RE: Omega 3 Fatty Acid Nutrition Claim

From: Shirley Zhu (shirleyzhu@telus.net)
Date: Tue Jun 13 2006 - 11:44:41 PDT

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    Thank you so much for your Email. I found a few nutrition claims allowed to
    be used in US label:
        1. When at least 32mg of combined EPA and DHA per serving , we may use:
    (for blackcod and tuna)
                An excellent source of omega-3 EPA and DHA
                High in omega-3 EPA and DHA
                Rich in omega-3 EPA and DHA
     
           or 765mg EPA and 811 mg DHA per servings(blackcod)
     
        2. 2 grams of omega-3 fatty acids (blackcod)
            ? grams of omega-3 fatty acids
     
    But I am not sure if this claim will trigger more nutrition items were
    needed to be listed in US nutrition facts.
    Do you have any further information about it?
     
    Look forward to your reply
     
    Shirley

      _____

    From: Anthony Bimbo [mailto:apbimbo@verizon.net]
    Sent: Tuesday, June 13, 2006 11:01 AM
    To: Shirley Zhu
    Subject: Omega 3 Fatty Acid Nutrition Claim

    Since sending the last item to you I never heard how things turned out. In
    the meantime a later article mentions that the claim was approved by the
    USFDA. See below.
     
    Tony Bimbo
     

    FDA Approves Excellent Source Claim for Foods Containing Both EPA and DHA

    Wellness Foods, FoodProcessing.com

    Ocean Nutrition Canada Ltd. (ONC) recently announced that the U.S. FDA has
    allowed ONC's petition for an Excellent Source Nutrient Content Claim for
    foods containing both EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) and DHA (Docosahexaenoic
    Acid) under the authoritative statement provisions of the Food and Drug
    Modernization Act (FDAMA). ONC markets MEG-3 brand Omega-3 EPA/DHA food and
    dietary supplement ingredients.

    EPA and DHA are the two physiologically essential long-chain polyunsaturated
    fatty acids found in fish oil. Both nutrients have been demonstrated to play
    important roles in human health and nutrition.

    The new ruling means that companies can place certain claims on their
    packaging such as "An Excellent Source of Omega-3 EPA and DHA", "High In
    Omega-3 EPA and DHA" or "Rich In Omega-3 EPA and DHA." Products must contain
    a combined total of at least 32 mg of EPA and DHA per serving to qualify for
    this claim. Thirty-two milligrams of EPA and DHA represents 20% of the daily
    value levels for EPA and DHA of the 160 mg per day recommended by the
    Institute of Medicine. The claim needs to include the statement that the
    product "contains ___ mg of EPA and DHA per serving, which is ___ % of the
    160 mg daily value for a combination of EPA and DHA."

    Until now food manufacturers were only able to use the nutrient content
    claim for an excellent source with DHA. While DHA is an extremely important
    nutrient, companies were limited in their ability to differentiate to
    consumers that their foods contain both EPA and DHA.

    "Both EPA and DHA are important in heart health and normal growth and
    development as stated in an FDA qualified heart health claim for foods
    containing EPA and DHA," said Dr. Colin Barrow, ONC's vice president of R&D.
    "Over 8,000 scientific papers have been published demonstrating the health
    benefits of EPA and DHA reflecting the nutritional value for consumers."

    Food companies can now create consumer product differentiation for their
    brands because they can explain that their products contain both important
    forms of Omega-3 fatty acids. "Being able to differentiate food products
    with both EPA and DHA means that food companies can create a source of
    strategic competitive advantage because their products contain more value
    than just DHA alone," said Ian Lucas, ONC's executive vice president of
    global marketing. "Our MEG-3 brand food ingredient enables food companies to
    include the goodness of fish in their products without the taste or smell of
    fish so they can easily create value-added foods that people will love to
    eat and at the same time improve their own bottom line."

    For more information on Ocean Nutrition Canada Ltd. and the health benefits
    of MEG-3 ingredients please visit www.meg-3.com <http://www.meg-3.com/> .

    http://www.foodprocessing.com/industrynews/2006/074.html



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