Omega-3s & nutritional oils

Weak omega-3s demand a blemish on FMC's nutritional sector revenues

06-Feb-2015 By Hank Schultz

FMC Corporation reported revenues in its health and nutrition sector of $828 million for its 2014 fiscal year.  Soft omega-3 demand for the year was a blemish on an otherwise robust sector performance, the company said.

ASA says no to claims on glucosamine, omega-3 and joint health

05-Feb-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Healthy Marketing, trading as Woods Health, must remove its advert using unapproved general health claims around glucosamine, omega-3 and joint health, the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled. 

EU project develops protein supplements from food waste streams

03-Feb-2015 By Niamh Michail

EU funded project APROPOS has developed a range of sustainable co-stream products using food industry waste, including protein supplements from fish discards and rapeseed.

French omega-3 player wins sustainability certification

29-Jan-2015 By Shane STARLING

French supplier Olvea has had its Friend of the Sea (FOS) sustainable fish oil sourcing certification renewed after passing fresh inspections from the fisheries and ingredients-funded body.

Supplement industry has changed and now our advice reflects that: Sweden

27-Jan-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The Swedish National Food Agency (SLV) has released its first manual on best food supplement practice – something it says responds to the increasingly complex nature of the growing sector.

High omega-3 linseed flour enables bakery health claims, says developer

23-Jan-2015 By Kacey Culliney

Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients (LCI) has developed a linseed-based flour omega-3 levels that enables blood cholesterol health claims to be made on the end product.

Biosearch Life registers patent for cholesterol-regulating probiotics

20-Jan-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Spanish firm Biosearch Life targets ‘unexplored’ applications with its patent application for probiotic strains it says could help control hypercholesterolemia.

Wine industry by-products create stable delivery system for resveratrol

20-Jan-2015 By Stephen DANIELLS

Combining oil and extracts from grape seeds, two by-products from the wine industry, can form stable nanoemulsions for delivering resveratrol, and protect the ingredient for use in functional food applications.

600 calories, 75 g protein, 30 g carbs: EFSA issues ‘milestone’ diet replacement opinion

14-Jan-2015 By Shane STARLING

EFSA has very specifically refined what a low-calorie diet replacement regime should contain including a minimum of 600 calories and 30 g of carbohydrates per day. One observer said the opinion was more important than a health claim win for certain nutrients.

‘Excipient foods' show promise in enhancing nutrient bioavailability

14-Jan-2015 By Nathan Gray

Improving the design of functional and finished products by better understanding the role of excipient foods could help increase the bioavailability of functional nutrients, according to new research.

Soapbox

How hemp seed oil could offer new hope to epilepsy sufferers

12-Jan-2015 By Paul Benhaim

It is well established that the brain has metabolic requirements that must be satisfied by what we eat or in the case of infants, “what their mother eats”. In particular, dietary fats are fundamentally important for thinking, learning and memory abilities,...

Fish and borage/echium oil may improve metabolic syndrome biomarkers: Human data

09-Jan-2015 By Stephen DANIELLS

Supplementing the diet of people with early-stage type-2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome with fish oil or a combination of borage and echium oil may improve cholesterol levels and other biomarkers, says a new study.

EFSA health claim opinion

CLA health claim rejection ‘another bad day’ for fat-reduction products

09-Jan-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

BASF and Stepan Lipid Nutrition have called the latest European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) weight management rejection for conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) "surprising" and questioned whether the EU's central food science agency has done...

An avocado a day could help keep cholesterol at bay

08-Jan-2015 By Nathan Gray

Eating one avocado a day may help lower bad cholesterol, in turn reducing risk for heart disease, according to researchers.

DSM and Dutch university ‘join the dots’ in phenotype-nutrient mapping project

08-Jan-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Nutrition giant DSM has partnered with the University Medical Centre Groningen (UMCG) for a large-scale research project on the impact of phenotypes on micronutrient status. 

GRAS status opens up market for Ahiflower, a plant-based omega 3-6-9 oil with high SDA levels

07-Jan-2015 By Hank Schultz

A new competitor has arrived on the plant-based omega-3s scene with the announcement of FDA no-objection GRAS status for Ahiflower oil, an ingredient from Technology Crops International.  The oil offers a balance of omega-3, -6 and -9, according to the...

Fertility food supplement targets older couples

07-Jan-2015

An Israeli firm has debuted ‘his, her’s and theirs’ food supplements aimed at boosting the fertility of ageing couples who want children - the chances of pregnancy drop to as low as 5% after the age of 40.

GOED: Planting positive messages in consumers' minds only way to quell overheated media climate that fosters sensational headlines

06-Jan-2015 By Adam Ismail, Executive director, Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3

Inflammation defines the era we live in today. I do not mean inflammation as it relates to health, instead I am referring to the inflammation of information and how consumers devour it. 

Nordic diet may reduce inflammation, say researchers

05-Jan-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

A Nordic diet may help reduce the expression of inflammation-associated genes in abdominal fat tissue independent of body weight changes, according to research.

Soapbox

Finding right omega 3 and 6 ratio is key to protecting cell membranes

22-Dec-2014 By Paul Benhaim, chief executive of Elixinol and Hemp Foods Australia

While many people are eager to rid themselves of as much fat as possible, there is still one part of the body really should contain a large quantity of it. Indeed, over 60% of the dry weight of the brain is made up of fats. 

Freshness, gentle processing compensate for different EPA, DHA levels, salmon oil supplier asserts

17-Dec-2014 By Hank Schultz

While the omega-3s market has been moving toward ever higher concentrations of EPA and DHA, there is still room for fresh, minimally processed oils with lower EPA and DHA concentrations, says Norwegian company Hofseth Biocare.  And there is even evidence...

Mediterranean diet linked to increased telomere length

17-Dec-2014 By Nathan Gray

Following a Mediterranean style diet may be associated with greater telomere length - a finding that further supports the diet’s links to health and longevity, say researchers.

Neptune launches NKO Focus backed by clinical data

16-Dec-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Neptune Technologies & Bioressources has launched a blend of krill and lutein for brain and vision health, with clinical data  showing the absorption of lutein being improved by as much as eight times.

ARCHIVE ARTICLE OF THE WEEK

Naturally opposed? Balancing new technologies with consumer perceptions

10-Dec-2014 By Nathan Gray

New technologies are vital to the future growth of the food and nutrition industry, but their future success depends on much more than the science behind them.

Dispatches from Hi Europe

EFSA panel member spells out lessons for health claim applications

08-Dec-2014 By Nathan Gray

Good science and trial design must be a focus for companies putting together new health claims dossiers, but that may not mean what you think it does, says NDA Panel member Hans Verhagen.

Trust me, I'm a doctor: European omega-3 consumption depends on physician backing, GOED

05-Dec-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Lack of a recommendation from a doctor, taste and price are all top deterrences for European consumers reluctant to take omega-3 – but sustainability is not a key concern, according to the results of a seven-country survey from the Global Organization...

Annatto Tocotrienols are more potent vitamin E antioxidant for fish oil, says study

04-Dec-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Vitamin E tocotrienols from annatto may be better antioxidants than tocopherol-tocotrienol mixtures or alpha-tocopherol alone, suggests a recent study testing infant formula containing omega-3 fatty acids.

Plenty of stretch left in omega-3s supply, says BASF as it moves increasingly toward concentrates

02-Dec-2014 By Hank Schultz

The omega-3s market is moving toward ever higher concentrations, and BASF is convinced there is ample supply to bear the increased demand on raw material.

Agro-industry seed ‘waste’ is promising source of oils and ingredients

01-Dec-2014 By Nathan Gray

Agricultural and agro-industry waste could serve as an important alternative source of vegetable oils and bioactive ingredients for functional foods, according to new research.

Study backs satiety effect of patented oat lipid preparation

01-Dec-2014 By Lynda Searby

Oats have been shown in several studies to keep hunger at bay and now research from Lund University in Sweden has shown that liposomes from fractionated oat oil induce satiety.

Could a yogurt a day keep diabetes away?

27-Nov-2014 By Nathan Gray

A high intake of yogurt may be associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, suggests a new meta-analysis.

Bullet point insights

Put consumer education before health claims, says marketing expert

27-Nov-2014 By Peter Wennström

An ingredient industry more focused on health claims than in educating consumers is actively destroying the market for both itself and it's customers, says Healthy Marketing Team president and expert consultant, Peter Wennstrom, in this guest article.

Benexia chia oil wins EU novel foods approval

27-Nov-2014 By Anna Bonar

The European Commission has approved Benexia chia oil as a novel food for use in food supplements and in place of other plant fats and oils in foods and drink applications.

Qualitas passes milestone with launch of first consumer products featuring its algal EPA oil

21-Nov-2014 By Hank Schultz

Qualitas Health has achieved a significant milestone with the launch of two consumer products that feature the company’s algal-based EPA ingredient branded as Almega PL.

BASF sells Norwegian omega-3 business to US firm

21-Nov-2014 By Shane STARLING

BASF has sold its Norwegian, “natural fish oils, medium-concentrated omega-3s, and customised bottled fish oil” plant to Pennsylvania firm Marine Ingredients for an undisclosed sum as the German ingredients and chemicals giant switches its focus to high-end...

Forget calorie counting and start eating healthily, say UK healthcare leaders

17-Nov-2014 By Nathan Gray

Following a Mediterranean style-diet may be better at cutting obesity rates than following diets that involve continually counting calories, say researchers in the UK.

Can chlorella crunch into food? Allma launches microalgae crispy snacks

17-Nov-2014 By Anna Bonar

Portuguese microalgae supplier Allma has debuted cereal-based chlorella pieces as it drives the ingredient beyond food supplement aisles.

Why fish oil fails: Omega-3 review retracted after suspicions raised about author

14-Nov-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

A peer-reviewed journal has pulled a panning review of omega-3 benefits as concerns about its author's conflicts of interest and credentials were flagged.

Fish oil group warns of lower omega-3 levels in salmon

13-Nov-2014 By Shane Starling

Omega-3 levels in farmed salmon - one of the major contributors of dietary fatty acids – are dropping due to changes in fish feed, a global industry group has warned.

PUFAs may boost muscle strength in older people, but relationship is complex, says new study

13-Nov-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Increased levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may be associated with bigger muscles and greater knee extension strength in older people, says a new study.

Mediterranean diet has ‘lasting’ health benefits, say researchers

10-Nov-2014 By Nathan Gray

The health benefits of switching to a Mediterranean style diet and upping the amount of time spent exercising for a period of just eight weeks can still be seen a year after stopping the regime, according to a new study.

Nutrition sector challenges hurt DSM Q3 results; profits down 7%

04-Nov-2014 By Shane STARLING

Q3 net profits dropped about 20% at DSM with the Dutch-Swiss ingredients giant citing vitamin E market issues and, “challenges in some human nutrition end-markets” as key contributing factors.

Swapping out the sat fat backed for cholesterol benefits, finds ‘weight gain’ study

27-Oct-2014 By Nathan Gray

While replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats may have no influence on overall weight, it may improve cholesterol and other markers of heart health, say researchers.

Report card: French laud nutrivigilance success

27-Oct-2014 By Shane STARLING

France’s nutrivigilence work – launched in 2010 to ensure safety in food supplements and some foodstuffs – has improved the quality of the food supply, the country’s food safety agency has said.

Supply problems with Peruvian anchovy could create opportunity for alternative marine omega-3 sources

23-Oct-2014 By Hank Schultz

The closure of the upcoming fishing season in Peru will have a generally positive effect on the suppliers of other niche omega-3 marine ingredients, sources say.  But it is more complex than a mere commodity relationship in which scarcity in one source...

Report warns of growing gap between healthy eating advice and fish stocks

21-Oct-2014 By Nathan Gray

While the health benefits of eating fish have become better appreciated in recent years, many wild fish stocks continue to be overfished, according to a new report that highlights the growing gap between supply and demand.

‘There is a market opportunity around delivery forms’ – BASF taps nutrition and pharma expertise to boost consumer health

20-Oct-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Ingredients giant BASF is leveraging its ‘unique expertise’ in nutrition and pharma in technologies, capabilities, and ingredients for the ‘next generation of dietary supplements’, the company tells NutraIngredients-USA.

New class of ‘good’ fat could aid diabetes prevention

20-Oct-2014 By Nathan Gray

The ‘surprising’ discovery of a previously unidentified class of lipid molecules that enhance insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control could offer a route to the prevention of type 2 diabetes, say researchers.

Med diet may reverse metabolic syndrome – but not prevent it

15-Oct-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

A Mediterranean diet that includes extra-virgin olive oil or nuts may help to reverse symptoms of metabolic syndrome, but cannot be linked to prevention of developing the condition, a long-term study claims.

Nutraceuticals to play a major role in preventive healthcare: analyst

14-Oct-2014 By Anna Bonar

As healthcare industry faces increasing expenditure, the emphasis shifts from treatment to prevention thorough use of nutraceuticals and better nutrition, say Frost & Sullivan analysts.