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.