This week, a discussion took place in the Althingi on the utilisation of by-products from pelagic fish for human consumption.
Eydís Ásbjörnsdóttir, Member of Parliament for the Social Democratic Alliance in the Northeast constituency, drew attention to the fact that large quantities of by-products arise from the processing of pelagic fish, such as heads, backbones and offal, which are mostly used for feed production, particularly in fishmeal and fish oil. Eydís noted that research and development projects by Matís, universities and companies show that the technology exists and could meet the requirements to utilise such by-products for human consumption, but that Iceland's interpretation of European Union regulations hinders the use of these raw materials for human consumption.
The Minister of Industries and Innovation, Hanna Katrín Friðriksson, welcomed this question and discussion and reiterated the great opportunities inherent in increased utilisation of by-products for human consumption. She pointed out that these regulations have been under special review by the Food Authority and the ministry. She also noted that it will be permitted to use by-products for human consumption provided all the conditions stipulated for food production are met, for example that an operating licence is in place, that the raw material meets requirements for sensory evaluation and other quality measurements, and that the raw material is handled in accordance with hygiene regulations.
Then Jens Garðar Helgason, Member of Parliament for the Independence Party, took to the podium and said that "of all the other unblemished is Professor Sigurjón Arason, chief engineer at Matís, who has led this work and done incredible things in increasing the value of seafood."
We welcome this discussion in the Althingi and draw attention to the numerous research projects on by-product utilisation that Matís has worked on:
- EuFish_SustainableGrowth
- Value Creation from Salmon Blood
- Full Utilisation of Roe
- Gullhausinn - Increasing value of Icelandic cod heads
- Value from Processing Water from Whitefish Processing
- Product development from flex processing pelagic fish
- Detection of roundworms in fillets
- Valuable Compounds from Algae Processing By-products
- Protein from mackerel side streams
- Lumpfish Collagen – An Eco-Friendly Product
- Improved Processing Methods for Freezing Catfish at Sea