Category: News

It has probably not escaped many that the University of Iceland (UI) got another rose in the buttonhole earlier this week when the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2015-2015 published a list of the best universities in the world. The school moves up by almost 50 places on this list, from 270th place to 222nd.

There has long been a good connection between UI and Matís. Many of Matís' employees teach at the University of Iceland, especially in food and nutrition as well as teaching in biotechnology-related subjects. Matís staff is extremely proud that Matís is mentioned as a partner of this powerful university and looks forward to continued collaboration in the coming years and decades.

Matís congratulates the University of Iceland on this great recognition!

About the collaboration between UI and Matís

Matís has had a great and good collaboration with the University of Iceland on studies in food science, which is a collaborative project between the Faculty of Food and Nutrition at the University of Iceland and Matís. The study places great emphasis on students working on practical projects and being connected to the business world.

The collaboration with the University of Iceland is not limited to the Faculty of Food and Nutrition, as there is also extensive collaboration with the School of Engineering and Natural Sciences and also the School of Social Sciences.

In the summer of 2013, Matís and the University of Iceland entered into an agreement on extensive collaboration in the field of teaching and research. The agreement lays the foundation for further strengthening of theoretical and practical education in the field of food research and food safety, as well as co-operation in other areas of teaching and research. The agreement is an important step in the formal collaboration between Matís and the University of Iceland on the sharing of resources, research infrastructure and human resources. It includes the intention to be at the forefront of the fields of study covered by the agreement.

The University of Iceland has formulated a strategy for the year 2016, where emphasis is placed on doctoral studies, excellent research and teaching, as well as emphasis on collaboration with institutions and companies such as Matís. The University of Iceland conducts extensive research and teaching in the fields of study that Matís deals with, especially in the field of health sciences, engineering and natural sciences at the university.

Much is being done to ensure even better co-operation and good co-operation between parties in these important sectors. For example, in 2012, food science studies in Iceland were launched. In collaboration with Matís and the University of Iceland, in collaboration with other state-run universities, a new international master's program in food science was established, but the program has had a better impact and the number of students is increasing year by year. Further information about the program can be found here: www.framtidarnam.is.

In addition, a new division was established at Matís with the aim of connecting industry and the university community even better.

"With the establishment of a division for education and food production, we make Matís' activities and role more prominent and better connect the business community, education, research and development of food," says Guðjón Þorkelsson about the new field of education and food production that started working within Matís on the 1st. June 2012.

The Research Center of the University of Akureyri (RHA) is holding an interesting conference tomorrow, Friday 15 April. A number of good lecturers will give presentations related to the fishing industry and one of them is Sæmundur Elíasson from Matís and the University of Akureyri.

More information can be found on the website RHA.

Climate change is real and lasting. Concerns about climate change are a threat to the sustainable growth of aquaculture and fisheries worldwide. The world's population is growing rapidly, demands for nutritious and healthy food are increasing and future forecasts point to a contraction in food production due to climate change.

ClimeFish - New project

ClimeFish is a European research project funded by the European Research Program, Horizon 2020, and work on the project began on 1 April. The aim of the project is to ensure that the production of marine products can increase, both in species and in areas where sustainable increase is possible, taking into account expected climate change. The project will be a factor in ensuring the safe supply of food, job security and the sustainable development of rural coastal areas.

The ClimeFish project will develop deviation examples and conduct a socio-economic analysis to identify risks and opportunities for aquaculture in the light of climate change. Methods will also be developed to reduce risk and identify opportunities in collaboration with stakeholders. This will serve the purpose of strengthening scientific advice and improving long-term production plans and policies. In the ClimeFish project, production will be examined in three areas, in fishing, aquaculture in the sea and aquaculture in lakes and ponds. Sixteen case studies will be carried out on more than 25 fish species across Europe. Stakeholders in the project are 21 from 16 countries and come from universities, research institutes and medium-sized companies.

For further information Jónas R. Viðarsson at Matís.

Recently, dr. Hólmfríður Sveinsdóttir, CEO of IceProtein and Protis, the Fisheries Incentive Award. The award is a rose in the buttonhole of Hólmfríður, the staff of IceProtein and Protis and FISH Seafood, owner of IceProtein and Protis and recognition of the activities of these companies in Skagafjörður. The award is also a special pleasure for Matís because it is not so long since Hólmfríður worked at Matís' biotechnology center in Sauðárkrókur.

But what is IceProtein and what kind of business is involved in the company?

History of IceProtein, Matís in Sauðárkrókur and dr. Hólmfríður Sveinsdóttir

IceProtein

At the Fisheries Research Institute (IFL), which is Matís' predecessor, an innovative company was established in 2005 for research projects that involved the utilization of proteins from marine products that were not fully utilized in processing. In 2006, due to FISK Seafood's interest in the operation, the IceProtein factory was moved to Sauðárkrókur and became part of Be Science Parks.

FISK Seafood then acquired a 64% share in Iceprotein in 2009 against a 36% share in Matís. IceProtein and Matís have been involved in a number of research projects. IceProtein's policy was to apply for grants for research and development of service projects for Kaupfélag Skagfirðinga and other companies. Kaupfélag Skagfirðinga established a development fund to support research related to the company's operations in 2010 and the fund's income was 0.15% from the operating income of each production unit. Since the establishment of the development fund, IceProtein's operations have increasingly been linked to service projects for Kaupfélag Skagfirðinga. At the end of 2012, FISK Seafood bought Matís' share in IceProtein and hired dr. Hólmfríður Sigurðardóttir as managing director. Shortly afterwards, more employees were hired for the company and the research capacity and production increased.

In 2015, IceProtein's operations led to the establishment of a new company, Protis, which handles the production and sale of a new product line under the name of the new company. Today, three types of supplements are produced under the name Protis and they are sold in most stores in this country. In January 2016, there were four Protis and IceProtein employees and they all have a degree in biotechnology and biochemistry.

Matís in Sauðárkrókur

In November 2008 opened Matís biotechnology center in Sauðárkrókur where a specialized biotechnology and biochemical laboratory was located. The aim was to bring together companies in Skagafjörður and apply advanced research technology in the production of products from underutilized raw materials. The biotechnology center worked with IceProtein on experimental production and facilities were set up for the analysis of bioactive substances. The biotechnology center in Sauðárkrókur was established with the support of FISK Seafood, which is one of the largest fisheries companies in the country. At the beginning of 2016, Matís had four employees in Sauðárkrókur.

From Verin in Sauðárkrókur

Dr. Hólmfríður Sveinsdóttir

Hólmfríður Sveinsdóttir defended her doctoral dissertation at the University of Iceland in May 2008 and then began working in the autumn at the Matís biotechnology center in Sauðárkrókur together with other staff and master's students. Since then, Hólmfríður has been in charge of research and development in the field of biotechnology and biomaterials. Hólmfríður's doctoral degree is in the field of biotechnology and in her master's studies she studied nutrition. Her field of interest has been research on biomaterials derived from marine raw materials and with special emphasis on proteins and peptides derived from cod (Gadus morhua).

In 2011, FISK Seafood, which had then acquired a majority stake in IceProtein, invested in new headquarters and moved IceProtein and Matís' biotechnology center to that premises. On that occasion, Matís added equipment to the biotechnology center. In 2013, when FISK Seafood had fully acquired IceProtein, Hólmfríður moved from Matís and became the managing director of IceProtein.

"I hope that this award is not only grist to the mill of our Skagfjörður people to continue working closely with all kinds of entrepreneurs for the benefit of innovation and development of FISK Seafood and the industry, but also to encourage other fisheries companies to increase cooperation with entrepreneurs. . Innovation leads to better quality in fishing and processing, an improved image, more diverse sales channels and greater value creation within the companies."
Dr. Hólmfríður Sveinsdóttir

In parallel with the Faroese Presidency's program of the Nordic Council of Ministers, the Faroese company Syntesa has been tasked with exploring the Nordic countries' potential for better utilization of marine resources.

As part of this work, Syntesa, together with partners in Norway, Greenland and Iceland, has been responsible for working meetings with stakeholders and analyzed various documents relating to the utilization of catches. Such a meeting was held in Matís' premises last November. which succeeded with great excellence.

It is now time for the second meeting in Iceland in this series of meetings, and Syntesa's employees will report on the main results of the workshops in Norway, Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Iceland. The meeting will take place at Matís' premises, Vínlandsleið 12, from 9:00 to 11:00, 14 April.

It is expected that the results of the workshops will to some extent shape the Nordic Council of Ministers' policy regarding the full utilization of fish catches and support for research and development in this area in the coming months. It is therefore important that the voices of most stakeholders are heard at these meetings. It is clear that when it comes to (full) utilization of marine catches, Icelanders are at the forefront, but there is always room for improvement. It is therefore important that stakeholders discuss how to improve technology, adapt the legal environment / fisheries management, develop new products and markets, etc. so that all the catch that is caught comes ashore and becomes a valuable product.

In recent months, a number of companies have sprung up that produce so-called by-products. This sector is booming and it is clear that many opportunities lie in the utilization of raw materials that were previously discarded, buried or smelted. It is important that the needs of this sector are taken into account when discussing full utilization.

It is the hope of those involved in the meeting that as many stakeholders as possible will be able to attend and contribute so that the perspectives and needs of as many people as possible are expressed.

Improved utilization of marine catch in the Arctic

Location: Matís, Vínlandsleið 12, Reykjavík
Time: April 14, 2016 at 9: 00-11: 00

Agenda

9:00 Meeting (Jónas R. Viðarsson - Matís)
9:10 Main results "all in land" (Unn Laksá - Synthesis)
9:40 Economic analysis of improved utilization of marine catch (Magni Laksafoss - Synthesis)
10:00 Full utilization of catfish in Iceland (Ásbjörn Jónsson - Matís)
10:15 Discussion (Jónas R. Viðarsson - Matís)
11:00 End of meeting

It is necessary to announce participation by sending an e-mail to Jónas R. Viðarsson at Matís, jonas@matis.is

Fraud in the food trade is a serious problem and fish are among the foods where the most fraud seems to occur. Matís held a seminar where food fraud was discussed from various angles, and among other things examined how genetic engineering can be used to promote greater integrity.

Matís is one of 38 participants in a large pan-European project, Food Integrity, which aims to detect food fraud and develop preventive methods. The project has been allocated a total of EUR 12 million and Matís' share is in trade in seafood.

Palm oil and melamine

Jón Árnason, project manager at Matís, gave a talk at the conference where he discussed how to monitor and verify the content of feed in aquaculture. He says problems with aquaculture feed are fortunately rare, but still need to be addressed. Consumers are also increasingly demanding to know a lot about the origin of all the food they eat. "Consumers not only look at the quality and the price, but also where the food comes from and what it contains. This makes it even more important for aquaculture companies to be able to trace with certainty all the raw materials used for aquaculture. "

Jón mentions some examples, such as the controversy that arose in the discussion about Norwegian salmon farming a year ago. "There was a lot of discussion about the use of palm oil in fish feed due to the way palm oil is produced in many parts of the world. Farmers are destroying wild jungle to pay for palm farming, and this is affecting the ecosystem in those areas. "

Jón also mentions the uproar that took place in Europe at the time when it was discovered that the producer had mixed meat and bone meal with traditional fish meal. "This was when the fear of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease was at its height and led to the European Union severely restricting the use of fishmeal for a while."

Jón even says that it is possible that producers could start adding melamine to aquaculture feed to create misleading results about nutritional content. "It is an inorganic compound of nitrogen that is not useful as a nutrient and can even act as a toxin, but if an analysis were made of the nitrogen content of melamine-mixed feed, it would indicate that the protein content was higher than it actually is."

What can you do then? Jón says the only way to ensure integrity is to promote a high-quality flow of information down the entire value chain. Another way is to use international standards and chairs for official supervision. "The Aquaculture Stewardship Council and various other standards seek to certify processes and quality down the entire value chain."
The third way is to use genetic engineering and let the feed samples tell the story. "If there is a suspicion that there is a raw material in the feed that should not be there, then a genetic test can determine whether this is the case. Even in the form of flour, it is possible to identify what has gone into the feed, such as what plant and animal species are found there.

The above-mentioned news / interview is published in Morgunblaðið and on www.mbl.is March 17 / ai@mbl.is.

Further information is provided by Jón Árnason at Matís.

Rannís awarded grants from the Research Fund for the grant year 2016 last month. Matís received two outstanding grants, of which Matís has project management in one of them, but both grants are related to microbiological research. Matís also received research position and doctoral student grants related to, on the one hand, research on microorganisms and, on the other hand, mackerel research.

The projects will be carried out in collaboration with the Marine Research Institute, the University of Iceland, the Institute of Natural History, ÍSOR and international partners. The second major grant, MIME, will be used to gain a better overview of the diversity of microorganisms in the oceans around Iceland and their role in the food chain. Information on the diversity of micro-organisms in Icelandic waters can be of great practical value to the Icelandic fishing industry.

About the MIME project

Research on the diversity of marine microorganisms has increased significantly in recent years, but there is little information on microorganisms in the ocean around Iceland. The aim of the project is to study microbial diversity in samples that have been collected annually for seven years at defined sampling stations around the country. In the project, the effects of global warming and ocean acidification will be investigated in terms of microbial diversity and chemical cycles in the ocean. Three hypotheses have been put forward: "a) There is a great difference between microbial communities in the north and south of the country, b) Synechococcus is found in the North Atlantic Ocean near Iceland and in the cold Arctic Ocean, but does not play a key role as primitive microorganisms as in lower latitude, and c) Ocean acidification occurs more rapidly in northern areas compared to temperate and tropical areas and therefore has a greater impact on marine microorganisms in northern latitudes, causing changes in diversity and their numbers ". Answers to these hypotheses are obtained using the latest technology in DNA sequencing of genomes and gene expression as well as the use of microbial analysis. Research emphasis will be placed on comparing different characteristics of ocean areas such as the cold polar sea from the north with the warmer sea coming from the south with the Irminger current. Oceanography and bioinformatics data will be put into context with a new program (MB3-IS) to examine the synergies between microorganisms and environmental variables. New strains of microorganisms will be isolated and described.

For more information, contact the MIME project manager, dr. Viggó Þ. Marteinsson at Matís.

Right now, the Fisheries Incentive Award was presented at the annual conference of the Association of Companies in the Fisheries Sector.

Dr. Hólmfríður Sveinsdóttir, who manages the company IceProtein in Sauðárkrókur, received the Fisheries Incentive Award given at the annual conference of the Association of Fisheries Companies in 2016. IceProtein and Protis recently launched a new product line based on years of research into the health benefits of fish proteins. We find this an extremely interesting initiative by a powerful entrepreneur in the field of research and development in rural areas. 

Jens Garðar Helgason, chairman of the Association of Companies in the Fisheries Sector, and Karen Kjartansdóttir, Communications Director of the Association of Companies in the Fisheries Sector, presented the award.

IceProtein in Sauðárkrókur is a powerful company that works on research and development of the processing of valuable substances, mainly from seafood, with the aim of increasing utilization and value creation in the fisheries sector. Iceprotein has four employees as well as research students.

Matís wishes Hólmfríður and the staff of IceProtein as well as FISK Seafood, sincere congratulations on the award.

News first published on the website Association of companies in the fishing industry.

Matís offers safe and good service that fully compares with the services of comparable foreign companies and institutions.

More and more people are realizing the importance of genetics. Whether it is a genetic analysis of fish, for example due to disputes over species stocks, an analysis of the pedigree of dogs when it comes to buying a purebred dog or an analysis of horses for export, the importance of genetic analysis is undisputed. Matís offers such analyzes and more, and breeders have increasingly turned to Matís when it comes to breeding in breeding work and how best to pair together to achieve the desired result.

Example of service measurements

Example of measurements for genetic breeding

More information about service research and measurement

Matís and the Fisheries Research Institute before that, has been involved in development projects for over 10 years through teaching and guidance work at the United Nations University's School of Fisheries (UNU-FTP). This collaboration has led to further projects for Matís with seminars in developing countries.

Matís has held a total of eight courses in five countries, Vietnam (2005), Sri Lanka (2006), Kenya (2008 and 2013), Uganda (2011) and Tanzania (2012, 2014 and 2015). The courses have been one to two weeks long and tailored to the needs of the respective countries. In recent years, former UNU-FTP students have taken an active part in the preparation and implementation of the courses. This collaboration has been valuable to all parties and Matís has benefited from growing projects in developing countries.

Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania

In 2010, the Tanzanian government advertised for consultants to design research vessels, tender for the vessel, conduct an examination of the social status of fishing communities on Lake Tanganyika, and provide advice on improving the handling and processing of fish caught in the lake. Matís applied to take on the project in collaboration with Jóhann Indriðason's Engineering Office, Ráðgarður skipráðgjöf and the engineering office GOCH in Tanzania, and the offer was accepted. Matís took on project management in addition to providing advice on improved handling and processing of fish. Margeir Gissurarson managed the project on behalf of Matís, but he has extensive experience in development projects and has also lived in Mozambique for six years. The project area was fishing communities in Tanzania adjacent to Lake Tanganyika, where in most communities there is electricity or running water and the working environment is different from what Icelanders are used to. This area is one of the poorest in Tanzania and therefore a strength for Matís to be able to offer an employee who has lived in developing countries for many years and knows similar conditions.

Drying of fish and other seafood in difficult conditions

The main processing methods for fish at Lake Tanganyika are smoking and drying. The drying is done by spreading fish on the ground and letting the sun dry it. Birds and insects are in fierce competition with humans for food that lies exposed on the ground and during rainy seasons the fish are washed away and / or damaged due to excessive wetness. It is estimated that about 30% of the catch from the water will be lost, or between 10 and 20 thousand tonnes. Smoking fish is practiced over an open fire, so the fish is roasted rather than smoked. The treatment is usually performed by women who stand in a smokehouse every day and the result is eye pain and difficulty breathing. Matís' challenge was therefore not only to solve technical processing issues but also to improve the health of the inhabitants of the area.

Dryer in use

The result of the project was a processing unit that could both dry and smoke fish in a closed environment. Wood consumption in the new unit is only about 20% of what is used in traditional smoking and discounts on fish are negligible. The new processing unit was well received and it was requested that Matís assist in spreading the message. The project was then completed and it was no longer possible to work on it at the moment. The year 2014 was advertised for projects by the Nordic Climate Facility, a fund under the Nordic Development Fund. Matís applied for a grant to renovate the smoke and drying unit from a previous project and build 100 units that are distributed
would be to fishing communities in Tanzania by Lake Tanganyika. This grant was received and is currently being worked on in collaboration with UNU-FTP and the Tanzania Fish Research Institute (TAFIRI). The aim of the project is to reduce the use of wood in smoking fish by 80% and to improve the performance of the fishing communities. In Tanzania, about 450 thousand cubic meters of wood are used per year to smoke fish, so it can be estimated that if Matís' processing unit goes into general use in that country, it will be possible to reduce wood use by 350 thousand cubic meters per year.

Use of geothermal energy in food production

Matís has also been involved in development projects regarding the use of geothermal energy
in food production. In 2014, two Matís employees went to Kenya and Rwanda for two weeks to carry out a feasibility study on the use of low temperatures in food processing. Kenya has considerable geothermal energy, but Rwanda has not yet found energy sources, although there are hot springs in several places that could be used for food processing.

Matís in the Caribbean In 2015, Matís undertook a project in the Caribbean regarding its assessment
how countries within CARIFORUM countries meet international food safety requirements, with an emphasis on wild fish and aquaculture. The main goal of the project was to present a roadmap or proposals for what the countries can do together and individually to ensure access to important market countries such as Europe and the United States. Eight countries were visited, where conditions and monitoring were examined and the results presented to the authorities and stakeholders. Final proposals were submitted in October 2015.

In recent years, Matís' projects in developing countries have increased in number, and with each project, the company's reputation as a reliable and professional consultant in developing countries has grown.