title: Fish oil supplements in New Zealand are highly oxidised and do not meet label content of n-3 PUFA.
abstract: We evaluated the quality and content of fish oil supplements in New Zealand. All encapsulated fish oil supplements marketed in New Zealand were eligible for inclusion. Fatty acid content was measured by gas chromatography. Peroxide values (PV) and anisidine values (AV) were measured, and total oxidation values (Totox) calculated. Only 3 of 32 fish oil supplements contained quantities of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that were equal or higher than labelled content, with most products tested (69%) containing <67%. The vast majority of supplements exceeded recommended levels of oxidation markers. 83% products exceeded the recommended PV levels, 25% exceeded AV thresholds, and 50% exceeded recommended Totox levels. Only 8% met the international recommendations, not exceeding any of these indices. Almost all fish oil supplements available in the New Zealand market contain concentrations of EPA and DHA considerably lower than claimed by labels. Importantly, the majority of supplements tested exceeded the recommended indices of oxidative markers. Surprisingly, best-before date, cost, country of origin, and exclusivity were all poor markers of supplement quality.
authors.affiliation: Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Benjamin B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Albert
authors.affiliation: Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: José G B
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Derraik
authors.affiliation: Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cameron-Smith
authors.affiliation: Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Paul L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Hofman
authors.affiliation: Centre for Microbial Innovation, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Sergey
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tumanov
authors.affiliation: Centre for Microbial Innovation, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Silas G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Villas-Boas
authors.affiliation: Nutraceuticals Research Group, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Manohar L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Garg
authors.affiliation: Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Wayne S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Cutfield
mesh_terms: D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000032:analysis*; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D005504:Food Analysis; D063427:Food Quality; D006801:Humans; D009520:New Zealand; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction
chemical_list: D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid