Due to a coverage of skin products from the company Villimey that appeared in DV yesterday, 16 December 2016, Matís would like to state the following:
In a news item that Matís published on its website on 1 September. is an inaccurate wording, but part of the news can be understood in the sense that Matís has studied the effectiveness of skin care products on bodily functions.
Regarding the conduct of the research in question, it is correct that herbs in aqueous solution (plant extract) with herbs used in Villimey's skin products were tested in various skin cell tests and connective tissue tests. Such tests provide evidence of the activity of various substances in the skin and connective tissue cells. The relevant cell assays measured collagen levels and the levels of the enzymes elastase, metal proteinase 1, metal proteinase 2 and metal proteinase 9.
The tests showed that the herbs inhibited the synthesis of the enzymes. The tests also showed an increase in the amount of collagen in skin cells. There was also activity in healing files in cell epithelium with the so-called "Scratch wound healing" test (filament healing test) as well as antioxidant effect.
Matís regrets having sent a text that contained inaccurate wording and apologizes for any inconvenience this may have caused.
Further information is provided by Sveinn Margeirsson, CEO of Matís.
"We want it to be taken for granted that scientists work with fishermen on fisheries research and that fisheries stakeholders see scientists as valuable partners in policy-making," said Steve Mackinson of the UK's Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Center in a recent interview. Horizon, EU Research & Innovation Magazine but the occasion was e.g. The WhiteFish project in which Matís and the Association of Companies in the Fisheries Sector (SFS) participated on behalf of Iceland.
Matís, together with partners from Norway, Sweden, the UK and the Netherlands, was a participant in the research project WhiteFish, which was part of FP7, the 7th European Research Program, but the project has just been completed. The aim of the project was to develop and verify a method for calculating, analyzing individual batches (eg boxes, pallets or fishing trips), the environmental impact of cod and haddock products. The project will especially benefit small and medium-sized companies in the value chain of cod and haddock products, so that they can record the sustainability of products and processing methods. By being able to demonstrate the environmental impact of individual batches of production, the project's product will be used to give producers of cod and haddock products a competitive advantage in the market, which will presumably result in improved market access, higher prices and increased consumer goodwill.
At the handicraft slaughterhouse in Sailing camp in Landbrot employs a pioneer who asked Matís for a solution to his problems. Farmer Erlendur Björnsson had long had plans to set up a meat processing plant to process products from his own raw materials. For this he had thought of using a large shed by the town, which he had built up a few years ago, but was rather poorly used, mostly as storage for equipment and tools.
After some deliberation, it was agreed that the premises could be used as a smaller slaughterhouse, in addition to traditional meat processing. It can be said that it is not possible to get closer to the ideology "Straight from the farm".
A great deal of preparation went into it, which was based, among other things, on the design and organization of the slaughterhouse and the procedures required there, and also a lot of time was spent communicating with official regulators as this was the first slaughterhouse of its kind in the country. It was also necessary to convince licensors and regulators that even small slaughterhouses, with limited manpower, where work processes are based more on craftsmanship than automation, can meet all the requirements for slaughterhouses. It has now been two slaughter seasons since the opening of the slaughterhouse, at which time it has been confirmed that the house's products have become very desirable, as the quality is chronic, whether in terms of hygiene or taste and texture.
The next steps of Erlendur Björnsson and Þórunn Júlíusdóttir, the pioneers in Seglbúðir in collaboration with Matís, are to increase the operation of the building and the preparation of a large animal slaughterhouse, i.e. bulls and horse slaughter, already underway. This activity will strengthen the activities and create some jobs in the countryside in addition to those that were created at the opening of the sheep slaughterhouse.
This summer, the "Craft Reach" project was launched, which aims to support start-ups and current small producers in remote and sparsely populated areas. Matís is one of the seven partners in the project, which is funded for three years by the Northern Pheryphery and Arctic program. The project will be based on the success and experience of the "Économusée Craft International" project that laid the foundation for this project.
The main focus of the project is to help build and market craft businesses in remote and sparsely populated areas, and in the process encourage and inspire young people. Partners in the project are from Norway, Canada, the Faroe Islands, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Iceland and Greenland.
Matís is currently looking for craft companies that are interested in becoming an ÉCONOMUSÉE and are connected to the "Craft Reach" network. For more information, visit the website, www.economusee.eu.
There are already three ÉCONOMUSÉEs in Iceland, they are Leir 7 in Stykkishólmur, Arfleifð in Djúpavogur and Gestastofa Sútarans in Sauðárkrókur.
Craft companies interested in participating must meet the following conditions:
ÉCONOMUSÉE is a company that:
Use traditional craft methods
Produce traditional and / or new products with specific cultural connections
Open its doors to the public to introduce the craft and the people behind it
Has a building designed so that guests can show the processing and products
Aims to become financially independent
Further information about the project or the current craft company can be found at www.economusee.eu.
If you think you meet the above criteria and are interested in being part of this exciting network, you can contact Gunnþórunn Einarsdóttir ( gunna@matis.is).
Demand for fish is steadily increasing and the supply of farmed fish must therefore be increased in order to maintain a stable supply and reduce the pressure on fishing. Fishmeal is the predominant source of protein in fish feed, but the production of the meal has shrunk as the utilization of pelagic fish in more valuable products has increased due to better fishing technology and better cooling of the raw material.
At Matís, dr. Ragnar Jóhannsson, project manager, has been working on various projects aimed at finding raw materials other than fishmeal for aquaculture and utilizing unused raw materials. Waste from cellulose factories in Sweden and the cultivation of biomass in geothermal gases from the Hellisheidi Geothermal Power Plant are possibilities that have been explored.
Ragnar has worked with Swedish companies in the production of Single Cell Protein (SCP) from sidestreams from the forest industry. The main goal is to develop a product that replaces fishmeal. It was necessary to find out which microorganisms were most suitable and which sidestreams in cellulose and paper production were best suited for this production. The protein mass is dried and mixed with other raw materials to make aquaculture feed. This feed has been tried in tilapia farming with good results and is currently being developed for char farming.
Another method that has been tried in feed production is to use hydrogen sulphide from the Hellisheidi power plant as an energy source in the cultivation of microbial biomass. The microorganisms grow rapidly on hydrogen sulphide, are then dried and added to aquaculture feed. This project was recently completed after two years of development work, but further research is needed to maximize results.
Matís participated in the Fisheries Conference 2015, which ended last week. It is safe to say that never before have so many people attended the conference and the organizers are very pleased with how it went. The Matís employees who attended the conference agree.
Online errands
All presentations made at the Fisheries Conference 2015 can now be downloaded from the conference's website under Agenda 2015 . Students from the University of Akureyri have also been out and about Facebook page where you will find a summary of presentations.
Participants
There were about 750 registered participants and there have never been more. The largest number of participants in the conference halls was around 550 people, but many attended only part of the conference. Over three hundred people's meeting rooms were packed into several seminars, as can be seen in the picture above. What goes on outside the conference room is also important, but the Fisheries Conference is a forum where people meet, strengthen relationships and co-operate in the industry.
Origin and life history 186 Atlantic salmon caught within the Icelandic fisheries jurisdiction were investigated using DNA mapping to assess the origin and scales and mills to find out how long the salmon have stayed in freshwater and sea. This study was conducted at Matís in collaboration with Veiðimálastofnun, Marine Research Institute and Directorate of Fisheries.
Most of the samples were from salmon that was in its first year at sea or 72.8%. The lifespan of freshwater varied from one year to five and the average freshwater age of salmon was 2.6 years. Most salmon had been in freshwater for two years or 42% and 28% had been in freshwater for three years.
A database on the origin of salmon stocks in 284 European rivers was used to study the origin. It turned out that the 68% samples were traced to mainland Europe and the British Isles, 30% were traced to Scandinavia and northern Russia, but only 2% salmon were from Iceland.
This study shows that the sea area south and east of Iceland is an important feeding ground for Atlantic salmon, and especially for salmon from the British Isles and southern Europe. The low proportion of salmon of Icelandic origin came as a surprise and indicates that Icelandic salmon use another grazing area.
The study is described in more detail ICES Web site.
Detailed information is provided by the first author of the article, Kristinn Ólafsson at Matís.
The Faculty of Food and Nutrition at the University of Iceland and Matís have entered into an agreement between them on continued collaboration in the field of teaching and research. Inga Þórsdóttir, President of the School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, and Sveinn Margeirsson, CEO of Matís, signed the agreement yesterday. The agreement ensures continued collaboration on developing and improving studies in food and nutrition at the University of Iceland. The agreement further strengthens the strong collaboration between the University of Iceland and Matís.
The main points of the agreement between the Faculty of Food and Nutrition and Matís are:
Ensure an acceptable number of students in food and nutrition at the University of Iceland.
Develop and improve studies in food and nutrition at the University of Iceland and thus ensure professional uniqueness in order to attract students and scholars on an international level.
Collaborate on more projects that link the disciplines of food science, food safety, biotechnology and nutrition. We will continue to work together on the development of equipment, databases and other infrastructure.
Students can work on research and development projects under the guidance of Matís staff under the supervision of permanent teachers or visiting professors from the Faculty of Food and Nutrition and in accordance with the University of Iceland's rules on the qualifications of supervisors.
From left: Sigrún Mjöll Halldórsdóttir, project manager at Matís, Sveinn Margeirsson, CEO of Matís, Guðjón Þorkelsson, president of the Faculty of Food and Nutrition and division manager at Matís, Inga Þórsdóttir, president of the School of Health Sciences and Þórhallur Ingi Halldórsson, professor at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition.
The Faculty of Food and Nutrition and Matís have had a good collaboration on teaching for a long time, but Matís' employees have traditionally taught at the faculty. The collaboration has now increased even further as two Matís employees have been given a permanent position at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition at the University of Iceland and one employee of the faculty has been given a permanent position at Matís.
Björn Viðar Aðalbjörnsson, a specialist at Matís, has held the position of 20% Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition since 1 January 2015.
Sigrún Mjöll Halldórsdóttir, project manager at Matís, will hold the position of Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition from 1 January 2016.
Alfons Ramel, professor at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition, will hold the position of specialist at Matís 20% as of January 1, 2016.
Matís is a leader in Iceland in research in the field of food production and food safety. Matís' policy is to strengthen the competitiveness of Icelandic products and the economy, improve public health, ensure food security and sustainable use of the environment through research, innovation and services in the fields of food, biotechnology and genetic engineering. In order to implement its policy, it is necessary for Matís to work in collaboration with the University of Iceland on teaching and training students.
The Faculty of Food and Nutrition is one of the most powerful units of the University of Iceland in research facilities for each full-time equivalent of teachers. The faculty strives to be at the forefront with high-quality research and teaching that can be compared on an international level. The collaboration with Matís supports these goals. There is also a strong emphasis on collaboration with institutions and companies such as Matís in the University of Iceland's policy.
Further information is provided by Inga Þórsdóttir and Sveinn Margeirsson.
Snorri Hreggviðsson, Margildi ehf., Won first prize in the competition The Future Policy Idea of the Fisheries Conference 2015.
The idea is to produce Marlys, mackerel, herring and capelin for human consumption. Margildi ehf. has developed a new and unique processing method, so-called rapid cold cleaning, which makes it possible to cold clean fish oil from pelagic species. Until now, it has not been possible to cold-clean efficiently and fully purify the aforementioned fish oil for human consumption due to the large amount of saturated and long-chain monounsaturated fatty acids in the fish oil.
Margildi has worked on the project with the engineering firm EFLA, Matís, KPMG, Alta ráðgjöf, Kanon Architects, the University of Akureyri, the Association of Southern Municipalities (SASS), the Association of Municipalities in East Iceland (SSA), the Ministry of Industry and Innovation, AVS and Sjávarklasan. Experimental raw materials have been obtained from HB Grandi, Síldarvinnslan and Eskja, as well as Vinnslustöðin and Ísfélagið in the Westman Islands.
Matís 'experts have been involved in the project and Matís' facilities have used the project to advance it.
The Fisheries Conference 2015 will be held at Hilton Reykjavík Nordica from 19 to 20 November
The aim of the Fisheries Conference is to bring together in one place a cross-section of the Icelandic fisheries sector to work for progress. The Fisheries Conference is a forum where people meet, strengthen relationships and co-operate in the industry.
Matís has a booth at the conference where technical solutions and collaborative projects are presented. Birgir Örn Smárason, PhD student at Matís, will speak at the conference. Rannveig Björnsdóttir, director, is on the board of the Fisheries Conference.
