The Swiss supplier's DHAid line now comprises three varieties:
- FNO-350 - a 350mg per gram oil for food applications;
- CL-400 - a 400mg/g clear oil for supplements and foods;
- Dry – a 100mg/g dry powder for beverages.
Marketing manager in nutrition, Adriana Williams told NutraIngredients of the range upgrade: “The former product range comprised similar products. The key difference is that we now use DHA oil from the improved, highly productive, proprietary algal strain.”
“Furthermore, the fermentation conditions have been optimised and our oil products are now standardised with sunflower oil.”
Williams said the improved fermentation and production process offered cost advantages over previous versions but would not divulge specifics, nor any details about the improved fermentation process.
The company highlighted the vegetarian nature of the oils and the fact that they were free of any heavy metal trace contamination.
“Due to a controlled fermentation process, contaminants often discussed for marine sources of DHA, such as dioxins and heavy metals, can be avoided,” it said in a statement, although the recent resolution of a contaminants-based case under California's anachronistic Proposition 65 law, indicates this issue is a non-starter in the global, mainstream fish oil industry.
Lonza became a DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) supplier in December 2005 when it purchased Nutrinova's then two-year-old DHA operation.
DHA is a mainstay of infant formula products along with food supplements and a growing array of foods, and is backed by brain, eye and cardiovascular health claims in the European Union, the US, parts of the Asia-Pacific and elsewhere.
Lonza will showcase its new range for food, beverage and supplement manufacturers at the Vitafoods Europe expo and conference in Geneva between May22-24.