At a meeting in Þjóðmenningarhúsið this morning, March 14, Björgvin Sigurðsson, Minister of Commerce, opened the portal Leiðakerfi neytenda, which is a common portal for all types of consumer affairs, regardless of which party handles the matter. The portal was opened on the occasion of Saturday 15 March being International Consumer Day.
On the new web (www.neytandi.is) consumers can access information and examine their rights, receive assistance in submitting complaints and refer cases, where appropriate, to the Complaints Committees or other decision-makers - regardless of the time of day! It is worth mentioning that there is a special category on the portal dedicated to food, and Matís is somewhat relevant.
At the meeting, Einar K. Guðfinnsson, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, also spoke about the Nordic food health label, and consumer spokesman Gísli Tryggvason presented the possibility and benefits of using legal authority for magistrates to seek redress in consumer disputes with sellers of goods and services.
One of Matís' main areas of focus is dealing with issues related to public health and food security. One of Matís' four areas is dedicated food safety. The division is divided into three divisions:
Chemical research, microbiological research and finally consulting and databases.
Matís offers a variety microbial and chemical measurements for clients and own research projects.
Matís provides information on food safety on its website. The results of research projects on food safety are presented in reports and articles on the website. Recent reports on marine safety (08-07, 44-07, 52-07), Risk Assessment (17-7) and Acrylamide (01-08).
You can also search for information on nutrients and heavy metals in The ÍSGEM database on Matís' website. In risk assessment, it is necessary to have information on both nutrients and contaminants such as heavy metals and to weigh the effects of these substances.
Matís runs the website Seafoodnet in English on the safety of marine products. The website contains information on contaminants in seafood, reports, promotional material and links to information in other countries, especially the Nordic countries.