US Food Companies Use Of MEG-3® Brand Ingredients Expected To Rise

Ocean Nutrition Canada Limited (ONC), supplier of MEG-3® brand Omega-3 EPA/DHA food and dietary supplement ingredients, is pleased to announce the allowance of their petition for an Excellent Source Nutrient Content Claim for foods containing both EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) and DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) under the authoritative statement provisions of the Food and Drug Modernization Act (FDAMA). 

EPA and DHA are the two physiologically essential long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids found in fish oil.  Both nutrients have been demonstrated to play important roles in human health and nutrition. 

The new ruling means that companies can place certain claims on their packaging such as An Excellent Source of Omega-3 EPA and DHA, High In Omega-3 EPA and DHA or Rich In Omega-3 EPA and DHA.  Products must contain a combined total of at least 32 mg of EPA and DHA per serving to qualify for this claim.  Thirty-two milligrams of EPA and DHA represents 20% of the daily value levels for EPA and DHA of the 160 mg per day recommended by the Institute Of Medicine. The claim needs to include the statement that the product “contains ___ mg of EPA and DHA per serving, which is ___ % of the 160 mg daily value for a combination of EPA and DHA.”

Until now food manufacturers were only able to use the nutrient content claim for an excellent source with DHA.  While DHA is an extremely important nutrient, companies were limited in their ability to differentiate to consumers that their foods contain both EPA and DHA.  Dr. Colin Barrow, Vice President of R&D with ONC, said, “Both EPA and DHA are important in heart health and normal growth and development as stated in an FDA qualified heart health claim for foods containing EPA and DHA.” Dr. Barrow continued, “Over 8,000 scientific papers have been published demonstrating the health benefits of EPA and DHA reflecting the nutritional value for consumers.”

Food companies can now create consumer product differentiation for their brands because they can explain that their products contain both important forms of Omega-3 fatty acids. Ian Lucas, Executive Vice President of Global Marketing at ONC, said, “Being able to differentiate food products with both EPA and DHA means that food companies can create a source of strategic competitive advantage because their products contain more value than just DHA alone.”  Lucas continued, “Our MEG-3® brand food ingredient enables food companies to include the goodness of fish in their products without the taste or smell of fish so they can easily create value added foods that people will love to eat and at the same time improve their own bottom line.”

About Ocean Nutrition Canada Limited (ONC):

Ocean Nutrition Canada Limited is a privately held company, whose major shareholder is Clearwater Fine Foods Incorporated, a diversified holding/investment company whose significant holdings include a controlling interest in Clearwater Seafood's Limited Partnership, which is the world’s largest integrated shellfish harvester and processor and Ocean Nutrition (Canada) Limited.  Ocean Nutrition Canada researches, manufactures, and markets Omega-3 concentrates and other marine based natural ingredients for dietary supplements and foods.  ONC exemplifies scientific rigor in discovery and research programs, along with world leading regulatory and quality compliance standards.  For more information on the health benefits of MEG-3® ingredients please visit www.meg-3.com

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