Solae, Cargill Swim Against Tide Of Fish Oil With Vegetarian Omega-3s

Food industry firms target fortifying a wider spectrum of mainstream foods with plant-based omega-3s as they promote ingredients containing the heart-healthy essential fatty acids.

But their success depends on more than their efforts. Whether vegetarian sources of omega-3s can compete with marine-derived eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids in terms of health benefits and consumer acceptance remains to be seen, experts say.

At July's IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo in Chicago, Solae formally unveiled Soymega , containing 20 percent stearidonic acid, which converts to EPA in the body. Solae partnered with Monsanto to develop the soybean oil, expected to appear in food products by 2012.

"We see that this has the opportunity to really be a breakthrough in terms of revolutionizing the usage of omega-3," said Torkel Rhenman, CEO of St. Louis-based Solae, at an IFT media briefing.

Rhenman added that omega-3 is lacking in most U.S. consumer diets. "When you go up to the store today, you find some omega-3 products out there, but it's still very limited because of the difficulties in incorporating and keeping taste the way consumers want it. This gives an opportunity to solve that issue."

Expanding Consumer Choices

Solae Marketing and Development Director Al Gallegos added Soymega will expand the range of consumer choices for getting omega-3s without compromising product taste.

The company says Soymega can be formulated in beverages, soups, dressings, processed meats, shortenings and other applications. Solae affirmed the ingredient's generally recognized as safe status, which FDA implicitly accepted in October 2009.

Also at IFT, Cargill showcased its Clear Valley Omega-3 Oil, announcing the canola/flax blend is available for product trial testing. The ingredient is suitable for many shelf-stable applications and will not alter taste, texture or aroma, Cargill says (¹ (Also see "IFT New Products In Brief" - Pink Sheet, 26 Jul, 2010.)).

However, according to Solae, the omega-3 in Clear Valley is alpha linolenic acid, which has been shown to convert to EPA at a rate of 14 to 1 - less efficiently than the rate of 6 to 1 at which SDA converts to EPA.

Fish Oil Still Omega-3 High-Water Mark

Solae and Cargill tout the cost effectiveness and palatability of their plant-based omega-3 ingredients compared to fish oil formulations.

Elsewhere on the market, Martek Biosciences derives its life'sDHA from microalgae and DuPont developed a yeast-based EPA oil, currently used in dietary supplement applications. Further down the road, BASF Plant Science and Dow AgroSciences hope to produce EPA and/or DHA from plant sources.

Still, fish oil remains the high-water mark for sourcing heart-healthy omega-3 oils, and plant-based formulations have to work to gain market share.

"There's not a cardiologist I talk to that isn't a strong proponent of omega-3s," said product development consultant Carlos Barroso. "But they will be quick to tell you that it's got to be fish-based. So to me that's still a major hurdle for it to be credible, if you're going to get beyond fish."

Barroso, a former research and development executive with PepsiCo now with CJB and Associates in Dallas, added the technology behind fish oil processing and encapsulation has made significant strides, enabling its use in a growing swath of food and beverage applications.

Vegetarian omega-3s offer advantages, "but since consumer awareness and knowledge about the benefits of fish oils is so high, these will still be the dominant portion of companies' omega-3 portfolios," said Adam Ismail, executive director of the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s.

In an e-mail, Ismail said a product's omega-3 value proposition still comes down to its concentration of EPA and DHA. FDA has approved a qualified health claim for EPA and DHA regarding reduced risk of coronary heart disease, and allows nutrient content claims for ALA (² (Also see "FDA Proposal To Disallow Omega-3 Claims Neglects Current Data – Experts" - Pink Sheet, 3 Dec, 2007.)).

Ultimately, new sources of omega-3s will benefit the category by expanding consumer awareness and increasing ingredient use, Ismail said. He does not expect one source to supplant any others for now.

"What you will see is that the wide variety of omega-3 oils in research right now will lead to each product finding the niches where it has significant advantages over the competition, but none will be a one-size-fits-all solution," Ismail said.

GOED's membership of fish-oil-focused firms has grown to include agricultural companies such as Solae, Monsanto and DuPont as omega-3 sources and applications have proliferated (³ (Also see "GOED Casts Wider Membership Net As Omega-3 Applications Broaden" - Pink Sheet, 12 Jul, 2010.)).

Market Projection Favors EPA/DHA

Market researchers unsurprisingly expect the number of food products fortified with omega-3s to grow.

In a 2009 trends report, Packaged Facts noted the global market for omega-3-enhanced foods and beverages stood at about $4.57 billion in 2007, a 33.5 percent gain over the prior year. At a compound annual growth rate of 31.7 percent starting in 2003, the segment is projected to reach $8.17 billion in 2012 sales.

Packaged Facts sees clear advantages in DHA and EPA over other fatty acids; the research firm estimates EPA/DHA-enhanced foods will comprise nearly 78 percent of omega-3 product sales in 2012 as technology continues to drive formulation advances.

Conversely, U.S. sales of ALA-enhanced foods are expected to drop steadily - from $1.61 billion in 2007 to $1.28 billion in 2012 - as manufacturers increasingly favor EPA and DHA. Time will tell if the presence of Cargill and other major players in the ALA area proves Packaged Facts wrong.

Mintel predicts the aging U.S. population favors the continued expansion of omega-3 applications, though there may be a dark side to widespread fortification.

"Looked at from another angle, proliferation of many different products with omega-3 could become a dietary hazard," given warnings that excess EPA and DHA can potentially inhibit blood clotting, raise blood cholesterol or worsen glycemia in diabetic patients, Mintel said in a 2008 report.

- Dan Schiff ( ⁴ [email protected] )