The product, which was launched under the Dr. Formulated brand and is labeled as “Norwegian Salmon Oil”, is available on Amazon and via retailers such as The Vitamin Shoppe, with more soon to come, the company said.
OmeGo, which Hofseth Biocare upcycles from the by-products of parent-company Hofseth International’s farmed salmon in Norway, is minimally processed with low levels of oxidation and free fatty acids. The ingredient does not undergo fractionation or concentration of the EPA and DHA omega-3s as may be performed in the production of other fish oils.
“The method of production ensures minimal oxidation, and the absence of chemical processing and high temperatures results in an extremely stable and nutritious product that exemplifies all the benefits of eating whole, fresh fish,” James Berger, HBC’s chief commercial officer, previously told NutraIngredients. “The four-year shelf life without the need for adding antioxidants speaks volumes.”
The resulting oil is therefore not just about the EPA and DHA content but also contains a host of other fatty acids, antioxidants like astaxanthin and zeaxanthin, and select lipoproteins and other small molecules.
From hearts to lungs
OmeGo is positioned for heart, cognitive, eye and joint health, with data from HBC studies showing that the oil may reduce serum levels of oxLDL-GP, an independent biomarker of cardiovascular risk, which the company linked to anti-oxidation effects and not from the EPA and DHA fractions.
Recent research around immune support and respiratory health is creating new opportunities for the ingredient. For example, a study published in Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry indicated that OmeGo could outperform a processed cod liver oil in inhibiting the inflammatory response in animal models of asthma. Anti-inflammatory effects have also been reported from a small study with humans, published last year in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.
Speaking with NutraIngredients at SupplySide West 2024, Dr. Crawford Currie, HBC’s head of medical R&D, said that the company has completed a study with 120 people on the potential effects of OmeGo around pollution, sleep and respiratory health.
“We’re looking specifically at sleep metrics, cough metrics and those are both self-scored metrics but also wearable device capture, so we have the subjective and the objective measures,” he said.
Portfolio
After more than a decade honing its proprietary processes and building the clinical substantiation for its ingredient portfolio, Hofseth BioCare also offers ProGo, a mix of bioactive peptides and collagen upcycled from Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) via a gentle enzymatic process, and CalGo / NT-II salmon bone powder containing calcium hydroxyapatite and undenatured collagen for bone and joint health.
ProGo is reported to improve iron metabolism by boosting the body’s ability to take up and use iron, resulting in increased energy and vitality.
Data published last year in Marine Drugs found that a fraction of the peptides, the smallest peptides in ProGo, are activating the GLP-1 receptor. The peptides also show pancreatic protection—insulin is produced in the pancreas.
CalGo / NT-II has shown both bone and joint health benefits to support healthy aging and active lifestyles, the company said.
