Smart Sourcing of Omega-3s

By Suzanne Shelton

When the first scientific study on the benefits of fish oil was published in a British scientific journal in 1783, only a handful of people knew about it. With todays media coverage of health research and easy access to information via the Internet, millions of people know about the benefits of long-chain omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs), most commonly sourced from fish oil. Recent industry figures peg fish oil as the fastest growing supplement in the health food channel, and the second fastest growing in the food/drug/mass sector. This is one of the few products in the dietary supplement category getting consistently positive media coverage, based upon continuing emergence of affirmative studies on health benefits. But as has been the case in the past, when demand for a hot product escalates, ingredient buyers must increase their vigilance and knowledge accordingly to protect quality and efficacy.

To assist in this effort, many suppliers are taking steps on their own and in concert with the association Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED) to develop tools to support ingredient buyer expertise. As the market grows, buyers need to be sure that fish oils are suitable to meet quality standards, and manufacturing facilities are HACCP approved, noted Alejandro Diaz, operations manager for Originates, a supplier of concentrated omega-3s.

Hogne Vik, M.D., Ph.D., EVP, documenter, Aker BioMarine, seconded, Buyers should know what kind of product they buy, represented by what kind of starting material that has been used for the ingredient, where the material has been taken and how clean it is (e.g., pollutions, dioxins and heavy metals). Further, a guarantee related to the given specifications of the oil content of omega-3 should accompany the product.

One of the earliest moves to help define the category was GOEDs developing and publishing a monograph defining long-chain omega-3s. The monograph reads, in part, Omega-3 fatty acid products may be found with DHA as the predominant fatty acid, EPA as the predominant fatty acid or mixtures of DHA and EPA in varying combinations. The monograph also includes detailed information on purity testing and qualitative assays for both docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).

Testing is a key part of responsible sourcing, as there are several quality issues for fish oil intended for human consumption. Among those cited by Diaz were freshness/oxidation level (expressed as peroxide value, anisidine value and totox value); digestibility (i.e., acid value or percentage of free fatty acids); purity from contaminants such as heavy metals, pesticides, harmful microorganisms, etc.; and EPA and DHA level expressed as weight percentage.

The most basicand the originalversion of modern fish oil is triglyceride, referred to as fish oil 30 percent triglyceride form. The 30 percent described the combined total amount of EPA (18 percent) and DHA (12 percent) found in fish oil. The issue of ratios came to light around 2006, when the ratio inexplicably changed, based upon environmental influence no one really could explain, to 22 percent EPA and 8 percent DHA. The tricky part is that natural fish oil is not consistent in terms of ratios of EPA and DHA, and doesnt always add up to 30 percent, Diaz said.

Vik added there needs to be more clinical work examining the benefits of various omega-3 products with different ratios. Currently it is a perception in the marketplace that high-concentrated omega-3 dietary supplements have more effective health benefits than low-concentrated omega-3 products, he said. But, it is possible the natural strength omega-3 or omega-3 products in natural formulation are more physiological formulations for biological absorption and utilization of omega-3 fatty acids in the body.

However, there are also myriad influences affecting the quality and concentration of the oil, not only between species, but even the available food and age of the fish. More complex and sophisticated processing is increasingly being used to not only mitigate the variations, but also remove the objectionable taste and smell along with cholesterol and heavy metals, and produce concentrates with specific levels of DHA and EPA. With concentrates we can deliver exactly what people need for specific health benefits, Diaz said.

The ability to designate specific ratios of DHA and EPA allow companies to market fish oil products for specific uses and to target the functional food market. Although these lipids require knowledgeable handling, they are being successfully included in a variety of products, from orange juice to baby food.

The first step in concentrating oil is taking the oil apart. Although careful raw fish sourcing is important, the molecular distillation process removes impurities. Some technologies allow the molecules to be separated, which lets the processor remove whatever compounds it doesnt want in the finished product. For example, isolation technologies can create a DHA-free EPA, but not an EPA-free DHA, from fish.

Neil Levin, CCN, DANLA, the education manager at NOW Foods, who also participates in product development, said one of the factors driving the category is variety in potencies and ratios as the ability to formulate the ratios of DHA and EPA evolves. We recently came out with the very strong Ultra Omega product, which has 500 mg of EPA and 250 mg of DHA per 1,000 mg soft gel. We also came out with a reverse ratio for people more interested in supporting brain, nerves, fetal development and for nursing mothers.

As the public becomes more aware of fish oil, they are looking for increasingly detailed information from manufacturers. Questions are tending to be more difficult to answer, for example, asking about how ingredients are processed. Levin said. Manufacturers must gather information on processing, such as the temperatures, the processes used and any kind of processing aids that could be considered additives so products are accurately labeled, and consumer questions can be answered thoroughly. Clearly, suppliers need to provide this information to their omega-3 customers to support their sales of finished products.

With recent EU fish oil regulations in place and other regulations pending (such as Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing), the dynamics specific to this category will continue to force R&D, quality control personnel and buyers alike to stay on top of whats going on at many different levels.

Suzanne Shelton is an industry consultant and head of The Shelton Group , a boutique public relations firm serving the natural products industry.

Want to learn more about sourcing quality omega-3s? Join Adam Ismail from the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED) when he moderates Smart Sourcing of Omega-3 Fish Oil: A Technical Discussion on Nov. 11, 2009, at SupplySide West. Get more details at SupplySideShow.com/West .