Fish Oil As a Replacement Oil in Nutrition Bars

CHICAGOPartially replacing canola oil with fish oil in nutrition bars can provide the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids without affecting the taste, according to a new study published in the Journal of Food Science.

Producers have been hesitant to incorporate omega-3 fatty acid rich fish oil into foods because it tends to give off a fishy taste or smell, therefore, requiring additional processing steps to eliminate these unwanted qualities.

For the study, scientists at the University of Maine successfully fortified nutrition bars with non-encapsulated, non-emulsified fish oil to deliver 178 mg eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) per 35 g serving. The bars were sealed in opaque bags and stored in a stability chamber at 25°C and 50% relative humidity for 10 weeks to assess oxidative stability. The results showed oat and soy-based nutrition bars fortified with the lowest replacement level (20%) of fish oil did not affect consumer acceptance or purchase intent.