IFFO, the Marine Ingredients Organisation has launched an informative video about Omega-3's, nature's own health products entitled 'Marine Omega-3 - The Healthiest Fats'.
The film is a response to growing scientific and consumer interest in the subject and can be viewed at: http://www.iffo.net/default.asp?contentID=809
The two healthiest Omega-3's are essential long-chain fatty acids EPA and DHA which cannot be made by the human body. They can be consumed by eating certain foods - predominantly fish and seafood but particularly oily fish such as anchovy, salmon and mackerel which contain some of the highest concentrations of EPA and DHA.
Globally, cardiovascular diseases are the primary cause of death and more than 450 million people are suffering from mental disorders world-wide (WHO data). The argument for increasing the consumption of Omega-3 is a convincing one.
Professor Michael Crawford, Director of the Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition at Imperial College, London features in the IFFO video. His research work centres on the health benefits of long-chain fatty acids and the important relationship between nutrition and membranes in the body.
Wellbeing and medical health concerns have helped drive the demand for fish, placing wild fish stocks under pressure. However, farmed seafood is now a major contributor of Omega-3 and can be a sustainable resource. To maintain beneficial levels of EPA and DHA within farmed fish, they must be fed on a diet that's high in marine products. Without this, beneficial levels of EPA and DHA in the finished seafood reduce significantly. As a result the aquaculture industry is increasingly putting minimum requirements in place for the inclusion of EPA and DHA in fish feed.
The video also demonstrates that the regular intake of omega-3 capsules, favoured by some consumers, is a good way to increase levels of EPA and DHA. However, care has to be taken to ensure that the oil is of marine origin, since vegetable oil from land sources does not contain sufficient levels of these critical fatty acids.
Andrew Jackson, Technical Director at IFFO said 'We developed the Omega-3 film to highlight the important part the fishmeal and fish oil industry plays in the food chain and in human health. The industry's responsible approach to sourcing and production under the IFFO RS certified producers scheme offers consumers complete confidence in the products they are purchasing.'
To help buyers looking for responsible sourced fishmeal and fish oil, IFFO provides a Global Standard for Responsible Supply (IFFO RS). This is an independent business-to-business certification programme that enables a compliant factory to demonstrate that it responsibly sources raw material from well-managed fisheries and responsibly converts it into pure and safe products, including fish oil for human consumption.
With the global population growing, sustainable sources of marine oils will be a key factor in being able to provide a healthy future for all.
