The European ingredient distributor has developed a ready-to-market solution that combines Zooca’s unique calanus oil omega sourced from the tiny zooplankton Calanus finmarchicus alongside Golden Omega’s high-quality Omega-3 fish oil concentrates from South Pacific anchovies.
Teresita Rudà, head of marketing and brand positioning at Lehvoss, said the innovation is in response to the omega-3 category entering a “more mature and competitive phase” shaped by consumers looking for science-backed, convenient and responsibly sourced nutritional solutions.
This new combination enables product developers to meet EFSA requirements for authorized EPA and DHA omega-3 health claims related to heart, brain and vision support, alongside distinctive combined sustainability credentials of both branded ingredients.
While EPA and DHA remain the recognized foundation of the category, Rudà said brands are increasingly challenged to move beyond standard fish oil positioning with products that are innovative, easy to explain, trusted by consumers and distinctive on shelf.
“The concept responds to several key industry trends at once,” she said, noting the continued demand for EPA and DHA backed by scientific research and the consumer search for innovative lipid sources and differentiated ingredient stories.
“This sits alongside the growing importance of sustainability and traceability; and the need for faster, lower-risk innovation in finished supplement formats,” she added.
Combining sustainability with health claims
Zooca’s calanus oil is produced from Calanus finmarchicus, a species of copepod and a component of zooplankton. Reproduction in the Norwegian Sea is estimated to be almost 300 million tonnes a year, whereas the annual commercial quotas are set to 250,000 tonnes, less than 0,1% of the annual volume. Additionally, processing of the ingredient involves zero product waste as the entire organism is used.
Unlike fish oil (triglycerides) or krill oil (phospholipids), calanus oil stores energy as wax esters, allowing a slower, more gradual release of nutrients in the digestive tract. The oil contains EPA, DHA and over 40 different fatty acids, as well as naturally occurring bioactives including unique marine policosanols and natural astaxanthin.
Astaxanthin is a potent antioxidant with a wide range of benefits including reducing inflammation, supporting cardiovascular and eye health, and improving skin protection from UV radiation.
The oil is also scientifically backed to support cardiac and metabolic health in obese, pre-diabetic, women and has been found to improve maximum cardiac function, insulin sensitivity and muscle strength during exercise.
“We are pleased to see Zooca Calanus Oil featured in concepts such as ZOΩ3GO,” said Ole Sakkestad, chief sales officer human health and nutrition at Zooca The Calanus Company. “In this concept its distinctive marine composition can support more differentiated and forward-looking approaches to omega-3 supplementation.”
Meanwhile, Golden Omega S.A. fish oil concentrate delivers targeted levels of EPA and DHA supported by established EFSA health claims, alongside a an ORIVO-verified origin from pure anchovies sourced in the South Pacific Ocean.
Sarah Leach, business development manager at Golden Omega added concepts such as this one are necessary to compete in a mature and competitive market.
“Brands don’t just need a new formulation—they need a premium standard of quality that drives real commercial success,” she said.
The new concept will launch in Europe this autumn, with the food supplement brand Holistic in Sweden under the product name ‘Holistic Omega-3 Fiskolja PRO’.
