Category: News

Co-operation Forum on Food Land Iceland will hold a conference on responsible food production and the UN's global goals, on Thursday 31 May in Harpa at 13.00-16.00. Registration here.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals or the Global Goals, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015, herald global progress. They concern society in the broadest sense, such as production methods, energy use, cooperation, the eradication of poverty and hunger, and should ensure good health and well-being, to name but a few. The goals are seventeen in number along with 169 sub-goals and the countries of the world must achieve them by 2030.

A conference is called to look at how the goals relate Icelandic food production, from strategy to action by companies, institutions and governments. Efforts will be made to shed light on the opportunities and challenges that the goals of Icelandic food production have.

The co-operation is run by the Farmers' Association of Iceland, the University of Iceland, Íslandsstofa, Matís, Matarauður Íslands, the Icelandic Tourism Association, the Icelandic Fisheries Association and the Confederation of Icelandic Industries.

Agenda
Kl. 13.00 Presentation and presentation of the Ecotrophelia Ísland award
Kristján Þór Júlíusson, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture

Matvælalandið Ísland: Competitive advantage based on responsibility and information
Sveinn Margeirsson, CEO of Matís

The Sustainable Development Goals: Opportunities for the Icelandic Food Industry
Serena Brown, Director, Sustainable Development KPMG International

The road ahead
Einar Snorri Magnússon, CEO of Coca Cola European Partners in Iceland

Responsible fishing
Heiðrún Lind Marteinsdóttir, CEO of SFS

Experience stories from various sources
• Arnheiður Hjörleifsdóttir, farmer in Bjarteyjarsandur
• Eva María Sigurbjörnsdóttir, Eimverk's production manager
• Bryndís Marteinsdóttir, project manager at Landgræðsla ríkisins
• Ólafur Helgi Kristjánsson, chef at Hótel Saga
• Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir, marketing director of Kjörís

Moderator: Elín Hirst media actress.

The conference is free and open to all, but registration is required here.

Harpa - Kaldalón
on Thursday, May 31st
at 13.00-16.00

A conference on the utilization of sea urchins will take place this autumn at Matís, where the main aspects of the utilization of sea urchins will be considered, such as fishing methods, fisheries management and stock assessment, regulations, transport, processing and markets. Posts will be received from other nations such as Ireland and Canada.

Further information in the autumn and from Guðmundur Stefánsson (contact information here).

Being well-nourished is important for physical and mental health. Malnutrition is common among older people who are admitted to hospital. After being discharged from hospital, these individuals are still in poor nutrition.

The aim of the project was to develop tasty and tasty products that improve the nutritional status of older people. Emphasis was placed on developing products with a soft texture due to chewing and swallowing difficulties, which were also energy-dense and protein-rich and at the same time easy to handle with regard to reduced mobility and muscle strength.

Where: Læknagarður, Vatnsmýrarvegur 16, 101 Reykjavík

When: Friday 18 May at 15.30 -16.15

Supervisors: Kolbrún Sveinsdóttir, Matís and Guðjón Þorkelsson, Matís, UI

Examiner: Ingibjörg Gunnarsdóttir, UI

Examiner: Ólöf Guðrún Geirsdóttir, UI

The current US ambassador to Iceland was in the Westfjords yesterday. The ambassador and his entourage visited Matís, among others. 

Gunnar Þórðarson, Matís 'consultant and station manager in the Westfjords, welcomed the group and introduced Matís' operations. 

Seminar on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Varar Marine Research Center by Breiðafjörður in Félagsheimilin Klifi, Ólafsvík, 8 May 2018 at 16.30. Interesting lectures about the opportunities that are available in and all around Breiðafjörður. 

Refreshments will be served. Registration on helga@sjavarrannsoknir.is

Further program

Malnutrition of the elderly is a well-known problem. The average length of stay in hospital is short, which means that there is not always time to correct the nutritional status of elderly patients. It is therefore important to provide nutritional treatment after graduation, in order to prevent the consequences of malnutrition on health and skills.

The project "Meals after hospital discharge" has just started and is divided into, on the one hand, the development of dishes for the elderly with chewing and swallowing difficulties and, on the other hand, intervention, where information will be obtained about nutrition and nutritional status of the elderly in homes. The results of the intervention component of the project can provide information on the changes that may need to take place with regard to the discharge of elderly people and guidelines on services for this vulnerable group.

Matís' partners in the project are the University of Iceland, Grímur Kokkur, but in addition, Sláturfélag Suðurlands and Mjólkursamsalan are involved in the project.

The project is funded by the Rannís Research Fund.

On the 3rd and 4th of May, a Nordic sensory assessment conference will be held for participants who are interested in product development and consumer experience within the food industry. The conference, which will be held at Matís, will take place in English and its title is "Making Sense". The conference is suitable for those involved in food product development, but in addition those involved in product development of other kinds can take advantage of the conference's content.

It will discuss perception and experience in a scientific context, in connection with product development, food production, from market research. 

The last chance to register is today, April 27th. 

The Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture started the summer well and used the first working day of the summer to visit Matís.

On Friday 20 April, Kristján Þór Júlíusson, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, visited Matís. The Minister, together with Jóhann Guðmundsson, Office Manager of Fisheries and Aquaculture, was introduced to the company's operations and policy with examples of the impact of the investment that has been made in food research in Iceland in recent years. Special attention was paid to developments in connection with the fisheries sector. Developments in recent years in the fisheries sector were placed in the context of opportunities for increased value creation in agriculture, on the basis of food security, which has a direct impact on the country's settlements. 

During the Minister's brief inspection of Matís 'facilities, he met Matís' busy employees, students who are participants in the Ecotrophelia innovation competition for eco-friendly food. At the Bridge between the business community and the scientific community, the Minister visited the employees of Margildi and Lava Seafood, who rent facilities from Matís. While the Minister was visiting Matís 'premises, an examination in food and nutrition chemistry took place at the University of Iceland at Brún at Matís' premises. The Minister also inspected Matís' chemical measuring facilities and was introduced to the role and competence of staff and measuring equipment. Finally, the Minister examined Matís' research infrastructure in the field of genetics.

During the visit, Kristján Þór gathered information about innovation in the fisheries sector, which will hopefully be useful in the coming days, for example at the fisheries exhibition in Brussels, which runs from 24 to 26 April, as well as for a longer period, as there are many opportunities to promote the development of new products and increased value creation in food production through permanent innovation.

_{Photo with news}

_{From left: Anna Kristín Daníelsdóttir division manager, Sveinn Margeirsson CEO, Kristján Þór Júlíusson minister, Jóhann Guðmundsson office manager, Arnljótur Bjarki Bergsson division manager, Hrönn Ólína Jörundsdóttir division manager.}

Employees in one of Grafarholt's larger buildings will not leave their (and others') left on Monday between 11 and 13, but then all the employees of Vínlandsleiðir 12-16 plan to pick in their immediate surroundings, but a rough estimate is that well over three hundred people can be expected when it is at its peak. Tómas from the Blue Army is going to put the rubbish in place at Sorpa's! 😉

With this, the companies want to draw attention to the social responsibility that rests on all of us, individuals, institutions and companies, to reduce waste in the environment.

In addition, Matís employees challenge others to do the same and we especially mention Nýsköpunarmiðstöð, Keldur and Matvælastofnun to hurry up!

A very exciting project has received a grant of ISK 20 million from the Rannís Technology Development Fund, but the project will continue with the development of food-processed supplements from by-products of sheep products. 

The grant is for two years and the intention is to find at least four new raw materials from Icelandic lambs that can be used in food supplement production and develop high-quality products from them. 

Be sure to follow on the Matís and Pure Natura website how this project is progressing. You can sign up for Matís' mailing list below, on the left side of the page.