Functional lipids: Algarithm and Natures Crops International introduce vegan omega 3 blend

19 Oct 2022 --- Algarithm and Natures Crops International are teaming up to develop omega oil blends for use in supplements and F&B ingredients. These novel mixtures, dubbed Ahiflower 80DHA and 150DHA, are the “only” vegan sources that provide the broadest range of omegas with good sensory properties.

“This partnership builds on Natures Crops’ strategy to shift omega 3 sourcing and consumption patterns to a fully traceable, [environmentally] sustainable and vegan basis while improving the range of dietary options people have for meeting daily intake needs,” Greg Cumberford, VP of science and regulatory at Natures Crops, tells NutritionInsight.

The blends leverage the DHA oils’ oxidative stability and sensory qualities and concentrate from Ahiflower and Algarithm, alphamega3 and thetamega3, respectively. It is significantly simpler and more cost-effective to develop new category-differentiating plant-based food and beverage products than it is to do so with comparable marine omega 3 sources, the partners say.

“The Natures Crops team has been a longstanding partner of Algarithm. Since meeting, we have admired the quality, nutritional value and reach of the Ahiflower ingredient and brand,” says Ben Kelly, president at Algarithm.

“This collaboration will bring a new world-class functional lipid to nutraceutical markets around the world.”

Also commenting on the partnership, Andrew Hebard, CEO at Natures Crops International, explains that Algarithm’s algal DHA product, combined with Ahiflower, fills a clear and significant gap in the market that other omega oils have not been able to fill.

Demand for plant-based alternatives
This partnership also marks a significant shift in the omega 3 market, as more brands and suppliers team up to address the growing customer demand for high-quality, plant-based alternatives for products and ingredients of animal origin.

This partnership will shine a light on the fact that most consumers can get all the omegas they need from plant-based sources without any reliance on wild marine harvesting or the ocean extractive infrastructures they entail, Cumberford explains.

“We proactively respond to brands and their customers who seek pre-formed DHA in their formulations or want to add a broader spectrum plant-based omega offering to their existing algal oil products.”

Ahiflower 80DHA and 150DHA are pegged as the “only” vegan omega source with good sensory properties.Combining these environmentally sustainable omega 3 fats improves the environment and human health since each kilogram of the 80DHA or 150DHA from Ahiflower protects 4,000 fish in the sea.

The omega-rich dietary oil combination contains beneficial content of omega 3 and 6 metabolites for optimal brain, cardiovascular, developmental, immune, joint and gut microbiome function.

The oil’s sensory properties include: “a clean, neutral taste and aroma profile that enables this 100% plant-based blend to be incorporated into a much wider array of F&B – for example, plant-based dairy, meal replacement beverages, snack bars, confectionary – where marine and many algal DHA omega 3 ingredients struggle due to sensory or shelf stability challenges,” says Cumberford.

Fish-free DHA and traceability
The two companies combined regenerative agricultural practices with fish-free DHA to create an omega 3 solution that is sustainable and traceable back to the farms and estuaries where it was grown.

To maintain purity and traceability, Ahiflower crops are regeneratively grown by independently qualified farmers. The new B-Corp certification of Natures Crops highlights the company’s aim to be an extractive-free supplier of regenerative omega ingredients.

As a result of the oil’s concentration of omega 3 stearidonic acid and omega-6 gamma-linolenic acid, the heart, brain, skin and immune systems are supported. The health benefits of fish oil, evening primrose oil, olive oil and flaxseed oil are all in one plant, making Ahiflower an “unrivaled” supply of fatty acids.

With the new DHA-enhanced Ahiflower blends, brands can clearly add DHA amounts and associated claims to product labels.

US-based Vital Nutrients previously introduced an algal-based vegan fish oil. The Ultra Pure Vegan Omega SPM+ targets immunity, cardiovascular health and cognitive focus by combining omega 3 fatty acids with specific pro-resolving mediators.

By Nicole Kerr

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