Thai Union Ingredients opens omega 3 R&D facility for infant nutrition and supplements NPD

05 May 2022 --- Nutrition company Thai Union Ingredients is opening a research facility for dietary products in Samut Sakhon, Thailand. The new “Omega 3 Center of Excellence” (O3C) will specialize in omega 3 fish oil, refining it for customers. Thai Union’s new plant is open for parties interested in collaboration on infant nutrition, supplements and fortified products.

The facility will allow the company to experiment with and scale oils for different nutritional compositions, sensory attributes and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) concentration. 

Thai Union’s managing director, Leonardus Coolen says there are more plans to expand: 

“In the near future, we will install pilot scale facilities that resemble our facilities in Rostock even better to help validate the process from lab scale to commercial scale. All companies interested in the production of the highest quality omega 3 applications are welcome to collaborate with us – we have the people and the processing facilities to meet their expectations.”

The facility will offer omega 3 from both animal and plant sources.Healthy humans and healthy oceans
Thiraphong Chansiri, Thai Union’s CEO and president, says the expansion of the center is a (environmentally) sustainable move and will contribute to healthier oceans: “Our new Omega-3 Center of Excellence ensures we not only maximize the value from every fish and plant we use but also help people of all ages stay healthy and active.”

Leveraging “state-of-the-art” laboratories, the company says the O3C will develop more efficient and targeted methods for refining omega 3 oils. The 225 square meter plant is located at the site of Thai Union’s crude fish oil facility and will host scientists and technicians, who will develop products showcasing the health benefits of omega 3 oils. 

They will collaborate with Thai Union’s omega 3 oil refinery in Rostock, Germany.

Profiting off every part
The O3C will source suitable materials while refining the oils used in the latest technological developments, while delivering products in line with quality standards and consumer desire, the company notes.

Once completed, the materials will be transferred to the company’s facility in Germany, where they are to be tested en masse before delivery to customers across the globe.

Thus far, Thai Union says the O3C has played a key part in the refinery process for UniQ DHA, which is the company’s tuna oil product. As of now, the facility will broaden its scope to include other fish oils, in addition to algal oil, a plant-based source of omega 3 currently rising on the market.

Thai Union says the move is part of its plan to extract profit “from every part of the fish” that the company processes. The company hopes for the same with marine plants to provide plant-based nutrition for consumers of all ages.

Last year, the company teamed up with Aleph farms to drive cultivated meat NPD.

Edited by Olivia Nelson