Docosahexaenoic Acid

DHA levels higher in breastfed infants whose mothers ate specific fish

20-Dec-2023 By Claudia Adrien

Lactating mothers who frequently consumed “Blue-back fish” and/or “White fish” had breastfed infants with higher levels of serum docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an essential n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA). These levels were higher than...

Omega-3 fatty acids could regulate genes associated with obesity

16-Nov-2023 By Olivia Haslam

Anti-inflammatory properties of omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA could have the ability to regulate genes associated with obesity, a new systematic review has concluded.

Study reveals promising omega-3–lung function relationship

29-Sep-2023 By Asia Sherman

Omega-3 fatty acids, whose antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties are generally associated with cardioprotective effects, could offer significant benefits for lung health, too.

Life Extension: optimising fish oils with bioactives

19-Sep-2023 By Olivia Brown

Within the crowded fish oil supplement market, the nutraceutical manufacturer Life Extension aims to optimise health and longevity through the pairing of omega-3 with bioactive compounds inspired by the Mediterranean diet.

Aker Biomarine gets NDI nod from FDA for brain health ingredient

10-Aug-2023 By Danielle Masterson

The Norwegian fishing and biotech company has successfully achieved New Dietary Ingredient (NDI) status from the US Food and Drug Administration for its Lysoveta. Under the NDI, Aker BioMarine can market Lysoveta at 1.5 grams/day for the general adult...

Calanus oil matches krill and fish oil for Omega-3 Index boosts: Study

30-Mar-2023 By Stephen Daniells

Calanus oil may be equally as effective at increasing the Omega-3 Index as fish oil and krill oil, says a new study that supports the copepod-derived oil as an alternative marine omega-3 source.

High omega-3 blood levels may reduce the severity of COVID-19

02-Mar-2023 By Asia Sherman

Increased consumption of oily fish and the use of omega-3 fatty acid supplements may reduce the risk of adverse COVID-19 outcomes, according to new research from the Fatty Acid Research Institute (FARI).

DSM builds algal portfolio to help meet the growing demand for omega-3

18-Jan-2023 By Stephen Daniells

DSM is expanding its algal omega-3 portfolio, driven by a gradual convergence in prices between fish and algal oil, and a focus on sustainability.

Omega-3 supplements may be ‘most efficient’ way to support neonatal development, researchers say

09-Jan-2023 By Olivia Brown

Supplements of omega-3 raise blood levels of the fatty acids for both pregnant mothers and their babies via the umbilical cord, according to a new prospective cohort study.

Better brains, better guts: Natural Grocers picks out trends for 2023

06-Dec-2022 By Hank Schultz

Omega-3s and gut health ingredients will see greater demand in 2023, according to new projections by supplement retailer Natural Grocers.

Study: Higher omega-3 levels keep brains young longer

25-Oct-2022 By Hank Schultz

New research has suggested higher omega-3s levels might help forestall some of the changes seen in aging brains that in some cases are the precursors of dementia.

Vitux says research shows its ConCordix Smart Chew tech poised to reinvigorate omega-3s category

02-Sep-2022 By Hank Schultz

Chewable omega-3s manufacturer Vitux AS says that new consumer research it has conducted showed compliance better than with gummy products. The company claims this shows that fish oil users are open to new delivery formats.

Fish oil may blunt inflammatory response to high fat/high sugar diet

23-Aug-2022 By Hank Schultz

Omega-3s can blunt the worst of the chronic inflammation caused by diets high in sugar and fat, a new study in mice has suggested.

Higher DHA associated with better focus and concentration in healthy teenagers

19-Aug-2022 By Hank Schultz

Higher DHA levels are associated with higher scores on some cognitive measures in a cohort of healthy adolescents, new research has found.

Fish oil may boost muscle strength, performance for sarcopenic women

02-Aug-2022 By Stephen Daniells

Omega-3 rich fish oil supplements may enhance the results of a resistance training regimen for older women with sarcopenia, with greater gains recorded for muscle strength and physical performance.

Paper validates approach GOED took in developing ‘first of its kind’ omega-3s research database

11-Jul-2022 By Hank Schultz

Industry group GOED has published a paper validated a new database of omega-3 research, which is a first of its kind.

Study gives detailed view of arsenic in omega-3 supplements, but sounds no alarms

28-Feb-2022 By Hank Schultz

An analytical study on marine sourced dietary supplements found different forms of arsenic present in most of them, but at sub-toxic levels. GOED said the results were not a concern to consumers with the caveat that the risk posed by one of the arsenic...

Algarithm and Virun collaborate on O3 Smoothies to combat pill fatigue

19-Feb-2018 By Stephen Daniells

Retail shelves in the US and Canada will soon be stocking O3 Smoothies, decadent yet functional products delivering DHA omega-3 from algae and coconut MCTs.

GOED’s Ismail: Critics cannot dismiss the totality of evidence for omega-3s with a single trial

14-Feb-2018 By Stephen Daniells

The next few years could be a turbulent time for the omega-3 industry with results from several very large randomized control trials due to be published, but regardless of the results the totality of the evidence still supports significant benefits from...

Higher omega-3 concentration possibly associated with lower heart disease risk: Study

24-Jan-2018 By Cheryl Tay

A high concentration of serum omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may lead to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, according to researchers in China.

AlaskOmega launches DHA omega-3 concentrates

19-Sep-2017 By Stephen Daniells

Ohio-based Organic Technologies, producer of the AlaskOmega brand of fish oils, omega-3 and omega-7 concentrates, has launched new DHA-rich oils.

Enzymotec launches higher concentrate krill oil that trades on purity message

21-Jun-2017 By Hank Schultz

Enzymotec has expanded on its krill purity message with a new, higher concentrate form of its K-Real ingredient.

‘T-free’: Krill player backs odourless form in 'fishy smell' assault

24-Jan-2017 By Shane Starling

Enzymotec is backing a krill form using a patent-pending process it says makes it free of a component that contributes to the ‘fishy smell’ that can plague marine oils.

Omega-3 supply shifts: The case for marine agriculture

23-Jan-2017 By Professor Michael Crawford

Varying forces are rapidly shifting the omega-3 supply chain. In this guest article, veteran researcher professor Michael Crawford says a rapid upscale in sea farming can make a major contribution to sustainable fish oils, with a potentially raised nutrient...

DHA supplement benefits older adults with mild cognitive impairment: China study

17-Oct-2016 By Gary Scattergood

A new Chinese study has shown omega-3 supplementation improved IQ among older people with mild cognitive impairment.

'We've made big pills a thing of the past.'

Big investment, small pills: DSM invests €27m in omega-3 technology

12-Oct-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

DSM has invested over €27 million in its ‘3C technology’ which concentrates DHA and EPA up to 85% and helps reduce capsule size by up to three times.

Acetone process key to Neptune's new krill oil with more omega-3s

29-Sep-2016 By Hank Schultz

Neptune has joined the higher concentration krill fray with its NKO Omega Plus ingredient, which it claims offers the 30% more omega-3s than standard krill offerings.

Special edition: Algae

Algal omega-3s sustainability message should be additive, not predatory, GOED director says

29-Aug-2016 By Hank Schultz

Algal omega-3s are a growing sector of the market, but companies need to be careful of how they sell the benefits of that source, said one expert.

Better by-product use could increase EPA-DHA supply by 25%

Mapping the future supply of fish oil

18-Aug-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Researchers from the University of Stirling have used FAO data to map the future use of fishery by-products in the production of marine ingredients like omega-3. They found an overall increasing trend in the amount of fishmeal and fish oil being obtained...

New GOED report summarizes global market for EPA and DHA finished products

27-Jun-2016 By Adi Menayang

The Global Organization of EPA and DHA Omega-3 (GOED) noted that the finished products market size for 2015 was $31.4 billion.

Krill players battle counterfeit material

25-May-2016 By Shane Starling

New kid on the krill block OmegaVeritas has launched a verification method after tests showed mislabelled material on-market.

“Exciting results”: Tufts/Harvard meta-analysis supports omega-3s for child brain development

06-Apr-2016 By Stephen Daniells

Supplements of omega-3s during pregnancy or infancy do improve child neurodevelopment, says a meta-analysis of 15 gold standard randomized controlled trials.

Omega-3 PUFA market expected to hit $18.95 billion by 2020

30-Mar-2016 By Adi Menayang

Giving credit to a developed food processing industry, insights firm Markets and Markets found that North American dominated the global Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) market, but Asia-Pacific will accelerate into the fastest-growing region...

Peek inside probiota 2016: Amsterdam, February 2-4

Restoring the damaged baby microbiome: ‘This is the biggest development in infant nutrition in years’

22-Dec-2015 By Shane STARLING

The biochemist instrumental in making DHA omega-3 near-mandatory in infant formula 15 years ago says discoveries about the ‘baby microbiome’ are set to revolutionise our view of infant and embryonic feeding.

EU project seeks algae omega-3s

03-Nov-2015 By Shane STARLING

Extracting omega-3 from novel algae sources is the mission of a European Union-funded project with multiple partners including the famed nutrition research arm at Wageningen University in the Netherlands.

Norwegian krill player appoints new chief

09-Jun-2015 By Shane Starling

Matts Johansen has been appointed CEO of krill major Aker BioMarine with a mandate to “to continue to develop one of Norway's most exciting biotechnology companies into a solid and predictable company”.

April 8, 14:00 CET: Experts debate hot issues in NutraIngredients omega-3 forum

Omega-3 hits €25bn but can it keep growing?

03-Apr-2015 By Shane STARLING

Are omega-3 fisheries really under threat? How many functional foods have cracked omega-3 blockbuster status? How is the sector recovering from the ‘Brasky effect’? How are developing markets developing? How is the latest research influencing regulation?...

Latin America

Collapse of Peru fishery less significant than first feared, omega-3s suppliers say

11-Mar-2015 By Hank Schultz

The spike sent through the supply market for omega-3s by the closure of the anchovy fishing season in Peru has stimulated new sources of oil to come to the fore and has been mitigated by inventory built into the system, experts said.

New flavours for omega-3 aimed at children and pregnant women

13-Feb-2015 By Niamh Michail

Croda has added two new flavours to its omega-3 syrup range that are easier to swallow than capsules for pregnant women and children.

Scandinavian herring roe starting to deliver on omega-3 promise

10-Feb-2015 By Shane STARLING

Herring by-products like immature roe are proving a bountiful source for omega-3s in Norway, with research showing strong market potential.

Weak omega-3s demand a blemish on FMC's nutritional sector revenues

06-Feb-2015 By Hank Schultz

FMC Corporation reported revenues in its health and nutrition sector of $828 million for its 2014 fiscal year.  Soft omega-3 demand for the year was a blemish on an otherwise robust sector performance, the company said.

Insights from SupplySide West

‘We think the campaign will definitely have an effect’: GOED on ‘positive messaging’ to change omega-3 conversation

15-Oct-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

The Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s’ campaign to promote positive messages about omega-3s has finally launched, but more funds needs to be raised to allow a national roll-out, said GOED’s Adam Ismail.

Probiotics giant debuts soft gel with 2-year shelf life

13-Oct-2014 By Lynda Searby

Danish probiotics player Chr Hansen has launched a patent-pending soft gel that can deliver live probiotics with a two-year shelf life and matched it with a probiotic-omega-3 supplement targeting pregnant women.

DSM to increase omega-3s capacity in light of dietary reference intake review

28-Aug-2014 By Hank Schultz

The move by Canadian and US health authorities to look at the establishment of a dietary reference intake for omega-3s will be a boon both for public health and the health of the market for these important nutrients, omega-3s supplier DSM says.  The company...

Red Queen Rules: Understanding nutra space acquisition and evolution

11-Aug-2014 By Dr Matthew Jones

By analysing the long-lasting commitments and acquisition activity of major companies Dr Matthew Jones at CPL Business Consultants uses the Red Queen theory to develop an understanding of their corporate mind-set and appetite for acquisitions and partnerships...

French omega-3 player scores in Brazil

24-Jun-2014 By Shane STARLING

Ambitious French omega-3 supplier Polaris has won approval to market its branded omega-3s in South America’s biggest nutraceutical market, Brazil.

DSM flexing its acquisition muscles at IFT

10-Jun-2014 By Hank Schultz

DSM will highlight all the recent additions to its royal crest at IFT. The multinational food, beverage and supplement ingredient supplier will in particular be featuring its life’s DHA ingredient at the Institute of Food Technologists show in New Orleans...

DSM enters olive polyphenol market; hard launches high-dose algae omega-3

16-May-2014 By Shane STARLING

Swiss-based DSM Nutritional Products (DNP) has entered the olive-sourced hydroxytyrosol market that has been hot since the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) issued a rare plant polyphenol health claim approval in 2011.

Dispatches from Vitafoods Europe 2014

Omega-3’s newest big fish reveals sector ambitions

15-May-2014 By Shane STARLING

Mid-last year the chief of Norwegian omega-3 player EPAX told us, “We are the last of the big omega-3 independents.” Soon after US agri-food company FMC had snapped it up for $350m. Here FMC Nutraceuticals general manager Daniel H. Rosenbaum talks through...

Responsible supply: IFFO changes fish oil and fishmeal sourcing rules

04-Apr-2014 By Shane STARLING

Non-members of the International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organization (IFFO) are able to apply for ‘responsible supply’ (RS) certification, after the body altered its criteria recently.