This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more.
This Website Uses Cookies
By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Learn More
This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more.
Dairy Foods logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Dairy Foods logo
  • Home
  • Magazine
    • Current Print Edition
    • Digital Edition
    • Dairy Product Innovations Newsletter
    • Columnists
    • Archives
    • Dairy 100
    • State of the Industry Report
    • Supplier News
    • Processor News
    • Featured Product Advertisement
    • Editorial Calendar
  • Products
    • Best of ...
    • Butter
    • Cheese
    • Cultured Dairy
    • Frozen Desserts
    • Ice Cream/Novelties
    • Milk
    • New Products
    • Non-Dairy Beverages
    • Sales Data
    • Whey, Milk Powder
    • Dairy Alternatives
    • Submit Your Product
  • Ingredients
    • Cocoa
    • Colors/Flavors
    • Cultures/Enzymes
    • Fiber
    • Inclusions
    • Omegas/Lipids
    • Prebiotics
    • Probiotics
    • Sweeteners
    • Texturants
    • Other
  • Operations
    • Equipment
    • Processing
    • Packaging
    • Food Safety
  • Web Exclusives
    • Behind the Scenes
    • Blogs
    • Case Studies
    • Dairy Foods TV
    • Digital Brochures
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • Directories
    • Buyers Guide
    • Dairy Plants USA
    • Take a Tour
  • Awards
    • Breakthrough Award
    • Exporter of the Year
    • Plant of the Year Award
  • More
    • Associations
    • Calendar of Events
    • Classifieds
    • Market Research
    • Dairy Foods Store
    • FISA Distributor Guide
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
    • Supplier Spotlights
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • Tradeshow and Events
    • Dairy Facts & Stats
    • eBooks
  • Contact
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
  • Subscribe
    • Print & Digital Edition Subscriptions
    • Dairy Product Innovations eNewsletter
    • Online Registration
    • Subscription Customer Service
    • Connect with Dairy Foods
Home » The catch of the day: omega-3s
Dairy Foods ColumnistsOmegas/Lipids

The catch of the day: omega-3s

wellness slide
February 12, 2015
Karen Giles-Smith MS, RD
KEYWORDS fortified dairy products / omega-3s
Reprints
No Comments

Over the past year, much has transpired on the fatty acid front, including updated dietary recommendations and final rulings for nutrition labeling. Both events will have major implications for formulations, packaging, and promotion of foods and beverages fortified with omega-3s.

Omega-3s are essential polyunsaturated fats crucial for visual and neurological development and beneficial for heart and brain health. The two forms of omega-3s responsible for the bulk of these benefits are DHA and EPA, both primarily found in fatty fish/fish oil. Other forms of omega-3s include ALA (from certain plant foods), and SDA (not typically found in food; however, SDA-rich oil is extracted from genetically modified soybeans). ALA and SDA are converted by the body to EPA and DHA, but in amounts considered insignificant.

Dietary recommendations

In January 2014, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics released an updated position paper on dietary fatty acids and healthy adults. Their stance: Healthy adults should consume 20% to 35% of calories from fat, increase consumption of omega-3 fats and limit intake of saturated and trans fats via a food-based approach including regular consumption of fatty fish (≥ 2 servings/week), nuts and seeds, lean meats and poultry, low-fat dairy products, vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes.

The major change from the Academy’s previous position paper is an emphasis on omega-3s.

“There is strong evidence that all Americans need to increase intake [of omega-3s] and there would be measurable health benefits for the population,” said Gretchen Vannice, registered dietitian and lead author of the updated position paper.

The second focus is to reduce saturated fat intake and replace those calories with polyunsaturated fats instead of refined carbohydrates while keeping calories within healthy levels. 

Omega-3 recommendations for specific populations have also been updated. In June 2014, the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency issued draft revised recommendations stating that women who may become pregnant, women who are pregnant and breastfeeding, and young children should eat more fish (including shellfish): 8 to 12 ounces of fish lower in mercury per week (the 2004 recommendation was to eat up to 12 ounces per week, with no minimum). As rationale, the agencies cite the latest science strongly indicating that 8 to 12 ounces per week of a variety of fish lower in mercury during pregnancy benefits fetal growth and development and, in addition, may reduce adults’ risk of cardiac death. 

Under the Federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act, nutrient content claims are considered only for nutrients with a reference level. The 2005 Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) recommends that 0.6% to 1.2% of energy comes from omega-3s but did not set a Recommended Dietary Allowance or Estimated Average Requirement for any of the omega-3 forms.

The report did, however, provide an Adequate Intake for ALA: 1.1 to 1.6 grams/day. Based on this information, the FDA recently prohibited nutrient content claims for DHA and EPA but allowed specific nutrient content claims for ALA (see table). This FDA ruling finalizes the 2007 proposed ruling and will take effect Jan. 1, 2016. According to Vannice, in 2015, the DRI committee will consider setting a DRI for EPA and DHA.

Currently, one qualified health claim is available for conventional foods containing EPA and DHA and reduced risk of coronary heart disease. “In the future, there may be a qualified health claim that healthy levels of EPA and DHA help normalize blood pressure,” Vannice said.

Fortifying with omega-3s

Eating fish/seafood is the best way to get DHA and EPA (recommendations range from 450 to 1,000 milligrams DHA+EPA/day). For those who can’t or won’t eat it, fortified foods and supplements are the next best. When fortifying dairy products with omega-3s, Vannice advises adding EPA and DHA that’s purified from marine sources or the vegetarian/algal form of DHA, rather than adding ALA or SDA.

 There is a smoothie/pudding product fortified with fish oil on the market and cookies and chocolates fortified with algal DHA available by mail order that taste great, said Vannice. Plus, a few brands of fluid milk and yogurt with DHA are on the market. There appears to be an ocean of opportunity for product innovation 

subscribe to dairy foods

Recent Articles by Karen Giles-Smith

As we age, shift happens, and dairy foods are ideal for getting vital vitamins/minerals

Keeping labels simple, ingredients clean

Designing dairy products for Millennials and Boomers

Make dairy foods super with superfruits

Gilessmith200

Karen Giles-Smith is a registered dietitian in Michigan with 23 years experience in the field of nutrition including clinical dietetics, nutrition education, and broadcast and print communications. She earned a master of science in human nutrition from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, and a bachelor of science in food science and nutrition from Marygrove College, Detroit. Karen blogs at www.thewellnesswriter.com/blog.

Related Articles

Dairy foods and beverages can be a good carrier of omega-3s

Formulating dairy foods with omega-3s

Prebiotics promote the growth of probiotics

Give the gift of cheese

Related Products

The Potential Effect Of Two New Biotechnologies On The World Dairy Industry

The Public Role In The Dairy Economy: Why And How Governments Intervene In The Milk Business

The 10 Principles of Food Industry Sustainability

Related Events

Food Plant of the Future: Anticipating the Next Generation

Food Plant of the Future: Raising the Bar on Plant Air Quality

Related Directories

BASF Corp.

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Subscribe For Free!
  • Print & Digital Edition Subscriptions
  • Dairy Product Innovations eNewsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • Connect with Dairy Foods

More Videos

Popular Stories

Saputo Inc. is our Processor of the Year

2019 Processor of the Year: Saputo Inc., a giant in more ways than one

2019 State of the Industry: Ice cream and frozen novelties are hot and cold

2019 State of the Industry: Ice cream and frozen novelties are hot and cold

dairy foods news

Industry groups react to Dean Foods’ Chapter 11 announcement

2019 State of the Industry: Butter wins a combination ticket

2019 State of the Industry: Butter wins a combination ticket

Borden premium eggnog

Houston residents start petition to bring back Borden’s Premium eggnog

Events

January 1, 2030

Webinar Sponsorship Information

For webinar sponsorship information, visit www.bnpevents.com/webinars or email webinars@bnpmedia.com.

View All Submit An Event

Poll

ESL Technologies

Dairy beverage producers: Where does your company stand when it comes to extended-shelf-life (ESL) technologies?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

Tharp & Young on Ice Cream: An Encyclopedic Guide to Ice Cream Science and Technology

Tharp & Young on Ice Cream: An Encyclopedic Guide to Ice Cream Science and Technology

An at once an all-inclusive guide to the meaning of hundreds of technical terms and ideas needed for ice cream manufacturing, as well as a practical introduction to the ingredients, freezing methods, flavoring, and packaging of ice cream, sherbet, sorbet, gelato, frozen yogurts, novelties and many other kinds of frozen desserts.

See More Products

best new dairy products 2019

Dairy Foods Magazine

dairy foods december 2019

2019 December

Check out the December issue of Dairy Foods, including our profile of our Processor of the Year: Saputo.
View More Create Account
  • More
    • Media Kit
    • Contact Staff
    • Order Reprints
    • List Rental
    • Food & Beverage Brands
    • Newsletter
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Subscribe
    • Want More?
    • Privacy Policy
    • Survey And Sample
  • Helpful Links
    • Dairy 100 List
    • Dairy Plants USA Database
    • Dairy Prices
    • Interstate Milk Shippers List
    • Milk Pasteurization: The Effects of Time and Temperature
    • National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments
    • Pasteurized Milk Ordinance
    • Standards of Identity for Dairy Products
  • Multimedia
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
    • Behind the Scenes
    • Galleries
    • Periodic Table of Dairy Foods
    • Monthly Poll Question
    • Dairy Facts & Stats
  • Exclusives
    • Best of 2014
    • Best of 2013
    • First Half Favorites: 2013
    • Best of 2012
    • 2016 Dairy 100
    • 2015 Dairy 100
    • 2014 Dairy 100
    • 2013 Dairy 100
    • Dairy 100 Articles
    • 2016 State of the Industry Report
    • 2015 State of the Industry Report
    • 2014 State of the Industry Report
    • 2013 State of the Industry Report
  • Advertise
    • Monthly Promos

Copyright ©2019. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing