project manager at Matís, will present the talk "Side streams or side raw materials: Utilization of different streams from fish processing". During the processing of marine products, various currents with different characteristics are created. It is important to look at these trends with the same eyes, they are all raw materials. There are different opportunities for each individual, and the presentation will review the results of research on their properties, as well as discuss their potential for use, with the maximization of quality and value in mind.
Guðmundur Óli Hreggviðsson, strategic expert at Matís, gives a talk about biomass plants but it is rather a new term used to define and describe biomass processing plants. They work there mostly with underutilized biological resources, for example seaweed and kelp, offcuts and residues from the fishing industry and agriculture, offcuts from the food industry, tree cultivation and rapeseed cultivation. The products of biomass plants are rarely food, but rather valuable food supplements, pharmaceuticals, valuable chemical compounds for the chemical industry, plastics and biofuels. In addition to traditional methods, important methods of biotechnology, fermentation organisms and enzymes are used.
María Guðjónsdóttir, an expert at Matís, will give a talk on the use of hyperspectral camera technology in research and the fishing industry. Hyperspectral camera technology has gained ground in recent years within the food industry due to the wide range of applications of the technology in quality control, research and development. The hyperspectral imaging technology combines the advantages of photorefractometer technology and image processing and is therefore particularly suitable for the analysis of raw materials and products in an automated manner. With the introduction of artificial intelligence and more complex image processing solutions, more opportunities are opening up for the development of super-resolution imaging technology and the adaptation of the technology to the diverse needs of the marine industry. In the lecture, the methodology will be presented and the main advantages and limitations of the technique will be discussed based on the latest science. There will also be examples of the potential uses of technology in the marine industry, such as use in quality and defect analysis, as well as discussing the main research of recent years and where the technology may lead us in the future.
Kolbrún Sveinsdóttir, project manager at Matís, will then present the talk "Development, impact and image of fish consumption". There she will discuss the development of fish consumption over time, its effect on people's health and changes in knowledge in the context of increased consumption. Changes in the image of fish consumption that have taken place with increased research will be reviewed.
Anna Kristín Daníelsdóttir, assistant director and research and innovation director of Matís, oversees two seminars at the conference, one on food and food safety in the fishing industry and the other on maximizing value in the use of marine organisms, where both challenges and opportunities will be considered.
The program of the Maritime Industry Conference 2023 as well as a registration link and further information is available on the conference's website here:
Matís took part in a research project this summer that was funded by the Student Innovation Fund. The research concerns the collection and use of blood from farmed salmon, and the project was carried out in collaboration with Slippinn-DNG, Samherja fish farm, Eim and the University of Akureyri.
Three students worked on the project this summer and carried out experiments with dry bleeding of salmon in slaughter, collection and analysis of salmon blood and evaluation of the effect of different bleeding methods on fillet quality. Salmon blood was collected at slaughter using equipment specially designed and built for the project. The nutritional values of the blood were studied and the quality and shelf life of the fillets were assessed using different methods, because it is important that the quality of the fish does not deteriorate during the process.
Sæmundur Elíasson, project manager at Matís, was one of the students' supervisors in the project and presented part of its results at the 51st WEFTA conference which took place in Copenhagen on the 16th-20th. last October The West European Fish Technologists Association or WEFTA is a forum where many of Europe's leading scientists in the field of seafood research and its utilization come together and compare their books. The focus of this year's conference was "sustainable use of seafood".
The results of the project provided design criteria useful for the development of technical solutions for dry bleeding of farmed salmon and also demonstrated that the dry bleeding process used did not have a negative effect on fillet quality. It is clear that the salmon blood itself can be a valuable by-product, it has multiple possibilities for utilization, is both iron and protein rich and could be a good food supplement for people. Considerable challenges lie in its collection and storage in large quantities for use, and this project is a good first step towards increased use and value creation of salmon blood.
The farmer's newspaper published two articles this week that dealt with vegetable projects that have been worked on at Matís' last term. On the one hand, a project aimed at building concise knowledge of options for packaging vegetables was discussed, and on the other hand, a project aimed at making full use of the by-products of vegetable production and the potential for product development from those raw materials.
The previous article entitled "Wanting to free vegetables from plastic waste" deals with the project Challenges in packing vegetables which Ólafur Reykdal, project manager at Matís, has managed and is working in collaboration with the horticultural farmers' department in the Farmers' Association of Iceland, the Gardeners' Sales Association and the Association of Southern Municipalities with a grant from the Food Fund. It is hoped that the project will lead to progress on packaging of various foods, although vegetables are particularly studied here and also pave the way for new types of packaging materials. The article can be read in its entirety on page 16 of Bændablaðin and here: Bændabladlad 19 October 2023
The second article included an interview with Eva Margréti Jónudóttir, project manager at Matís, who discussed the project Valorisation of side streams from Icelandic horticulture led by Rósa Jónsdóttir, professional director of biomaterials. The project is carried out in collaboration with Orkídeu and the Icelandic Farmers' Association with funding from the Food Fund and aims to put cauliflower leaves, broccoli leaves, rose leaves, tomato leaves, cucumber leaves and carrot grass to better use than is currently done. They do this by studying nutritional value and bioactivity, but also by developing product ideas from these ingredients. The project will contribute to the sustainability of the vegetable sector in Iceland and assist in its development in relation to increased value creation, new job opportunities and innovations. The main goal of the project is to increase the value of vegetable production, improve utilization and increase sustainability.
In the interview, Eva says, among other things: ,, what stands out after this work - and what piqued her interest the most - is how many opportunities there are for further processing of this raw material. "We have been seeing quite a lot of antioxidant activity in rose leaves, which indicates that cuttings from rose cultivation can, for example, be an exciting raw material for the production of ingredients in cosmetic products." Cauliflower and broccoli leaves are somewhat less nutritious than the flower itself and there are no drawbacks to using them. in foodstuffs".
