EPAX AS Awarded by Friend of the Sea

AALESUND, NorwayEPAX AS received 2011s Friend of the Sea (FOS) Award in the omega-3 category. According to EPAX, the recognition is largely the result of the companys commitment to source from approved, sustainable fisheries and its marketing and communications efforts informing customers about the importance of sustainable and traceable certification.

Receiving this support from Friend of the Sea encourages EPAX to continue building upon our commitment to traceable and accountable fishing practices," said Thomas Gulbrandsen, EPAX sales and marketing director. "Our EcoVision program ensures that every level of the supply chain is analyzed for sustainability, and we're pleased that these efforts are a priority to our customers as well."

The Friend of the Sea Awards will be presented on Wednesday, May 4, during the European Seafood Exposition at the Brussels Exhibition & Conference Center. Visitors can stop by the FOS booth P-4412 at 5:30 p.m. to learn more about FOS and its recognized member companies. Gulbrandsen will accept the award.

EPAX received Friend of the Sea certification in 2009 for its sustainable and traceable marine sourcing and production methods.

FOS is a nonprofit non-governmental organization (NGO) with the mission to conserve the marine habitat. FOS is a international certification project for products originating from both sustainable fisheries and aquaculture. Certified products from all continents include most of the traded species, fishmeal, fish feed and omega-3 fish oil. Products and their origins are audited onsite by independent international certification bodies, against strict Friend of the Sea sustainability criteria.

EPAX AS offers concentrated marine eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)/docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) omega-3 oils in the business-to-business segment under the brand name EPAX®. The products are available in a wide range of formulas with different EPA/DHA ratios and concentrations focused on specific health conditions and available in TG/TGN and EE versions. EPAX AS is headquartered in Aalesund with a global sales office in Lysaker/Oslo, Norway. Its production facility in Norway is GMP (good manufacturing practices)-certified by the Norwegian Medicines Agency for the manufacturing of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API). The company is HACCP approved by the Norwegian Food Safety Authorities.

EPAX is certified by FOS to have a documented sustainable and traceable operation from the fish harvesting in Peru to its finished omega-3 ingredients in Norway. EPAX is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Norwegian omega-3 biotechnology company Trygg Pharma.