Nothing fishy about Aussie breakthrough... An AUSTRALIAN company...

Nothing fishy about Aussie breakthrough...

An AUSTRALIAN company is the first in the world to develop a way of incorporating one of the most important dietary components of fish oil, Omega-3 DHA, into everyday foods without the need for genetic modification. *Wendy Morgan reveals.

FOLLOWING recent news that US researchers are planning to genetically modify meat to contain more Omega-3 fatty acids, a Queensland company has already beaten them to the punch.

Brisbane-based company Nu-Mega Ingredients Pty Ltd, a joint venture between Food Spectrum Pty Ltd and Public Company Clover Corporation Ltd, uses a technique for making a powdered form of Omega-3 DHA that is directly sourced from natural tuna oil.

The addition of the essential omega-3 fats from fish oil into everyday foods has previously been too difficult because the oil changes the food’s taste and texture. Now, however, an Australian company has developed a world-first technique for transforming omega-3 fatty acids into a stable dry powder which can be added to processed food products without affecting their taste or smell.

CEO of Nu-Mega Ingredients Pty Limited, Peter Lancaster, said the technique his company uses – called ‘microencapsulation’ – now means omega-3 can be added to food products without altering the flavour or texture of the food in any way. “We source our raw ingredients from tuna fish in the Southern Pacific Ocean,” Lancaster told Food Magazine. “The end product contains nothing more than pure fish oil which is rigorously tested to ensure it contains no heavy metals such as mercury.”

“Based on the success of our discovery, we don’t see any need to genetically modify foods to increase their content of omega-3. In fact, we are already exporting our product and our technology to markets both in Europe and the US,” Lancaster said.

Professor Andrew Sinclair, from the Department of Food Science at RMIT in Melbourne, said experts worldwide agree the scientific evidence shows Omega-3 DHA is beneficial through all stages of life, with the largest body of research showing it is essential for the healthy development and functioning of the brain and eye, and essential for good cardiovascular health. “There is increasing interest in DHA and its potential role in inflammatory disorders such as asthma and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some forms of mental health such as depression and Alzheimer’s disease,” Prof Sinclair said.
“Unfortunately, however, Australian research shows that most Australians currently consume less than half the level of DHA recommended by international experts for optimal health and well-being,” he said.

This shortfall is due to a number of factors:
1. DHA is the most difficult of the Omega-3 fatty acids to obtain from our regular diet because few foods are rich in Omega-3 DHA.
2. Our eating patterns have changed over the years so that many people do not eat enough fish and the intake of foods such as eggs and offal (which are sources of omega-3 DHA) has fallen
3. The high levels of Omega-6 fatty acids in our diet compete for enzymes needed to manufacture DHA (from another omega 3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid) making it difficult for the body to make enough DHA - so we need a regular dietary source.

The challenge, therefore, is how to reintroduce DHA to our regular diet. One way is to increase our intake of DHA-rich fish. Another is to add DHA to a wider range of popular foods such as bread, dairy products and smallgoods. The Nu-Mega Omega-3 DHA supplement is already available on Australian supermarket shelves in many well-known brands. Leading food manufacturers around the world are already producing DHA-fortified foods by using Nu-Mega naturally DHA-rich tuna oil in microencapsulated form. These include Birdseye Smart Choice Hake Fillets, Tip Top Up bread, Nutricia Infant Formula, Hans Continental Smallgoods and Warburtons Bread.

DHA and the Brain
DHA is to the brain as calcium is to the bones. Your brain contains a hundred billion neurons, each with up to 100,000 connections to other neurons and electrical and chemical messages are continually passing between your neurons at amazing speed. The cell membranes of neurons play a fundamental role in the rapid and accurate transmission of neural messages. DHA is an essential building block of these membranes.

DHA is an Omega-3 nutrient that has been part of our diets for hundreds of thousands of years - and probably as long as we have been human. Recent research even suggests that DHA in the diet of our ancestors was an important factor in the evolution of human intelligence.

DHA in the Diet
The omega-3s are now recognised as valuable nutrients in a healthy diet. DHA and EPA are the long chain omega-3s contained in seafood and are particularly rich in fish such as mackerel, herring, sardines, salmon and tuna. You can also get small amounts of DHA from some animal products, particularly offal foods such as liver, kidney, brain and eggs. But intakes of DHA and EPA have declined in Australia, and other countries with a western diet, particularly in the last fifty years. This is shown by an analysis of levels of DHA in breast milk, which are much lower than they used to be. Many people are eating less fish and offal, and fewer eggs. Modern farming practices have led to a reduction in DHA levels of eggs and meat and we now eat more food that is high in another omega family, the omega-6s.

International experts now advise us to redress the balance and eat more omega-3s, especially DHA.





*Wendy Morgan is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and nutritionist who consults to the food and ingredients industry, including Nu-Mega. Nu-Mega Ingredients Pty Ltd 07 3722 0555.