Obtained the US NDI identity certification, rapeseed opens a new era of plant-based Omega-3

Fish oil Omega-3 fatty acids have always been a hot spot in the field of nutrition and health, and the sales of related products have long been in the forefront of the North American market. According to market data from Grand View Research, the global Omega-3 market reached US$2.49 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 7.7% from 2020 to 2027. Every year, there are endless scientific research data on Omega-3 fatty acids around the world. The US FDA and the European Union's EFSA also recognize the safety and health of the raw materials, and approve multiple DHA/EPA health claims. At the same time, consumers' health awareness of "fish oil" has also risen to a new level.

In the past 10 years, the market applications of Omega-3 fatty acids were mainly concentrated in dietary supplements, and the product formulations were mostly capsules. At present, people are focusing on using Omega-3 fatty acids as ingredients in functional food and beverage products. According to Mintel's 2020 global new product database, there are more than 1,800 fortified foods added with Omega-3 fatty acids on the market, including Snacks, biscuits, beverages, candies, chocolates, bread, cereals, milk, etc.

The Global EPA and DHA Omega-3s Organization (GOED) has formulated the recommended daily intake of EPA and DHA, 500 mg per day for healthy adults, 700-1000 mg per day for pregnant/lactating women, 1 gram per day depending on related health situation. However, to achieve the recommended daily intake, consumers need to eat fish 3-4 times a week. Obviously many people cannot reach it. Therefore, Omega-3 fatty acid fortified products have become the main way for consumers to meet their nutritional needs. .

Non-animal Omega-3 fatty acids become popular

Traditional Omega-3 fatty acids are extracted from marine fish. Based on various concerns such as the growth of vegetarians, the emergence of animal-friendly concepts, and sustainability, algae and other plant-derived Omega-3 fatty acids have begun to emerge. Although fish are the main source of Omega-3 fatty acids, they actually cannot produce EPA and DHA by themselves. Instead, they obtain their Omega-3 by eating seaweed in the marine environment.

Seaweed is upstream in the food chain, and fish is downstream in the food chain. Fish oil has a higher risk of enriching heavy metals, such as MERCURY and cadmium. At present, most of the algae oil raw material microalgae are artificially cultivated, which can effectively control the pollution of heavy metals from the source. In addition, fish oil DHA is in the form of triglycerides, the content is only 12%, and part of it needs to be esterified. However, the triglyceride content of algae oil DHA is higher, up to 35%, and does not need to be esterified, which is more convenient for human body to absorb, and is suitable for children's product formulations.

As wild fisheries face unprecedented pressure, many consumers are making more environmentally conscious choices, plant-based lifestyles have become more and more mainstream, plant-based Omega-3 fatty acids have begun to become mainstream, including chia seeds, Linseed, rapeseed, comfrey seeds, etc. Such plant-based raw materials are rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), but the human body can convert it into DHA and EPA under the action of enzymes. At present, the commercialized mature plant-based Omega-3 fatty acids are mainly derived from fields. Lithospermum oil.

Rapeseed, a new generation of plant-based Omega-3 fatty acids

Rapeseed not only contains oil, but also high-quality protein, which contains many essential amino acids. Approximately 1.12 million tons of crude protein is produced from rapeseed every year in the world. For a long time, this kind of rapeseed cake was mainly used as a protein feed for animals, and it has not played a role as a protein source in human nutrition. Among them, one reason is because the protein of rapeseed has a strong, bitter smell.

Nutriterra Total Omega-3 is a plant-based source of long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids developed by Nuseed Nutritional in the United States. It combines Omega-3 fatty acids DHA, EPA, and α-linolenic acid (ALA). It is reported that the company uses "Plant-to-Plant" biotechnology to provide nutrition consistent with the source of microalgae through renewable, sensory-neutral rapeseed.

If the number of wild fish does not decrease, the ocean will not be able to provide enough nutrients to meet human nutritional needs. The emergence of Nutriterra fills the gap between Omega-3 demand and marine production. Nuseed Nutritional is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nufarm, an Australian agrochemical supplier. The raw material was developed in cooperation with the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) and the Grain Research and Development Industry Association (GRDC). It also faces the human nutrition market such as Nutriterra and the animal feed market such as Aquaterra. This ingredient is certified by the Friends of the Sea.

U.S. FDA approved NDI ingredients

At present, the U.S. FDA has approved the company's Omega-3 ingredients derived from rapeseed, and has obtained the U.S. New Dietary Ingredient (NDI) status, and the NDI notification number is 1207. Benita Boettner, general manager of Nuseed, said that the FDA's approval enables the company to advance relevant market work plans, expand rapeseed protein to the human nutrition market, and meet the growing new demand for plant-based DHA+EPA Omega-3 options.

This long-chain Omega-3 is derived from the company’s proprietary rapeseed, which has a structure similar to that of fish oil and is terrestrial and sustainable. It is reported that the U.S. Department of Agriculture lifted its control on the commercial cultivation of Omega-3 rapeseed in 2018 and doubled the contract production of Nuseed Omega-3 rapeseed in 2019. At present, it has obtained human food and animal feed approvals in Australia, New Zealand and Canada, and is seeking more regulatory approvals in other major markets around the world.

NDI (New Dietary Ingredient) is a system by which the US Food and Drug Administration examines the safety of newly developed healthy food ingredients and permits them to be used in the United States. It is mainly for the convenience of verifying the safety of products. It started in 1996. Start NDI work. New dietary ingredients need to have various experimental results and analysis data required by the US FDA, such as the manufacturing process, usage conditions, and whether they are harmful to humans, and can be registered after being reviewed and approved.

Rapeseed protein is also popular

Plant-based diets are on the rise globally, the plant-based protein market continues to grow rapidly, and rapeseed as a new protein is also beginning to exert its strength. In 2019, DSM (DSM) and the French Avril Group jointly developed a non-genetically modified rapeseed protein CanolaPRO, which provides a neutral and pleasant taste, mild texture and smooth taste to satisfy consumers' demand for plant-based protein. Growing demand.

DSM stated that the functional properties, high nutritional value and balanced taste of rapeseed protein make it an ideal choice for a range of product applications such as meat and dairy substitutes, beverages, bakery products, nutrition bars and ready-to-eat mixes.

In August 2020, Plant Protein Burcon Technology announced that its joint venture company Merit Functional Foods has received a US$30 million investment from Bunge. The Merit product portfolio includes pea and rapeseed protein ingredients to meet the growing demand for high functionality and tasteful plant applications. It is reported that Burcon has obtained new plant-based protein ingredients including peas, rapeseed, soybeans, hemp seeds, and sunflower seeds.

It is estimated that by 2025, the global alternative protein market will reach 140-150 billion euros, and this market is being promoted by consumers. People hope that food and beverages are not only healthier for themselves, but also more friendly to the global environment. In 2019, DSM released a consumer insight report on plant-based diets. For health reasons, nearly two-thirds of meat reducers used alternative protein. In addition, the same proportion of people think that the consumption of animal protein should be reduced, which is more sustainable.