Squid winning favor as green omega-3 source

07-Jan-2010 - Last updated on 07-Jan-2010 at 19:51 GMT

The number of products bearing squid-sourced omega-3s is growing as more suppliers come onboard and its reputation grows as a green source of DHA-rich omega-3s.

Dietary supplements and other products have been launched in the US as well as Argentina and the UK, some at levels upwards of 1000mg of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid).

The latest comes from Missouri-based CardioTabs, an entity established to manufacture supplements in 1999 by a group of cardiologists, and which plows all revenues into patient education, research, and indigent patient care programs.

The group this week launched CardioTabs Ocean Safe Omega-3, a product with 1000mg of DHA and 100mg of EPA and which it says is sourced from the by-product of food production of sustainable calamari (squid).

“The oil found in CardioTabs Ocean Safe Omega-3 utilizes the unused biomass and reduces unnecessary waste by converting it into a high-grade protein and lipid product,” CardioTabs said.

The squid population is said to be abundant as they have a short life cycle and breed quickly and are caught using jigs that don’t contact the sea floor, thereby presenting no threat to it or other species that may be caught in net fishing operations.

CardioTabs spokesperson, Michelle Kruse, said the ingredient was sourced from Norwegian firm, Pharmamarine, which began production in May, 2009.

Kruse said it was marginally cheaper per gram of DHA and EPA than the fish oils it sourced, while containing higher levels of DHA.

CardioTabs is promoting the supplement, which also contains 400IU of vitamin D in a two soft-gel serving, as being able to benefit cardiovascular health, brain and eye health, and maternal/prenatal health.

Competitive

Adam Ismael, the executive director of Global Organization for EPA and DHA (GOED), said squid was seen as, “a competitive source to tuna and algal oils” that had a good sustainability story to it.

“It is a new source of omega-3s though, and there are very few products using squid oil so far.”

Product introductions include a juice (La Serenisima Serecol) in Argentina containing 100mg of DHA/EPA per 100mL and Purity Products DHA Super Boost, a dietary supplement with 900mg DHA and 90mg EPA on the US market.