Denomega and GAT are making their microencapsulated fish oils more
readily available for use in dairy and beverage products through a
co-packaging arrangement with Tetra Pak that makes use of its
FlexDos dosing system.
With its United States market value swelling from approximately
$100m to more than $2bn in four years, omega-3 enriched foods make
up the strongest sector of the functional foods market - and there
is still room for significant growth.
Emulsification of omega-3 fatty acids may boost bioavailability of
nutritionally beneficial eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) by over 60 per cent, compared to
non-emulsified oil, suggests new research.
Ireland officially launched its Sea Change strategy last week,
which aims to shift the sector away from the traditional
food-harvest view and drive it into new market-led opportunities
including functional foods.
A study published in the Journal of the American College of
Nutrition concluded that the American Heart Association's
recommended cardioprotective dose of omega-3 fatty acids can lower
triglycerides in patients with coronary...
Supplement makers are hearing the news about the benefits of
omega-3 during pregnancy, suggest data from Mintel, which lists
more pregnancy-specific product launches in 2006 than in previous
years.
Austevoll has completed its acquisition of EPAX from Ferd Private
Equity for an undisclosed sum, securing the omega-3 company's fish
oil supply and enabling full traceability.
Vitiva is introducing a natural rosemary-based ingredient called
SyneROX 4 that is intended to protect sensitive PUFA oils from
degradation during processing and storage.
Consuming food rich in the plant omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)
like walnuts and flaxseed oil improved bone health, according to a
small trial from the US.
Water 4 Investment is conducting trials for food industry partners
to use its microalgae-derived DHA and EPA oil in a broad range of
products, as EU regulatory approval for the fish-oil alternative is
expected this year.
Ocean Nutrition Canada (ONC) is looking beyond its current focus of
omega-3 ingredients, investigating marine microbial species to
produce carotenoids and co-enzyme Q10.
Canadian essential fatty acid supplier Bioriginal is riding the
nutricosmetics wave and has announced the launch of a range of
nutricosmetics containing its proprietary BioAsteri lignans for
healthy skin.
New European standards and public awareness about contaminants in
fish oil are opening up a new marketing angle for omega-3, with
both finished product and fish oil companies touting their
product's purity.
Australian researchers found omega-3 fatty acids to be the most
promising nutrient for alleviating the symptoms of depression, a
finding that adds to the putative benefits associated with the
lipid.
Omega-3 fish oil manufacturers have been feeling the crunch as
their crude oil suppliers have upped prices by about 15 percent in
the past year, which could in turn spike prices for formulators as
well.
The omega-3 fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), suppressed the
development of fat cells in vitro, and could lead to
reductions in body fat, US researchers have reported.
Increased bloods levels of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenioc
acid (DHA) could slash the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's
disease, suggests a new study from the US.
New Zealand green lipped mussels, marketed under the Greenshell
mussels trade name, should be harvested in spring for optimal
omega-3 content, scientists have reported.
Price is the most significant barrier to companies looking to
market omega-3 fortified products in Asia, says an analyst, but it
is not big enough to prevent growth in demand.
More research is urgently needed into the effects of better
nutrition on behaviour, and the government and food industry should
be more involved, said experts at last week's Healthy Foods Summit
in London.
Men who eat one portion of salmon per week are 43 per cent less
likely to develop prostate cancer than men who eat no salmon, says
a study from Sweden that links the apparent benefits to the omega-3
content of the fish.
Omega-3 oil manufacturer Igennus is launching a patent-pending
formulation to alleviate joint problems through a combination of
the fatty acid EPA and glucosamine.
Supplementing mothers-to-be with omega-3 fatty acids results in
higher amounts being delivered to the baby in the womb, say German
scientists who have identified the carriers of the fatty acid from
mother to child.
A new placebo-controlled trial has reported that daily supplements
of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids could slow mental decline in
elderly people, adding to a growing body of evidence linking the
fatty acid to better cognitive function.
Cognis has announced it will launch a branded omega-3 fish oil
ingredient called Omevital, following its acquisition of the
Norwegian supplier Napro Pharma earlier this year.
Ocean Nutrition Canada has announced the creation of an exclusive
distribution partnership in Mexico through FX Morales y Asociados,
allowing the fish oil supplier to enter the Mexican market.
Two new studies published in the US this week seek to blow out of
the water fears that people who regularly consumer seafood are
putting themselves at risk due to methylmercury, PCB and dioxin
contamination. Rather, the benefits of...
Valensa International has introduced a new proprietary
plant-sourced omega-3 - Tresalbio - derived from salvia
hispanica seed extract and designed as a vegetarian ingredient
source of the essential fatty acid.
Supplements of omega-3 fatty acids may slow mental decline in
people with very mild Alzheimer's disease, but have no impact on
people with more advanced forms, says a new clinical trial.
Bioriginal is launching a new DHA fish oil, BioPure DHA, as the
ingredients manufacturer follows market demand and expands beyond
its portfolio of plant derived essential fatty acids into more
marine sources.
In an effort to let consumers know not all omega-3s bring equal
benefits, 12 ingredients makers - including Cargill, Ocean
Nutrition Canada and Martek Biosciences - have joined forces to
create the Global Organization for EPA and...
Increasing consumption of omega-3 by eating adequate amount of oily
fish or taking fish oil supplements could save 58 Americans for
every 100,000, a recent study looking into preventing sudden
cardiac death concluded.
Europharma has signed a deal with New Chapter to take Vectomega
into theretail sector, a move it expects will up the stakes in
bioavailability ofsupplement products available on the US market.
Supplementing the diet of obese rodents with a compound found in
brown seaweed reduced weight by 10 per cent, and could be developed
as a natural extract to help fight the growing human obesity
epidemic, Japanese researchers told...
The infant formula market presents opportunities for proven
nutritional ingredients within the updated EU regulatory framework,
and follow-on products and those aimed at mothers' are also
targeted by suppliers.
Natural food group SunOpta is to quadruple its sales of the açai
berry in North America, revealing that the Brazilian berry is the
most popular fruit ingredient with its customers.
Pharmline has reported sales of proprietary EPAX omega-3 fatty acid
concentrates are 40 percent ahead of sales from the same period
last year, further evidence - if it were needed - that nutritional
lipids have become a hit in recent...
Another scientific review has concluded that omega-3 fatty acids
are beneficial to heart health, and proposes a new measure of
cardiovascular risk called the "omega-3 index".
Leatherhead-based British supplement manufactuer, Wassen
International, is reported to have acquired Yorkshire-based omega-3
company Efamol, in a move that will boost Wassen's presence in the
UK's omega-3 market.
Norway's Epax has announced it has gained approval from Australia's
Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to provide high
concentration omega-3 to the Australian market.
Researchers in Australia have reported that salmon fed oil made
from one of the country's most damaging noxious weeds could produce
more omega-3 for human consumption.
Burcon Nutrisciences has been granted a European patent for its
flax oil seed-derived novel protein isolate and production, and
signalled that it will continue developing technologies from
sources besides its canola, which now forms...
Eating a diet rich in the omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid
(ALA), may positively affect 'bad' cholesterol levels in the
elderly, says a study from the Netherlands.
Eating a breakfast of omega-3 enriched eggs could improve blood
triglyceride levels, boost heart health, and help people reach
their omega-3 recommended intakes, says a study from Canada.
Increasing omega-3 fatty acid levels, and decreasing levels of
omega-6, could reduce the risk of prostate cancer, if results from
an animal study also apply to humans.
Industry giants are locked in a "fish oil arms race" to develop genetically modified crops that could challenge the supremacy of fish as the best source of omega-3 fatty acid, with both BASF and DuPont reporting progress in the field.
Eating omega-3-rich fish like tuna has beneficial effects on heart
rhythms, and may offer protection against fatal arrhythmias,
suggests a cohort study lead by Harvard researchers.
EuroPharma's recently launched fish oil extract Vectomega could led
to improvements in cholesterol levels, according to a pilot
clinical trial, with more trials planned to build up the science
behind the product.