Category: News

Dr. Þorsteinn Ingi Sigfússon, professor and director of the Icelandic Innovation Center, was summoned on the eve of July 15.

The staff of Matís ohf. remembers a powerful scientist and entrepreneur and sends heartfelt condolences to his family and colleagues.

On behalf of Matís employees,

Oddur Már Gunnarsson, CEO of Matís

Matís ohf's microbiology department is asking its customers to limit sampling this week due to the heavy workload in the department due to research into the source of a group infection caused by Shiga-toxin producing E.coli (STEC), cf. press release from the Medical Director of Health. Of course, all priority samples and necessary samples are maintained to maintain the normal processing and operation of companies.

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 collaborations in developing methods, assessing the spread and strengthening knowledge of STEC in food, the environment and patients. Matís offers diagnoses of STEC, both basic analyzes and complete analysis of positive samples to trace the origin of the infection. 

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.