Category: News

Matís Laboratory, which is an independent business unit within the Division of Measurement and Communication, provides internationally accredited measurement services, and every year thousands of samples from official regulators and members of the business community are examined for chemical and microbiological factors. Measurements relate to quality and safety measurements for, among other things, the food, feed, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, as well as measurements related to health and environmental issues.

The laboratory is the reference laboratory of Iceland in the field of microbial measurements in shellfish and measurements of Salmonella in food. It is the Ministry of Employment and Innovation that nominates reference laboratories that work in collaboration with other reference laboratories in the European Economic Area. The statutory role and main responsibilities of the Reference Laboratory are diverse and include the coordination of the activities of nominated public research in each country. This includes advice and guidance on measurement methods, participation in the development and verification of measurement methods and the organization of comparative tests. According to plans, the laboratory will also be designated as a reference laboratory in the field of pathogenic E. coli bacteria, Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus in 2015.

The laboratory is one of the most advanced in the country and can meet the diverse needs of customers with a wide range of accredited measurement methods in many different areas. The laboratory is also very well connected to many foreign laboratories and can mediate measurements that cannot be done in Iceland on favorable terms and fast delivery.

The division has an extensive database with measurement results that benefit customers in analyzing and processing their data, but also researchers and public regulators, as the database is an important long-term source with many processing options for measurement results and other similar data.

The data collection that takes place in the field is particularly important for the bioeconomy, where efforts are made to prevent the consumption of harmful substances and microorganisms by humans and animals. New ideas for product processing and sustainability involve certain risks and challenges, working with new raw materials that were previously classified as waste or were not used at all. In this context, many things are unclear, especially when it comes to requirements for sustainable and organic production, as the opportunities to clean food or apply preservatives are limited. New foods are also needed for research and data, as they may contain previously unknown toxins, as well as the possibility of unhealthy products being mixed with different ingredients.

For further information Franklin Georgsson, division manager.

This summer, Matís, in collaboration with the National Museum of Iceland, has researched what was possibly eaten in Icelandic monasteries. The study is about examining food scraps in pottery fragments. There is also another collaborative project where samples from archeological excavations are used to check the diet of the settlers. 

Diet within Icelandic monasteries, which numbered around 11 and operated from 1133 until the Reformation, is a research topic that has been little researched and therefore our knowledge of eating habits is scarce. To understand what was eaten in Icelandic monasteries, clay fragments from containers from Skriðuklaustur and Kirkjubæjarklaustur have been examined. Dr. Björn Viðar Aðalbjörnsson An expert at Matís leads the project on behalf of Matís and Ármann Guðmundsson, an archaeologist, on behalf of the National Museum of Iceland. 

Björn says that the research only examines clay fragments from food containers that have been found at the National Museum and have been found in archeological excavations, no other sources are used. This is a technical study. The project is carried out by Mariu Katrín Naumovskaya, a student at the University of Iceland, who received a grant from the Student Innovation Fund for the project.

"Small clay fragments are crushed down and fatty acids are analyzed in gas and mass analysis. The ratios of fatty acids can indicate which food was cooked and served in the utensils and the first results indicate that the diet of monks and nuns in Iceland was varied and possibly more varied than the rules on the diet of monks and nuns stated at the time, "says Björn. 

"Less is known about the settler's diet. The project has expanded and research has begun on samples from the archaeological research in Vogur in Höfn, which the Archaeological Institute is leading under the direction of Dr. Bjarni F. Einarsson. Soil samples have been taken and fats analyzed in them as in the previous project. The results have given a better view of the settlers' diet and also given clues to the role of a structure that was previously a mystery. "

This weekend, the music festival Bræðslan takes place in Borgarfjörður eystri, where food and culture will be mixed in a fun way in connection with the project "Food and culture in Borgarfjörður eystri". 

The aim of the project was to increase the supply of food at the festival and at the same time strengthen the progress of food from Borgfjörður, and small producers in the area received support for food creation from Matís in connection with the project.

At the festival, guests will have many opportunities to try new and old recipes of Borgfjörður food. Guests at the campsite will be welcomed with home-made lamb on Friday and while Pollapönk plays, kids will be invited to come and grill a variety of "polla bread". The national campaign "Fish Day" (www.fiskidag.is) together with Fiskverkun Kalli Sveins will be in charge of fish tasting at the outdoor market in Fjarðarborg on Saturday. As usual, it will be possible to enjoy all kinds of good dishes at Álfakaffi, Álfheimar and "Já sæll" in Fjarðarborg.

On Saturday, there will also be an open market where locals will present various food crafts and offer for sale.

The project is a collaboration between Matís, Bræðslan, Framfarafélag Borgarfjörður, Fiskverkun Kalli Sveins ehf. and restaurants in Borgarfjörður eystri. Guests of the Smelter are especially encouraged to get acquainted with this innovation and enjoy the food that will be introduced at the festival.  

The smelter's program 

The European Food Integrity project started at the beginning of the year, and is intended to promote the use of research and development to ensure the integrity of European food. Matís participates in the project which aims to develop methods for detecting and preventing fraud in the European food industry.

In the food industry, as elsewhere, integrity is a prerequisite for the consumer to trust the product, but food manufacturers have felt the effects when customers' trust is damaged due to scandal, but many no doubt remember the tragedy that followed the emergence of horsemeat instead of beef in many ready-made dishes. An examination in Iceland has revealed that the descriptions of the contents are not always correct, for example, meat was not detected in beef pies produced in Iceland.

Safety, reliability and quality

The project is led by Fera, the British Food and Environment Research Institute, and is called FoodIntegrity or MatarHeilindi. The project is to ensure that food is in accordance with the description of the ingredients and is in perfect condition, ie that buyers can safely deliver the product they think they are buying. Integrity and trust are key to adding value to a product. By ensuring that the consumer trusts the product, manufacturers and other stakeholders are strengthening their position in the market. 

The integrity of European foodstuffs is constantly threatened by fraudulent labeling or counterfeiting, as the counterfeit food industry continues to grow. The results of the project are intended to be the focus of international co-ordination on the use of research and development to ensure the integrity of European food with the participation of the core group of the project.

Resistance against product fraud

Food Integrity logically coordinates processes within a comprehensive framework to ensure food supply and facilitate the dissemination of information on food integrity stakeholders. Existing databases should be utilized through coordination and a methodology appropriate to the purpose should be implemented, addressing the needs of stakeholders and dealing with gaps left by the research results.

Sustainable arrangements should be put in place for timely warnings of potential product fraud to counteract the growing risk of fraud following fraud. Stakeholders' global co-operation should be initiated to ensure that the results of the project are utilized. Improved verification processes will be developed for quality management of stakeholders in the food industry, the case studies of the project are based on the participation of producers of seafood, beverages and olive oil. A study of consumer attitudes in the light of counterfeits in the European food industry will be carried out. The intention is to establish an independent forum for the verification of the integrity of foodstuffs that may impose authenticity or counterfeiting on the parties seeking it. 

Further information about the project is provided Jónas R. Viðarsson, director of Matís.

There has been a major change in the freezer trawler industry in Iceland since it began in the early 1980s. The share of freezer trawlers in cod has decreased significantly and today it is only caught as a by-catch when fishing for other species such as redfish, saithe and halibut. In 1992, there were most freezer trawlers in the Icelandic fleet, 35 in number, but today they are 23 and declining.

The reasons for the declining share of freezer vessels in the cod fishery can be traced to rising oil prices, high labor costs compared to land processing and changes in fish markets, where there has been an increased demand for fresh fillets and extra raw materials. Uncertainty in the environment of the fishing industry and the increase in fishing fees, however, have prevented the necessary investment, which is a prerequisite for the development of equipment and products of freezer vessels. The vessels are up to date and it is time to renew the fleet, if it is to withstand competition in the production of products on the market that pay higher product prices and withstand competition in the processing of catfish on land. 

The imposition of fishing fees has caused uncertainty and reduced the efficiency of freezer trawlers, which has prevented investment in the industry, as well as a share-based system that does not encourage investment in technology or product development. Freezer trawlers are important to Icelanders, and although their share of cod and haddock has been declining, it must continue to be economical to fish other species with processing vessels. Species such as redfish and halibut are well suited for processing such as this, as distant targets will hardly be retrieved except with freezer trawlers. 

Matís has recently published report which is written following analytical work to present a picture of the various factors that weigh most heavily in the operation of freezer trawlers in Iceland. The report is intended to support decision-making regarding investment in the fisheries sector in the future and to clarify which aspects of the operation of freezer trawlers are most important. The report can be used in discussions on changes to the fisheries management system and it will be possible to use the results of the project to assess the impact of changes in various factors. The report is not limited to freezer trawlers and can be used for comprehensive policy-making in the fisheries sector, and the results are useful to both shipowners and politicians in decision-making. The main factors that are crucial in this context concern the value of the catch, the fishermen's wages and the fishing fee. The data collected in the project have been used in recent decisions on changes in the fishing patterns of Icelandic fishing companies. This is the final report of the project "Investment management in freezer trawler operations", which was prepared in collaboration with HB Grandi with support from the AVS Fisheries Research Fund with grant S 007-12.

A total of 200 applications were received for summer jobs at Matís this summer, but it was only planned to hire eight individuals. In addition, 10 people were hired by Matís with a grant from the Student Innovation Fund. 

Therefore, there will be 18 summer employees at Matís this summer, but a total of about 30 students work for the company. 

In the past two months, Matís has advertised for five master's students to work on their final projects at Matís. The projects are carried out in collaboration with, among others, Promens, Thor Ice, the Westfjords Fisheries Cluster, Eimskip and Samskip.

Matís welcomes the interest shown by the company among students in the country's universities, as one of Matís' goals is to be a bridge between the university community and the business community. 

Do you want to work on your final project at Matís? 

Today, Friday and tomorrow Saturday, Matís employees will use remote-controlled submarines to collect samples from sponges and sea urchins in Breiðfjörður. The aim is to investigate whether it is possible to process new types of drugs from sponges and sea urchins.

Sponges are known to defend themselves with chemical warfare, so research is now aimed at examining whether this property can be used to make drugs. 7000 bioactive molecules have already been detected in sponges.

Scientists' interest in marine bioactive substances is growing at the same time as technology enables humans to study nature with even greater precision than before.

According to Ragnar Jóhannsson at Matís, who is leading the project, one of the main challenges will be to find ways to isolate a sufficient amount of bioactive substances to use in production.

Sampling from the sponges is part of two projects Bluepharmtrain and BlueGenics. Sampling from the sea urchins is part of the project ResUrch. The projects are funded by the Marie Curie EU Program and the 7th European Framework Program (FP7). The grants amount to just over ISK 80 million.

For further information Ragnar Jóhannsson.

Matís is looking for three students to work on research at the company. The projects are 60 credits and are thus used as a final project. The projects are carried out in collaboration with the largest fisheries companies in the country. There is a possibility of strength.

The projects are suitable for students in food science, chemistry and biology. The application deadline is July 14th. The projects in question are:

Maximizing the quality of frozen mackerel products:

The main goal of the project is to study the quality and stability of mackerel products in frost according to the seasons and the effects of different pre-cooling, freezing and storage conditions. Heat transfer models will be developed that can predict changes in mackerel temperature during processing, storage and transport. By looking at the interplay of these factors, it is possible to maximize the quality and utilization of mackerel and therefore at the same time its value.

A student is requested who can start work in the autumn semester of 2014.

Increased quality and stability of frozen herring products:

The main goal of the project is to maximize the homogeneous quality and value of Icelandic herring products. The quality and stability of herring products in frost according to the seasons and the effects of different precooling, freezing and storage conditions will be investigated. The results will not only lead to less quality degradation due to storage and transport, but also increase the understanding of the relationship between product defects and the effects that the raw material has from fishing and to the market.

A student is requested who can start work in the autumn semester of 2014.

Shelf life of lightly salted fillets in the freezer:

The aim of the project is to increase the value of seafood by analyzing ideal conditions for storage of lightly salted cod and saithe fillets and at the same time increase the stability of these products based on season and raw material quality. Very little research has been done on these factors and the project will therefore create important information, more stable and not least more valuable seafood.

We are looking for a student who can start in the spring semester of 2015, there is a possibility to complete the project in the summer semester.

For more information Sigurjón Arasson.

The co-operation project between the Icelandic and German governments on increasing food safety has now been completed. Food safety is a key prerequisite for food producers to be able to sell their products and participate in international trade.

Consumers, both domestic and foreign, must be able to trust that food is safe and that the government has the capacity to monitor food safety in accordance with international standards and regulations.

The bilateral project between Germany and Iceland, Safe Foods, which has contributed to increased food security in Iceland, has now been completed, but the main participants in the project were Matís, Matvælastofnun (MAST), the Ministry of Industry and Innovation, the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) and Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (LAVES) in Germany.

"Our goal was to build up the administration and improve research facilities in Iceland so that all the necessary infrastructure is in place to ensure food safety in the Icelandic market. This is done to protect the health and interests of consumers in ever-expanding markets in times of increasing globalization, "said Professor Dr. dr. Andreas Hensel, President of BfR, and Professor dr. Eberhard Haunhorst, President of LAVES, at a meeting with Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, on 25 June 2014. “The Safe Food co-operation project has significantly strengthened Iceland's research capacity, which will enable us to work in accordance with European standards and regulations. This work will facilitate the export of Icelandic food on the international market. "Said Sveinn Margeirsson, CEO of Matís. "Thanks to close co-operation between the Icelandic authorities and German partners, public regulators have increased their knowledge of legislation, administration and procedures for official food control, so that we are now better equipped to ensure the interests of consumers with regard to food safety", added the director of the Food Administration. Jón Gíslason with.

The main priorities of the project were to improve the analysis of pesticide residues and other contaminants in food, such as PCBs, as well as the analysis of genetic changes in food and feed. Another important factor was the introduction of chemical analysis methods to measure algae in shellfish. To achieve these goals, first-class research equipment was purchased and installed in Matís' laboratory, as well as the staff concerned were trained in the use of the equipment and the implementation of official diagnostic methods according to European standards. Matvælastofnun and the municipal health inspectorate also received training in sampling, monitoring and interpretation of legislation in these areas. A total of 24 experts from German partner organizations came to Iceland to provide this training, in addition to which Icelandic experts will pay an introductory visit to Germany.

The project is considered to have been very successful and there is talk of a possible continuation of the co-operation that has been established between Icelandic and German institutions in the field of food safety.

For further information Helga Gunnlaugsdóttir, director of Matís. 

Icelanders have established a good reputation when it comes to the utilization of seafood and innovation in the fisheries sector. Matís and its partners have supported this development well through research and innovation. 

Iceland's success in this field has attracted deserved attention and foreign parties have realized that this is where unique knowledge and experience in the fisheries sector can be found. The Norwegian Minister of Fisheries Elisabeth Aspaker visited Matís today to learn about the company's operations and get answers to the question "Why are Icelanders so diligent in producing and selling high quality products made from white and pelagic fish?"
The question is fully justified because the difference between Iceland and Norway's catch utilization is significant. In Iceland, for example, 570 kg of products are obtained from 1 tonne of cod, but the same amount yields only 410 kg of products to Norway. The difference is 16% or 160 kg per tonne, which means that the Norwegian value added from their total catch in the Barents Sea in 2013 could amount to just over NOK 1 billion or ISK 21 billion if they adopted Icelandic methods.¹ 
In fact, fisheries ministers on both sides of the Atlantic have made their way to Matís in recent days, as a week ago Keith Hutchings, Newfoundland's Minister of Fisheries, also visited Matís. Increased cod fishing outside Newfoundland creates new opportunities for the fishing industry. In addition, he showed great interest in the role of Matís as a bridge between universities and the business community, and believed that this collaboration would strengthen the industry.