Friend of the Sea: Sustainable omega 3 production continues to increase

06 Sep 2018 --- This year has seen a rise in certified fish oil companies – 363 companies since 2015 to be precise – according to international ecolabel Friend of the Sea (FoS). Data from the market show that more consumers worldwide are demanding fish oils and nutrients which are not only healthy and of high quality but are also respectful of the marine environment. The Friend of the Sea certification sets standards for producers of fish oil, omega 3 supplements, fishmeal and fish feed.

The growth of sustainable seafood fits in with some key consumer trends noted by Innova Market Insights. Sustainability and the notion of a circular economy are high on both the industry and consumer radar, with “Mindful Choices” and “Going Full Circle” among the Top Ten Trends for 2018. One of the most important sustainability platforms relates to fish & seafood. The market researcher also notes “Ocean Garden” as one of its 2018 trends, where manufacturers are looking towards the sea as a source of ingredients and more holistic nutrition inspiration. 

Friend of the Sea works with fisheries, seafood companies, scientists, conservation groups and the public, globally, to promote the best environmental choice in seafood. Since 2008, it has been recognizing and rewarding sustainable fishing practices, as well as influencing consumer choices when buying seafood. 

The organization strives to ensure that the fish contained in certified omega 3 products can be traced back to certified fisheries which have been independently assessed to meet its widely recognized standard for sustainable wild fishing. These fisheries should be well managed and their impacts on the environment minimized.

Currently, 439 companies adhere voluntarily to Friend of the Sea standard for fish oil, fishmeal, fish feed and omega 3 supplements, an increase of around 477 percent compared with 2015, when there were only 76.

Friend of the Sea’s presence in the nutraceutical industry has grown considerably in the US which now accounts for more than 50 percent of total FoS certified supplements (268 companies), followed by France (24), Canada (23), Norway (20) and the UK (14). Additionally, FoS confirms the positive trend in key geographic areas such as China (10) and Spain (8), while acknowledging the important growth of the Brazilian and Turkish sustainable diet supplement markets.

“As the leading globally recognized standard program for sustainable seafood, we are enthusiastic about scoring and sharing the positive change in attitude towards environmental sustainability and social accountability occurring also in the nutraceutical sector,” says Paolo Bray, Founder and Director of Friend of the Sea. “Consumers worldwide can now have wider access to sustainable products on the shelves and we are convinced of an even brighter future for the sector.”

A circular economy approach to omega 3
Of the over 439 Friend of the Sea certified enterprises, 17 percent are processors, while 83 percent are distributors. Recently, manufacturing companies have been processing by-cuts or trimmings from selected seafood, thus optimizing the use of marine resources and avoiding the production of waste.

Moreover, the industry has developed new extraction technologies considered more environmentally friendly, such as supercritical CO2 extraction, ultrasound and microwaves. These methods optimize the pre-treatment and the extraction process itself. Among these, the most effective is that based on CO2, in particular in terms of better product quality and minimal use of energy.

Besides this, several FoS certified manufacturers are diversifying their production of fish oils by developing infant formula, pet food fish oil omega 3s. 

As consumer consumption of seafood increases, it is paramount to manage the seas precious resources. In just under 60 years, seafood production increased from 19.3 million tons (1950) to 163 million tons (2009). The intensity of fishing activity, combined with the increasing demand for fish, has placed enormous pressure on the marine environment. As a result, an estimated 29 percent of wild fish stocks are considered to be overexploited.

NutritionInsight has previously reported on Colpex, fish oil sourced from anchoveta, attaining Friend of the Sea status.