Matís's food factory has a kitchen and processing facilities with a wide range of cooking equipment so that a variety of food processing can be carried out. Verandi is one of the companies that has used Matís' food factory.
Verandi is an Icelandic manufacturing company that produces high-quality hair and body products from by-products from the Icelandic food industry, agriculture and various natural and environmentally friendly materials. Here you can see the staff of Veranda at work in Matís' food factory preparing cucumber masks and serums from cucumbers from Laugaland.
Rakel Garðarsdóttir and her law school sister, Elva Björk Bjarkardóttir, founded the cosmetics company in 2017. The idea came from Vakandi, an organization that Rakel founded to raise awareness about various types of waste, especially food waste. The main basis of the products are by-products from agriculture or raw materials that are produced during other production and are usually thrown away. In this way, the earth's resources are not being used in the same way to create products, which are far from unlimited, but the circular economy is supported.
Being uses raw materials for the products that would otherwise be wasted and therefore does not have to have raw materials produced for him separately, except only for some of the ingredients. With this, they want to participate in the fight against waste through a better use of resources.
Are you interested in learning more about Matís' food factory? You can find all the details here:
Now the Food Fund project Development of an image and spectroscopic predictive model to assess the quality of fishmeal as an ingredient in salmon farm feed halfway through, but the previous project year ended in the autumn of 2023. This is a joint project of the Association of Icelandic Fishmeal Producers, Síldarvällúnn, Eskja, Ísfélagin, the University of Iceland and Matís. The goal of the project is to develop a NIR (near-infrared spectroscopy) prediction model that enables fishmeal producers to obtain a fast and accurate analysis of the quality of fishmeal as an ingredient in salmon feed.
Most Icelandic fishmeal producers already use NIR to measure the chemical content of the fishmeal, and thus get good indications of its quality. However, the NIR measurements that are carried out today are of limited use when it comes to assessing the quality of the fishmeal for its main use, i.e. as an ingredient in aquaculture feed. If such measurements are to be made, growth and digestibility experiments must be carried out in aquaculture, which are both time-consuming and costly. By developing a NIR prediction model, however, it is possible to shorten the time of the analyzes from many months to a few seconds, and the cost from many millions to almost nothing.
This is not a new approach, as Norwegian feed producers developed such NIR prediction models a few years ago and have used them to assess the quality of the fishmeal they buy. However, these manufacturers have considered their predictive models to be trade secrets, giving them a competitive advantage. By developing and making similar forecasting models available to Icelandic fishmeal producers, they will have the same (or better) information about the characteristics of their production as their customers, and therefore enable them to negotiate prices with their customers on an equal footing. The predictive model will also enable fishmeal producers to evaluate/improve their own production, with information for internal quality control. The database/prediction model will be handed over to the participants (fishmeal producers) towards the end of the project, together with the fact that courses on its use will be held.
As mentioned before, the project will take two years, and that work is now halfway done. The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024.
You can learn more about the project at Matís website, in addition to which you can contact the project manager directly jonas@matis.is.
Matís has, in recent years, systematically built up genetic analysis of animals and there are staff in the professional group genetics who is credited with it. Among other things, research is conducted on livestock, especially cattle, horses and sheep. The projects carried out mainly consist of genetic analyzes of these beneficial strains and data processing together with sequencing of the genetic material of organisms, the search for new genetic boundaries and the development of genetic analysis kits.
In Iceland, some livestock stocks are specifically Icelandic, while others are imported. Chickens and pigs, for example, are imported, but cattle, horses, sheep and goats are entirely of Icelandic stock. This means that Icelandic companies are the only ones in the world that carry out breeding of these four livestock stocks. The Agricultural Advisory Center (RML) is in charge of breeding these stocks. At Matís, we have mainly worked with three species, i.e. cattle, horses and sheep.
Cattle farming
Matís performs genetic analyzes that are useful in breeding the Icelandic cow population. The Icelandic strain is a unique strain in the world, distantly related to other breeds, and there are many indications that the protein composition of milk from Icelandic cows is different from other milk. It is extremely important to preserve this unique population, and one of the best ways to preserve livestock populations like this is to use them in the production of agricultural products.
The Farmers' Association and the Agricultural Advisory Center (RML) worked for several years on the implementation of so-called genome selection in cattle breeding, and Matís carries out the genetic analysis used in this. In short, breeding in cattle breeding is based on finding and using the best bulls in breeding work. To put it simply, the best bulls are those that produce the best daughters, i.e. heifers that milk a lot, are healthy and fertile. In genome selection, the breeding value of bull calves is calculated based on genetic parameters analyzed soon after calving. This methodology therefore greatly speeds up breeding and increases safety in the selection of the best bulls that are then used for insemination. Matís' genetics group analyzes between 6,000 and 8,000 artifacts per year.
horses
Matís offers parentage analyzes in horses, but those analyzes are an important part of the breeding work of the Icelandic horse, which has gained more importance in recent years. With parentage analysis, the pedigree of horses is scientifically confirmed and this greatly increases the safety of all breeding calculations. These analyzes are also done in close collaboration with RML. The staff of RML and other sampling parties take care of sampling from horses, which takes place in a similar way to what people used when they took a Covid test. Matís then isolates the genetic material and performs the genetic analyses. The staff of the genetics group analyze between 1,200 – 2,000 horses each year.
At Matís, work is currently being done to also offer genetic analyzes in other genetic sites in horses. Ideally, it is color genes and known genetic defects that we are looking at. The Icelandic horse is an extremely colorful horse breed and it is part of the breeding goals to maintain color diversity within the stock. Color in horses is determined by 8-12 genetic sites (genes) and it would be valuable for Icelandic horse breeders to have access to analyzes of these color genes. RML's recruiters have especially noticed an interest in this among foreign buyers of Icelandic horses.
Sheep
Genetic defects
Few genetic defects cause a lot of damage in Icelandic sheep breeding, and only two are serious problems, namely yellow fat and bökkreppa. Both are recessive genetic defects, meaning that individuals need two copies of the defective gene for them to be affected. Yellow fat is caused by a mutation in a gene that breaks down certain yellow compounds and causes the fat to acquire a yellowish color similar to the color of fat on horse meat. The yellow fat has no effect on the taste quality, but some production centers do not accept artifacts that show this genetic defect, and therefore this can cause financial losses for individual farmers. Matís is awaiting genetic analysis of yellow fat.
Bow crisis is a much more serious genetic defect. The gene is unknown, so there is still no genetic test that identifies carriers. The genetic defect is not known in other breeds of sheep, but the phenotype manifests itself as severely deformed front legs and lambs often cannot stand up. Most individuals are therefore euthanized shortly after birth. Because the genetic defect is recessive, the defective gene can be hidden in herds and it is impossible to eradicate the defect except through genetic analyses.
Matís has been conducting research on bow crisis in recent years, in collaboration with RML and Keldur, to find the genetic defect in the sheep's genome and develop a genetic test. The first results of these studies are expected in February 2024.
Fertility genes and parentage analyses
Two genetic variations are known in Icelandic sheep that cause increased fertility in ewes: Þoku- and Lóugen. These are mutations in the same gene. When the gene is in a heterozygous state, the fertility of females increases greatly and it is common for them to have four- and five-limbed offspring instead of one- and two-limbed offspring. This can therefore be an extremely important tool in sexual enhancement, and Matís has been offering analyzes of this feature for years.
Matís offers parentage analysis in sheep, comparable to parentage analysis in horses and dogs. A lot of rickets genes have been identified in recent years, and the situation has now arisen that the genotype of lambs does not match the genotype of the parents. Parentage analysis can be used to find the father of an offspring. These tests are an extremely useful tool in research, especially when looking for genetic defects.
Prion gene genotyping analyses
Matís has offered genotyping of the so-called prion gene in sheep since the company was founded. A total of about 10,000 sheep have been diagnosed with us. Rickets is a prion disease that has plagued Icelanders, especially in the last century but also in recent years. Prion diseases are different from bacterial and viral diseases, where the rubella agent is a protein. It therefore contains no genetic material. The rubella agent changes the structure of the natural prion protein, which is important in the nervous system of mammals. In a specific region of the prion gene, there are 6 sites that affect the susceptibility of sheep to scrapie. Three of these sites are very well known and three other sites in the gene are being investigated. The genotype of animals will in the near future be very important in breeding and the reaction of the Icelandic Food Agency when scabies is discovered in a herd.
Regarding the breeding side, RML aims to introduce protective genotypes very quickly in herds in parts of the country where rubella infection occurs regularly and steadily elsewhere in the country. With these methods and actions, it will be possible to spare certain genotypes from culling when scabies is detected in herds in the future. Matís has human resources and equipment to analyze genotypes in sheep. Considerable funds are expected in the 2024 budget for genotyping sheep, and Matís' staff is ready to take care of these analyses.
A podcast about heredity
Recently, a new episode of Matvælin, Matís' podcast about research and innovation in food production, was released. There was Sæmundur Sveinsson, genetics manager at Matís, interviewer, and he discussed genetic research and projects related to it in an easy-to-understand and fun way. It is possible to listen to the episode in its entirety on all major podcasts, but also here: Icelandic livestock species – genetic analyzes and breeding work
The tradition of shark eating in Iceland is rich and can be traced back centuries. Despite this, very few scientific studies have been conducted to examine or improve the mechanism of action of these foods. With a grant from the Food Fund, Matís' staff in collaboration with Bjarnarhöfn tourism, the largest producer of the best shark in Iceland, has worked on improvements there with the project Hákarlsverkun.
Election of a shark (Somniosus microcephalus) is an age-old method of preservation. Kæstur hakarl was for a long time an important source of energy and protein and also a large part of Icelanders' diet, but today it is mainly eaten as a delicacy on the dry land. Kæstur hákarl is also popular with tourists who like to consider it a national dish of Icelanders. It is important from a cultural point of view and Icelandic food tradition that a production process as unique as the effect of shark is, will continue to be practiced and that we have more scientific and technical knowledge of the effect of shark to ensure that the product is safe and of the right quality.
Shark action is divided into two parts, one is cooling and the other is drying. The goal of the project Hákarlsverkun was to identify and understand the role of the microbes that make the shark suitable for human consumption. Also evaluate whether it is possible to shorten the reaction time and understand what effect different handling of the raw material at the beginning of the reaction can have on the final product.
Snorri Páll Ólason worked on the project in his master's program together with other Matís staff.
The cleaning process is actually both a preservation and a detoxification process, where chemical compounds that contain ammonia and are thought to contribute to the toxic effects of an unharmed shark are transformed by microbial enzymes. These chemical compounds that are found in large quantities in fresh shark are on the one hand urea which is broken down into ammonia and on the other hand Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) which is reduced to Trimethylamine (TMA) and Dimethylamine (DMA). After freezing, the shark is left to hang in open drying huts called shelves for several weeks or months. In the project, comparative measurements were made on the effectiveness of a fresh shark on the one hand and on a shark that had been frozen and thawed before being frozen. The shark in the study was worked for 13 weeks, at which point it was considered ready for consumption.
Shark on the rocks
The shark was sampled weekly during the curing period and every other week during the drying period. Chemical and microbiological measurements were made on all samples, but at the same time a sensory evaluation was carried out on the shark samples when they were considered suitable for consumption, i.e. during drying. The chemical measurements measured TMAO, TMA, DMA, acid and water content of the shark. In the microbial measurements, both cultures were carried out on agar plates, but also measurements with molecular biological methods (16S rRNA sequencing), which provide additional possibilities to assess the amount and analyze the diversity of the bacteria involved in the shark's digestion.
The project demonstrated for the first time which bacteria are present and to what extent over the entire course of action. It is thanks to these bacteria that shark action has played a part in keeping Icelanders alive throughout the centuries. The results of the project indicate that the curing process could be shortened, as the substance TMAO is destroyed in 5 weeks, but the shark is often cured considerably longer. It would also be possible to improve the process or control it with synthetic microbial cultures.
The chemical measurements demonstrated that TMAO decreased below the detection limit after five weeks of freezing, while at the same time the acidity in the shark increased. At the same time, the concentration of the constituents TMA and DMA increased. Furthermore, the project revealed that a diverse microflora is involved in the digestion of a shark. Microbial counts on culture bowls showed that the growth of the total number of microorganisms and known spoilage bacteria was high during the first weeks of cooling, but then decreased rapidly and remained so through the final step of drying.
Molecular biological analysis on the shark bites revealed gradual changes in the composition of the bacterial flora during curing, which divided the curing process into three distinct phases, but large changes in the composition of the bacterial flora stopped during drying. Molecular biological methods have not been used before to evaluate the entire biological process of a shark, as far as is known, but they give a good picture of the diversity of the microflora in the shark bites.
There was a clear difference in the composition of the initial microflora depending on whether the raw material was fresh or concentrated. As the freezing progressed, however, the composition became comparable in fresh and thawed shark. A relationship was found between high concentrations of TMAO and the bacterial genera Photobacterium and Pseudoalteromonas in the initial phase of purification and in addition a relationship was found between a high concentration of TMA/DMA and the bacterial genera Atopotypes, Pseudomonas and Tissierella in the final phase of cooling.
The shark cut for the study.
The future of shark research.
This project, Hákarlsverkun, is now finished, but the work on it raised all kinds of questions that would be nice to find answers to with further research. For example, the researchers say that approx. one out of four sharks does not work correctly, but the product is damaged, despite the fact that all processes are exactly the same for all the raw materials. This could have something to do with the microflora, but hopefully Matís future research in collaboration with shark producers will reveal it.
Podcast show
Snorri Páll Ólason worked on this project in his master's program together with other Matís staff, but he was an interviewee in Matvælin, Matís' podcast program about research and innovation in food production. In the episode, he tells about the project and what it involved in a lively and entertaining way. Listen to the podcast here: A wounded shark, the national right of Icelanders?
On Wednesday, December 6, 2023, Aurélien Daussin will defend her doctoral thesis in food science at the University of Iceland's Faculty of Food and Nutrition. The thesis is entitled AirMicrome – The Fate of Airborne Microbes as the First Settlers of Terrestrial Communities. AirMicrome – The fate of depositing airborne microorganisms into pioneer terrestrial communities.
The doctoral defense takes place in Vigdís's world - VHV023and starts at 1:30 p.m
Opponents: Dr. David Pearce, professor at Northumbria University, UK, and dr. Catherine Larose, researcher at UGA-IGE in Grenoble, France.
Supervising teacher and instructor: Viggó Þór Marteinsson, professor. In addition, researcher Pauline Vannier, Tina Santl-Temkiv, assistant professor at Aarhus University, and Charles Cockell, professor at the University of Edinburgh, sat on the doctoral committee.
Ólöf Guðný Geirsdóttir, professor and dean of the Faculty of Food and Nutrition, presides over the ceremony.
The stream is available on Teams from 13:30.
Meeting ID: 393 367 671 646
Passcode: adzWK5
Abstract
Microbes on the Earth's surface can be released into the atmosphere by wind and associated with events such as volcanic eruptions and dust storms. Before they reach a new surface, they are exposed to various stressful environmental factors that prevent the colonization of a large part of them. The diversity and evolution of low bacterial communities in different environments has been quite well studied. However, little is still known about microbial communities in the atmosphere, their colonization on the surface and what effect such colonization has on the microbial communities that are there. This study is the first to discuss the distribution of microorganisms in the Icelandic atmosphere and especially their colonization in a volcanic environment. Airborne microbial communities from two unique but different volcanic areas, both at sea level and at high altitude, were examined and compared. The research was carried out on the protected volcanic island of Surtsey and at the lava flow on Fimmvörðuhálsi, by analyzing the microbial communities of the atmosphere and their colonization in lava rock after one year. The atmosphere was also studied as an important source for the distribution of microbial communities in the soil and the methods by which microbes manage to withstand the harsh environmental conditions of the atmosphere. Cultivable and non-cultivable microbial detection methods were used to describe and compare the microbial communities. The diversity of uncultivated microbes was analyzed by isolating DNA from 179 samples and sequencing the 16S rRNA gene of the microbes ("amplicon" sequencing). A total of 1162 strains belonging to 40 genera and 72 species were isolated. Of these, 26 strains were probably new species. One new Flavobacterium species was fully described and the resistance of selected strains to atmospheric stressors was investigated. The origin and trajectory of the populations was determined with a special prediction model "source-tracking analysis". Results show that the microbial communities at both sampling sites consisted of Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Bacteroides, but the proportion of their numbers was controlled by the environmental factors of each area. The aerial and terrestrial communities were very different, which is reflected in the different environmental aspects of each environment. Interestingly, the bacterial communities in the lava rock at Fimmvörðuhálsi were more or less the same after one year of colonization, compared to a nine-year period, which suggests that the stability of the first settler community is achieved after one year, but that the progress of the community slows down after that. At Surtsey, over 80% of bacterial communities found in lava rock after a one-year period originated from the local environment. The communities showed tolerance to atmospheric stressors, which probably helped them to survive air dispersal and facilitated their colonization of the lava rock. In accordance with previous studies, it was also found that the most influential selection factors were freezing, thawing and cyclic permeabilization of the cells, and that Proteobacteria and Ascomycota seemed best suited to survive such atmospheric stress factors. Results indicate that stress-resistant microbes from the atmosphere are the source of microbes that are the first settlers in the nearby, newly formed environment by forming unique and diverse microbial communities in a short time or less than a year. These results provide important insights into the early stages of microbial colonization and demonstrate the importance of airborne microbial studies to advancing our understanding of Arctic volcanic ecosystems.
Abstract
Surface microorganisms can be aerosolized into the atmosphere by wind and events such as volcano eruptions and dust storms. Before depositing, they experience stressful atmospheric conditions which preclude the successful dispersal of a large fraction of cells. While bacterial diversity and succession on different low-bacterial environments are reasonably well characterized, research on airborne atmospheric communities and the significance of their deposition for community assembly remains poorly understood. This study is the first to address microbial distribution in the Icelandic atmosphere and particularly in their colonization in volcanic environments. We assessed and compared the bioaerosols communities from two dissimilar unique volcanic sites located at sea level and at high altitude, the protected volcanic island Surtsey and Fimmvörðuháls lava field, by analyzing in situ atmospheric microbial communities and communities in lava rocks after one year of exposure time . Additionally, we investigated the air as a significant source for the dissemination of the microbial communities into soil and their potential strategies to withstand atmospheric stresses. Culture-dependent and culture-independent methods were employed to describe and compare these microbiomes. The uncultivated diversity was analyzed by DNA extraction from 179 samples and 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. A total of 1162 strains were isolated and affiliated to 40 genera and 72 species, with potentially 26 new species. A new Flavobacterium species was fully described and the survival of selected strains against simulated air stress factors was investigated. The origin and dispersion of the isolates was predicted using a detailed source-tracking analysis program.
Our findings reveal that the microbial communities in both sampling sites are dominated by Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroides, but their proportions were influenced by the unique characteristics of each site. The atmospheric and lithospheric communities showed significant differences, reflecting different environmental pressures from each site. Interestingly, the bacterial communities in the lava rocks of Fimmvörðuháls were similar after one year compared to nine years of exposure, suggesting rapid microbial colonization and slow succession of the community. On Surtsey, over 80% of the bacterial communities that colonized the lava rocks after one year exposure, originated from local surroundings. These communities displayed stress-resistant properties that likely helped their survival during air dissemination from close environments and facilitated their colonization into the lava. Furthermore, in line with previous studies, we observed that the most stringent selection factors were the freeze–thaw and osmotic shock cycles and that the strains affiliated with Proteobacteria and Ascomycota were the best to survive simulated atmospheric stresses. Our results suggest that atmospheric stress-resistant microbes that deposit from local sources in newly formed environments, form unique and diverse communities in a rather short time or less than one year. These findings provide important insights into the early stages of land colonization of microbes and puts emphasis on the important role of bioaerosol research in enhancing our understanding of subarctic volcanic ecosystems.
Birgir Örn Smárason, professional director of the professional group Sustainability and fire, gave a speech at the Food Congress 2023, which was held recently. The talk has attracted a lot of attention, as he asked a question that many would like to know the answer to, What is for dinner in 2050?
The talk was, in line with the title, somewhat futuristic, but he used, for example, artificial intelligence in the creation of all visual material that appeared on the slides.
What's for dinner on a traditional Tuesday night in 2050? Birgir asked, and the artificial intelligence didn't answer. According to her, on offer will be cell cultured meat, insects, algae, both microalgae and macroalgae, 3D printed food and drink made from recycled water.
The need for change is considerable, as current food systems play a major role in climate change, deforestation and biodiversity loss. We therefore need to change gears in order to reduce these negative effects, but it is also important to adapt food production to the changes that have already taken place. In addition, the population on earth is increasing rapidly at the moment, and the demand for food will increase significantly in the coming years.
Adaptation and transformation are key when it comes to ensuring sustainable food production for the future, and technological development will play a major role in enabling us to make changes.
At Matís, much has been predicted about the future and the solutions we need to adopt to ensure the future of food production. For example, we have been involved in many projects, large and small, related to neoproteins. These include proteins derived from insects, macroalgae, microalgae, protozoa and grass protein. We have worked with people here in Iceland and around the world who are developing these new proteins and the technology behind them.
He gave specific examples of the projects NextGenProteins and Giant Leaps. The first project is a large European collaborative project that was completed this fall and was led by Matís. It focused on research on three types of sustainable neoproteins; microalgae, insect proteins and single cell proteins. The latter is a new project along these lines, but it seeks ways to accelerate changes in people's diets by influencing us, the consumers. They also seek to influence policies and orientation and try to overcome the regulations that are in force and prevent the use of new proteins and the technology behind them.
The technological revolution that is about to begin and the devices and tools that will affect food production in the coming years and decades were also the focus of Birgi's talk, and the artificial intelligence had no problem envisioning this.
3D printed food, controlled fermentation, cell cultured meat, vertical cultivation and urban farming are among other things part of the technological revolution.
In the end, the artificial intelligence created a picture of people who are deeply thoughtful about how our food systems work today and how they will develop in the coming decades, but that is exactly what we need to do, Birgir believes.
A recording from the Food Congress 2023 is available here and Birgis' speech begins at 6:01:30
Birgir will present the NextGenProteins project and its main results at the conference Green and Resilient Food Systems in Brussels 4.-5. december The main focus of this year's conference is the transition towards a sustainable food system for the benefit of the environment and the economy, and the NextGenProteins project seemed to speak particularly well to this theme.
The conference is organized by the European Commission and Food 2030. It will be possible to watch online, but the program and link to the stream is available here: Food 2030: green and resilient food systems
Two of Matís' stage managers, they Guðmundur Stefánsson and Jónas R. Viðarsson, were on a rampage last week and visited some well-chosen food production companies in the Austfjörður. They were accompanied by the regional manager of Matís in East Iceland, Stefán Þór Eysteinsson, who is also the company's professional manager in the field of biomass and measurements.
The companies that were brought home were Herring processing, Ash tree, Fur processing and Búlandstindur. The group was extremely well received by all the companies, and their representatives emphasized the importance of Matís having a strong establishment that provides good service in the local community. After all, the branch is made up of a select team that prides itself on servicing the companies in the area.
Today, the herring processing has one of the most advanced fishmeal production facilities in the country and is currently working to get it approved as a processing plant for human consumption.
Earlier this year, Þorsteinn Ingvarsson retired due to age, but he had been Matís' regional manager in the East for over a year. All those who were interviewed at the companies gave him a particularly good account of the story, and it is clear that those who have now accepted the torch are receiving a good fortune and reputation.
Matís thanks the companies visited for the warm welcome and looks forward to good cooperation in the near future, as there is a lot of growth in food production in the East.
Matís runs biomass plant in Neskaupstað, and here Stefán Þór shows Guðmundi from Matís, Sindra, Þórhalli and Kalla at Síldarvállúnnin the equipment that is in the workshop.Eskja has one of the most advanced pelagic processing facilities in the world.There are incredibly exciting things happening at Djúpavogur, where Búlandstindur is slaughtering 100 tons of salmon a day from ICE FISH FARM.The fur industry at Fáskrúðsfjörður has been doing good things in pelagic and bottom fishing and processing in recent years.
The Icelandic database on the chemical content of food (ÍSGEM) is managed by Matís and á matis.is you can find information about the nutrients that have been registered in the database. It also contains explanations and information about the data and its origin. ÍSGEM has collected data on the main nutrients in many types of food that are on the market in Iceland. This is the only database of its kind in Iceland, as it is an official database for Iceland.
The role of databases that store information about the nutrients in our food is to provide users with reliable information about these substances. It is essential that this information is correct because many individuals rely on it for special needs or to maintain good health. Counselors must provide correct information to clients and patients, and company staff must provide correct information about the nutritional value of their products.
Screenshot from the ÍSGEM database
When registering data on nutrients in ÍSGEM, a special quality system is used to ensure that all information is correct. It must be ensured that the working methods have been of good quality, from sampling and chemical measurements to the presentation of the results. Information about the data is recorded accurately so that it is traceable to the original source.
Here, Eydís Ylfa Erlendsdóttir (left) is registering in ÍSGEM and Bogna Sikora (right) is working on chemical measurements of salmon.
Today, the internet, social media and artificial intelligence make it possible for us to easily access all kinds of information anywhere and anytime, but it is often not clear who the original source is. The information can be very detailed, but sometimes it is limited, misleading or outright wrong. Often, information is even presented to serve commercial goals or to follow fashion trends. When it comes to nutrients and health, it is essential to have access to verified, quality-assessed information, as can be found in ÍSGEM's open access.
There have been many users of ÍSGEM throughout history, but the database was created in 1987 at the Agricultural Research Institute, when measurements of nutrients and other substances in Icelandic foods were made for the first time.
The general public has downloaded information there, especially those who need to pay attention to their diet for their health. Research staff in nutrition and nutrition consultants can also be mentioned. All Icelandic national dietary surveys have used ÍSGEM. People in food companies have also used this database for product development and nutritional value labeling.
Not all food products have nutritional value labels on their packaging, but the importance of keeping track of their chemical content is no less urgent.
The ÍSGEM database is one of Iceland's infrastructure. By its very nature, ÍSGEM needs to be updated regularly because the composition of foods changes, for example, due to environmental effects, changed feeding, changed recipes, and new results need to be added when new foods come on the market.
It is especially important to maintain up-to-date information in the database so that the people of the country can continue to easily access reliable and correct information that is reviewed by scientific personnel.
Research funds generally do not support infrastructure maintenance, but at Matís we primarily work for grants. Matís is also working on a service contract with the Ministry of Food, but it is expected that work on the ÍSGEM database will be part of the service contract from 2024.
Ólafur Reykdal was one of the founders of the ÍSGEM database and Eydís Ylfa recently started work related to ÍSGEM.
Over the years, the database has been used in various projects in collaboration with various parties, as mentioned. The Food Foundation funded the project in 2022-2023 Nutrient data – Importance for public health and product development. In this project, a quality system for ÍSGEM was developed, a user manual was compiled and part of the data was updated. A recent project that was worked on at Matís in collaboration with Samtok small producers of food products/ Straight from the farm with a grant from the Food Fund involved the development of a web application that calculates the nutritional value of food based on a recipe. It is a web application that retrieves information from ÍSGEM, but it greatly facilitates the calculation of nutritional value. The web application can be accessed here.
It is hoped that in the coming years it will be possible to use ÍSGEM to disseminate information on the carbon footprint of food. The project Carbon footprint of Icelandic food (KÍM) which is carried out in collaboration with Matís, the Department of Nutrition at the University of Iceland and Efla Engineering Studio, was recently awarded a grant from the Food Fund. The aim of the project is to provide consumers, the government and stakeholders in Iceland with reliable, transparent and comparable information about the environmental impact of Icelandic food. One of the project's three main goals is to update the ÍSGEM database, which will then also publish the carbon footprint of Icelandic foods alongside nutritional information when the project ends.
The opportunities for the ÍSGEM database are many and exciting, as there is enormous value in having reliable information on the nutritional content of foods available to people and companies. The vision for the future is that ÍSGEM can become a comprehensive information source on food. It is important to ensure support for maintenance and additions, and it will be interesting to follow the progress of these issues in the coming seasons.
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.
