Contact
Ólafur Reykdal
Project Manager
olafur.reykdal@matis.is
At Matís, numerous projects have been carried out aimed at promoting knowledge about vegetables for the benefit of the public, the food industry and other interested parties. Matís' subjects cover a large part of the value chain of vegetables, from harvest all the way to the consumer's table. Domestic vegetable production only contributes more than 40% of all the vegetables consumed in Iceland. Therefore, the country's food security could be increased by increasing vegetable production.
There are more reasons to focus on vegetables. Vegetables have a lot of health value and this is confirmed in the new Nordic nutritional recommendations that you can see here and here. Increased consumption of vegetables can reduce the risk of stomach and lung cancers and also cardiovascular diseases. It is recommended to consume 500-800 grams of vegetables, fruits and berries daily. This is much more than most Icelanders currently consume National dietary survey. It is best to consume a wide variety of these foods and limit the consumption of processed foods with added sugar. Vegetables, fruits and berries are important sources of nutrients such as fiber and vitamins C, E and K along with folate.
It is worth noting that Matís employees are currently working on a new vegetable website with support from the Horticulture Development Fund. The online book will be available on Matís' website and will deal specifically with results from Matís' projects. Methods to maximize the quality and shelf life of vegetables, measures to reduce their waste, packaging instructions, nutritional value and processing of valuable substances from by-products of vegetable production can be mentioned. These points will be explained in an accessible way and there will be links to the detailed discussion and the reports themselves. It is hoped that this initiative will increase interest in vegetables and contribute to their increased consumption. An example of Matís' project on vegetables can be seen here.