Exceeding Purity
STANDARDSOur efficient oil refining techniques, allow us to reduce the environmental contaminants to a level far below the GOED Voluntary Monograph limits, thereby guaranteeing a highly purified and safe refined omega-3 fish oil.
Ultra-pure oil that exceeds industry purity standards.
Environmental contaminants, such as heavy metals (i.e. arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury) and persistent organic pollutants (i.e. PCBs, PCDDs, PCDFs and dioxin-like PCBs) tend to bio-accumulate in fatty fish tissues. Concerns have been raised that the consumption of fish and fish-derived products may pose a risk to human health, due to the potential for unintentional intake of these environmental contaminants. To ensure the safe consumption of fish oil, GOEDs’ Voluntary Monograph has established specification limits for these environmental contaminants incorporating the strictest global regulatory limits. At Vesteraalens AS every batch of refined omega-3 fish oil is analysed according to a fixed contaminant monitoring program (cfr. Table 1) using accredited 3th party laboratories.
Illustration of typical contaminants levels in Vesteraalens AS refined omega-3 fish oil are given in Table 1 and Fig. 1, 2 and 3. Our efficient oil refining techniques, allow us to reduce the environmental contaminants to a level far below the GOED Voluntary Monograph limits, thereby guaranteeing a highly purified and safe refined omega-3 fish oil.
To ensure additional safety, a complementary monitoring for pesticides, PBBs, PBDEs, 3 MCPDs and GE, Minerol oils, Plasticizers, Bisphenol A and Toxaphene has been established.
Figure. 1 PCBs 209
PCBs 209 content in Vesteraalens AS refined cod liver oil as of 2012.
Figure. 2 Dioxins, Furans and Dioxine-like PCBs
Figure.3 Non Dioxine-like PCBs
Table 1. Vesteraalens Arctic Ingredients - Environmental Contaminants
Overview of Vesteraalens AS environmental contaminants monitoring, specification and typical level against established GOED specification limit and EU legislation.
Environmental contaminant | Vesteraalens AS typical level | Vesteraalens AS specification | GOED Voluntary Monograph | EU Legislation | Average level for global market review |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arsenic (As) – (mg/kg) | < 0,025 | < 0,1 | < 0,1 | – | 0,1200 |
Cadmium (Cd) – (mg/kg) | < 0,001* | < 0,05 | < 0,1 | – | 0,0006 |
Lead (Pb) – (mg/kg) | < 0,005 | < 0,05 | < 0,1 | < 0,1 | 0,0019 |
Mercury (Hg) – (mg/kg) | < 0,001* | < 0,05 | < 0,1 | < 0,5 | 0,0005 |
PCBs 209 – (mg/kg) | < 0,003 | < 0,018 | 0,090 | – | 0,025 |
Dioxins and Furans (17 PCDD/F) – (pg/g) | < 0,35 | < 1,75 | 1,75 | 1,75 | 0,55 |
Dioxine-like PCBs (12 WHO PCB) – (pg/g) | < 0,22 | < 1 | 3 | – | 0,83 |
Dioxins, Furans and Dioxine-like PCBs – (pg/g) | < 0,60 | < 4 | 3 | 6,0 | – |
Non dioxine-like PCBs (6 ICES PCB) – (ng/g) | < 2,0 | < 200 | – | 200 | – |
PAH 4 – µg/kg | < 2,0 | < 10 | – | 10,0 | – |
Benzo(a)pyrene – (µg/kg) | < 0,5* | < 2 | – | 2,0 | – |
* Detection limit