Dispatches from SupplySide West 2011

Scalable new sources of omega-3 key to success for algae oils

This content item was originally published on www.nutraingredients-usa.com, a William Reed online publication.

17-Oct-2011 - Last updated on 28-Sep-2021 at 11:50 GMT

The omega-3 market needs the new entrants from algae, but the new sources need to be manageable and scalable to ensure success, says the VP of business development for Aurora Algae.

Leslie van der Meulen told Stephen Daniells at SupplySide West that he is anticipating asymbiotic relationship between these new sources coming online.

“I think it’s really the right time to introduce these new sources so that the spread remains as broad as possible, so that the supplement market still gets its supply, and the pharmaceutical market as well.”

But can the algae oil ever compete with fish oil? “Unless you have an oil that specifically produces 1812 oil in the way that anchovy and sardine oil classically produces then you will have a fair comparison or competition,” said van der Meulen.

“But I think the way the industry is structured, and the specific science for EPA and DHA ratios or standalones, will actually lend itself for these new entrants to come to market.

“With a new biomass like algae it’s not just about the omega-3, there’s also a protein side, and so just think about the possibilities that you have with such a material.”