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How a disruptive DHA canola can elevate food and supplement products
An astounding array of foods are featured on retail shelves and virtual marketplaces, and oils are prevalent as components of these exciting products.
Imagine incorporating a plant-based oil that delivers docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which support brain, eye and heart health.
In the past 10 years or so, the demand for plant-based foods has risen dramatically, particularly among flexitarians who mindfully curate the animal-based foods they consume, preferring to substitute plant-sourced products where possible. Foods containing ingredients that make them better-for-you are attractive and will likely increase consumers’ willingness to try such products, especially for those in the 80% who do not obtain enough omega-3s in their diets to improve their wellbeing.1
Consumers are increasingly turning to omega-3 fatty acids, thanks to a growing awareness of the benefits for heart and brain health. Among the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) that consumers know best is DHA, an essential fatty acid for overall health and wellness. The demand for omega-3s, especially DHA, has highlighted the need for new sources that provide formulation flexibility in products such as gummies, dairy products and salad dressings.
Why consumers need DHA
DHA, is the most abundant fatty acid found in the brain and in retinas, and can be found in nearly every cell membrane. However, the body cannot produce omega-3s on its own – they must be consumed through diet or supplementation. Globally, there is a push for increased intake of DHA and other LC-PUFAs to support overall health. Consumers know that fish oil, which contains omega-3 fatty acids, also known as polyunsaturated fatty acids, can be taken in supplement form to help support heart, eye, and brain health.
Worldwide, consumers need to increase their intake of DHA and EPA. For many, eating fish is not alluring. Further, conventional marine oil supplements do not meet the needs of all consumers. Environmental concerns, allergies, and sensory experiences like burp-back are among common barriers to meeting DHA and EPA intake. Innovation is needed to make omega-3s more accessible and attractive to a larger audience.
The need for omega-3s from non-marine sources is also being driven by flexitarians who are reducing meat and fish intake, preferring to substitute plant alternatives where possible. This, in turn, is driving demand for these plant-based food and supplements, catering to both health-conscious consumers and flexitarians alike.
According to omega-3 nutrition expert Elana Natker, MS, RD Director, Consumer and Health Professional Communications at the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3 (GOED), NHANES intake data shows that Americans ages 20 and older tend to obtain between 90-100 mg EPA+DHA per day. The consensual recommendation is between 250-500 mg EPA+DHA daily for general cardiovascular benefits.
New research suggests that women of childbearing age should consume approximately 600-1000 mg daily of DHA and EPA – or DHA alone – ‘given that this dosage showed significant reduction of preterm birth and early preterm birth in randomized controlled trials’.2
Globally, people are simply not getting the amount of DHA+EPA their bodies need to support optimal cardiovascular, vision and brain health as they age. A 2024 study updating the first worldwide omega-3 status map (measuring the Omega-3 Index or O3I of global populations) in 2016, found that the O3I in most of the 48 countries studied were ‘very low to low’.
However, there was some movement in the right direction – the US, Canada, Italy, UK, Ireland, Greece and Turkey all moved from very low to low, while France, Spain and New Zealand moved from low to moderate.3 This demonstrates that global awareness of the benefits of DHA is growing, and suggests that new sources, especially those that are sensory neutral, can be highly valuable for formulators and appealing to consumers.
While people can supplement, compliance may be an issue. Having omega-3s in a variety of foods could help millions of people to obtain clinically proven benefits in their daily diet without needing to take a daily supplement.
Turning to canola for omega-3s
Nutriterra, made from Nuseed Omega-3 Canola (Brassica napus), delivers these omega-3s and the health benefits they are known to provide. Simply, Nutriterra makes DHA more accessible to consumers and has a reliable supply chain that remains unaffected by volatile fish oil pricing.
“We receive many questions, especially among dietitians, about vegetarian or vegan sources of EPA+DHA omega-3s,” says Elana Natker, Director, Consumer and Health Professional Communications at GOED. “Traditionally, only algal oil has been available for those seeking vegetarian/vegan sources, but the space is expanding with newer technologies that allow plant-based oils to deliver EPA+DHA omega-3s to consumers.”
One of those newer technologies is exemplified by Nuseed’s Nutriterra – a canola-based source of DHA. Nutriterra offers several attributes for discerning, health-minded consumers: this total omega-3 oil is mild tasting, renewable, scalable, fish free, and Friend of the Sea® certified.
The leaning towards plant-based products has created a gap in the market that Nutriterra is filling. Sustainability experts assert, ‘development of oilseed crops with fish oil-like levels of [omega-3s] generates one of the most novel nutritional traits through genetic engineering’.4
Additionally, Nutriterra’s DHA canola oil has the potential to double the world’s supply of DHA using just 5% of current canola-dedicated land.
These attributes offered by DHA-containing canola oil can have widespread appeal beyond supplements. A consumer study suggested that Nutriterra could enrich ‘foods such as breads and milks thus resulting in improved sustainability’.5 The mild taste and ease of formulation are also a natural fit for salad dressings, yogurts, or any food where nutrition can be enhanced by swapping conventional vegetable oils for Nutriterra DHA Canola oil.
Plant-based revolution in omega-3 production
Nuseed experts, in collaboration with researchers at Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and Grains Research Development Council (GRDC), selected canola because it provides a superior scalable platform for commercially sustainable production. Canola is also one of the world’s most fruitful oilseed crops, cultivated on five continents.
As a plant-based source of DHA, EPA, and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), Nutriterra is highly suitable for a variety of supplement applications. Nuseed’s technology produces LC-PUFAs within canola, thus providing the first plant-based EPA and DHA for human consumption. Further, the technology also reduces pressure on marine ecosystems as 2.5 acres of omega-3 canola produces as much DHA as 10,000 kg of fish.
Here's how the team created Nutriterra: genes of microalgae rich in DHA and EPA were introduced to canola to create an enzymatic pathway for the canola to self-produce LC-PUFAs. Field testing confirmed that the canola did indeed contain significant amounts of DHA. This unique process was published in Frontiers in Plant Science (2020).6
In addition to producing DHA, this nutritionally enhanced crop is also improving the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio (ω6:ω3). Conventional canola has a ω6:ω3 of 2:1, while Nutriterra provides a 1:4 ratio in favor of omega-3.
Nutriterra provides supplement and food manufacturers with a unique oil profile that helps achieve recommendations for DHA, along with EPA and ALA. Nutriterra is well positioned to help consumers worldwide increase their intake of health-promoting omega-3s through an abundant, highly renewable and attractively versatile plant source.
References
1. Omega-3s always a good idea. Global Omega-3 Day.
2. Cetin, I.; Carlson, S. E.; Burden, C.; et al. (2024). Omega-3 fatty acid supply in pregnancy for risk reduction of preterm and early preterm birth. American journal of obstetrics & gynecology MFM, 6(2), 101251.=
3. Schuchardt, J. P.; Beinhorn, P.; Hu, X. F.; et al. (2024). Omega-3 world map: 2024 update. Progress in Lipid Research. 95, 101286.
4. Zhou, X-R.; Yoa, Z. J.; Benedicto, K.; et al. (2023). New Sustainable Oil Seed Sources of Omega-3 Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids: A Journey from the Ocean to the Field. Sustainability. 15, 11327.
5. Cox, D. N.; Evans, G.; & Lease, H. J. (2008). Australian consumers’ preferences for conventional and novel sources of long chain omega-3 fatty acids: A conjoint study Food Quality and Preference. Public health nutrition, 11(1), 8–16.
6. Petrie JR, et al. (2020). Development of a Brassica napus (Canola) Crop Containing Fish Oil-Like Levels of DHA in the Seed Oil. Front. Plant Sci.
