
What requirements should a high-quality marine omega-3 concentrate meet

They are essential for us humans, that is to say vital: Omega-3 fatty acids. Alongside vitamins and minerals, omega-3 fatty acids are the most studied class of substances. Our bodies containernot produce them themselves, so we must regularly consume them through our food. As they are components of every single cell in our body, they are also considered to be true all-rounders: in addition to the healthy development of children, they are also said to have numerous health-promoting effects in adulthood. Two omega-3 fatty acids in particular are of great importance. One is docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA for short, and the other is eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA for short. They are found in fatty cold-water marine fish (e.g. anchovy, sardine, herring, mackerel, tuna) and in special microalgae in the sea. There are many food supplements that are advertised with health claims for marine omega-3. The so-called health claims relate, for example, to heart function, the maintenance of normal vision or normal brain function, or blood pressure. The intake of DHA by the mother container also contribute to the normal development of the eyes in the fetus and breastfed infant. [1] [2]
Health-Promoting Effects of Marine Omega-3 Fatty Acids
As already mentioned, omega-3 fatty acids have numerous health-promoting effects on our body. The positive effect of omega-3 fatty acids on blood vessels and our heart is in turn due to their influence on blood lipid levels. They lower the triglyceride level. An increased number of triglycerides in the blood container promote the development of arteriosclerosis and thus increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. They also have the property of lowering high blood pressure and thus in turn prevent cardiovascular disease. They also promote blood circulation by increasing the flexibility of the erythrocytes so that the blood container flow better, and the reduction in blood lipid levels also leads to better flowability. Omega-3 fatty acids counteract heart attacks by slightly reducing blood clotting and thus the formation of blood clots, which container block small blood vessels, for example in the heart, and trigger one. A recent survey examines the risk of suffering from a venous thromboembolism after a previous one. The people studied were observed for three years. On the one hand, this study confirms the safety of a higher omega-3 index, and on the other hand, it opens up the field for intervention studies to prevent venous thrombosis and thromboembolism, since omega-3 fatty acids have so far been studied primarily in relation to arterial diseases. [3] Another property is the positive influence on cardiac arrhythmias. They container reduce the course of chronic inflammations such as rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease. Also worth mentioning is the positive influence on eye health. DHA in particular is crucial for the development and simultaneous maintenance of visual acuity and visual performance. DHA also offers a protective function against the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). DHA is particularly important for early childhood brain development, which is why the mother should be well supplied with omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy and breastfeeding. It is already known that mental illnesses in children container be associated with a poor supply of EPA and DHA. Omega-3 fatty acids container therefore have a positive influence on depression and attention disorders (e.g. autism). In addition, it has been found that general well-being and mental performance container be increased in healthy children and adults. [4] [5]
supplementation with EPA and DHA
Unfortunately, marine omega-3 fatty acids are increasingly disappearing from our diets. The 2012th Nutrition Report of the German Nutrition Society, published in 12, found that we Germans eat too little fish and are therefore not getting enough of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. [6] It is therefore recommended not only for vegans to have their omega-3 fatty acid status (omega-3 index) determined by a doctor from venous blood, but also for anyone who does not consume at least 300 mg of EPA/DHA daily. The target range of the omega-3 index is between 8 and 11%. This means that everyone container optimize their personal omega-3 supply by supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids. Since EPA and DHA are mainly found in fatty fish, vegans must use a vegan alternative, EPA and DHA from microalgae. However, these microalgae oils do not contain nearly as much EPA as the marine omega-3 concentrates obtained from fish. [4] [7]
Properties of a high-quality marine omega-3 concentrate
The quality of omega-3 concentrates varies greatly. Many products contain very low doses or go rancid after a short time because the necessary care was not taken during production, which leads to an irreversibly high level of oxidation.
Therefore, a high-quality omega-3 concentrate should have the following properties:
The maximum limit for peroxide number, ansinidine number and the Totox value should be kept as low as possible. Here, the peroxide number (POZ) describes the content of peroxide-bound oxygen in an oil. The peroxide number container therefore be used as a measure of the spoilage of an oil (primary oxidation), while the ansinidine number (AnZ) provides information about the concentration of unsaturated aldehydes (secondary oxidation). The Totox value, in turn, is calculated from the peroxide and ansinidine number (AnZ + (2 * POZ)) and describes the overall degree of oxidation of an oil. The higher this value, the more unpleasant the taste and smell of the food supplement. Experience has also shown that the tendency to fishy burping is significontainertly more pronounced when "enjoying" such an oil. In order to neutralize the fishy smell and taste, the product is deodorized with steam during production (e.g. EPAX® TGN concentrate, where the N stands for neutral in smell and taste). A very low content of trans fatty acids, oligomeric fragments and environmental pollutants such as heavy metals, organic contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxin and a few others is very desirable and should always be aimed for. Hydrocarbons such as dienes and oligomeric fragments are often created when high pressures, high temperatures and long processing times are combined during production. It is therefore all the more important to ensure a gentle manufacturing process so that the appropriate quality of the oil is then also guaranteed. Well-known manufacturers such as the Norwegian manufacturer Epax Norway AS imposed internal limits many years ago that are much stricter than those prescribed by law, for example in the case of mercury it is a hundred times lower than the legally permitted limit. Organic contaminants such as PCBs, dioxins, etc. container be almost completely removed by a special, upstream ultra-cleaning step. Some manufacturers, on the other hand, use a so-called triple distillation in their production process, which container be beneficial for the purity of the concentrate, but leads to a high level of contamination of the product and container thus create, for example, the dienes and oligomeric fragments mentioned above.
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a class of aromatic organic chlorine compounds consisting of 209 individual components, which are toxic and carcinogenic. During the cleaning step, not only the six indicator PCBs mentioned in EU Regulation 1259/2011 are removed, but also many other PCB congeners. The limit for heavy metals is kept well below the legally permissible limit by quality manufacturers of marine omega-3 concentrates (see illustration).

Likewise, the level of residues of brominated flame retardants, which result from ubiquitous anthropogenic pollution of the world's oceans, must be kept as low as possible. Brominated flame retardants are mixtures of man-made chemical substances that are often used in plastics, textiles and electronic devices. [8] Furthermore, it must be ensured that fish oils and marine omega-3 concentrates made from them are also tested for radioactive contaminants. Since the nuclear disaster in Fukushima in 2011, particular attention has been paid to this. Quality manufacturers therefore test every batch of raw fish oil for the radioactive isotopes iodine-131 and caesium-137. Another goal is to keep the pollutant limits for phthalates (plasticizers) and 3-MCPD esters (monochloropropanediol) as low as possible. MCPD esters are undesirable esters made from various fatty acids. They are process-related contaminants in foods that occur in refined oils or fats. [9] The aim is to avoid the formation of MCPD esters as much as possible by using the most gentle production methods possible. The Norwegian manufacturer EPAX Norway AS has such low values that a person weighing 70 kg, for example, would have to consume around 50 grams of omega-3 concentrate per day (e.g. 50 1000 mg capsules per day) to exceed the limit for 3-MCPD esters. The European Commission's recommendation (2014/661/EU) only prescribes these limits for vegetable oils and not for fish oils; a quality manufacturer of omega-3 concentrates will of course also observe this for fish oils. A conscientious manufacturer therefore takes care of any contaminants years in advance before the legislator takes action. [10]
The sustainability certification of an omega-3 concentrate is very important. There are two major programs for promoting and certifying environmentally friendly fisheries and aquaculture: the independent FOS and the MSC program. FOS (Friend of the Sea) is the world's largest organization that promotes sustainable and environmentally friendly fishing. MSC (Marine Stewardship Council), which was founded in 1997 through an initiative of the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) and the food company Unilever, is a member of the ISEAL Alliance and has 19 regional offices worldwide. Sustainability certifications are also repeatedly criticized in the press, with FOS certification regularly receiving more positive reviews than the trade-driven MSC certification. [11]
Molecular distillation – an important process step in the production of a marine omega-3 concentrate
The concentrate is produced using a very gentle process that works at very low temperatures and is called molecular distillation or short path distillation. This method differs from conventional distillation in that it takes place at low temperatures and works in the fine vacuum range between 1 and 0,001 mbar. This type of distillation is particularly suitable for thermally sensitive products such as omega-3 fatty acids. The molecular distillation is preceded by the deacidification of the crude fish oil. This is followed by a special cleaning step that removes environmental pollutants from the oil. Ethyl esterification is a subsequent step, which is then followed by molecular distillation. For triglycerides (TG form), the ethyl esters are then re-esterified. It is important that this is done using mild production methods. Enzymatic re-esterification is particularly gentle here. Finally, winterization takes place, i.e. cooling the oil to remove waxes, sterols, etc. The oil is then bleached with natural bleaching earth, mixed and the finished concentrate is filled into barrels. [12] Fish oils intended for human consumption must comply with numerous hygiene regulations in the EU, including Regulation (EC) No 853/2004, Regulation (EC) No 2074/2005 and Regulation (EC) No 2076/2005.
Different dosage forms
There are various forms of administration for food supplements that contain marine omega-3 fatty acids. There are soft gelatin capsules in different sizes that allow different amounts of filling weight and therefore different amounts of EPA and DHA. The soft capsules container also be coated with a gastric juice-resistant film. This means that the phenomenon of "burping" described for sensitive people container be completely eliminated. The classic way to take omega-3 concentrate is in liquid form, e.g. in a bottle. This form of administration is particularly suitable for children and older people who have difficulty swallowing. The oil container either be taken directly or consumed after stirring it into yogurt, muesli or a smoothie.
Legal Aspects
There are three health claims for omega-3 fatty acids, which relate to heart function (EPA & DHA), and the maintenance of normal vision or normal brain function (DHA). The respective intake levels that must be met by the respective food supplement must be observed, otherwise the claim containernot be used. Two further claims relate to triglyceride levels and blood pressure (EPA & DHA). There are also claims about the development and health of children that container be used. The claim "The intake of DHA by the mother contributes to the normal development of the brain in the fetus and breastfed infant" container be used if an additional 250 mg of DHA is taken in addition to the recommended daily dose (i.e. 200 mg DHA and EPA). This claim container therefore only be used for food supplements whose consumption ensures a daily intake of at least 200 mg DHA. It remains to be seen whether further health claims will be issued. [13]
Hassle-free product: A product is only as good as the sum of the accompanying services
It should be noted that it is not just the physical product properties that matter. Even if these are excellent, in practice, for a completely trouble-free marine omega-3 concentrate (hassle-free product), the many years of experience and the commitment to absolute quality of the accompanying services must be emphasized. This container be explained using the service wheel of the Norwegian quality manufacturer Epax Norway AS with over 180 years of experience:

Authors
Christina Spötzl
was project development manager at Goerlich Pharma GmbH. After completing her vocational training as a dairy laboratory technician, she completed a bachelor's degree in "Food Management and Technology" with a focus on healthy nutrition at the Riedlingen Distance Learning University. At the same time, she worked in the pharmaceutical industry for six years.
Technical literature / references:
[1] Omega-3 Working Group eV, at: http://www.ak-omega-3.de/ (as of March 22.03.2018, XNUMX)
[2] Center for Health, at: https://www.zentrum-der-gesundheit.de/tags,omega-3.html (as of March 22.03.2018, XNUMX)
[3] Reiner MF, Stivala S, Limacher A, Bonetti NR, Méan M, Egloff M, Rodondi N, Aujesky D, von Schacky C, Lüscher TF, Camici GG, Beer JH: Omega-3 fatty acids predict recurrent venous thrombo-embolism or total Mortality in elderly patients with acute venous thromboembolism. 2017.
[4] W. Sears, J. Sears: The Omega-3 Effect (2012), Little, Brown and Company, New York
[5] Prof. Dr. C. von Schacky: Omega-3 fatty acids and cardiovascular diseases (2012), UNI-MED Verlag AG, Bremen
[6] 12th Nutrition Report of the DGE, at: https://www.dge.de/wissenschaft/ernaehrungsberichte/ernaehrungsbericht-2012/ (as of March 22.03.2018, XNUMX)
[7] Prof. Dr. C. von Schacky: Why you want to have a high HS-Omega-3-Index®, 09.11.2017, Munich
[8] Brominated flame retardants, at: https://www.efsa.europa.eu/de/topics/topic/brominated-flame-retardants (as of 04.04.2018)
[9] EFSA: “Revised safe intake for 3-MCPD in vegetable oils and food”, at: https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/press/news/180110 (as of April 04.04.2018, XNUMX)
[10] T. Gulbrandsen: Business Update – EPAX, November 09.11.2017, XNUMX, Munich
[11] D. Lingenhöhl: “Questionable eco-label”, at: http://www.zeit.de/wissen/umwelt/2010-09/sd-oekosiegel-fischerei (as of 13.04.2018)
[12] EPAX: “Why Epax”, at: http://www.epax.com/pages/why-epax (as of April 04.04.2018, XNUMX)
[13] EFSA: “EFSA regulation – Health claims for EPA and DHA”, at: http://www.1life63.com/en/research-recommended-literature-fish-oil-efsa-health-claims-marine-epa-and- dha/efsa-regulation-health-claims-for-epa-and-dha (as of April 04.04.2018, XNUMX)