The Fats of

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•Omega-3 has been

widely hailed for its

benefits to health.

But using the 'miracle'

ingredient presents

manufacturers with a

range of challenges,

says Paul Hart

Omega-3: the market

\.

Years ago mothers would have ensuredthat their children remained healthy bygiving them cod liver oil. Good for you itmay have been, supplying both Vitamins Aand D, but it did not taste very nice - evenwhen masked with orange flavouring.

A couple of generations on, there'senormous interest in omega-3 and thehealth and vitality it can bring. Put simply,just like some amino acids, vitamins andtrace minerals, omega-3 fatty acids areessential for nutritional wellbeing.

Omega-3 innovation is developing at sucha rapid pace that it is virtually impossibleto establish an accurate market value

and estimates have ranged from €196M-€780M

Carla Ogeia, at researcher Mintel, said:"Some ranges have only recently beenfortified, so it's difficult to add up the valueor market size~'

However, such data does not distinguishplant from marine sourced omega-3,making it virtually impossible to segmentits functional category and establish a truevaluation based on ingredient type andhealth benefits.

And if clarity here is not obvious tomarket analysts, then the issue is certainlyno clearer to consumers.

Since the same metabolic pathway (sharedenzymes) is used to produce omega-3 andomega-6 fatty acids, intermediates and endproducts in either series inhibit productionof the whole pathway and suppressproduction of each other. This representsa difficulty if we eat one omega family toexcess. Which we do.

One nutritional concern is that developednations consume way too much omega-6- which inhibits the omega-3 pathway andsubsequent production of longer-chainEPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA(docosahexaenoic acid). It is argued thedietary ratio of the post-industrial age isabout 15:1 whereas our ancestors enjoyedabout 3:1. Some nutritionists agree suchratios are too high and should be less than10:1 - or optimally 4-5:1.

Balanced intake

But before yet another dietary concepttakes hold with all the attendant consumer

communication complexities - let's take astep back. Do modern diets even reflectnutritional adequacy for omega-6 andomega-3? Emphatically 'yes' and 'no'.

Omega-6 is usually present in the dietat levels that exceed guideline nutritionalintakes - whereas those for omega-3

usually do not: yet both have clearlyindependent health effects in the body.Herein lies another communicationcomplexity: omega-3 may be on theconsumer's radar - but education is vital

to prevent confusion so that consumersunderstand the difference between

essential ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) and'omega-3 in its most effective form' long­chain EPA and DHA.

Nutritional adequacyThough fatty acids, which the body isunable to synthesise, are consideredessential, there are no statutory referencenutritional intake (RNI) recommendations inplace in EU member states.

While studies indicate the benefits of

omega-3 for health, general wellbeingand improving clinical markers of disease- the optimal level of daily intake is underscrutiny by nutritionists.

Various international recommendationsfor a reference nutritional intake have beenmade for ALA: in 2004 the InternationalSociety for the Study of Fatty Acids andLipids (ISSFAl) recommended 0.7% ofenergy intake.

However, the bulk of research studies,and suggestions for nutritional intake,

8 Ingredients, Health & Nutrition

Short-chain omega-3 occurs naturally in such crops as flax

Omega-3: the market

Big deal!About three times this amount is requiredto reach the proposed lower claim - anda six-fold increase would be needed to

reach a 'high in omega-3 fatty acids' claim.Such levels will present a major challengeto manufacturers and may affect the food- taint could well be an issue in bland

products such as yoghurt and bread.Meanwhile, the Nutrition and Health

Claims Regulation will establish the legalframework for EU member state nutritionclaims and eventual health claims based

on 'generally-accepted science'. EUmember states are currently canvassingmanufacturers for submissions on claimsto be considered.

It is likely that the UK Joint HealthClaims Initiative's carefully defined positiondistinguishing between short and long-

• Claim: 'omega-3 fatty acid source': thefood must contain more than 15% of therecommended nutritional intake (with RNIset at 2g/day for an adult male) for an adultmale of the omega-3 fatty acids concernedper 100g or 100ml or 100kcal.• Claim 'high in omega-3 fatty acids': thefood in question must contain more than30% of the recommended nutritionalintake for an adult male of the omega-3fatty acids concerned per 100g or 100ml or100kcal.

If these nutrition claims are eventuallyincorporated into the Regulation annex,fortification levels will need to be raised:for the 'omega-3 fatty acid source' 15% of2g/day RNI total omega-3 per 100g is 300+mg; and 'High in omega-3 fatty acids' 30 ~RNI is 600mg per 100g.

As a roug guioe: "0' -00'T.9 ::~.:. 2-::DHA,incl ding:::>P' ao sa"0--:-s'-0::,2Soes adding i sno .-enain ,.\L.;..: ,er ioeal

circumstances this ould gi ea 21 Yo risein total omega-3 to 120+ mg.

Analysts haveestimated thatthe market's valueranges from€196M -€780M

Health claimsIn 2005, the European Commission askedThe European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)to provide an opinion on nutrition claimsfor omega-3 fatty acids and concludedthat the following claims be added to theCommission's proposed annex of theNutrition and Health Claims Regulation.

The proposed claims do not distinguishbetween ALA and long chain omega-3PUFAs, which have different nutritional roles

60% deficient in the recommended dailyintake of omega-3 DHA and EPA. Theaverage daily omega-3 consumption ofpregnant women on the trial was just240mg per day (110 mg/day EPA and 130mg/day DHA). For pregnant and lactatingwomen a daily intake of 130mg omega-3DHA represents a deficiency of 60% forthis vital nutrient compared to ISSFALsrecommendation.

This UK data is also confirmed by thefindings of a dietary study of pregnantand lactating US women that reported anaverage daily intake of omega-3 of just54mg DHA and 22mg EPA16 - 20% ofthe DHA intake recommended by ISSFAL.Less than 2% of American women metthis recommendation.

In France, the ANC recommended longchain omega-3 consumption of 1,000 mgper day or 0.4% of energy for pregnantor lactating women. A high-water markindeed

Pregnancy and lactationThe omega-3 DHA nutritional statusof pregnant and lactating women is aseparate consideration. During the finalthree months of pregnancy and lactation,DHA is an important nutrient as thecentral nervous system and brain of thefoetus and infant develop strongly. DHA isprovided by the mother during pregnancyand thereafter is a constituent of breastmilk - however, precise nutritional statushere varies with intake. Indeed, most infantformula milk on the market now providesDHA for this reason.

The FSA recommends, 'girls andwomen who might have a baby oneday' and 'women who are pregnant orbreastfeeding' eat two (140g) portionsof oily fish a week - half the level of thegeneral population, when mums should beeating more. This lower recommendationis based on a concern that oily fish maycontain contaminants such as mercury,dioxins and PCBs that could affect a

baby's development. However, sourcingingredients from 'clean' fisheries, or fromfermented cultures of marine algae, isentirely feasible.

ISSFAL - an international panel of healthprofessionals and omega-3 researchers- recommends a daily intake of 300mg perday of DHA during pregnancy and lactation.

According to research published earlierthis year, pregnant women in the UK are

=-~~s ~o long-chain omega-3 EPA and DHA., ISSFAL recommended a daily

-~ s f 0.65g long-ehain omega-3 EPA~-:::::>rl (min. 0.22g each) as part of a::: :::JO<cal/day diet. The committee for the::~ OOIET project recommends 2g ALA=-0 200mg long chain omega-3.

'1 France, the Apports Nutritionnels::::'lseilles pour la Population Franr;aise.:. 'C) recommended 500mg long chain

:: ega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids::>UFAs)for men, 400mg for women and

: e elderly, which equates to 0.2% ofe ergy intake.

In 2004 the UK Food Standards AgencyFSA). took advice from the Scientificdvisory Committee on Nutrition, to

recommend increased weekly consumptionof fish for the general population of one tofour portions (140g) of oily fish (eg. sardine,herring, anchovy) per week. This equatesto a daily long chain omega-3 PUFA intakerange of 0.45 - 0.9 g per day, or 3g perweek.

However, some health professionalsregard this level as a minimum for omega-3EPA and DHA intake. Also since only abouta third of UK adults eat oily fish, and thenperhaps one small portion per week, andseven out of 10 eat no fish at all, includingvegans and some vegetarians, the FSArecommendations may not be achievable.

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Ingredients, Health & Nutrition 9

Omega-3: the market

chain omega-3 efficacy for its 'heart health'claim will be considered carefully by EFSA.This could lead to meaningful health claimsbeing set at a total of 200mg of long-chainomega-3 - approximately double the level,per serving, to which the food industrycurrently formulates nutritional claims.

ManufacturingPUF. oils are highly unstable and readily:: -::;-5", - li seed oil (flax) air dries to~::~ 3 :~~gn c-no or varnish_ owever,::- 5 ::-::::2--:-. - ~3'-re -S -s m ch less:::SS -3::: =_ -2 r: aro, :- ene:, ra cid:3s:es a oe pre emeo, e 0 d supplychain care, by an appropriate antioxidantmixture, either in the oil blend or as part ofthe ingredient mix to achieve the necessaryshelf-life_

In terms of product application, marineoil sensitivity to deterioration doesn't endwith a stable ingredient - it continues inthe product This favours short shelf-life,mid-pH products such as bakery or dairy.However, their very blandness means thatreminders of rocky foreshore seaweedmay be picked up - even if the long-chainomega-3 oil has been nowhere near a deadfish - algal oil producers please note I

Micro-encapsulated powders offer longingredient shelf-life and ease of handling,dosing and processing, along with abilityto withstand heat and homogenisation.However, the protective micro-encapsulantraises issues of bioavailability and analyticalrecovery. Also, the rigours of the dryingprocess impose stress on the sensitiveoil- and the encapsulation material addsfurther components (eg. protein) - directlyproportional to the omega-3 loading- which may affect product properties.

From a colloid science perspective thismay provide unwitting complexes beyondthe supplier's application expertise. Waysaround this involve adding secondaryingredients and process steps - which canexceed manufacturers' capital resourceallocation - thereupon 'stir it and see'

It could be a whilebefore we seeomega-3 cereals... unless they arekipper flavouredbecomes a vain and forlorn hope.

A range of ingredients is necessary toservice various food sector categoriesacross the huge range of potentialapplications. But it could be a while beforewe see omega-3 cereals - huge surfacearea, long shelf-life and, without nitrogen­flushed packaging, potential for speedydeterioration - unless they are kipperflavoured_

Ocean Nutrition's Meg-3 is getting muchmarketing support and does not disappointMeg-3 is probably the premier ingredient interms of market share too. It is reckoned toaccount for nigh on 50% of the global fishoil market in supplements and food.

But also give a thought to the source oilratio: if the health claim is anti-inflammation

then EPA-rich may be best - if it is cognitivedevelopment DHA - eg. Clover's tuna oilNu-Mega - would be better

Ingredient costs depend on thenutritional claim; high quality oils arecheaper than powders, whereas culturedalgal oils are the most expensive.

Danone's DanaCol, which packs analmighty omega-3 punch with 200mg per100g, falls well within the UK JHCI's hearthealth claim and sets a benchmark to beat

This level is achieved courtesy of DSMNutritionals' excellent emulsion technology- seen in sister company Puelva's omega­3 milk in Spain (sales €100M, 2005) andDairy Crest's St Ivel Advantage Clever Milk.DSM has worked hard to achieve excellent

taste with a knock-out loading.

Not enough fish in the sea?Achieving nutritional adequacy for omega-3in the general population is a worthyobjective but raises concerns that because

fish stocks have been depleted,alternatives sources will have to

be sought as there simply aren't

enough fish left in the sea for everyone.Thus, opportunities for fermenting

marine micro-algae are being exploited.Progress is expected shortly from Lonzaand Nu-Mega that will help provide morecompetitive pricing for the most expensive,but DHA-rich, omega-3.

Alternatively, a sustainable andpollutant free source could be geneticallyengineered plants with genes from micro­algae or fungi that enable them to createlong-chain omega-3. DuPont is field-testinga soybean with a 40% long-chain omega-3content, while BASF and co-researcherson the EU-funded Lipgene project havebeen developing transgenic crops to findthose best able to convert ALA into EPAand DHA.

However, enhancing omega-3 productionat the expense of omega-6, due to theshared production pathway, could betrickier_ Meanwhile, Monsanto is looking atSDA (Stearidonic acid) production.

While a genetically modified (GM)approach will present little if any consumerconcern in the US, in Europe sensitivity toGM ingredients and their acceptability willbe aroused and, unless retail buyers areconvinced, it simply will not happen. However,there would be a clear fish-saving supply chainadvantage and consumer health benefits.

Attracting less health-aware consumerswith omega-3 in more tempting substrates,such as chocolate, combines health withpleasure.

Rich in antioxidants, substitutingsaturated fat for omega-3 could be adream combination: except that the newNutrition and Health Claims Regulationwill have something to say about claimsfor foods with high levels of nutrients suchas saturated fat and sugar considereddetrimental to health.

Paul Hart is general manager of ingredientsconsultancy Nutraceuticals Ltd He hasmore than 25 years of experience in foodR&D, intellectual property rights andregulation. paul.m.hart@btopenworldcom

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