The Omega Principle
As clinical research continues to prove new health benefits, the popularity of ingredients such as omega-3 is rising. Scientist Dr Shulin Chen is busy converting cull potatoes into the ingredient, while Martek Bioscience Corporation's Sarah Sullivan is educating healthcare providers in the benefits of DHA omega-3 fatty acids.
Washington State University researcher Dr Shulin Chen is developing a process to convert cull potatoes and potato waste into omega-3 enhanced milk, in an ongoing research project. In light of the healthful benefits of omega-3s, the potential increased value of cull potatoes and the reduction of waste to the environment, this is an exciting project. The end result of the project said Dr Chen, could potentially establish milk as an alternative source of omega-3 fatty acids for consumers.
Dr Chen said, "The opportunity would exist for farms to label their milk as Omega-3 Enhanced, giving them a value added product that could significantly increase profits."
Using potato starch from the culls, Dr Chen's process produces an algae that researchers can use as a feed additive for dairy cows. Through natural processes, cows can extract the omega-3 fatty acids and excrete it in their milk, resulting in milk fortified with omega-3 fatty acids and increased nutritional characteristics.
The project would help the environment by taking thousands of tons of cull potatoes from the waste stream, increase profits to both potato farmers and the dairy producers, and provide the public with enhanced milk products. A feasibility study will be run in conjunction with the WSU Dairy Center by feeding the omega-3 enriched algal biomass to dairy cows and comparing the fatty acids in their diet and the resulting milk. The purpose of using dairy cows is to reduce the high purification cost of omega-3 by using them as ‘omega-3 extractors' to remove the fatty acids from the complex algal biomass and convert it into omega-3 enhanced milk.
Reducing the cost of producing commercial algae-derived omega-3 fatty acids is a challenge for both the scientific and industrial communities. Meeting this challenge will be a lengthy process.
The potential effect on both the Washington State potato and dairy industries could be significant. Washington State grows 165,000 acres of potatoes with harvesting averages of 30 tons per acre. Ten per cent of all potatoes grown, or three tons per acre, are cull potatoes. Cull potatoes are waste potatoes that are too small to be used in processed potato products. Potatoes cost about $65 (€51)
per ton to grow while farmers generally receive less than $10 (€7.80) per ton for culls. Finding alternative uses for cull potatoes will increase the potential profits of growers while reducing waste.
Economists estimate the annual economic effect of Washington state potato production, packing and processing at approximately $3 billion (€2.3bn) making potatoes one of the most important value-added agricultural commodities in the state.
Washington's dairy industry also plays a significant role in the state's economy. Statistics from the Washington Dairy Products Commission show that in 2003, dairy foods were the second largest agricultural commodity produced in Washington, with production alone valued at $675 million (€527m).
Omega-3s have a host of reported health benefits ncluding acting as a therapeutic agent against cardiovascular diseases, cancers, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and most recently noted, Alzheimer's. Omega-3s can also help reduce joint pain and rheumatoid arthritis. Increasing consumer's awareness about the health benefits of omega-3s may be crucial in determining the success of omega-3 enhanced milk.
According to Randy Eronimous, Director of Marketing for West Farm Foods, "Consumers already know that milk is good for you. While the addition of omega-3s in milk may enhance that, I don't know that it will bring incremental sales." Martek Biosciences Corporation senior marketing manager, Sarah Sullivan takes an active role in educating healthcare providers in the benefits of DHA omega-3 fatty acids. Crucially, she is responsible for building Martek's life'sDHATM brand, growing consumer awareness of it and promoting its use by food, beverage and supplement manufacturers.
In her report titled, ‘A world of opportunities: the relentless rise of omega-3', published this year, Sullivan highlights the increasing consumer awareness of the need to consume higher levels of omega-3s, pointing out that qualities of omega-3s were both scientifically proven and well documented. Alongside these developments, scientists explained the three different omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids: DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), and their varying health benefits, the report states. In the report Sullivan said studies found that of the three, DHA is the only omega-3 fatty acid that provides benefits for the brain, eye and heart throughout life. This clarification, and the convincing research being published, triggered an expansion of DHA's appeal, Sullivan said. Once the preserve of a more affluent, educated generation, omega-3s opened up to a new consumer base.
The report states that the functional food and supplement markets are still growing rapidly, with world demand for nutraceutical ingredients forecast to advance 5.8 per cent annually to $15.5 billion (€12bn) in 2010. Sullivan adds that one recent report indicates the value of the European market is still lower than that in the US, demonstrating great ‘untapped potential' in this region.
