Category: News

Magnea Guðrún Karlsdóttir, a food scientist, defended her doctoral dissertation, Oxidation processes and the stability of frozen seafood, in the Celebration Hall of the University of Iceland on 21.3. The opponents were dr. Santiago Aubourg professor at CSIC in Spain, and dr. Sigríður Jónsdóttir researcher at the University of Iceland. Supervisors were dr. Hörður G. Kristinsson and exam. Sigurjón Arason.

Consumption of processed and frozen seafood has increased in recent years. Fats in fish products are a good source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) which have been shown to have a positive effect on human health. Fish products with a high percentage of PUFA are extremely sensitive to evolution. Preservation of fat quality is therefore important in the storage and processing of seafood. Freezing and freezing is an effective method of extending the shelf life of fish products, and has been used for many years. Nevertheless, the quality of the products can deteriorate in cold storage. The project was intended to increase understanding of the different oxidation processes that take place in frozen fish products, and to investigate the stability of different fish species during prolonged cold storage. The effect of different storage temperatures on raw material quality and stability of fish products was investigated, as well as the effect of heating and continued freezing of cooked products on the quality of the fat. In addition, various chemical and rapid measurements were often evaluated, which are often used to monitor fat breakdown.

The research of the project led to a clear deeper understanding of the different processes of oxidation and stability of frozen seafood and how different storage conditions and variability of raw materials affect these processes. Temperature and storage time proved to be very important factors for the stability of frozen products. The quality and stability of the fat in the cold store is very dependent on fish species. Prolonged pre-cooking storage also has the greatest effect on post-cooking fat stability.

Magnea Guðrún was born in 1978. She graduated with a BS degree in food science from the University of Iceland in 2008 and an MSc degree in food science in 2010. In addition to her studies, Magnea has worked for Matís ohf. and carried out various research projects.

Magnea's parents are Karl Jóhann Valdimarsson and Erla Þóra Óskarsdóttir. Magneu's husband is Ingvar Júlíus Tryggvason and their children are Ástrós, Erla Ósk, Eva María and Tryggvi.

For further information Magnea Guðrún Karlsdóttir.

Now there's a song. Certainly there are opportunities in unexplored materials that may be economical to isolate from different sources of Icelandic food processing. Making value out of opportunities requires patience, as, for example, Zymetech's relatives have tamed. It is appropriate to focus on further progress in daily activities.

Icelanders are more likely to assert themselves in food production based on quality than on quantity. All the fisheries management that has taken place here is about just over a percentage of the world's legal products, the catch and aquaculture of the world's oceans and freshwater. It is estimated that food waste amounts to ten times the production of legal products. Our contribution is therefore a fraction of what is put on the table among the world's inhabitants.

Responsibility and safety

Image is based on reality. If the image is false, it is an illusion. If people respect the criteria that food processing is about respect for consumers and raw materials and utilization in that processing is about respect for raw materials and the environment, they can sell products that meet the expectations and needs of informed and willing consumers. Icelanders should be able to tell stories, to differentiate their products, which refer to issues such as origin, security of supply, social responsibility, sustainable utilization, safety, food hygiene, traditions and health in a catchy way. There are opportunities to mark Icelandic food uniqueness on the basis of quality and safety, which prompt consumers to buy Icelandic food rather than elsewhere. If consumers are to pay higher prices for Icelandic products than comparable products, Icelandic food producers need to be disciplined, follow rules, meet requirements, comply with laws and meet needs, show perseverance and cultivate patience. Succeeding in the consumer product markets requires a long-term strategy.

All fish should be seen as a raw material for valuable products - the products of processing - and one should avoid belittling those who break new ground because there is room for different products in a diverse economy. The examples show that we need to take action so that we can turn the 21st century into the century in which our dried heads fall into the same special category as Indonesian Luwak coffee; The sea urchin roe from Breiðafjörður acquires easy access to the highest prices in Europe and Japan, at the time when their maturity is right. Do we get Icelandic cod on a similar footing to the rubbed beer-aged beef from Kobe or canned species-specific fish liver compared to foie gras? Will the capelin be like goji berries? Will we succeed in elevating saithe like broccoli? Matís' research has, with support AVS and Rannís Technology Development Fund etc., opened the eyes of fishermen, shipowners, fish processors and fish sellers, for example, because with disciplined work methods on board, good catch handling - including cooling - and cooling during processing, fresh fish products can be brought cold in a foam plastic box. In this way, Icelandic fish processors are able to export fresh fillets by ship. The key is that food that is to be transported fresh out of the country is cold when it is in the packaging, in transport it is an attempt to preserve the condition of the product rather than to improve it.

Just as fishermen strive to make fish bleed before washing and gutting and sorting on board, forklifts can avoid showering fish, if they are forced to do so, they do not have to shower fish from the highest possible position. Is it not possible to publish catch temperature figures in the same way as the catch volume is made public? Can't fish markets offer fish sorted on the basis of quality as well as on the basis of size?

The Icelandic fishing industry is no slouch

According to McKinsey, the Icelandic seafood industry is one of the country's most competitive industries. The Icelandic fishing industry is and has been basic industry in Iceland (and from the Central Bank), as the University of Akureyri assumed when it was founded Department of Fisheries 1990 (and more: Saga HA), from which over two hundred fisheries scientists have graduated.

One way to further increase value is to sell meals instead of foods that are useful in cooking meals. If one hopes for increased profits, one can look at the interplay between utilization and value in connection with market desires. We should look at Icelandic raw materials based on the wishes of the markets rather than measuring the distance from the market based on the raw materials that are available here.

Race is best done with custody in the turmoil of global trade, good strategy returns us to the port rather than pimping herd behavior. Expectations can distort images and jeopardize quality plans.

A strong fishing industry is still below a quarter of the population's standard of living. The fishing industry is an industry that has developed to some extent in line with increased knowledge, and the services provided to companies are fisheries services. The nation can see that the fishing industry is suffering setbacks, we as a nation need to believe that the fishing industry grows and continues to prosper with increased knowledge.

For further information Arnljótur Bjarki Bergsson, Head of Resources and Products.

Great challenges must be faced now and in the future. Around the corner are even more changes in all aspects of food production. How can Icelanders play a key role? How can we as a nation contribute to increased food security and increased food security?

In this video, Daði Már Kristófersson, President of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Iceland, Sigrún Elsa Smáradóttir, Director of Matís and Sveinn Margeirsson, Director of Matís, discuss these issues.

Want to see more videos from Matís. Then click on the link Matís video page.

Are roundworms in fish dangerous? Why are we spending all this time and money removing this worm?

Ringworms

Infection with ringworm is not very well known in Iceland, but abroad and especially where the consumption of raw fish is common, and this disease is called "anisakiasis". This disease is very painful, and people can get it if they eat fish with live herring worm larvae.

Dead snakes do not cause infection and are safe, but herring worms are very resistant organisms, but one thing is for sure, they do not tolerate high temperatures and die if the temperature of the fish exceeds 60 ° C for 1 minute, so in boiled fish these worms are dead and therefore safe.

Freezing also kills worms, so traditional frozen products do not contain live worms.

Herring worms can survive on mild salt treatment, but they do die in conventional salted fish after a relatively short time. Regarding the effect on herring, it is now required that herring processed in less salt than 15% be previously frozen for 24 hours at -20 ° C.

Smoking alone is not enough to kill the ringworm larvae, they tolerate cold smoking well and therefore it is necessary to freeze the raw material before smoking, but hot smoking should in most cases be enough to make the worm harmless.

Ringworm larvae tolerate marinating well, eg 2% acetic acid and 5% saline, and are still alive after 25 days in such a mixture, but preservatives such as sorbic acid and benzoic acid accelerate their death.

The snakes do not tolerate drying out and all die when the fish is dry.

It is therefore clear that no one needs to be afraid of consuming raw fish, such as sushi.

What needs to be done is to ensure that the raw material producer is certified by the competent authorities, that the producer's internal control and all parties in the value chain are active and that the raw material is frozen at at least -20 degrees per day to remove any doubt about the parasites. Fish from freshwater and freshwater fish must not be confused with wild sea fish, as these parasites are less common in aquaculture and freshwater fish.

Most people know how healthy Icelandic seafood is. Icelandic fish is as clean and free of unwanted substances and the advantage is that the sea area around the country is clean and unpolluted. If you compare the maximum values of the European Union for the amount of these substances, you can clearly see that Icelandic seafood is far below the limit and in some seafood significant quantities are found in the various species.

In fishing we fish off the coast of Iceland, we not only have pure raw material, but it is also full of desirable substances. Fish and other seafood contain important nutrients, such as protein, vitamins and minerals, and healthy fatty acids, omega-3. Many people are aware of the goodness of omega-3 fatty acids and the importance of increasing their share of fatty acids at the expense of other fats, such as omega-6 fatty acids, which are often used in high-processed foods.

Most researchers agree that adequate but moderate intake of omega-3 fatty acids can have a positive effect on health and well-being. It is believed that the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids can:

• Has an anti-inflammatory effect on the body
• Promotes a positive balance of certain lipid levels, which in most cases reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease
• Effected to reduce the mortality rate from prostate cancer
• Promoting positive effects in the treatment of children with ADHD
• Increased effectiveness in treating children with autism
• Reduced dementia in elderly men
• Has had more positive effects, such as increased intelligence, which is still being studied and has yet to be confirmed by results from an increased number of studies

So let's continue to eat one of the healthiest foods on earth, namely Icelandic seafood!

For further information dr. Magnea G. Karlsdóttir, Head of Quality and Processing at Matís.

Apps for iPhone and Android. The freshness of fish can now be assessed with the help of the "How fresh is your fish?" Script. 

The script is based on the Quality Index method (QIM), which is a standardized method for assessing the freshness of fish and was developed in years of collaboration between several research institutes in Europe (www.qim-eurofish.com). In 2001, a manual on sensory evaluation of fresh fish in 11 languages was published by fish research institutes in Iceland, the Netherlands and Denmark, on which the script is based. The handbook contains instructions on sensory evaluation of fish as well as pictures, assessment scales and calculations of shelf life for cod, haddock, herring, deep-sea shrimp, inshore shrimp, peeled shrimp, saithe, redfish, salmon, plaice, plaice, sunflower and sandeel. The QIM method is now used worldwide. "This assessment method is the best on the market for assessing the freshness of fish. You do not need to know how old the fish is, as the program calculates how long the fish can stay fresh ", says Joop Luten, project manager at QIM Eurofish. Joop Luten previously worked for Nofima and was a professor in the Department of Fisheries at the University of Wageningen. He is the main instigator of the development of this successful script. "It is very important that the fish maintains the highest possible quality throughout the entire production process, from fishing to processing, through transport and all the way to the fishmonger. The applet can be used throughout the processing chain, provided the fish is raw, fresh and gutted, ”says Joop Luten.

The script was designed by Nofima in Norway, but other research institutes such as Matís were also involved in its installation. The app is used to assess the freshness of fish and is available for iPhone and Android, is free and intended for fish sellers, fish producers, fish control, quality assessment, in education and for consumers who want to assess the freshness or estimate the shelf life of fish.

The iPhone app was first unveiled in May 2011 at the European Fisheries Exhibition in Brussels. Another version was presented at the Fisheries Exhibition in Bremen in February 2012 and in that version a freshness assessment for more fish species was added. In December 2012, a freshness assessment was added for lightly salted herring (Maatjesherring). The Android app was created in September 2013.

You can estimate the number of species with the applet; cod, haddock, herring, deep-sea shrimp, inland shrimp, peeled shrimp, saithe, redfish, salmon, plaice, plaice, sunflower and sandeel, as well as lightly salted herring (Maatjesherring). The app is available in 11 languages; English, Norwegian, Icelandic, Dutch, Greek, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Danish and Italian.

The applet contains, among other things, information on the shelf life of fish species. You can upload images with results and results can be stored and sent results by email.

The best assessment method

The app provides great opportunities for registration and monitoring for fish producers and their customers. Fish producers have evaluated the fish in a similar way with sensory evaluation. The app gives them the ability to evaluate the fish more efficiently. Their customers can also use the app for quality assessment when they receive the fish and send the results back. In this way, both parties get quicker solutions if problems have arisen, for example in transport. The results of the evaluation and photos can be stored in the database.

The applet helps you in a few steps to evaluate how fresh the fish is

The applet contains instructions for evaluating quality factors such as the eyes, redness and gills of the fish, and you can view photos during the evaluation.

Easy to understand results

The results of the assessment show how fresh the fish is and for how long it should remain viable. The results are shown graphically with graphs.

Easy to store results and find them

All items from each freshness assessment are stored in a database and images can be added to the results. It is easy to retrieve the results of each assessment.

You can download the iPhone app on iTunes and The Android version on Google play

More information on sensory evaluation of fish and the QIM method can be found at Matís cooling portal website and Matís website.

Matís is currently working on an interesting European project where methods will be developed to assess how much of the unwanted contaminants people get from food.

The project is called Total Diet Study Exposure Study, and is working in collaboration with 19 European countries, 7th European Research Program partially sponsors the project.

The project aims to improve and standardize monitoring of how exposed we are to unwanted contaminants in food as they are on consumers' tables. In order to be able to carry out harmonized research, the methods used for food sampling, measurement of contaminants in food, quality assessment of data, etc. must first be harmonized.

The intention is to test different methods that have been used in Europe and to define the best procedures for the research. The methods will then be used to estimate the amount of contaminants that people ingest with their food in several European countries, including Iceland.

It will also summarize which contaminants and foods are most important in assessing the total consumption of undesirable substances in the diet of Europeans, but such information is a key factor in making a risk assessment for the consumption of these substances and assessing their impact on human health.

The project is therefore important for regulators and risk assessors such as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The part of the research in which Matís participates includes the development and implementation of a quality framework for parties that conduct research on the total consumption of contaminants, but also the analysis of data on contaminants. Matís will also take part in an experiment to carry out a coordinated study of total consumption of four foreign substances in Iceland, and these results will be compared with comparable studies carried out in the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany and Portugal. Matís also manages a work package that aims to disseminate information regarding the project's results to stakeholders.

The study of the total consumption of contaminants allows us to get a real estimate of how much we are exposed to unwanted contaminants such as heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, fungal toxins and other contaminants from food as we eat it, whether fried, boiled, cooked, grilled, grilled or baked. The project is for four years and is expected to be completed in 2016.

Further information is available on the project's website: www.tds-exposure.eu.

For further information, contact Matís Helga Gunnlaugsdóttir.

Today, high-ranking officials from many countries in Africa, Central America and Asia will sit in school at Matís and get to know Matís' activities and the United Nations Fisheries University (UNU-FTP), but Matís is an important link in the school's studies and sees its quality line.

The purpose of their visit is first and foremost to gain a deeper understanding of what the school has to offer to the people of those countries and continents. There are high-ranking officials on the move who are involved in who gets to study in Iceland, so it is important to know well how the school is doing.

In addition to visiting Matís, the guests will get to know the activities of the Marine Research Institute, the University of Akureyri and other partners of the university, but in collaboration with the university there are many domestic fisheries companies.

About the collaboration between UNU-FTP and Matís

Among the collaborative projects in which Matís participates is the Fisheries School of the United Nations University, and in addition to Matís, the school is run by the Marine Research Institute, the University of Iceland, the University of Akureyri and the University of Hólar. Students 'projects at the school are all done with the needs of the students' home countries in mind. For example, projects have traditionally focused on the creation of quality index scales for mackerel, on the effect of sorbates and chitosan on the shelf life of mackerel, on teaching materials for the development of a HACCP system in the North Korean fishing industry and on the installation of traceability systems in China.

The collaboration between the United Nations University School of Fisheries and Matís has increased steadily in recent years. In addition to undergraduate studies, which all students at the school receive from Matís, the company conducts six-week special studies and each year some of the school's students work on final projects at Matís. In addition, a number of students regularly pursue doctoral and master's studies at the company on a regular basis, so it can be said with truth that Matís is part of the school.

Website of the United Nations University School of Fisheries in Iceland.

For further information Margeir Gissurarson at Matís.

A meeting was recently held on behalf of the project Profitable Arctic charr farming in the Nordic countries. The aim of the project is to test new feed types for char that contain more raw materials from the plant kingdom than have been used in char feed so far.

The project is funded by the Nordic Innovation Fund and is a collaboration between Iceland, Sweden and Norway. The project manager is Jón Árnason Matís ohf, but other participants are Hólar University, Fóðurverksmiðjan Laxá, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Polarfeed in Norway as well as Icelandic, Swedish and Norwegian fish farms. The project tested new feed recipes based on participants' research on the ability of char to utilize feed that contains a large amount of raw materials from the plant kingdom. The protein requirement of charr has also been investigated, but these studies have shown that less protein can be found in charr feed than is used in older recipes. There were over 20 participants in the meeting.

Feed for salmon and char can contain significant amounts of plant raw materials - even over 60%. Plant raw materials are cheaper than fishmeal and a very interesting option for making fodder. In the project, feed was tested with considerably more substitution of fishmeal for plant raw materials than is known in the feed that is now most commonly used in charr farming. Most indications are that charr farming can become a net producer of fish, ie. produced more fish protein than is used in the production.

Jón Árnason, project manager at Matís, gives a talk

The experiments were performed at fish farms in Iceland, Norway and Sweden. It was considered important to carry out experiments in large-scale farming units in fish farms to verify that these types of feed yield comparable results in aquaculture and conventional feed. Several smaller-scale experiments were also performed to further investigate the effects of the feed.

The results are very positive for the charr fire. The growth of char fed with the new feed types was in most cases comparable to the growth of char fed with conventional feed. Feed costs were up to 20% lower with the plant feed, although the profitability was different depending on the experiments. Taste tests with consumers and trained taste panels in Iceland and Sweden revealed that fish produced with plant feed is as tasty as fish produced with traditional feed. The plant feed did not seem to affect the welfare of the char. However, plant foods are likely to increase the release of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds into the environment.

Meeting guests came from the group of fish farmers, marketers and feed producers. The results of the project were discussed from various angles.

There was a consensus that the results presented should not diminish the good reputation of Nordic charr in the markets. The results could also lead to increased efficiency and sustainability in charr production. Reduced use of fishmeal and fish oil in charr feed has both economic and market significance.

For further information Arnljótur Bjarki Bergsson, Head of Resources and Products.

Monday 31 March next. Matís offers courses and a lunch meeting in Nýheimar. The program will be from 10:30 to 16:00 and, among other things, Matís' experts will be interviewed during these hours.

Matísdagurinn on Monday 31 March in Nýheimar. Registration and information with Nína Síbyl Birgisdóttir, nina () matis.is, 422-5136.

Festa - a center for social responsibility presents a morning meeting. At the meeting, the Icelandic fisheries sector will be examined on the basis of the Corporate Social Responsibility methodology.

When: Wednesday, March 26, 2014, at 8.30 to 10.00 (hot in the jug from 8.00)
Where: Grand Hotel Reykjavík
Price: ISK 1,500 members of Fest and ISK 2,700. others

Watch: #ocial Responsibility

At the meeting, the Icelandic fisheries sector will be examined on the basis of the Corporate Social Responsibility methodology. Companies around the world have recently increasingly implemented responsible practices in a targeted manner. Emphasis is placed on the common benefit for companies and society. It emphasizes what companies do to have a positive impact on their environment and society, but at the same time faces their challenges and opportunities for improvement.

Registration: Sign up here

Five speakers highlight the issue:

• Social responsibility from the hook and on the plate - Ketill Berg Magnússon, Festa - Center for Social Responsibility
• Sustainability standards in the fisheries sector - Gísli Gíslason, Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
• Iceland Responsible Fisheries - Guðný Káradóttir, Íslandsstofa
• Responsible food production - Sveinn Margeirsson, Matís
• Responsibility of the fishing industry - Kolbeinn Árnason, LÍU

Panel discussion after presentations

Moderator: 

Karen Kjartansdóttir, LÍÚ Information Officer

More:

• Facebook event
• #ocial Responsibility on Twitter