Norwegian manufacturer of concentrated marine oils, Epax, has launched Epax Evolve 05 – the world’s first commercially available VLC-PUFA (very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid) product.
VLC-PUFAs are a family of Omega-3 fatty acids that offer particular potential in the healthy ageing category. Pre-clinical studies have found that supplementation is associated with improved sight, and that depletion is linked to age-related phenomena such as reduced bone density and muscle strength. Additionally, VLC-PUFAs have been found to have profound effects in areas such as skin health and male fertility.
Epax has played a leading role in much of the research on VLC-PUFAs from fish oil. Ten years ago, Epax discovered that fish oil contains small amounts of these valuable fatty acids and developed a method for concentrating them.
Epax now holds several patent families in the field, paving the way to development of Epax Evolve 05 – a unique new marine concentrate, and the world’s first commercially available VLC-PUFA product.
Containing around ten times the amount of VLC-PUFAs as crude fish oil, the patent-protected concentrate is part of the company’s NovusLipid range, which features up-and-coming marine ingredients.
Epax CEO, Bjørn Refsum, said VLC-PUFAs offer enormous potential in areas like vision and healthy ageing.
“However, research into their benefits was previously hindered by a lack of material containing VLC-fatty acids in significant amounts,” said Refsum.
“We’re proud to have been able to develop a VLC-concentrate that opens the door for further research and brings a new family of valuable fatty acids to the marketplace. The stage is set for a new era for Omega-3.”
Epax Evolve 05 has already been evaluated by regulators. Acting on behalf of EFSA, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority has concluded that it is not a Novel Food, allowing it to be marketed in the EU. In the US, Epax recently obtained self-affirmed GRAS status following an expert panel assessment. To achieve this, it performed genotoxicity and repeat dose toxicology studies, leading to two peer-reviewed papers.
Commercial availability means that Epax can now also support researchers by providing samples of Epax Evolve 05 for intervention studies.
