Japanese firm taps in to surging fatty acid demand
functional oils, including the fatty acids DHA and EPA, by 70 per
cent, to meet growing demand both on the home market and overseas.
The new plant at Tsukuba, the company's third, has cost approximately 1.5 billion yen (€11.6 million) and has a total production capacity of more than 1,000 tons.
Other producers of marine fatty acids have announced similar expansion plans in recent months, with Norwegian firm Pronova Biocare investing more than €6 million to boost its production capacity and Canadian raw material supplier Ocean Nutrition announcing plans last week for a new $10 million facility to expand production fourfold.
Annual growth for omega-3 in the US market, where the FDA has recently approved a qualified health claim reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, has increased by 20 per cent annually.
A constant flow of new research on the health benefits of EPA and DHA have also resulted in a huge increase in media attention around the world and resulting consumer awareness of the value of the fatty acids in foods. As well as protecting against heart attack, and its value for the mental development of infants, the fatty acids could also provide protection against type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's, two age-related diseases increasing with ageing populations.
Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA are found in fish and seaweed. Fish are the best source of physiologically useful long chain omega-3s. Alphalinolenic acid (ALA), which is a shorter chain omega-3 fatty acid, can be found in plants and plant oils such as soy and some vegetables such as spinach, green peas and beans.
Nissui has been producing eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and other functional oils at its Tsukuba plant and the plant of its affiliate Kyowa Tecnos at a rate of approximately 600 tons per year for dietary supplements, infant formula and food additives.
The new plant has been designed to satisfy various quality control requirements for expanding into overseas markets (such as HACCP requirements for exports to the US).
The company says it has also enhanced its R&D capabilities and is looking to expand its range of structured lipids, such as fats for nutritional supplements with improved absorbability.
