Category: News

Snorri Karl Birgisson gives a lecture for a master's degree in food science at the University of Iceland and Snorri's lecture takes place at Matís at Vínlandsleið 12, meeting room no. 312, on Tuesday 7 February. from 15-16 but the project was done at Matís.

Earlier in the day, in Eirberg at Eiríksgata, room 103C, there will also be a lecture for the master's degree, in which Helga Guðrún Friðþjófsdóttir will present her project: "Food choices for young Icelanders with psychosis and the development of their body weight over a 12-month period."

About Snorri's project

"Ringworms - Chemical and Physical Properties of Ringworms in Atlantic Cod"
“Physicochemical properties of nematodes found in the Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)”.

The main objective of the project was to study the physical and chemical properties of roundworms found in Atlantic cod. Ringworms were sorted by length and location in cod fillets and examined with video recordings in fish processing. The chemical properties of roundworms were studied by measuring their chemical composition. Along with the chemical composition, various stone and trace elements were measured. In addition, the amino acid composition of roundworms was measured. To see the whole picture, the components were compared with the chemical content of the cod fillet parts.

The physical properties of roundworms were studied by examining their effect on processing, with an emphasis on processing efficiency and the number of roundworms in fillet parts. Ringworms were also classified by fillet. The resistance of ringworms to freezing was studied by placing live ringworms between two layers of cod and freezing them at different temperatures and times. Finally, the thickness of the roundworm hamster was studied by size analysis of the cross-sectional shape of the roundworm.

Analysis of roundworms revealed that roundworms did not have a significant effect on processing efficiency but instead had an effect on utilization. Ringworm groups were also measured with a chemical composition, but when it came to comparing cod fillets, roundworms had higher amounts of carbohydrates and fats. Ringworms also had higher mineral values in copper (Cu), calcium (Ca) and iron (Pb) compared to the maturation fillets. Ringworms were measured with less trace elements compared to cod fillets. Ringworms and cod fillets had similar proportions in nine amino acids, and both groups contained significant amounts of vital amino acids. Freezing of live ringworms showed that the resistance of ringworms decreases with decreasing temperature and increasing time at that temperature.

It was clear at the outset that this project would not answer all the questions concerning fish processing today regarding roundworms and the costs associated with them. It is hoped that the results of the project will be one useful step in the work ahead.

Project for a master's degree in food science worked at Matís.

Supervisors: Sigurjón Arason, professor and chief engineer of Matís, and Magnea G. Karlsdóttir, project manager at Matís.
Examiner: Dr. Kristín A. Þórarinsdóttir food scientist at Marel.

About the project of Helgi Guðrún Friðþjófsdóttir

"The diet of young Icelanders with psychotic disorders and weight development over 12 months period"
"Food choices for young Icelanders with psychotic disorders and the development of their body weight over a 12-month period"

February 7 at 13: 30-14: 30, Eirberg by Eiríksgata, st. 103C

The project was carried out at the Laboratory of Nutrition at the University of Iceland and Landspítali in collaboration with the Laugarásinn Psychiatric Department, Landspítali.

Supervisors: Ingibjörg Gunnarsdóttir professor and Ólöf Guðný Geirsdóttir associate professor
Examiner: Anna Sigríður Ólafsdóttir professor

Many students were today at Matís' biotechnology center in Sauðárkrókur to take a practical part of the molecular genetics course at the University of Akureyri, which is part of the biotechnology course at the university.

Guðrún Kristín Eiríksdóttir, an employee of Matís in Sauðárkrókur, sent us some pictures from the day. More photos can be seen at Matís Facebook page.

Many students were today at Matís' biotechnology center in Sauðárkrókur to take a practical part of the molecular genetics course at the University of Akureyri, which is part of the biotechnology course at the university.

Guðrún Kristín Eiríksdóttir, an employee of Matís in Sauðárkrókur, sent us some pictures from the day. More photos can be seen at Matís Facebook page.

Matís and the Laboratory of Geriatrics, Landakoti 5L, are requesting participants in a study that has been approved by the Science Ethics Committee.

Participants must be adults, 40 years and older with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 27 kg / m²(see table with calculated body mass index below) and waist circumference ≥ 88cm in women and ≥ 102 cm in men. Participants who exercise more than 30 min / day are excluded from participation as well as pregnant women or women who are breastfeeding. Individuals who are in contact and interested in participating in the study should reduce their consumption of omega-3-containing foods and avoid fish oil for 2 weeks before and during the intervention.

• The aim of the study is to investigate the effects of cystic fibrosis on inflammatory factors in obese adults, as well as to investigate whether cystic fibrosis affects other physiological variables (blood sugar and blood lipids).
• Participants will be randomly divided into two groups that receive either:
  a)  Seaweed powder (3 capsules = 1200 mg / day) for 10 weeks  b) Placebo powder (3 capsules / day) for 10 weeks.
• Participation in the study involves attending at the beginning and end of the period for body measurements and biopsies, as well as answering a general questionnaire about diet and health at the beginning of the study. Measurements of body composition, waist circumference, height and weight will be performed. The main measurements in the blood are inflammatory factors, blood sugar and lipids in the blood.
• Balloon seaweed (Fucus vesiculosus) is rich in iodine, indigestible starch, salt and bioactive substances. Seaweed powder is formed when certain bioactive substances are extracted from the bladder seaweed and isolated. These bioactive ingredients are placed in gelatin capsules for easy ingestion. The use of bladder seaweed for human consumption is known and research on bioactive substances in bladder seaweed suggests that bladder seaweed powder may have a positive effect on physiological parameters (inflammatory factors and blood sugar).
• Participation is not paid for.

Interested parties who meet the above criteria are asked to have
contact Aníta Sif Elídóttir at 844-7131 or send an e-mail to anitas@landspitali.is

The person responsible for the study is Alfons Ramel, Professor at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition, University of Iceland (alfonsra@hi.is; phone: 543-9875).  Aníta Sif Elídóttir is a nutritionist and an employee of the Faculty of Food and Nutrition at the University of Iceland and assists in the implementation of the research.

Table 1 - Minimum weight required to meet body mass index requirements ≥ 27 kg / m²

Height (m)	Weight (kg)
1,60	69
1,62	71
1,64	73
1,66	74
1,68	76
1,70	78
1,72	80
1,74	82
1,76	84
1,78	86
1,80	87
1,82	89
1,84	91
1,86	93
1,88	95
1,90	97
1,92	100
1,94	102
1,96	104
1,98	106
2,00	108

_{Body mass index is calculated from height and weight according to the formula weight / height² (kg / m²).}

Those who contact the researchers are only expressing an interest in further information and do not undertake to participate.

Future Days 2017 will be held on February 9 at Reykjavík University between 10-16.

Matís participates and will present possible summer jobs and student projects at Framadögur.

Further information can be found at Framadaga website.

Matís and the start-up company Codland have worked on projects where the goal is to utilize skin in valuable products.

In the project Bioactive substances from redness funded by the Rannís Technology Development Fund, the aim is to investigate whether substances found in erythema have bioactivity, such as antihypertensive properties or can prevent calcification of cartilage cells. The project began in 2015 and is for two years.

Collagen is becoming increasingly popular as an active ingredient in various consumer products, but research indicates that there is a link between regular consumption of the substance and positive effects on the skin and joints. The world market for collagen-containing supplements is large and mainly made from pigs. Estimates assume increased demand for collagen peptides made from wild fish, so this is an ideal opportunity for Icelandic production.

The project Hydrolyzed collagen from the raw material of fish processing which is funded by the Nordic Innovation Center is developed in collaboration with the Norwegian company Biomega, the Danish University of Technology (DTU) and Biosustain also in Denmark together with Matís and Codland. The aim of this project is to develop new enzymes to process collagen from extra raw materials from white wild fish such as cod and fatty fish such as salmon.

For further information Margrét Geirsdóttir at Matís.

_{From a meeting in the project "Hydrolyzed collagen from by-products of fish processing" in Norway in October 2016. Peter Kamp Busk DTU, Hemanshu Mundhada Biosustain, Margrét Geirsdóttir Matís, Alex Toftgård Nielsen Biosustain, Davíð Tómas Davíðsson Codland, Lene Lange DTU and Jan Arne Vevatne Biomega.}

Tómas Þór Eiríksson, CEO of Codland, and Oddur Már Gunnarsson Matís sign a co-operation agreement between the companies.

Part of the employees and students who have been involved in the collagen projects at a meeting in Sauðárkrókur in May 2016. From left to right: Dagný Björk Aðalsteinsdóttir MS student at the University of Iceland, Maxime Clays from Belgium, Yonathan Souid from France, center row: Margrét Geirsdóttir Matís, Eva Kuttner Matís Sauðárkrókur, Thomas Degrange France, front row Hilma Eiðsdóttir Bakken, Margrét Eva Ásgeirsdóttir and Guðrún Kristín Eiríksdóttir Matís Sauðárkrókur, Rodrigo Melgosa from Spain.

Ingredients - Cod meat

Red gelatin

Red collagen peptide - is there bioactive activity?

Sif Matthíasdóttir, Hrísakot, chairman of the Goat Breeding Association of Iceland and Jóhanna Bergmann Þorvaldsdóttir, goat farmer at Háafell in Hvítársíða, introduced goat farming and goat products on Vínlandsleið. Employees were given a short introduction about goats and were invited to taste goat products, but Sif and Jóhanna were present to meet with Matís about a possible collaboration.

Goats have accompanied Icelanders since the settlement, as can be seen in place names around the country. In the middle of the 20th century, the stock dried up, but since then attempts have been made to maintain it. In 2014, the Icelandic goat population numbered 987 animals (according to www.bondi.is).

Goats have valuable products that can be processed, such as milk, shellfish, meat and skins. It has also been possible to get creams and soaps made from goat products and herbs at Háafell.

Goats are not runes like sheep, and their wool needs to be combed with a special comb. Jóhanna wore a scarf that she pointed out was made from soft and warmer cashmere wool from an Icelandic goat, which is known for its varied color patterns. Since the Icelandic goat has been isolated in Iceland for about 1100 years, the wool is held in high esteem because it is considered to resemble one of the most woolly so-called cashmere goats.

Sveinn Margeirsson, CEO of Matís, Jóhanna Bergmann Þorvaldsdóttir, goat farmer
Háafell in Hvítársíða and Sif Matthíasdóttir, Hrísakot, chairman of the Icelandic Goat Breeding Association.

The University of Iceland and Matís have had a good collaboration for a long time and 2016 was no exception. In accordance with Matís' activities, this collaboration focuses on engineering, food and nutrition, biochemistry, biology and related disciplines, and it is especially worth mentioning the collaboration on the master's program in food science.

Food science was under attack towards the end of the last decade and fewer students attended both undergraduate and master's programs and who graduated from the program than usually before. Through a joint effort, the University of Iceland and Matís managed to increase interest in their studies to such an extent, as studies in food science are practical studies that offer a whole host of opportunities after graduation. The connection with food production companies is also strong, especially in the master's program, and a large proportion of students have recently graduated. four years who have been employed immediately after graduation.

Do you want to study food science?

• B.Sc. nám
• M.Sc. studies with a strong connection to the food production in landing

Matís turned 10 years old yesterday, the 1st of January, but that day in 2007 Matís officially started working. The Environment Agency's laboratory, MATRA, RF and the biotechnology company Prokaria merged to form one strong unit where research on food and biotechnology took place, with an emphasis on increasing value creation in Icelandic food production, food safety and public health.

In light of this, we decided to compile an annual report that would look back and outline Matís' operations. This year's report, which is usually published on the first working day in January, covers a wide range and it can be said that this year's report is composed of different short stories, what we call success stories, and shows its contents so as not to be mistaken. that the establishment of Matís was logical and a great step forward in its time. This year, the annual report is in English in its entirety, but Icelandic abstracts, which focus on what happened in our operations in Iceland, will be published in the next few days.

Matís Annual Report 2016

We look back with pride and optimism on the road. A lot of interesting, fun and challenging things will take place this year and it is safe to say that one of the biggest events that Matís has undertaken will be this year when we take care of World Seafood Congress (WSC). The event is one of the largest forum for value creation in the world in the field of value creation in the fisheries and food security, and brings people from all parts of the seafood value chain to the table. The conference will be attended by employees of fishing and fish processing, investors and people from the institutional and educational environment around the world, not least from developing countries. It is a real honor for us to have the opportunity to hold this conference and the role is a great encouragement to us.

Matís' growth has been considerable over the past 10 years, but this will not happen without strong employees.

Marine catches are similar and upheavals can also be seen in the markets, both of which affect the allocation of catch for processing by workers. As stated in Sveinn Margeirsson's speech at the Fisheries Conference on 24 October last was the utilization of marine catch as exported goods according to statistics 48% in 2015. 

It has long been known that marine catches and fluctuations can also characterize market conditions, and this affects what happens to the catch in processing by workers and, ultimately, how products processed from the catch are sold. As stated in Sveinn Margeirsson's speech at the Fisheries Conference on 24 October last was the utilization of marine catch as exported goods according to statistics 48% in 2015.

Export utilization, so to speak, decreased by 12 percentage points from 2014 to 2015. In 2015, we exported 631.8 thousand tonnes of seafood, 22.5 thousand tonnes less than in 2014, despite catching 242 thousand tonnes more than in 2014 or 1,319.3 thousand tonnes instead of 1,076.8 thousand tonnes in 2014. The largest difference is in catches of 240.9 thousand tonnes more capelin landed in 2014 than in 2015. In 2015, we exported 92 thousand tonnes less frozen products than about 65 thousand tons more of flour and fish oil. We also exported almost 300 tonnes less hardened seafood in 2015 than in 2014. This is all catch, before it has been pointed out that Icelanders' utilization of cod in 2015 amounted to 77%. The emphasis of research and innovation has been to increase that utilization in a value-creating way.

Utilization of catch for export and value creation

These figures show some of the changes that have appeared in the export reports of Icelandic fisheries companies recently. It is possible that changes in the markets for seafood have had an effect that has led to this conclusion, as has the restriction of access to the Russian market. The fall in oil prices has had far-reaching consequences, including declining purchasing power in Nigeria, which has been an important market for hardened seafood, a development that was conclusively observed in 2015. In the summer of 2015, the Russian government added Iceland to the list of countries from which food imports were prohibited. and has been repeatedly stated in public debate. Both are among the external factors influencing the utilization of seafood.

As important as good utilization of catch is in terms of the environmental impact of fishing and processing, it is the formation of value that drives the wheels of the economy. The export value of marine products in 2015 amounted to ISK 264.5 billion, which was about ISK 20.6 billion higher than in 2014. In 2015, ISK 201 was received. per kg earned with exports, about 26 less than for each kg gained in 2014. On the other hand, the average value of each exported kg was ISK 418. in 2015 about 46 ISK. higher than in 2014.

The application of scientific knowledge is important for the development of industries and their competitiveness. Achieving more durability for each unit, each kg extracted from the sea, requires less to create comparable value that can reduce the environmental impact of fishing and processing. Through research and innovation, developments in the Icelandic fisheries sector have been observed in recent years, but there is more to come, including market conditions that weigh heavily and patience in market development is important.

For further information Arnljótur Bjarki Bergsson Head of Implementation and Impact