French omega-3 supplier set for home-market margarine debut
The Brittany-based company that recently upgraded its production facilities to deliver high-dose DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) omega-3s remains focused on food supplements and pharmaceutical products but is exploring other avenues.
It is also heavily involved in contract manufacturing services in purification or concentration of health actives.
Marketing manager Véronique Sancéau told us its food-grade offerings were attracting interest in various food sectors and praised the work of the Global Organisation for EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED) in promoting the sector.
“We remain focused on supplements but food is interesting too.”
Polaris, which has a partnerhip with Norwegian supplier EPAX, recently upgraded its GOED membership to gain greater access to scientific and consumer research.
On the supplements side which remains its core business, its new high-dose facility can deliver pills containing 250mg of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) in a 500mg pill. The Omegavie DHA 70 Qualitysilver project, as it is called, followed a 2-year R&D project.
EU omega-3 labelling
The European Union is considering warnings about over-consumption of omega-3 products at the high level of 5g.
“Optimally, the entire original statement 'Information shall also be given to consumers not to exceed a daily intake of 5g of EPA and DHA combined' would have been removed from the proposed wording,” GOED’s VP of regulatory and scientific affairs, Harry Rice, PhD, told us of the condition of use statements that are being pondered for attachment to approved health claims for EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA under the EU nutrition and health claims
“Given the European Commission's insistence that the statement remain, consumers are fortunate that the qualification of 'supplemental' was inserted. Now, a ‘more’ accurate statement will be delivered.”
“Without the qualification of 'supplemental', the concern was that there would be an unintended and detrimental effect on public health by misleading consumers that they needed to reduce their intake of oily fish.”
Packaged Facts estimates the global market for human use omega-3 products at €25.88bn in 2016, up from €18.95bn in 2011.
Correction: This article has been modified to clarify that Polaris's Omegavie DHA 70 Qualitysilver is targeted at the food supplements market.
