GOED Hosts Successful Event

SALT LAKE CITYMore than 150 people attended the first GOED Exchange, a conference hosted by the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED) in Salt Lake City on Jan. 13 and 14. The two-day conference featured 19 sessions exploring regulatory concerns, scientific research, health care innovations, marketing initiatives and sustainability concerns facing the omega-3 industry.

"Our first GOED Exchange served as a powerful reminder of how expansive the omega-3 industry is becoming," said Adam Ismail, GOED executive director. "From omega-3 researchers' findings in the early '70s to the latest developments in omega-3's role in reducing healthcare costs and its emerging uses in helping children with motor skill disorders, this conference also reminded us that there's still much to discover when it comes to omega-3's health benefits."

Attendees heard from a range of speakers, including: Richard Carmona, M.D., M.P.H, 17th Surgeon General of the United States, who gave the keynote address; Michael Crawford, Ph.D., one of the earliest innovators in omega-3 studies; and Capt. Joseph Hibbeln, M.D., National Institutes of Health. Capt. Hibbeln's message focused on omega-3 advocacy on behalf of enlisted U.S. soldiers and noted the average soldier's diet includes fewer omega-3 than the average American 7-year-old'sa demographic that is also not meeting recommended intakes.

Ismail commented: "Capt. Hibbeln's address on how few omega-3s are included in the average soldiers dietand furthermore, how few are in the average American dietis cause for concern given omega-3s' clinically backed benefits for cardiovascular health and cognitive function. Establishing recommended dietary intakes and enacting measures to ensure omega-3-rich options are availableto soldiers and civiliansremains a top concern for both Capt. Hibbeln and the entire omega-3 industry."