Category: News

Matís has recently been assigned Marie Skłodowska-Curie new doctoral grant designed to provide young researchers with the knowledge, skills and international experience needed to ensure a successful career.

Different types of arsenic in seaweed - what percentage is toxic?

The recipient of this new doctoral grant is dr. Ásta Heiðrún Pétursdóttir who completed his doctoral studies last year University of Aberdeen, Scotland. The grant gives Matís a unique opportunity to establish a new research area and facility in Iceland to detect different types of arsenic in food. The project will also provide Ásta Heiðrún with diverse scientific training and important interdisciplinary experience that together will form a comprehensive basis for a successful and independent process in science. A total of 8438 applications for new doctoral grants were received in the 2014 grant year, but the success rate was 16.8%.

The project Cross section of seaweed (e. SilhouetteOfSeaweed) aims to increase consumer safety by gaining a deeper knowledge of the types of arsenic found in seaweed. Today, seaweed is increasingly used as food algae and / or in cosmetics. Particular emphasis will be placed on organic arsenic lipids found in seaweed, but recent studies suggest that organic arsenic lipids are highly toxic.¹. Until now, research has mainly focused on inorganic arsenic, which is carcinogenic (cf. the media discussion about arsenic in rice), but organic arsenic has so far been considered less dangerous than inorganic arsenic.

There is an urgent need to increase research on arsenic lipids today. Few teams with this expertise and research facilities exist worldwide and this project is an opportunity for Iceland to be a leader in a new and exciting field of research. The project is in collaboration with a specialist in arsenic lipid research Technical University of Denmark (DTU). The project also strengthens domestic collaboration where the project is carried out in collaboration with the Icelandic chemical analysis company ArcticMass.

The outcome of the project is primarily twofold. On the one hand, to build a database on arsenic lipids in different types of seaweed that has been collected in three different places in Iceland at different times of the year. This will be an important contribution to ensuring consumer safety and facilitating risk assessment of seaweed. However, a thorough statistical analysis and comparison of environmental data when collecting the samples (such as salinity, nutrients, temperature, location, etc.) will allow to determine the ideal conditions for collecting seaweed when toxic arsenic is likely to be minimal.

For further information dr. Ásta Heiðrún Pétursdóttir.

Ian Goulding, an expert in fish, fish processing and aspects related to fisheries management, gave a short lecture at Matís' premises, where he was present at the United Nations University's School of Fisheries ( UNU-FTP)

About the speaker | About Ian Goulding

Ian Goulding is a specialist in fish quality, processing and international aspects of fisheries management. He qualified in the UK as an Environmental Health Officer, has a Masters degree in Food Science and a PhD in Fish Technology and Marketing. He has 30+ years of experience in the fish industry, in quality control, product development, international trade and fish processing, as well as in research, consultancy and training functions.

Since 1986 he has worked as a consultant offering specialist advice and assistance to the fishery sector. He worked for seven years for the UK Government on long term projects in Ecuador and Egypt. He has worked for private companies, as an expert witness and on development projects in Africa, Middle East, South East Asia, South America and Central and Eastern Europe. He has advised the EU on socio-economic impacts of fisheries, fisheries agreements with third countries, IUU fishing controls and sanitary aspects of trade on fishery products. He has been instrumental in helping numerous less developed countries meet sanitary requirements for export of fisheries to international markets.

Since 1994 he has been Managing Director of a fisheries consultancy firm, Megapesca Lda of Portugal, where he has managed more than 500 contracts funded by international development agencies. Ian is a Fellow of the Institute of Food Science and Technology (UK), and Board Member of the International Association of Fish Inspectors. He runs the IAFI Peter Howgate Award for young fish technologists and edits the popular monthly newsletter “Fishfiles Lite” on EU fisheries matters. He has UK and Portuguese nationalities, and speaks English and Portuguese.

The project "Treatment of the root of the problem" has now been completed, the aim of which was to confirm the use properties of chitosan treatment of seafood to increase quality and shelf life. Chitosan is a large molecule made from chitin, which is the basic substance in the shells of insects and shellfish in the sea.

The company Primex ehf. chitosan is processed from shrimp shells in Siglufjörður and worked on the project together with Matís, Fjarðalaxi and Frame. 

The possibilities of use of chitosan are great and it has been mostly used as a fat binder in the gastrointestinal tract and in the development of wound care products. Yet another feature of this is the inhibitory effect on bacterial growth which is useful in maintaining food quality. It is particularly suitable for marine products as they are generally sensitive products with a short shelf life where spoilage bacteria thrive well.

The project therefore developed a method for treating seafood with chitosan and tested different mixtures of the substance. Three different seafood products were selected for testing; shrimp, salmon and cod. The results showed that certain mixtures of chitosan slow down the spoilage process, especially in whole fish. It is important that treatment is carried out immediately after fishing or slaughter in order to maximize the effectiveness of the treatment and that ideal conditions exist for the storage of fish products.

The members of the project would like to thank AVS for their support.

Further information is provided by dr. Eyjólfur Reynisson at Matís.

A large part of the capelin, blue whiting and sprat caught in Iceland is used for flour and fish oil processing and then mainly for feed production. Little is done to process the catch into more valuable products, although there have been some attempts in that direction in recent years. Full utilization of catch is a key issue for Icelandic fisheries and it is therefore important to increase the value of small fish catches.

As an example of value creation for pelagic fish, it can be mentioned that if 10,000 tonnes of blue whiting were to be dried instead of smelting, the value of that catch could be increased by ISK 1.6 billion per year.

A collaborative project is underway between Matís, Haustaks and Herring processing at Neskaupstaður on drying pelagic fish. The aim of the project is to build knowledge and adapt the drying process of fully dried products from capelin, blue whiting and saithe, using a conveyor belt dryer. Dried products for human consumption are considered in foreign markets, mainly to Africa, such as Kenya and Tanzania. Matís has been involved in development activities in these countries in recent years, regarding the drying of small fish, which is now well known in these countries. Cyprian Ogombe Odoli, a doctoral student at Matís and a graduate of the United Nations University Fisheries Training Program (www.unuftp.is), also participates in these projects.

AVS Fisheries Research Fund sponsors the project. For further information Ásbjörn Jónsson.

The fishing industry, like other industries, relies on research and product development. Experience has shown that increased value creation in the industry is based on ingenuity and Icelandic companies have done ambitious and remarkable work in that field.

Matís has often played a key role in this, being a kind of core of knowledge when it comes to the application of science in the fisheries sector and a bridge between educational institutions and the business community.

"Research and science are the future currency of the fishing industry," says Sveinn Margeirsson, CEO of Matís. He says probable knowledge and technological progress will continue to play a key role in Iceland's competitive position.

"In fact, today we have the palm in our hands because we already have a very strong fishing industry and a strong knowledge base in the industry. This is something that many other nations have yet to build and have a long way to go. "

By law, Matís' role is to increase value in the food industry, improve food security and promote public health. Matís is state-owned but operated as a public limited company and has a clear service role with the fishing industry and other food sectors, but also obligations towards the owner, the nation.

Sveinn points out that consumers, both domestically and abroad, are becoming increasingly demanding and better aware of the properties of seafood. Through innovation and research, fisheries companies are able to meet these high demands in an efficient way and create added value from the catch.

"The development that has taken place in the field of refrigeration is a good example of this. Today, about half of the fresh fillets that Icelandic companies export to Europe are transported by ship instead of air transport only, as was the case about 15 years ago, because improved technology has made it possible to extend the product's shelf life and improve fish handling throughout the value chain. The result is much greater exports of fresh fillets and fillet pieces in a cheap and environmentally friendly way, but at the same time, air transport has also developed and today offers the opportunity to handle all the most demanding buyers. Fishermen, fishermen and the staff of fish processing and transport companies have certainly looked at the needs of the market and used science to get to the next level "

As another example of the progress of recent years and decades, Sveinn mentions improved utilization of the catch. "Everything works together here, the technology that aims to increase the quality of the raw material for the general consumer also creates better raw materials for all kinds of by-products. Advances in handling and processing have led to the utilization rate of cod approaching 80%, and at the same time the proportion of the most valuable products has increased. "

Sveinn says it is clear that the supply of fish will increase greatly in the coming years, not least white fish, and increase competition in all market areas. He cites as an example Vietnam, which has stated that aquaculture will double in size over the next five years, and almost all of the fish will be exported. "In the market environment of the future, it will be crucial how we manage to build up the image of an Icelandic product and differentiate it from other seafood, such as by virtue of quality, purity and food safety. The industry needs to continue its good work, and be able to work from the right information and the latest research. "

Purity and quality, says Sveinn, driven by research and investment in technological progress, says Sveinn can become one of the strongest marketing tools for Icelandic fish. "We see it happening that the internet is changing the way all products are sold and it is foreseeable that new opportunities will be created to sell seafood directly to the consumer. There, Icelandic companies will have all the data in hand to show how good the product is, and healthy, "he predicts. "Consumers around the world are placing increasing emphasis on eating wholesome foods that are produced without adversely affecting the environment and society. These are consumers who are very aware of the health effects of food, want to know their origin and are willing to pay a high price for a nutritious product that is good for their health. In all these areas, Icelandic seafood is very strong, but our argument must be based on honesty and scientific information, not just what we think or want to say. "

^{This interview with Svein Margeirsson, CEO of Matís, first appeared in Morgunblaðið on March 26.}

UNA skincare skin products have been on the Icelandic market since 2012 and marketing and sales in foreign markets have already begun. UNA skincare ehf. is a new company established within Matís ohf. which is the largest shareholder.

UNA skincare skin care products are unique in the market. They are naturally extracted from Icelandic seaweed and contain bioactive substances that are based on years of research and have given very good results.

Now is a turning point when UNA skincare ehf. opens for the involvement of new partners for further development, marketing and distribution of UNA skincare skin care products in domestic and foreign markets. Investment in the company is also possible.

All further information provides:

Oddur Már Gunnarsson, Chairman of the Board of UNA skincare ehf. 
422 5096 // 858 5096 
www.unaskincare.com 
www.facebook.com/UNAskincare

POLSHIFTS conference in the premises of the Marine Research Institute 14-15. April 2015 | Changes in the distribution of pelagic fish stocks, effects of climate change?

The aim of the POLSHIFTS conference is to bring together scientists and stakeholders to discuss the potential impact of climate change on the distribution of pelagic fish stocks in the North Atlantic. 
There are advertisements for topics related to fishing (such as changes in access and cost of fishing grounds and adaptation of the fishing fleet from changes in the distribution of fish stocks) or the biology and ecology of pelagic fish stocks (such as changes in life history, food and spawning distribution, stock genetics and marine ecosystems). climate change may be linked to fish stocks. 

More information can be found at website of the conference.

A few points about the conference._{News first published on the website Association of companies in the fishing industry.}

Tomorrow, Matís will open a major project from the framework of the 8th European Framework Program for Research and Development (Horizon 2020). The project is about the production of seafood and how to improve the competitiveness of fisheries companies in the international market. It is managed by dr. Guðmundur Stefánsson, director of Matís and Horizon 2020's grant for the project is around ISK 750 million. The project is the third in a few years that Matís manages in the field of the value chain of seafood within Europe (EcoFishMan and MareFrame).

The competitiveness of many European fisheries and aquaculture companies has declined sharply in recent years, and growth in the continent's fisheries sector has been limited. PrimeFish's goal is to identify the main reasons and come up with proposals for improvements that promote increased innovation and competitiveness and encourage growth within the industry.

Do consumers buy fish solely on the basis of price and not on quality, uniqueness or traceability?

The quality of fish products is high in Europe, as consumers in most countries on the continent make high demands when it comes to seafood. The special position of European fisheries and aquaculture is also great, but despite this, many European seafood producers have been hit hard in recent months, not least when it comes to competition for cheaper whitefish species from Asia. Consumers may not understand the quality and uniqueness of European production, but it may also be that producers do not provide this information in a sufficiently clear way or that the influence of European consumers prevails.

How can seafood producers best communicate their message to European consumers?

Constant instability

Prices and supply of seafood on the European market have fluctuated considerably recently. years and has undermined the stability of companies' operations. A changing regulatory environment affects competitiveness and can make it difficult for companies to meet consumer demands and expectations. The examples prove that the marketing of many new seafood products has failed recently. years. Do manufacturers not understand consumers or are there other reasons? Such questions are among the issues that the Primefish project will address.

More about PrimeFish

PrimeFish is a four-year project involving companies, research institutes and universities. These include Kontali, Syntesa, INRA, Nofima, the University of Iceland, Aalborg, Parma, Stirling, Pavia, Nha Trang University in Vietnam and Memorial University in Canada. A considerable number of stakeholders, such as fisheries companies, also take part in the project.

For further information Guðmundur Stefánsson project manager PrimeFish.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), there are great opportunities in geothermal energy for developing countries, not least for food production such as drying products and other food processing.

A new report on these issues was released this week by the FAO. Iceland is taken as an example of how successful it has been to utilize geothermal energy in agriculture and in general for food production. Matís' three employees are involved in writing the book, as well as Minh Van Nguyen, a lecturer at Nah Trang University in Vietnam.

José Graziano da Silva, Executive Director of the FAO and President of Iceland, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, write the introductory text of the report.

Further information and interesting additional material can be found at FAO website. 

The full report: Uses of Geothermal Energy in Food and Agriculture

For further information Sigurjón Arason, Matís' chief engineer.

Matís has now created a special app for smartphones and tablets that makes it easy for fishermen to calculate the need for ice due to catch.

The applet is particularly convenient and easy to use and is useful to fishermen to calculate how much ice is needed for the catch caught. The program takes into account conditions such as sea temperature, air temperature and days at sea, as well as instructions regarding the amount of ice kg issued in addition to the number of shovels and the number of dishes.

Now it has never been easier to find out how much ice cream is needed to get the most out of our precious ingredients.

The program can be accessed on the web, í iTunes Store, í Windows Store and on Google Play (Android) or by scanning the QR codes below. The application is accessible to all major mobile operating systems.

Google Play Windows Store iTunes Store

Related material

• News Viðskiptablaðið about the new ice calculator (video).