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Omega-3 Fatty Acid Concentrates: a Review of Production Technologies

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Book cover Seafoods — Quality, Technology and Nutraceutical Applications

Abstract

Health benefits of long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω3-PUFA) have been well supported by scientific studies in recent years. In order to include ω3-PUFA in our diet, a variety of prototype foods containing ω3-PUFA and dietary supplements have been developed. To meet the demand for nutritionally and pharmaceutically valuable omega-3 fatty acids, they must be extracted, isolated or concentrated from the source materials. However, industrial-scale concentration technologies of PUFA have not yet been perfected. Production and concentration of ω3-PUFA from marine oils may be achieved using chromatography (e.g. adsorption, countercurrent, etc.), fractional or molecular distillation, enzymatic splitting, low-temperature crystallisation, supercritical fluid extraction, fatty acid solubility differences and urea complexation. The omega-3 concentrates may be in the form of free fatty acids, alkyl esters and acylglycerols. Although production of concentrates via urea complexation and molecular distillation is commonplace, products so formed are in the free acid or simple ester forms. Due to perceived advantages of concentrates in the acylglycerol form, enzymatic procedure have recently become popular and their industrial production is gaining momentum. However, the industry at this stage is using chemical procedures. This overview provides a discussion on methodologies used for producing ω3-PUFA concentrates from source materials.

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Wanasundara, U.N., Wanasundara, J., Shahidi, F. (2002). Omega-3 Fatty Acid Concentrates: a Review of Production Technologies. In: Alasalvar, C., Taylor, T. (eds) Seafoods — Quality, Technology and Nutraceutical Applications. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-09836-3_14

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