The oil, which is marketed as Nutriterra, is derived from canola genetically engineered to produce higher levels of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid, C22:6 n-3).
As demand for omega-3s continues to rise and pressures on fish stocks increase, alternative sources are being explored from algae to copepods and genetically engineered oil seed crops, such as canola and camelina.
Nuseed has estimated that one hectare of its omega-3 canola has the potential to provide the omega-3 yield from 10,000 kgs of wild caught fish.
Feed approval, too
Nuseed also achieved a positive safety determination from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) for its Omega-3 Canola meal use in livestock feed and the oil for use in fish feeds. CFIA further confirmed that Nuseed’s Omega-3 Canola poses no increased environmental risk comparing to other cultivated canola and is approved for cultivation.
Nuseed’s Omega-3 Canola for aquafeed is marketed as Aquaterra.
Brent Zacharias, Nuseed group executive, commented: “Canada is the third largest producer of farmed salmon globally. These approvals position Nuseed to supply the Canadian market with an oil that has been shown to deliver fish health benefits and to enable industry sustainability goals; particularly in reducing the reliance on scarce marine ingredients.
“Given Canada’s position as the largest canola production country, approval also ensures our future scalability, giving us access to a key expansion market.”
The company said it partners with growers on strict identity preserved contracts and adheres to the highest stewardship standards in production, having achieved Excellence Through Stewardship (ETS) certification.
For more information about the use of GM technology for omega-3 production, please click HERE.
