Optimizing Delivery of Health-Promoting Omega-3s

Omega-3s are the darlings of the essential fatty acid (EFA) market, collecting widespread praise and favorable research results on a number of health benefits in almost every part of the body. The growing attention and high demand is making these fats sought-after ingredients for a broad range of products, from combination supplement formulas to functional foods and beverages. Seems the only limit on how ubiquitous omega-3s can become is in the technical difficulties of infusing these ingredients in certain types of products.

The explosion of omega-3 applications is tied to the deluge of research linking improved health to omega-3 intake. While not panaceas, omega-3s affect many areas of the body due to their anti-inflammatory function. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the principal long-chain, polyunsaturated omega-3s, figure prominently in the body’s inflammation cascade, a flow-chart of derivations driven by specialty enzymes, including the COX and LOX enzymes. DHA converts to EPA, which converts to prostaglandins that help keep inflammation in check. On the flip side, other fatty acids, such as certain saturated fats, break down under enzymatic reaction into prostaglandins that promote inflammation.

Without enough EPA and DHA, which are only made in small amounts in the body, the inflammation balance tilts toward increased, even chronic, inflammation, be it in the joints (arthritis), blood vessels (arteriosclerosis) or the brain. Given this role, it becomes easier to accept the breadth of omega-3 health benefits.

Another omega-3, alpha linoleic acid (ALA), has shown similar benefits to EPA and DHA, as ALA converts in the body to EPA/DHA. However, this conversion rate is notoriously low, and it is hard to guarantee a specific amount of ALA will result in a specific amount of EPA or DHA. However, EPA and DHA are most commonly sourced from marine animals, including fish and krill, and many consumers seek out ALA as a plant-based source of omega-3s. Flax is a popular choice for ALA.

An interesting development has opened up the door for a plant-based source of DHA. Fish and other marine life become rich in DHA by eating algae or other marine life that have fed on algae. Martek Biosciences, one of the key global producers of DHA from algae, has partnered with Dow AgroScience to develop a canola oil rich in DHA. Whether it will be accepted as a "natural" product remains to be seen, as the method of creating such a plant source involves DHA gene transfer from algae to canola seed, so theory goes.

Cassie France-Kelly, spokesperson for Martek, explained the DHA-canola project joins other similar efforts globally to find alternative sources for DHA. It is partly a matter of sustainability. She said with the growing awareness of the importance of omega-3s to human health and with the primary source of DHA being fish, it became important to find alternate sources. "If every one in the world or Western society were getting what we needed from dietary sources, there'd be no fish left in the sea," she reasoned.

To be clear, Martek's algae source is viable and has no foreseeable sustainability issue, as it forgoes pond-grown algae for fermented algae in an FDA-approved facility. "It is a more complex process than people realize," she said. "It is expensive, and few people in the world know how to do it and well." Thus, a cheaper alternative could possibly be produced more quickly.

There would be a distinct difference in use of DHA-canola oil compared to algal DHA, which Martek developed for the infant formula and cognitive health markets. The canola oil could be used in baked goods and other foods as a supplemental form of DHA, not so much as a therapeutic dose. In this way, it would be a way to increase the dietary intake of omega-3s in the greater public, similar to fortification. In other terms, DHA from algae or fish is more concentrated and used as a therapeutic ingredient in supplements and specific functional products. But you wouldn't just throw canola oil into a supplement, beverage or therapeutic product. Canola DHA would be primarily used as a food ingredient to boost general omega-3 levels.

Now, the hoopla around genetically modified (GM) foods begs the question: would this DHA-rich canola oil be considered natural, and would people accept it as a safe source of DHA? Opposition to GM foods has been far more controversial in Europe than the United States, but even the European Union (EU) is accepting such GM projects. In fact, the EU Lipogene Project, a consortium of doctors and scientists, is looking at development of GM oils for use in foods. France-Kelly noted these projects from Martek and the EU are long term, and many questions await future revelations. Further, the genetic modification involved in the canola-DHA project might not be as offensive as some think. "While the seed undergoes genetic modification, the finished product will have no genetically modified proteins in it," she explained. Ironically, there is already a canola oil on the market with DHA in it, but it uses algal DHA as a functional ingredient.

Adam Ismail, executive director of the Global Organization for EPA and DHA (GOED), said the canola-DHA project is not a threat to fish oil. "It would represent an interesting alternative, much in the same way algal sources have," he said. "However, all these sources have different value propositions and go after different segments of the omega-3 market." Further, he suggested such development projects are merely another positive example of the success of EPA and DHA, as it means there is sufficient demand to invest in technologies like genetic DHA transfer and expect a return.

Fish oil and flax seem to focus on inflammation and specific conditions such as cardiovascular health, joint health and ocular health. Algal DHA tends to head for the infant brain development and cognitive function segment, while canola-DHA would be more a grocery ingredient, although these products also draw from marine and algal omega-3s.

The demand for omegas, especially EPA and DHA, is definitely sparking new approaches. "Although there is some ongoing debate over the best source of omega-3s, most customers are looking for the long-chain products (EPA/DHA) rather than the short-chain omegas (ALA), as the ALA must be converted by the body," said Rick Ball, research and development manager of applications at Kerry Ingredients & Flavours. "That said, while EPA/DHA from fish is very much sought after, it becomes necessary to label fish allergens, which is undesirable to many [companies]."

Pizzey's Milling has tackled this debate by creating an omega-3 ingredients from both marine and plant sources, including ALA from flaxseed and both EPA and DHA from fish. Pizzey's Mary Ekman said the company's patented processing makes use of the antioxidants naturally found in flaxseed to preserve the added EPA and DHA. "This makes for an ingredient that contains all three forms of omega-3—ALA, EPA and DHA—in an easy-to-handle, stable powder," she said. The goal is to introduce EPA and DHA into many of the segments that have been prohibitive in the past due to stability and palatability issues with marine-based omega ingredients. This includes many of shelf stable applications, from frozen entrees and pastas to cereals and bars.

No matter what the oil source, certain formulation and processing challenges await any omega-3 ingredient aimed toward human consumption. To start, you need a high quality oil, advised Chet Rao, Ph.D., sales and marketing manager at Hormel Foods. From a formulation standpoint, you also want an appropriate dose. Rao said Hormel and others are interested in providing efficacious doses of DHA and EPA. Some products use very low amounts (as would be the case with DHA-canola) and tout omega-3 content. However, this is not a therapeutic dose and would likely not result in any of the researched health benefits. It would improve overall health, conferring some specific benefits in the long term, and could possibly help improve the nation's omega-3:omega-6 ratios.

"We believe 500 mg/d of combined EPA and DHA to have the maximum benefit,” Rao said, noting the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends about 1 g/d combined. "Supplementation is the key word." While functional products are certainly the major area of expansion for omega-3s, the doses in such products do not rise to therapeutic levels per serving. For instance, eggs and dairy containing omega-3 (usually from feeding the animals omega-3-rich feed) are good in that people eat these foods regularly and could use the fortification. To get the researched amounts of omega-3s, you'd have to eat lots of servings or supplement.

As far as omega-3 supplements, softgels and liquids appear to the be the dominant delivery form, as they deal best with the particular set of processing concerns omega-3s present.

The biggest challenge in dealing with omega-3s, or any oils, is oxidation. The paradox is the long chain, polyunsaturated structure of omega-3s is key to both the health benefits (antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions), as well as degradation due to oxidation of the highly susceptible polyunsaturated bonds. Thank the three main culprits—light, oxygen and metal ions—for oxidation in omega-3s. Degraded, oxidized oils leads to rancidity, which comes with a set of undesirable organoleptic properties, including taste and smell. This goes for all oils, not just fish. There are slight differences in those rancid organoleptic notes, relative to the slight chemical differences between omega-3 oils, but none of it is pleasant.

Solve these three omega-3 oil enemies, and the road to omega-3 functional use becomes smoother. Certain carriers are easier to manage relative to light, oxygen and metal ions. Chocolate, for instance, has endogenous antioxidant flavonoids, which can help slow oxidation of omega-3 ingredients. It also has fat, so it definitely a viable carrier of oils. Kerry has developed a chocolate coating infused with DHA for the candy and nutrition bar markets.

"While the chocolate does provide some protection from oxidation, you still have processing concerns regarding heat and shear, especially in terms of shearing the encapsulated product resulting in opening of the encapsulation," Ball said, noting one solution is to use omega-containing chips. "By providing the product as chips we can control the processing challenges, and the customer would then utilize the items as they would conventional chips. These chips can be provided in various colors, flavors and sizes."

Yogurt and peanut butter are similarly good carriers for omega-3 ingredients, due to their fat content and density, which help protect the fragile omegas. However, for use of the heart health claim approved for omega-3s, finished products have to meet cholesterol content limitations. "We cannot meet the heart health claims due to the saturated fat levels from the chocolate," Ball explained. "However, all other claims are still applicable such as brain development from DHA, as well as the effects on depression, anxiety and rheumatoid arthritis."

While some delivery forms offer some protection from oxidation, oxygen is just a given in functional products. The goal is really slowing down oxidation, which is impossible to avoid 100-percent. "You create enough barriers to slow down the rate of oxidation," Rao said. "This is why you see more refrigerated than shelf-stable products. Even microencapsulation doesn't solve all the problems."

Hormel, Kerry and others are continuously developing technologies and methods to meet this oxidation and other challenges to get a broader range of omega-3 products to market. Among the developments are improving purification technologies that take out the pro-oxidant compounds from the omega-3 oil to make it as stable as possible from the beginning.

Aqueous delivery systems present problems. Not only do fruit juices and tomato juices have pesky metal ions, but they also fall prey to that chemical adage: oil and water don't mix. Some have overcome these challenges by using chelates (citrus acid, ascorbic acid, etc.) and microencapsulation.

France-Kelly agreed some categories of functional products are certainly more challenging, and one of the priorities for companies is to develop new techniques and technologies to help with formulation and to improve both sensory and shelf life. "Baked goods have been challenging, and long shelf life is certainly a challenge," she said, noting any exposure to light, heat or air during long shelf life is a big issue. However, she noted oils don't have to be emulsified or encapsulated to be in clear beverages. "We are into that category, including pomegranate juice, orange juice and other beverages.

If baked goods and beverages are challenging for fish-oil ingredient use, then flaxseed might be a solution for those formulations. Ekman noted flaxseed has traditionally been used in bakery products such as breads, tortillas, cookies, muffins, etc., but there has been a push to include it in many other types of products. "An area that seems to be experiencing a considerable amount of growth as of late is the beverage sector; both ready-to-mix (RTM) and ready-to-drink (RTD)," she reported. "Flaxseed contains a lot of dietary fiber, making it a challenge to incorporate into clear beverages; however, opaque, smoothie type beverages are an excellent fit. As of late we’ve also seen flaxseed included in everything from crème cake to peanut butter."

The dietary fiber found naturally in flaxseed can also contribute a considerable amount of texture and viscosity to a functional beverage, according to Ekman. "This can impede its ability to be successfully used in some applications such as beverages and dairy, including yogurt and cheese," she noted.

Overall, the market for omega-3 ingredients is expanding on the merits of health research and innovative ingredient/product technologies. "Looking forward, manufacturers will become more savvy at incorporating omega-3s into some of the applications they have struggled with in the past," Ekman predicted. "This will be accomplished in part by making use of higher quality, more stable omega-3 ingredients."

Rao's forecast includes more activity for omega-3s in beverages as one area, but he highlights the snack segment as the biggest growth market. "Snacks will really take off," he said. "This doesn't have to be just chips." He added meals and breakfast items will continue to incorporate omega-3s, as nutrition bars and other shelf-stable items will continue to try to deal with challenges in using certain omega-3 ingredients.

Another trend to watch is products combing omega-3s with other ingredients with known benefits for a specific health benefit such as cardio, mental or ocular health. For example, omega-3s might be paired with coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) for heart health products. In the same vein, sterols appear to combine well with omega-3 for heart health. Sterols have already found a home in margarines and similar spreads; but, Rao noted the use of an sterol-omega-3 combo would need to go beyond such products to include sauces, cookies and chips—foods people routinely eat. This could help people achieve better omega-3 levels, in a manner similar to fortification.

As consumers continue to realize the importance of omega-3 fatty acids, ingredient developers and manufacturers are working together to develop new and exciting ways to deliver these beneficial ingredients. There are many unique solutions under development to solve the issues involved in supplying these ingredients and keeping them stable and efficacious through to the consumer. Given the increased energy and focus at all stages of the chain, the face of the omega-3 market will surely look very different in five years.