Xalar salmon oil plans to conquer US market with freshness
launched Xalar salmon oil into the US market as a functional food
ingredient over the next year.
While there is no shortage of fish oils rich in omega-3 on the market, Xalar fish oil makers say the particular freshness of their ingredient allows for more absorption of fatty acids into the body. The oil is made onsite in Norway by Marine Harvest.
According to Erik Laerdal, sales and marketing manager at Marine Harvest, it can take days under varying conditions before most fish oils are produced. "Given that our salmon oil is produced next to where the fish is harvested, the oil is produced within hours of the fish being killed," Laerdal explained to NutraIngredients-USA.com, "For functional foods, freshness is of utmost importance - you do lose shelf life and face an added risk of rancidity if you use an inferior oil".
Because Marine Harvest controls the entire food chain from roe, to salmon, to oil, it claims Xalar offers "unparalleled" traceability. Laerdal said most individual fish oil brands on the market are derived from a multitude of sources that are sold through a trader.
Laerdal said a partnership deal is in the works with a company that could be its North American face - although he could not yet disclose its identity.
"The US is certainly a focus for us" because of its market potential for functional foods, said Laerdal.
The company is also speaking to global companies, and Europe is a large target market as well.Xalar fish oil will not be more expensive than other fish oils, said Laerdal, adding that the company hopes the freshness and functionality of its product should lead to better sales. "The fresher the oil the better chance you have of coming out with a good functional food product".
Omega-3 fatty acids are widely accepted and shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and also to play a beneficial role in inflammatory disease and cerebral function.
Laerdal said that in tests Marine Harvest has been conducting - feeding animals with their fish oils - the animals have higher traces of omega-3 in their blood stream than from other oils. Marine Harvest plans to carry out a human study as well.
While the Xalar brand was launched in 2005, the oil it had on the market was for animal consumption only. Oil for human consumption was launched this spring. Still in the initial stages of marketing though, it is not being sold in any functional foods yet.
The oil is ready to be processed in foods through a variety of methods, such as emulsion or micro-encapsulation.
