OMEGA-3 OILS-CONSUMER"S DELIGHT BUT PROCESSOR"S HEAD ACHE!

The discovery that some unsaturated fatty acids like omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids are essential in the diet for maintaining prime health and avoiding diseases like CVD and Cancer has changed the human perception regarding consumption of edible fats in the daily diet. Added to this there is a widely held belief that saturated fats and trans fats are not good for health bringing about radical changes in the composition of food products developed and marketed by the industry during the last one decade. Though Flax seed, Olive oil are sources of essential fatty acids, fish is the over whelming favorite of nutritionist as well as health experts as the long chain Omega-3 present in this source namely DHA is more efficient in bestowing the benefits attributed to this nutrient. As there is a significant population in the world which do not consume fish and since a few plant sources have smaller levels of Omega-3, the search for an alternate source with high omega-3 has been going on for some time ending up with some Algal strains capable of producing them under right media conditions. Here is a take on this interesting development that forebodes well for the food fortification programs of the industry.    

"Fats tend to be less than cooperative in food processing. This can make the move to healthy fats somewhat complicated. In beverage formulations, for example, it's the nature of fats not to mix with water, making it difficult to fortify drinks with omega-3 fatty acids. But in food formulations, unsaturated fats are more fluid at room temperature and oxidize more readily than saturated fats. With omega-3s the darling of healthy oils, other hurdles have to be overcome. "Fats with high unsaturation, as is the case of the long-chain fatty acids DHA and EPA, are delicate compounds that can degrade and cause off-flavors and aromas that are undesirable," says Ruben Abril, director of international ingredient formulations and technical support for DSM Nutritional Products (www.dsm.com), Parsippany, N.J. "However, if these fats are handled properly and added in the food production process using a systematic approach, the final fortified product will taste and smell as we expect them to taste and smell. DHA/EPA-fortified milk will taste like milk if it is consumed directly or if it is used as an ingredient to prepare other foods, and it will have the added advantage of now containing DHA and/or EPA omega-3s." DHA comes primarily from fish. This severely restricts its usage as the aroma and flavor are strong, reminding consumers of their last fishing trip. While microencapsulation technology and better processing threw the door open for wider use of fish-sourced omegas in foods and beverages, some promises of neutral aroma were still proving hard to keep. The increased use of the alphalinolenic acid (ALA) form of omega oil from flax oil has proven successful, but ALA does not completely convert to DHA in the body and that's the form with the greatest health benefit. Fish oil DHA is actually a modification of the shorter-chain omega-3 fatty acids ultimately derived from algae and research led to the discovery of algae that produced the longer chain DHA directly. This form has the advantage of providing the desired health components as fish oil without the negatives of aroma associated with that source. Algal omega oil is often referred to as vegan DHA. DSM provides life's DHA brand, an omega derived solely from algae. Several different milk producers have launched products enriched with algal DHA in the past few years. "I've seen the growing trend in the fortification of foods with DHA/EPA, and it will continue to grow," adds Abril. "Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are extremely important fats scientifically proven to help support eye, brain and cardiovascular health at all stages of life."

Being unsaturated in nature Omega-3 oils are highly vulnerable to oxidative rancidity and food formulations containing high water like milk and beverages, product development can be a nightmare. But with newer technologies like encapsulation and emulsification it is possible to incorporate Omega-3 into any food product during the manufacturing process. Algal Omega-3 is practically odorless, unlike fish oils and can be incorporated with no evidence of its presence to the consumer. This development is especially relevant to a predominantly vegetarian country like India with sizable population shunning fish and soon Omega-3 fortified foods may make their presence on the supermarket shelves in the country.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

THE LATEST OMEGA-3 OIL CONTROVERSY-THE INDUSTRY BOUND TO FACE UNCERTAINTIES

Omega-3 long chain fatty acids such as DHA, EPA etc are considered essential for many body functions and good health but the very same hitherto considered "angels" have been suddenly made out to be a "demon" under some conditions, if a recent study in Germany is to be taken seriously. The new controversy concerns the upper safe limits of consumption for this group of essential fatty acids. It is interesting to note the stands taken by different members of EU and also the reaction of the Omega-3 supplement industry to this new controversy.

'"The agency has been commandeered to perform the review by the European Commission on the basis of a report from the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) which outlines the rationale for a 1.5gm/day upper safe level for long-chain omega-3s like DHA, EPA and DPA. It has been handed nine months to deliver its findings. There is currently no USL in the EU, while in the US, the Food and Drug Administration has recommended 3g per day.The BfR report (in German) suggests harmful effects of over-consumption could include increased cholesterol levels, risk of cardiovascular mortality among long term users with cardiovascular disease, inhibited immune systems in the elderly, and anaemic effects. It can be found here. Responding, Harry Rice from the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3 (GOED) said: "Regardless of being baffled by the Commission's basis for requesting a scientific opinion from EFSA, we still contend that the concerns raised in the BfR's report are unfounded and we aren't the only
ones." "At the beginning of July, the Steering Committee of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety published its opinion on the safety of the omega-3 fatty acids". It came as no surprise that the Committee found no adverse effects up to levels as high as 6.9 grams/day for certain conditions."

Contrary to the assertion by the food supplements industry that omega-3 fats are safe and there is no danger of over consumption, many experts feel that ultimately the ratio of intake of Omega-6 to Omega-3 in the diet would determine the consequences, good or bad. In the US many observers believe that the ratio is way above the desirable ideal figure of 2:1, often reaching the ominous ratio of 25:1. This is claimed to have contributed to many of the health disorders that confront the American population. It is not realized that omega-3 is associated with many positive functions in human body, while Omega-6 is implicated in negative effects like inflammation, mood and behavior. If European Commission comes out with factual data, there can be world-wide re-calibration of policies vis-a-vis consumption of EFAs whether Omega-3 or Omega-6. Currently Omega-3 fats are a raging business in the US and there is hardly any product which is not fortified with these nutrients. If EU eventually decides to set a USL for European countries what effect it will have on the US food industry? Will it affect the food trade between these giant industrial power houses?"

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com