This article was published in the March/April 2025 issue of Pet Food Processing. Read it and other articles from this issue in our March/April digital edition.
Pet parents are becoming increasingly concerned about the future of the planet, according to data from Euromonitor International’s Global Lifestyles Survey. Nearly 70% of global pet owners report that they are “worried about climate change” and are “trying to have a positive impact on the environment through my everyday actions.” But at the same time, they are demanding more human-like foods and treats for their cats and dogs. This humanization of pet food challenges manufacturers’ sustainability goals, especially when it comes to including animal-based ingredients. This includes the two Omega 3 fatty acids — docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) — derived from fish.
These long-chain polyunsaturated Omega 3 fatty acids are essential nutrients. They are necessary for health and cannot be made by the body.
“As the global population grows, so does the challenge in the supply of long-chain polyunsaturated Omega 3 fatty acids,” said Bart Boomsma, Corbion Algae Ingredients.
“For similar reasons as their human owners, dogs and cats require Omega 3s in their diets for optimal cellular functioning that drives many core aspects of daily wellness,” said Greg Cumberford, vice president of science and regulatory, Natures Crops International, Prince Edward Island, Canada. “Cardiovascular function, skin and coat health, joints and mobility, gut wellness, and respiratory/immune function all benefit from Omega 3s in the diet. Also, balancing Omega 6 fatty acids, which are high in corn, soy, palm, sunflower and canola oils, with Omega 3s is important for liver and gut wellness and lowering inflammatory responses in the body.”
Animals, like humans, need to obtain Omega 3s through their diet. This can be accomplished by either consuming foods with concentrated levels or through fortified foods or supplements.
Omega 3s are not created equal
There are more than 10 types of Omega 3 fatty acids, some can be found in plants, while others — such as DHA and EPA — are exclusive to animals. The most common food ingredient source is fish oil from cold-water species, such as salmon, cod and pollock. The third important Omega 3 is alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is mostly found in plants with a large fat component. Traditional sources are canola, flax and hemp.
Most mammals are able to convert ALA to DHA and EPA, but it’s not a highly efficient process and varies by ALA source and mammal. This is why there has been so much focus on getting sufficient amounts of DHA and EPA through the diet. But relying on fish oil is not sustainable. There’s just not enough fish in the sea to meet demand.
“As the global population grows, so does the challenge in the supply of long-chain polyunsaturated Omega 3 fatty acids,” said Bart Boomsma, business development manager, Corbion Algae Ingredients, The Netherlands. “Food and feed manufacturers have long looked to fish oil and derivates to incorporate these fatty acids into diets. However, the continuous use of fish oil and derivates put growing pressure on wild fish foraging.”
“Some dogs and cats may have food allergies or sensitivities to fish or fish-based products, making fish oil unsuitable for them,” said Patrick Backowski, Anchor Ingredients.
Patrick Backowski, director, Anchor Ingredients, Fargo, ND, added, “Some dogs and cats may have food allergies or sensitivities to fish or fish-based products, making fish oil unsuitable for them. Some pet owners prefer plant-based solutions for their animals.”
Anchor Ingredients offers plant-based sources of Omega 3 alternatives, including flaxseed and chia seed in whole and milled forms. The two forms allow for versatile usage in pet food formulations, accommodating various preferences and nutritional requirements. The company offers both these Omega 3 alternatives as regeneratively grown products, where farm-level grower partners commit to the implementation of sustainable farming practices.
Commodity seed oils, such as canola and soy, as well as specialty oils, such as flaxseed, sunflower and cottonseed, may be used with fish oils, to reduce reliance on ocean resources. While it does not solve the problem of overfishing, it helps control costs. It’s classic supply and demand.
“Our plant-based ALA fatty acids have the added advantage of responsible sourcing with our industry-leading sustainability programs,” said Jennifer Adolphe, pet technical sales manager, ADM, Chicago. “We source cotton and soy from farmers implementing regenerative farming practices that protect and improve soil health, biodiversity, climate and water resources. Moreover, plant-based Omega 3 fatty acids allow for the inclusion of these essential fatty acids in pet foods without relying on animal-derived ingredients. This can be appealing to pet owners who shop their values, preferring to purchase products that have less environmental impact or who are exploring plant-based options for themselves and their pets.”
Nuseed Nutritional, West Sacramento, Calif., developed the world’s first plant-based source of DHA, EPA and ALA, with an improved Omega ratio.
Ahiflower is a plant-based source of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids that offers sustainability benefits to formulators.
|“The plant scientists at Nuseed optimized canola to double the ALA and produce longer chain DHA and EPA fatty acids,” said Mark Smith, nutraceuticals lead at Nuseed. “The ingredient provides 30% total Omega 3 nutrition and improved the Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio to 1:4. This novel ingredient creates a new Omega 3 supply chain and reduces pressure on ocean resources.
“The mild taste and aroma allow formulators to increase the nutritional profile of their products without having to hide the taste or smell,” Smith added. “It comes in oil and powder formats.”
Natures Crops International exclusively grows and produces the Buglossoides arvensis plant, the most complete and balanced plant source of omega fatty acids. The oil obtained from the plant, which is known as ahiflower oil, can be used as a source of DHA and EPA in pet foods.
“B. arvensis also has similar levels of the anti-inflammatory gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) as evening primrose oil. GLA is good for the skin and coat,” Cumberford said. “Fish oil contains no GLA. Unlike highly refined, chemically processed fish oil sources, B. arvensis comes from a regeneratively farmed and fully traceable oilseed crop that builds soil health and pollinator diversity.
“Natures Crops cold presses B. arvensis, then filters it, followed by light refining. There’s no chemical extraction with hexane,” Cumberford added. “B. arvensis has consistent evidence in mammals of converting efficiently to DHA and EPA in the body, naturally — up to 10-times more efficiently than flaxseed oil — despite containing no DHA or EPA. Using B. arvensis in Omega 3 pet supplements offers the same Omega 3 benefit claims that consumers expect, with better palatability than fish oil.”
Ahiflower oil also contains the Omega 3 stearidonic acid (SDA), a rarity in plant sources. Similar to ALA, mammals can convert SDA into DHA and EPA.
“Ahiflower oil presents a remarkable composition, comprising 65% total Omega 3, with 45% ALA and 20% SDA,” Cumberford said. “This distinctive profile sets ahiflower apart, offering a higher concentration of essential fatty acids crucial for various health benefits.
“Each acre of B. arvensis crop has the Omega 3 equivalent of over 500,000 anchovies,” he added. “Brands like LifePlus, WagWell and Four Leaf Rover are leading the way in convenient, great-tasting delivery formats for dogs while assuring stable, de-risked and scalable oil deliveries year on year.”
Following the successful launch of its line of supplement chews featuring ahiflower oil, WagWell introduced its fully cooked freeze-dried dog treats also containing the sustainable Omega-rich oil.
|WagWell, Charlotte, NC, includes ahiflower oil in its recently launched, fully cooked freeze-dried treats. This launch follows the successful debut of its supplement line featuring ahiflower oil, which the company describes as “a game-changing plant-based Omega oil that is sustainably harvested, non-GMO, and clinically proven to improve a dog’s skin, coat and joints. This differentiator sets WagWell apart, meeting the rising consumer demand for alternatives to marine-based omega sources.”
Cumberford added, “Ahiflower oil is more stable oxidatively than flaxseed, algal or fish oils due to its unique Omega 3-6-9 fatty acid composition. Ahiflower oil or milled seed can be formulated into pet supplements easily. In typical supplement formulations, it does not require refrigeration after opening. It can be blended with oil-soluble vitamins and other actives to yield further market-differentiating benefits. These purity, stability, health and supply chain benefits all square well against the 600% gyrations in fish oil supply pricing that occurred in 2023, and which could easily return with further climate induced impacts on oily fish populations.”
Opportunities with precision fermentation
While precision fermentation technology has been around for more than 30 years, it’s only now being recognized for its potential in feeding the growing population and saving the planet by producing food and food ingredients in more earth-friendly manners. Most of the focus has been on using the technology to produce proteins, but it also can be used to produce Omega 3s.
Precision fermentation is, as the name suggests, more precise. It’s calculated technology. In precision fermentation, bioengineering techniques are used to program microorganisms by giving them a specific genetic code to produce a compound of interest when fermented under precise conditions. The genetic code is the exact copy of the DNA sequence found in a digitized database on animal or plant DNA sequence; however, it requires no animal or plant involvement. The result is the molecularly identical ingredient made by microorganisms.
It’s what Corbion Algae Ingredients uses to manufacture its algae-based, high-performance Omega 3 ingredient that enables pet food manufacturers to enhance the nutritional profile of their products and boost DHA levels while reducing dependency on marine-based resources and positively impacting their carbon footprint. The ingredient is produced via microalgae precision fermentation in closed tanks where cane sugars are transformed into Omega 3-rich algae powered by a renewable energy source. That makes this source of Omega 3 DHA completely traceable, at scale, and constant in supply and quality.
Get Joy’s Gut+ supplement formula features Omega 3 from algae to address inflammation, ginger extract to help the body fend off pathogens, and biotics to support the gut microbiome.
|“The ingredient supports manufacturers in their efforts to overcome the most common challenges of Omega 3 DHA inclusion, as it provides the highest level of DHA on the market in biomass powder form (35% DHA), enabling flexibility for nutritionists and developers in working with functional DHA levels for added nutritional value, while advancing the sustainability of pet diets,” Boomsma said. “In addition, it is stabilized with a natural antioxidant system. The unique production process and innovation opens new opportunities for DHA health benefits, sustainability and vegan claims while delivering stability and palatability. It is suitable for kibbles, treats, moist- and wet pet food formulations, allowing easy use of long-chain Omega 3s for every pet food formulator.
“We continue to develop new strains with higher Omega 3 content and increase production efficiency in our commitment to deliver innovation that works for large-scale businesses and leading brands,” Boomsma added. “We designed our production sites with ample capacity to facilitate rapid growth for the next decade, with programs for de-bottlenecking and process optimization to improve output. The process provides supply chain resilience, reducing complexity with on-demand production without the constraints of geography, seasonality and changing climate conditions. Fermentation technology provides a standardized, high-quality and abundant source of Omega 3 fatty acids.”
The fermentation facility is strategically located among sugar cane fields in Orindiúva, Brazil, and next door to a sugar cane mill. The sugar cane waste is used as a renewable source of energy that fully powers the sugar mill and the algae facility.
Netherlands-based dsm-firmenich offers a fermentation-derived algal oil that has no impact on marine ecosystems. It also claims to be more than twice as potent as traditional fish oils.
“Replacing one ton of traditional fish oil with one ton of our algal oil saves 66 tons of wild caught fish from being removed from the ocean,” said George Josef, dsm-firmenich.
“Replacing one ton of traditional fish oil with one ton of our algal oil saves 66 tons of wild-caught fish from being removed from the ocean, making it a much more sustainable solution to giving cats and dogs the vital nutrients they need,” said George Josef, director nutritional lipids-pet food at dsm-firmenich. “This innovative ingredient also has a 60% EPA and DHA content.
“For processors, the algae-derived ingredient offers consistent quality and reliable supply since it is cultivated in controlled environments, minimizing concerns about seasonal variations or availability. It’s also free from ocean-borne contaminants typically associated with fish oils, such as heavy metals,” Josef added. “As a result, processors are less impacted by supply chain disruption, volatile market costs and quality control issues. Meanwhile, pets enjoy improved palatability while benefiting from better brain development, cognitive function, heart health, immunity, skin condition and joint health throughout all life stages.”
As sustainability continues to shape consumer choices, the pet food market’s move away from traditional fish oil sources of Omega 3s and toward more sustainable alternatives will only accelerate. Sustainable and reliable plant-based Omega 3 sources, along with advanced technologies used to obtain Omega 3s from insects and microorganisms, will see much broader adoption.
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