Navigating omega-3s with expert insights on demand, quality and innovation

Consumer interest in omega-3 fatty acids for their well-researched health benefits remains robust. We meet up with industry suppliers dsm-firmenich, Gelita and GC Rieber VivoMega to discuss how they are addressing the challenges brought by global economic shifts.

“Omega-3s continue to be a top supplement for consumers. This is because thousands of clinical studies have shown them to support various areas of health, particularly cognitive health, heart health, cognitive function, maternity and joint health,” Ståle Søfting, sales and marketing director at GC Rieber VivoMega, tells Nutrition Insight. 

Last year, we talked to Søfting, Brent MacDonald, business development director for algal lipids at dsm-firmenich and Martin Junginger, product manager for pharma at Gelita, to examine challenges and opportunities in the omega-3 market. 

The experts pointed to a growth in both plant-based and fish-based omega-3s and highlighted advances in technology and encapsulation techniques to improve supplements’ performance and convenience. 

Challenges and opportunities

Junginger, MacDonald and Søfting spotlight the opportunities and challenges they see for the omega-3 industry. 

MacDonald asks: “Given the macroeconomic conditions worldwide and rising pressures on cost and prices in most industries, will consumers still elect to pay for supplementation?” 

“Collectively across the industry, we will continue to need to reinforce the critical nature of omega-3 eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation while continuing to explore new health benefit areas.”

Søfting points out there are significant opportunities in the omega-3 market due to high consumer awareness. “However, this also brings challenges, as not all omega-3 concentrates are of the same quality.”

“It’s essential that companies supply high-quality raw materials and that brands offer the correct dosage, as supported by clinical data, to ensure consumer confidence and industry standards.”

Gelita’s EasySeal is suitable for krill oil formulations as it is designed to minimize capsule leakage (Image credit: Gelita).Junginger notes that krill oil is a promising new source of omega-3. However, he cautions that encapsulation can be problematic due to leakage issues.

“To address this, Gelita has developed EasySeal, a solution designed to minimize capsule leakage while making them more robust to external factors. Additionally, reducing leaks contributes to improved overall process efficiency, making softgel production smoother, faster and more sustainable.”

Meeting consumer demand

Søfting highlights how GC Rieber VivoMega’s fish oil and algae concentrates target key consumer demands. 

“VivoMega oils deliver pure EPA and DHA omega-3s without containing significant contaminants and other unnecessary fatty acids. This ensures the end consumer receives a high dose of the beneficial omega-3s,” he details.

“Over the past decade, GC Rieber VivoMega has been dedicated to enhancing quality through the use of new technologies and innovations driven by research and development. We have worked hard to ensure that VivoMega meets consumer demand by surpassing international standards of purity and potency while minimizing off-tastes and smells for an optimal consumer experience.”

Discussing what he thinks is next for omega-3 products and how he expects the market to evolve, Søfting “expects to see more development in the delivery format for omega-3, and some, such as chewables and gummies, seem to continue to be popular.”

In terms of omega-3 ingredients, he says that algal options should continue their growth trend as consumer demand grows, and “the availability of EPA and DHA algae options will help support this.”

“Likewise, higher concentrations in omega-3 oils are in demand, as the potency of increased efficacy of high concentrates is gaining awareness,” he concludes.