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Preliminary evaluation of omega‐3 dietary supplement label information for products in the Dietary Supplement Ingredient Database (DSID)
Author(s) -
Middleton Angela,
Andrews Karen,
Roseland Janet,
Zhao Cuiwei,
Holden Joanne,
Dwyer Johanna,
Saldanha Leila
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.25.1_supplement.601.5
Subject(s) - eicosapentaenoic acid , docosahexaenoic acid , food science , ingredient , fish oil , polyunsaturated fatty acid , chemistry , fish <actinopterygii> , fatty acid , biochemistry , biology , fishery
Omega‐3 or n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) include the most widely studied n‐3 fatty acids EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), and ALA (alpha‐linolenic acid). In addition to being found naturally occurring in food, n‐3 fatty acids are also available in fish‐ and plant‐based dietary supplements. The Nutrient Data Lab (NDL) used product information obtained from various resources including shopping surveys and NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) to develop a sampling plan for the DSID Omega‐3 Study. A final list of 85 products was compiled based upon a NDL‐developed brand rating system. Supplement Fact information showed n‐3 fatty acids listed as total omega‐3 (16), individual n‐3 fatty acids (29), or both (40). Fish oil softgels (58 products) were the most common product form and matrix, followed by flax oil softgels (12), blend softgel (9), flax oil liquids (4), and fish oil gel packet and gummies (1 each). Label ranges of specific n‐3 fatty acids (in mg/day) were 140–2200 for EPA, 90–2000 for DHA, 350–1400 for ALA, and 200–7000 for total omega‐3. Most n‐3 products were purchased from natural food stores (43), followed by mass market (28) and direct sales (14). Specific analyzed data and label observations will be employed to determine appropriate methods for reporting analyzed values for omega‐3 content of products in the DSID. Funding: USDA/ARS & NIH/ODS.