AlaskOmega alters specs of its omega-3 oils to highlight freshness advantages of supply chain

21-Sep-2015 - Last updated on 22-Sep-2015 at 15:35 GMT

Organic Technologies uses a dedicated rail fleet to bring its oil to Ohio for refining.

Freshness is one of the touchstones of the marketing of omega-3 fish oils. Organic Technologies, producer of the line of AlaskOmega brand of fish oil ingredients, has altered its specification limits for oil oxidation and environmental contaminants to better reflect what it says is the superior freshness and purity of its oil.

Organic Technologies, based in Coshocton, OH, sources its raw material from the MSC-certified Alaskan Pollock fishery. The company, which is also the home of the Wiley's Finest brand of finished products, uses a dedicated fleet of rail tanker rolling stock to bring the oil directly from the plants in Alaska where the oil is sourced from the leftover portions of the fish after filets are cut off for market. The company touts a made in USA message with the slogan, “Caught in Alaska. Refined in Ohio.”

The company recently reduced the Total Oxidation (TOTOX) limit for all its omega-3 concentrate products to 5 since actual AlaskOmega values typically range from 0-3, more accurately reflecting its market-leading position for oil freshness. TOTOX is a measure of both primary and secondary oil oxidation, and it is commonly used by the omega-3 industry as a proxy for oil freshness. The new limit is more than a 5-fold reduction from the limit of 26 set by the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3 (GOED) monograph, the current standard for the omega-3 industry. AlaskOmega also significantly reduced limits for trace environmental contaminants to levels virtually undetectable and well below GOED industry standards, cementing its position for producing the purest bulk omega-3 concentrates.

“Lowering the TOTOX limit on all AlaskOmega® products will help us better represent the superior freshness of our Omega-3 ingredients”, said Steve Dillingham, global director for AlaskOmega Ingredients. “Fresher oil translates into better product stability, longer shelf life, and optimal sensory characteristics for finished goods incorporating AlaskOmega.”